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: Moeskroen - Beerschot - Eupen, season 1993-1994
YARON DRORI SPOILS MOESKROEN’S PROMOTION PARTY
The “Stade du Canonnier” doesn’t feature in the Top 10 of exciting Belgian football stadia. Excelsior Moeskroen’s home ground looks cold, empty and silent most of the time, but on the final day of the Promotion Play Off competition of 1993-1994 it was sold out and vibrant as Moeskroen were on their way of grabbing a ticket for Division One. All they needed was a victory over Beerschot. Hope and confidence were sky high on the French-Belgian border. But it turned sour, as Beerschot drew 1-1 with a late goal. Moeskroen’s promotion bubble burst and that resulted in frustration and aggro. Both the Beerschot players and fans had to be escorted to safety by the police after the game.
Beerschot coach René Desaeyere opted for four tall defenders: Philippe Clement, Alex Camerman, Paul Franken and Jerko Tipuric were safe bets and held off the Moeskroen strikers during the first half. But soon after the break Baudri opened the score with a header from a corner. It looked Moeskroen were well on their way to the top flight. However Beerschot weren’t down and out yet. And fifteen minutes from the end Yaron Drori headed home a well deserved equaliser…. to the home fans’ despair. Beerschot decided the Play off competition in Division 2 but didn’t get a prize for it. Except for bad looks from Moeskroen… and congratulations and best wishes from Eendracht Aalst, who were promoted to Division 1 instead.
THURSDAY 26 MEI 1994 – STADE LE CANONNIER
EXCELSIOR MOESKROEN – BEERSCHOT 1 – 1
ATTENDANCE: 8.400
REFEREE: Meese
GOALS: 48’ Baudry 1-0, 77’ Drori 1-1
MOESKROEN: Bourgois, Verbeeck, Besengez, Thibaut, Dugardein, Kasperek (70’ Moock), Lemoine, Broeckaert, Vanderhaeghe, De Vreese, Baudry
BEERSCHOT: Drouguet, Clement (48’ Drori), Camerman, Franken, Tipuric, Van Cleemput, Audoor (73’ Conteh), Lodewijckx, Walschaerts, Simba, Van Overloop
YELLOW CARDS: Franken, Tipuric
RED CARD: 85’ Dugardein
Beerschot had finished the regular season in 5th place, well behind Sint-Truiden who clinched the title and consequently the first promotion spot with a 7 point lead. In the Promotion Play Off competition Beerschot didn’t deliver. Our Mannekes couldn’t win a game, drew 2 and lost 4. It proved to be the beginning of the end. We were also unable to bounce back to Division One the next couple of seasons. And it went from bad to worse, with poor performances, disappointing results and financial problems mounting. It eventually resulted in bankruptcy in 1999.
Only 18 players featured in Beerschot’s 1993-94 season. (Between brackets the number of games played): Pierre Drouguet (36), Alain Lodewijckx (28), Philippe Clement (12), Johan De Ruyter (31), Jerko Tipuric (19), Yves Audoor (35), Ronny Prins (31), Paul Franken (33), Glenn Dillens (30), Paul Van Overloop (26), Rashin Wurie (11), Wim Walschaerts (26), Lamine Junior Conteh (18), Didier Ekanza Simba (28), Alex Camerman (28), Christopher Nwosu (24), Peter Van Cleemput (27) and Yaron Drori (20).
Ekanza Simba was club topscorer with 11 goals. Yaron Drori netted 7 and Lamine Junior Conteh 4. Rashin Wurie and Glenn Dillens scored 3 goals. De Ruyter, Prins, Camerman and Franken two each. And Clement, Nwosu and Walschaerts one. Moeskroen defender Thibaut put one through his own net, in Beerschot’s favour.
‘Hard man’ Ronny Prins collected 13 yellow cards, followed by Peter Van Cleemput who was booked ten times.
Beerschot’s average home attendance during that campaign was 2,800. Our home game against Lokeren attracted a record crowd om 4,500.
By Danny Geerts
