Join the Royal Brussels British

If you're reading this, you're probably thinking about joining RBBFC. We'd love to tell you a little about why this football club matters, and why you might find a home here. But first, a little about the club from me.

I started coming about 35 years ago, when I was about 5 years old. My first memories are in the bar in Werchter, me and a friend pushing open the door, and zigzagging through all the legs, beneath the cloud of smoke, until I found my dad. I'd yank on his trouser leg. He'd look down, beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, and I'd put my hand out. And before you could say bubble gum, I'd have a handful of change to go to the bar with.

If he wasn't quick enough, one of his teammates would hand us some coins and off we went.

As a kid you have a keen sense of when you can push. Now, of course, I know why it always worked. They were having a lovely old time and didn't want to go home just yet.

There's something magic about Saturday afternoons at this football club. It's a place to play football, of course, but also to connect, to make friends and to talk about life over a beer after the game. Whatever else is going on in the world, all is well on a Saturday afternoon.

They say the best indicator of a person's happiness is the number of meaningful connections they have with other people. RBBFC is a place where those connections are made and kept for years, and across generations.

The club was founded more than 90 years ago. Not long after, we, along with seven other teams, helped found the ABSSA league. One of the key figures in our history was a man called Cecile Thane, our chairman in 1938, who also served on the ABSSA Committee for fifty years. He took a break to fight as a squadron leader in the Second World War, and when he came back to Brussels in 1945, his seat at the Monday night meeting was still there, empty and waiting for him. They called him "Mr ABSSA."

The stories of ABSSA and RBBFC have been intertwined since the very beginning, because our values are the same: sportsmanship, respect for each other, and a love of the game.

In a world that feels increasingly anxious and complex, this club offers something rare: a safe, welcoming place where people come together around the beautiful game.

And you don't need to be British. We have members from all over the world and we're proud of that. Some people join us after moving to Brussels and knowing almost nobody. Others have lived here for years and simply want to get back into football. Some are serious players; some haven't kicked a ball competitively in a long time.

With seven teams, there's a place for a wide range of ages and abilities. What matters most is that you want to play football, be part of a team and contribute to the club.

Our community is larger than you might think

Thinking of joining?

Come and give it a go.

You don't need to know anyone at the club, and you don't need to worry about committing before you've even kicked a ball. Get in touch with us, tell us a little about yourself and your football experience, and we'll help you find the right team and get you along to a session.

Hopefully, a few years from now, you'll have your own stories about Saturday afternoons at RBBFC.

Interested in joining?

Or read the practical details on our Join the Club section.