BACK IN TIME: BEERSCHOT – KV MECHELEN 6-1, SEASON 1975-1976

With Beerschot starting the 2020-2021 season in the First Division, we look back at our club’s history and turn the spotlight on a corresponding fixture from yesteryear…

Today: Beerschot – KV Mechelen 6-1, season 1975-1976

GOALS GALORE TO FINISH OFF THE SEASON

Beerschot lost their final game of the 1975-76 campaign away at champions Club Brugge with 4-2 – with king Baudouin and queen Fabiola as royal spectators in the main stand – and eventually finished in 7th place, behind Club Brugge, Anderlecht, RWDM, Lokeren, Waregem and Beveren.

To wave goodbye the season our Mannekes hosted KV Mechelen in a friendly game for the “Trophy Gazet van Antwerpen – The André Deckers Cup”. And what a match it was to be. At the time KV Mechelen still had ‘clean hands’ but apparently no good feet, as the match report in “Het Laatste Nieuws” clearly stated.

“The Olympic Stadium looked like a building site as the preparations to refurbish Beerschot’s home ground had already started. Nevertheless the home team produced 90 minutes of quality football In which they showed how they progressed since the beginning of the season: good ball circulation, flowing actions, Lozano was brilliant, the Danish pair more than useful, Sanon sensational with his breakouts, the youngsters (Rylant first, Van Landeghem later) highly promising , Tolsa untouchable, Cabral growing in stature… In short: the scoreline was big but not in the least exaggerated. KV Mechelen was played off the field.”

WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 1976 – OLYMPIC STADIUM
BEERSCHOT – KV MECHELEN  6 – 1
GOALS:  15’ Cabral 1-0, 26’ Lozano 2-0, 35’ Cabral 3-0, 52’ Sanon 4-0, 66’ Hansen 5-0, 84’ L. Van Gucht (own-goal) 5-1, 86’ Cabral 6-1
BEERSCHOT: Lauryssen, Deraet, Tolsa, L. Van Gucht, Nielsen, Lozano, Hansen, Rylant (65’ R. Van Landeghem), Lambert, Cabral, Sanon (80’ Cornelis)
KV MECHELEN: Verbelen, Houben, Blair (35’ Talbut), Van de Sompel, Rochtus, Callaerts, Selleslagh (75’ Crabbé), Asselberghs, Van Herp, Aguas, Rits

Hardly anything remained from the ‘original’ Olympic Stadium when major refurbishing works started at the end of May of that year. The main stand got a big makeover; the wooden structure from the “roaring twenties” made place for an aluminium one and was partly encapsulated, the roof totally renewed and new seats installed. The standing areas behind both goals were covered, which meant Beerschot would start the 1976-1977 season in a completely covered stadium. It was a first in Belgian football history at the time . Beerschot as a trendsetter once more. And our Mannekes opened the new season in style by beating Lierse 6-2 in September 1976. Glory days!

By Danny Geerts