Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Newcastle United: 1/10/25 @ 17:45 (TNT Sport)

[HaydnNUFC]

ROYALE UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
@

Constant Vanden Stock Stadium

(Anderlecht's stadium, not their usual home stadium as it doesn't fit UEFA's woke stadium rules)

 

This is the one club from our Champions League draw that we have never played before. Based in Brussels, they dominated Belgian football until the Second World War. Following that, they suffered a huge decline that resulted in the club dropping to the 4th tier of Belgian football. However in this decade, that poker playing, weird sounding nonce that owns Brighton helped buy them out and they've had an enormous resurgence. They returned to the Belgian top tier in 2021 and narrowly missed out on the title in 2022, 2023, and 2024. They won the title last season, ending a 90-year drought and now compete in the Champions League/European Cup for the first time in their history. Their fans are apparently known for their progressive and inclusive values, often promoting anti-fascist and anti-racist ideals to the point where "Anti-Fascist Unionist for Life" is the unofficial motto of the club and they've had tussles with Belgian police for displaying banners as such.

LAST TIME OUT?

We've never played them before, so there isn't one. We have however played against a couple Belgian sides as seen below;

 

HOW WELL DO WE DO IN BELGIUM?

2012-13: Drew 2-2 v Club Brugge (Europa League)

2006-07: Won 3-1 v Zulte Waregem (UEFA Cup)

2001-02: Won 4-0 v Lokeren (Intertoto Cup)

1994-95: Won 5-0 v Royal Antwerp (UEFA Cup)

1969-70: Lost 2-0 v Anderlecht (Inter Cities Fairs Cup)

 

WHAT ABOUT THEM NOW?

They've made an excellent start to this season; winning 7 out of 9 domestic league games, drawing the other two and beat PSV in Eindhoven 3-1 in their CL debut. They are currently on a run of 4 successive wins, beating Westerlo on Saturday.

 

ANY TIES BETWEEN THE CLUBS?

Absolutely zero.

 

Though during the Champions League draw their defender Ross Sykes looked quite pleased at drawing us. Claims that he's a Newcastle fan followed, though there's nowhere I can find verifying that as he was born in Burnley and come through the academy there, but still, I'll assume it's true.

 

Despite our performances this season this is one of the games we need to be taking a win from if we want to progress for my tuppence. Jealous at those going, though the Belgian beers before kick off would probably see me off well before kick off. Though given how we've been attacking recently that'd probably be for the best.  Go and win this yanited for god sake.

[El Prontonise]

Difficult game.

[Fak]

0-5.

[jack j]

Trippier and Hall the full backs please. Then make your decisions on the 2 centre halves. You either huff Botman or Thiaw or take Dan Burn out. Can't be doing with a 5 at the back or Burn at left back (as much as he was OK yesterday it just wont end well)

[TBG]

Do we even have a team to put out? Feels like 70% off the squad should be out the door following the Arsenal defeat. 

[Dan]

Pope

 

Tripper

Schar

Burn

Hall

 

Bruno

Miley

Tonali

 

Elanga

Woltemade

Barnes

 

1-1

[TRon]

28 minutes ago, El Prontonise said:

Difficult game.

 

 

Was hoping for an easy one because we need a win to get us back on track in the CL, but these have won 7 out of 9 so looks a tricky fixture. Balls. 

[greydos]

1 hour ago, HaydnNUFC said:

ROYALE UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
@

Constant Vanden Stock Stadium

(Anderlecht's stadium, not their usual home stadium as it doesn't fit UEFA's woke stadium rules)

 

This is the one club from our Champions League draw that we have never played before. Based in Brussels, they dominated Belgian football until the Second World War. Following that, they suffered a huge decline that resulted in the club dropping to the 4th tier of Belgian football. However in this decade, that poker playing, weird sounding nonce that owns Brighton helped buy them out and they've had an enormous resurgence. They returned to the Belgian top tier in 2021 and narrowly missed out on the title in 2022, 2023, and 2024. They won the title last season, ending a 90-year drought and now compete in the Champions League/European Cup for the first time in their history. Their fans are apparently known for their progressive and inclusive values, often promoting anti-fascist and anti-racist ideals to the point where "Anti-Fascist Unionist for Life" is the unofficial motto of the club and they've had tussles with Belgian police for displaying banners as such.

