At a press event today, Sportvereniging Red Star Aalst was officially confirmed as the newest club in the Belgian Premier League. Commissioner Herenbolt Heylen was on hand to make the announcement alongside representatives from the club and from ownership group JR Wellington Sports Management.
Eadburt Clement, the Director of Football for the sports management team spoke about the history of the company in Belgian football, and the desire to recapture that glory. "It is amazing to announce the return of top flight football to East Flanders" said Clement. "FC Aalst may well have been the most successful club in the original iteration of our management company, winning 6 league titles. Our hope is that Red Star can carry that torch and bring more silverware to this region. I believe that we have the team in place to hit the ground running."
Red Star Club President Harmanus Maes spoke about the priorities of the club, and first among those being the restoration of Aalststadion. "At one time, this stadium was a jewel in the footballing world" said Maes. "The years out of the Premier League have meant that it has fallen into disrepair. As it stands, the majority of the seats had to be removed. Our plan will be to slowly renovate and rebuild the stadium to become a facility worthy of a modern professional side. We are also working on putting together a staff, both on the coaching side and in the office, and are going to be moving quickly into training in advance of the season. There is a lot to do, but we feel confident that we can get everything ready for opening kickoff."
S.V. Red Star will get their first taste of Belgian Premier League play when they play host to the Lazer Sharx at the start of the new season in a few months' time.