Royal Antwerp was founded in 1880 and is the oldest active club in Belgium. The exact day of its founding was never recorded, so we celebrate it on 1 September: on 1 September 2027 Antwerp turns 147. No wonder everyone calls it "The Great Old".

Britons in the port of Antwerp

The club was set up by Britons, students and men working in Antwerp's port and nearby businesses. At first it was a multi-sport club, known as Antwerp Athletic Club or Antwerp Football and Cricket Club, which switched sports with the seasons.

Football was properly organised in 1887, with its own section and board. In 1892 the section took the name Antwerp Football Club. A few years later, in 1895-96, it played in the very first championship in Belgian history.

Number 1

In 1895 Antwerp registered with the football association as the oldest active club. When registration numbers were handed out in 1926, it naturally received number 1. That is where the nickname "The Great Old" comes from.

The number also has its place on the crest. A red shield outline holds a black football, with the club's name and the year 1880. A crown sits on top and the number 1 at the bottom.

Red and white, "beloved colours"

Antwerp's colours are red and white. The sources do not explain how they were chosen, but the club anthem, written by Jos Lahou, is called "Rood en Wit, Liefdevolle Kleuren", meaning "Red and white, beloved colours".

The home shirt is usually all red and the away shirt white. That is why the team is also known as "The Reds". In 2023 it wore a limited-edition retro shirt for the last four games of the season, marking 30 years since Wembley.

The Bosuil and Wembley

Since 1923 Antwerp has played at the Bosuil, in the Deurne district. The ground opened with a Belgium-England friendly (2-2) and once held more than 40,000 fans. In 1972 it hosted the Euro semi-final between Belgium and West Germany.

The greatest European night came on 12 May 1993. Walter Meeuws's Antwerp played the Cup Winners' Cup final at Wembley and lost 3-1 to Parma, with Francis Severeyns scoring. It remains the only European final in the club's history.

From Mees to Alderweireld

Antwerp have won five league titles, in 1929, 1931, 1944, 1957 and 2023, plus four Belgian Cups, in 1955, 1992, 2020 and 2023. The red shirt was worn by legends such as Victor Mees and Wilfried Van Moer, and later by Nico Claesen and Alex Czerniatynski.

In 2023, 66 years after the previous title, Toby Alderweireld scored the goal that clinched the championship, in a season when the team also won the cup. A Champions League group with Barcelona, Porto and Shakhtar followed. Today Antwerp still play in Belgium's Pro League.

Before that, Israel's Lior Refaelov had won the 2020 cup with his goal in the final. Today the armband belongs to Dutch striker Vincent Janssen, while the renovated Bosuil holds around 18,000 fans.

Celebrate with us

From a group of Britons at the port to number 1 of Belgian football, Antwerp carries 147 years of history in red and white. Happy birthday to the Great Old!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Antwerp's Bosuil stadium after renovation – LemmyButler, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.