LAST TIME OUT?

We've never played them before, so there isn't one. We have however played against a couple Belgian sides as seen below;

 

HOW WELL DO WE DO IN BELGIUM?

2012-13: Drew 2-2 v Club Brugge (Europa League)

2006-07: Won 3-1 v Zulte Waregem (UEFA Cup)

2001-02: Won 4-0 v Lokeren (Intertoto Cup)

1994-95: Won 5-0 v Royal Antwerp (UEFA Cup)

1969-70: Lost 2-0 v Anderlecht (Inter Cities Fairs Cup)

 

WHAT ABOUT THEM NOW?

They've made an excellent start to this season; winning 7 out of 9 domestic league games, drawing the other two and beat PSV in Eindhoven 3-1 in their CL debut. They are currently on a run of 4 successive wins, beating Westerlo on Saturday.

 

ANY TIES BETWEEN THE CLUBS?

Absolutely zero.

 

Though during the Champions League draw their defender Ross Sykes looked quite pleased at drawing us. Claims that he's a Newcastle fan followed, though there's nowhere I can find verifying that as he was born in Burnley and come through the academy there, but still, I'll assume it's true.

 

Despite our performances this season this is one of the games we need to be taking a win from if we want to progress for my tuppence. Jealous at those going, though the Belgian beers before kick off would probably see me off well before kick off. Though given how we've been attacking recently that'd probably be for the best.  Go and win this yanited for god sake.

 

 

 

There’s a distinct lack of appreciation in this pre-match thread for what is a wonderful opening post! Even though you do most of them and they’re all fantastic I want to give you the recognition you deserve. I’d never heard of these but I’m now up for the game a bit more having read this 

[joeyt]

Into these Poirot waffle eating bastards

[TRon]

Just now, greydos said:

There’s a distinct lack of appreciation in this pre-match thread for what is a wonderful opening post! Even though you do most of them and they’re all fantastic I want to give you the recognition you deserve. I’d never heard of these but I’m now up for the game a bit more having read this 

 

 

Agree. I don't always pay that much attention to the match thread details, but not knowing much about this team I did have a read through. I thought we were in for an easy fixture before today.  

[Coffee_Johnny]

They’ve not lost since Belgian Super Cup semi final defeat to Club Brugge (1-2) on 20th July. Two draws and eight wins since. Scored 22, conceded 5. 
Our last ten competitive games (to May 19th) reads less well… . 4 losses, 3 draws, 3 wins. Scored 9, conceded 11. 

 

[Jill]

Thanks for the realistic OP to ground my overconfidence.

[Mike]

17 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Into these Poirot waffle eating bastards

 

 

[Kid Icarus]

Into these inbred Hapsberg choccy nonce cunts 

[Sean]

Since 5 at the back doesn’t seem to be having the desired effect, let’s go 6 at the back for this one.

[ads]

Into these chip munching, Tintin shagging tosspots

[LaurentRobert]

These lot are on fire. They embarrassed PSV in the first round and they've looked indomitable in the league. 

 

Belgian football is having a bit of a glow up this season. Club Brugge are a wonderful attacking side to watch too. 

 

Considering our form, I have very little confidence going into this. When was the last time we won an away fixture in Europe? 

 

One thing that may be in our favour is that we'll be in playing on somewhat neutral terrain with Anderlecht's stadium hosting USG CL matches this season 

[Menace]

These are part of Tony Bloom/Brighton's multi club setup right? They're in good form I don't think it'll be easy at all 

[Newcastle Fan]

Regardless of their form we are a premier league side that's probably worth 5 times their worth, our players need to show the difference in quality in this game and get all three points.

