Waasland-Beveren

Waasland-Beveren is a Belgian association football club located in the municipality of Beveren, East Flanders. They play in the Belgian first division. The club was known as K.V. Red Star Waasland from 2002 until 2010, when they moved to the nearby stadium of defunct club Sint-Niklase and merged with K.S.K. Beveren. Waasland is the region where the towns of Haasdonk (a neighbourhood in Beveren) and Sint-Niklaas are located. KSK Beveren, a former Belgian champion and first division regular, had just finished at the last place in the second division and was struggling with financial problems. The club kept the history and matricule number of KV Red Star Waasland but moved from Sint-Niklaas to Beveren to play in a bigger stadium.
History.
The club was founded in 1936 as Red Star and registered to an amateur football association. In 1944, they joined the Royal Belgian Football Association and started playing in the lowest provincial league of West Flanders. Red Star Haasdonk first reached national football in 2000–01, and they finished first of the series in Promotion. They also reached the 2000–01 Belgian Cup round of 32, losing to first division club Gent. After their first season in the third division, they moved to the bigger stadium of defunct club Sint-Niklase SKE, the Puyenbekestadion, changing their name to KV Red Star Waasland.
In 2003–04, they finished first in their series of the third division and promoted for the first time to the second division. In their first season at the second-highest level of football, Red Star Waasland finished 5th and qualified for the final round. The next season, they finished 4th, their best result as of 2010 but did not qualify for the final round. They reached again the round of 32 of the 2005–06 Belgian Cup, losing to neighbours KSK Beveren. In the 2007–08 Belgian Cup, Red Star Waasland reached the round of 16, their best cup result, by eliminating Lokeren. They lost to Anderlecht in the round of 16. The following season, they finished 4th again in the second division. In the summer of 2010 Red Star Waasland changed its name to Waasland-Beveren and moved to the bigger stadium of Beveren, the Freethiel Stadion.
In 2011–12, they finished second in the Belgian second tier league and were promoted to the Belgian Pro League for the 2012–13 season.
In 2019–20 Belgian First Division A due to the virus epidemic the league was forced to shut down its competition. At the time of the shut down Waasland Beveren was in 16th position and was expected to relegate having their last game scheduled against KAA Gent. After months of confusion the league decided to close the season the way it left off with one game remaining, without Waasland Beveren having a chance to save themselves competitively from relegation. Unfairly enough the first division B finalists were allowed to play their playoff games for promotion to the First Division A despite the league shutdown. Having seen the hypocrisy, Waasland Beveren decided to take legal action for unfair use of power. The court battle lasted for many weeks and finally justice was awarded in Waasland Beveren favour to remain in First Division. The league was forced to make reforms and change the way the league operated and thus the league comprised 18 teams instead of 16 which included Waasland Beveren and the two finalists from First Division B, both K Beerschot VA ( official champions) and OH Leuven.
On the 13th of September 2020, it was announced that Waasland-Beveren would be taken over by American sports investment group, Bolt Football Holdings now having a 97% share in the club.