BACK IN TIME: WAASLAND BEVEREN – BEERSCHOT 3-2, SEASON 2012-2013

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: Waasland Beveren – Beerschot 3-2, season 2012-2013

EVEN BENITO RAMAN COULDN’T PREVENT THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Almost exactly eight years ago Beerschot hit rock bottom, were doomed for relegation and on their way to bankruptcy. No sweet memories on that Saturday night in March 2013 in Beveren. On the contrary, it was one of the blackest and saddest days in our club’s history. Let’s hope our current team can achieve a sporting revenge this weekend… because that’s what all Beerschot fans are still asking for. As those wounds haven’t healed at all…

In that “last hope game” Beerschot opened the score with an early goal of Benito Raman. But the home team equalised just a couple of minutes later with a ‘penalty in the rebound’. Just after the break Beveren extended the scoreline to 3-1. Hernan Losada’s consolation goal in the dying minutes had only statistic value. Beerschot underachieved badly, didn’t show any commitment, some of the players didn’t seem to understand the importance of that game, put in a sloppy performance and couldn’t care less. Disgraceful really. Anyway, after that defeat Beerschot were sentenced to Play Off 3, battle it out with Cercle Brugge… and lost that post season competition as well.

What a disappointing, hopeless season the 2012-2013 campaign was. Financial problems mounted by the week, defeat after defeat sent us to the bottom end of the table, more than twenty desperate transfers created havoc and uncertainty in the dressing room, players underachieved during the matches… and after the dramatic Beveren game even joked and smiled when they came out of the dressing room on their way to the club coach.

The Beerschot supporters were fuming and translated their frustration by causing a brawl in the “away end” of the Freethiel Stadium breaking out seats and throwing them onto the pitch. What a chaos, so much grief, so much rage…

SATURDAY 9 MARCH 2013 – FREETHIEL STADIUM, BEVEREN
WAASLAND BEVEREN - BEERSCHOT AC  3 – 2
ATTENDANCE: 8.200
REFEREE: Verbist
GOALS: 4’ Raman 0-1, 8’ Badash 1-1, 48’ Remacle 2-1, 57’ De Smet 3-1, 80’ Losada 3-2
WAASLAND BEVEREN: Coosemans, D’Ulivo Ivens, Sibum, Shish, Blondelle, Rowell (35’ Farssi), De Smet (88’ Doumbia), Cavens, Remacle, Badash (66’ Sonck)
BEERSCHOT: Deloose, Chanot, Brillant, Lepicier (85’ Ojo), Deferm, De Decker (60’ Kennedy), Van Acker, Suk (69’ Dayan), Raman, Losada, Ogunjimi 
YELLOW CARDS: Rowell, Losada, Blondelle, Farssi

Only one player escaped from the fans’ curse: Benito Raman. And rightly so. His commitment and willpower, the way he tried to get the team going despite his young age and lack of experience, his assists and goals made him the supporters’ hero. Someone with the right incentives, a fighter with whom the fans could identify. And all that in a six months ‘on loan’ period from AA Gent in which he played 11 games for Beerschot and scored five goals. He was the only bright spot in the dark at the time.

The romance between Benito Raman and Beerschot continued after he left the club and went on to play with top teams Standard Liège, then Fortuna Düsseldorf and Schalke 04 in Germany. Whenever he had the weekend off he returned to the Olympic Stadium to follow and watch KFCO Beerschot Wilrijk’s impressive rush from amateur football back to the top. With a purple and white scarf round his neck, making time for a chat with the Beerschot fans. What a guy! Until the end of time everyone at Beerschot will be staying a… “fan of Raman” 

By Danny Geerts