[TBG]

We'll be fine as long as we score more than them.

[ffs]

no takers yet for this free hotel room in Brussels for Weds night, so reprising it in here:

  "I booked a hotel room in Brussels (at the Pullman Brussels Centre Midi, the one right by the Eurostar terminal) for the night of Oct 1, fully expecting to be able to rustle up a ticket (in the home areas if need be). But the CL strictness on transfers has defeated me and I'm not going.

  Because I'm a genius, i went for the low price non-refundable hotel option. So I can't get a refund, but the hotel just told me that I can transfer it into another name.

  So if any of you beauties wants a hotel room in Brussels for Oct 1 you can have mine for nowt (no need to get into splitting the cost or whatever, I'm a good karma head). First come first served. I've never used DM in here but prob best to try me on that? If that doesn't work shout at me in the thread and we'll figure out another way 🙂"

also, and i don't know why i feel compelled to write this (but i do) - even tho this season has started pretty badly, the isak stuff was disgusting (and sortof at some deep psychological level disgusting, because of it being such a throwback to when we couldn't keep great players, but this time it's simply because there's been such regulatory capture by americans who are good at regulatory capture (see big tech) that we literally are not allowed to pay top players wages that we could easily afford to (and that fact being mentioned nowhere in the media)), and wissa out + then bleedin afcon, and maybe tino + even hall out, and why does elanga look so unthreatening for us when he seemed so terrifying playing against us, and jacob ramsey as potential new permacrock, and anderson + minteh both now looking pretty great, and our having looked so toothless, and on and on and on and there are probably many negative things that i've forgotten, too - despite all of that, somehow, *i still have a good feeling about this season*. 

[Sean]

1 minute ago, ffs said:

no takers yet for this free hotel room in Brussels for Weds night, so reprising it in here:

  "I booked a hotel room in Brussels (at the Pullman Brussels Centre Midi, the one right by the Eurostar terminal) for the night of Oct 1, fully expecting to be able to rustle up a ticket (in the home areas if need be). But the CL strictness on transfers has defeated me and I'm not going.

  Because I'm a genius, i went for the low price non-refundable hotel option. So I can't get a refund, but the hotel just told me that I can transfer it into another name.

  So if any of you beauties wants a hotel room in Brussels for Oct 1 you can have mine for nowt (no need to get into splitting the cost or whatever, I'm a good karma head). First come first served. I've never used DM in here but prob best to try me on that? If that doesn't work shout at me in the thread and we'll figure out another way 🙂"

also, and i don't know why i feel compelled to write this (but i do) - even tho this season has started pretty badly, the isak stuff was disgusting (and sortof at some deep psychological level disgusting, because of it being such a throwback to when we couldn't keep great players, but this time it's simply because there's been such regulatory capture by americans who are good at regulatory capture (see big tech) that we literally are not allowed to pay top players wages that we could easily afford to (and that fact being mentioned nowhere in the media)), and wissa out + then bleedin afcon, and maybe tino + even hall out, and why does elanga look so unthreatening for us when he seemed so terrifying playing against us, and jacob ramsey as potential new permacrock, and anderson + minteh both now looking pretty great, and our having looked so toothless, and on and on and on and there are probably many negative things that i've forgotten, too - despite all of that, somehow, *i still have a good feeling about this season*. 

I too had a good feeling about this season..until I read all of that 🤣

 

Good luck with the hotel room

[nufc123]

Got to win this and Forest.

[LaurentRobert]

4 minutes ago, Menace said:

These are part of Tony Bloom/Brighton's multi club setup right? They're in good form I don't think it'll be easy at all 

Yes, USG (undefeated and top of Belgian league) Hearts (top of SPL) and Brighton (solid start). 

 

Tony Bloom seems to be a very effective owner. 

[Vaj]

Will be a difficult game but we should be winning this really. Yes they are unbeaten but they are playing poor teams week in week out and if we turn up and play we should have too much for them.

 

I would take a very scrappy uninspiring 1-0 win