CLUB NEWS, HISTORY

The history of “The Big Antwerp Derby”

On Sunday 25th October 2020 Antwerp and Beerschot will be playing the 165th edition of the “Grote Derby”, the most prestigious football match in the city of Antwerpen. The last time both teams met in a first division match was on the 22nd February 2004. Germinal Beerschot, as we were called then, beat Antwerp in the Olympic Stadium 1-0, with the Brazilian Milton scoring his first – and only – goal as a Beerschot player. The victorious team on that day was: Luciano, De Wree, Van Dooren (70’ Bodor), Hoefkens (76’ Van Zundert), P. Monteyne, Snoeckx, Dhont, Cooreman, Camara, Prince Asubonteng (70’ Cruz) and match winner Milton.

In the same 2003-2004 season – the year Antwerp were relegated to the second division, where they would stay for 13 successive years - Beerschot recorded a great 4-0 away win at the Bosuil Stadium, and crowned themselves as “Ploeg van ‘t Stad’. The Team of the City. That prestigious title is at stake again on Sunday.

Now get ready for the history of the “Grote Derby”. In a nutshell. With numbers, unforgettable matches, remarkable events and special anecdotes…

The very first local derby

Beerschot AC and Antwerp FC met for the first time on the 6th May 1900 in a friendly game to celebrate Beerschot’s new stadium. It was a very special derby as only a couple of months earlier not less than 15 players from Antwerp decided to move to Beerschot, where they could train and play in much better conditions. The temptation paid off… as the ‘new’ Beerschot won 6-1. The team consisted of Grisar, A. Friling, F. Friling, Voets, C. Jacobs, Potts, Robyns, E. Friling, Wolff, Gandon and H. Jacobs. This game started the fierce rivalry between both clubs.

 

Play-off derby for the title

One of the most important derbies in history took place on 16th June 1929 when Antwerp and Beerschot needed a play-off match to decide who would be crowned as champions. The match was played in the stadium of Racing Mechelen. Unfortunately, it was Beerschot who shot themselves in the foot after the Board of Directors suspended their top player Raymond Braine after a conflict. When in the match itself his brother Pierre got injured, Antwerp took command and scored two goals in the final five minutes. Dis Bastin and Jos Van Beeck were the heroes and clinched the title for the red and whites. A disillusioned and frustrated Beerschot went home empty handed.

 

Sporting revenge five months later

The frustration after missing out on their sixth league title was rubbed out on 10th November 1929 with an impressive Beerschot away victory in the Bosuil Stadium. Willy Ulens had given Antwerp a perfect start with an early goal, but 3 goals from Fons De Winter and one each from Raymond Braine, Neel Elst and Salomon Meljado led to a 2–6-win. The derby winning Beerschot team was: Raemdonck, Ruysseveldt, Janssen, Van Averbeke, Lefèbvre, Meljado, Elst, De Winter, P. Braine, R. Braine and Van den Eynde.

Goals galore in the 1932-33 season

The two derbies in  the 1932-33 season produced seventeen goals, and that’s a record. By far. It was Antwerp that won both clashes. On 30th October 1932 with 4-3 at home. Beerschot played an impressive first half in which they scored three goals (Isemborghs, Van den Eynde and Engelen). But after the break it was the home team that ran riot with two goals each from Flor Lambrechts and Jos Van Beeck to clinch an unexpected victory. The return match in the Olympic Stadium on 5th February 1933 was a one sided affair. Antwerp recorded their biggest derby win in history, beating Beerschot 8-2. Rik Isemborghs and Gustaaf Schouwaert were the Beerschot consolation goalscorers that afternoon. Antwerp celebrated with a hattrick from Jos Van Beeck and further goals from  Willy Ulens (2), Sooi De Vries (2) and Flor Lambrechts.

Antwerp-icon Bob Paverick helps out Beerschot

One of the nicest and friendliest derby stories happened in 1948 thanks to Bob Paverick. He was an icon of the Royal Antwerp Football Club. Paverick played 271 league games in a 17 year period and also won 41 caps for Belgium’s national team. In the 1948-49 season Beerschot were hit by a lot of injuries of their key players and were almost unable to field a ‘proper’ team. Paverick decided to help the rivals out, asked for a temporary transfer and put on  Beerschot’s purple shirt. He didn’t want to play in the local derby however. “I’d never be able and don’t want to play against Antwerp. I just can’t do that”, Paverick said. And yes, he took a seat in the stand when Antwerp and Beerschot played the derby at the Bosuil Stadium, that ended in a 1-1 draw. Bob Paverick played 12 games for Beerschot and returned to Antwerp at the end of that season. But what a nice gesture from a perfect gentleman.

