International Fans Tournament in Brussels

Since the demise of our club RWD Molenbeek in August 2002, some of my friends began to travel more often around Europe to follow their favourite teams abroad.

New friendships were made and in the early 2006, the idea came up to organize a friendly football tournament in Brussels with those wishing to come over here, kick a ball but most of all, have a good time and make new friends.

Some of our friends from other Belgian clubs would also come to play and so that's how fans from Olympique Lyonnais, Everton and Heart of Midlothian came over for the first edition in June 2006, along with fans of Brussels side Union SG, RFC Liège (with whom we had some problems in the distant past but all is forgotten now!) and Union Namur. And of course a team of RWDM fans as well.Despite some setbacks, organizational problems, car damages, hostel bosses banning some people, arguments between ourselves and loss of money, we are about to organize the 5th edition of this tournament.

One thing we have yet to experience and hope to never have to (touch wood) is serious problems between the participants, which shows that football fans from different horizons and sensibilities can have a good time and even become good friends, as some of them have started to meet outside the period of the tournament.So it started with 7 teams in 2006 and we gradually increased the number of teams to 12. Football is the excuse to get us together but the quality of it is sometimes quite good (but can also be quite bad!).

Games are not played with 11 v 11, but with 7 v 7 on half-pitches, and last only 20 minutes each.

The first two editions, held in Berchem S.A., were won by a very competitive Everton team and RWDM won the 3rd, played for the first time in our old stadium, the Edmond Machtens, where we have stayed since then. Last year was won by Polish team Lechia Gdansk.This year, the tournament takes place on June 12th, with 6 teams who have taken part in all the tournament so far : RWD Molenbeek, Union SG, RFC Liège, Union Namur, Lyon and Everton, along with Torino (4th time), Cercle Bruges (4th time), Lechia Gdansk (3rd time), Heart of Midlothain (back after a 3-year absence) and newcomers SC Heerenveen of the Netherlands and KRC Genk of Belgium. All we hope is that we'll all have a good time and that these teams will want to come back for the 2011 edition!

The 2010 edition of the tournament takes place Saturday, June 12th in Brussels, Belgium at the Stade Edmond Machtens.

For more information you can join the International Fans Tournament Facebook group.