GROUND // Stade de la Tonne - RFC de Liège

A few months ago we visited RFC de Liège in Stade du Pairay, the stadium where they had to play due to lack of an own stadium. Stade du Pairay is in fact the homeground of Seraing United. More than 20 years after the destruction of the majestic Stade Vélodrome de Rocourt, RFC de Liège finally has a place to call their own; Stade de la Tonne. This new stadium is not so far away from the location where Stade Vélodrome used to be (there is a cinema complex now), so the true fans are definitely happy to go back home, back to Rocourt.

This new stadium will have 8000 seats when it's finished. It's a bigger project that eventually will look like in this movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgZqEYoHCzI. For now the first team will be playing (as of season 2015-2016) on a pitch for the youth teams for at least two years. Temporary grandstand have been provided and they have thought of everything; seats in the colours of the team, including the inititals and a true grandstand with the looks of the old terracing of Stade Vélodrome. The only downside is, it seems the visitors were almost forgotten. A small part of one of the grandstands has been split off by simple fences, allowing the visitors only a few dozen people.

In their 123 year old history RFC de Liège has played in numerous stadiums. It all started in Vélodrome Parc de la Boverie, but after one year they had to move to the gardens of Château de Sclessin. There they won their fist championships. Three years later they moved to Terril du Bois d'Avroy and after one year they moved again, this time to Plaines des Champs des Oiseaux. They won a third title there, but then they went silent for a while. After having played 18 years there, the team moved again. They played six years on a pitch in Renory, Angleur, before they finally moved to Stade Vélodrome de Rocourt. In their 73 years there, they had their biggest successes, winning championships and fighting European battles. In 1994 RFC de Liège became homeless again. They went to Stade de Sclessin for a few months and even moved to Eupen and the Stadium Kehrweg for a few months. After these monthes RFC de Liège received help from Tilleur Liège (by the means of a merge) and moved to the glorious Stade de Bureaufosse for 5 years. After the resurrection of FC Tilleur, RFC de Liège moved to Stade du Pairay for a first period. After 4 years, the struggles went on. They played 4 years in Stade de la rue Gilles Magnée and one year in Stade de Bielmont. This wasn't a success and the mythical team moved back to Stade du Pairay for six years. The wander is finally over now. In July 2015 Stade de la Tonne was officially opened...