 

Rik Coppens scores an incredible goal in the snow

The history of the Antwerp derby wouldn’t be complete without Rik Coppens featuring in it. He earns his place with a goal that only he could score. In the snow. On Sunday 10th February, some eight years before he would score that “wonder goal” in a friendly against Pele and Santos in the Olympic Stadium. Antwerp were the better team on the day, as the 5-2 result may give away. But that was only a side issue. Everyone was only talking about Rik Coppens’ goal that afternoon. When a cross from the left came in, Coppens dived forward and spectacularly put the ball in the top corner with his… heel.  Spectacular and unique. Rik’s reaction was typical. He walked to his marker Jos Van Ginderen and said: “They don’t score goals like that where you come from, do they?” The bewildred Antwerp-defender was lost for words. All he could do was applaud that beauty of a goal.

When playing at home is not always an advantage

Two remarkable away victories catch the eye. On 26th April 1959 Beerschot beat Antwerp at the Bosuil Stadium with 2-6.  While on 10th September 1975 Antwerp recorded an almost as impressive 2-5 win in the Olympic Stadium. A 22,000 attendance saw an unstoppable Karl Kodat tearing Beerschot apart with a hattrick. Jos Heyligen and Jim De Schrijver scored the other Antwerp goals. Beerschot’s consolation goals were from Chico Cabral and Tommy Hansen. Both teams that night: Beerschot: Lauryssen, Van Opdorp, Meeuws, Tolsa, L. Van Gucht, Lozano, Hansen, Van Pelt, Mallants, Mücher and Cabral. Antwerp: Trappeniers, Van Riel, Geens, Caers, Velser, Deraeve, De Schrijver, Desaeyere, Heyligen, Kodat and Lund. Nothing but quality players there. In both teams.

 

Coaches’ “match in the match”… and that unforgettable 5-1 victory

Beerschot v Antwerp wasn’t only on the programme in the Olympic Stadium but also high on the television listings on Friday 2nd September 1988. The Antwerp derby was the first league match broadcasted ‘live’ on Belgian television. The battle between the two coaches – Barry Hughes at Beerschot and Georg Kessler at Antwerp – gave the game even more pigment after their clashes in the Dutch Eredivisie. The tension was high. Beerschot were impressive, played brilliant football, scored quality goals and outclassed their rivals in every sense. 5-1 was the score after 90 minutes. Ton Blanker and Patrick Goots put Beerschot 2-0  up at half time. In the second half they continued the momentum. Goals from Jos Daerden, Patrick Goots yet again and Willy Wellens created a “Carnaval op’t Kiel”-experience. In the dying seconds Geert Emmerechts scored the consolation goal for Antwerp. What a night for Beerschot, who fielded Kerremans, Masefield, Daerden (86’ Makhi), Camerman, Talbut, Vanheusden, Schaessens, Blanker, Tahamata, Wellens and Goots. The euphoria didn’t last long however, because strangely enough Beerschot could only avoid relegation to the second division in the last league game of the season…

 

From a 0-3 lead to a 5-3 defeat in 2002

Eight derbies Antwerp and ‘the new’ Germinal Beerschot played in  the period between 2000 and 2004; Beerschot winning six, one being drawn… and the other one leaving us with a bad taste in the mouth. It all started perfectly in the Bosuil Stadium on Sunday 3rd November 2002 with two goals from Kwame Quansah and one from Paul Kpaka that put Beerschot 3-0 up. Referee De Bleeckere then ‘forgot’ to send off Harald Pinxten after a harsh and late tackle… and it was the Antwerp defender who instigated their comeback minutes later. Patrick Goots and that man Pinxten made it 2-3 at half time… and after the break the home team ran completely riot. Two goals by Mussa and one from Yattara knocked Beerschot out. A 5-3 defeat in the end. No,  the trip to “het Kiel” was not a pleasant one that afternoon…

 

And then there was the derby of “Gnome Eddy” with that sublime climax…

… but we will be coming back to that later this week…

Jupiler Pro League

1 K. Beerschot V.A. 50 pts
2 SK Lommel 48 pts
3 K.M.S.K Deinze 46 pts
4 F.C.V. Dender E.H 45 pts
5 Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 43 pts