RAEC Mons

Renaissance Albert Élisabeth Club de Mons, commonly known as RAEC Mons, is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Hainaut, competing in the Belgian Division 3. Nicknamed Les Dragons ("The Dragons")—in homage to Mons's famous Ducasse or Doudou festival—the club holds the distinction of having competed in the third tier of Belgian football a record 66 seasons.

Founded on 1 April 1910 after royal authorisation was granted to adopt the name in tribute to King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth, RAEC Mons established its long-term home at the Stade Charles Tondreau, which was inaugurated later that year. The club spent most of its history alternating between the second and third tiers, achieving notable promotions to the Belgian Pro League in 2002–03 and again in 2011 via playoff victories.

After financial collapse and bankruptcy in 2015, RAEC Mons ceased operations following its final match on 25 April of that year. Through the determination of supporters and stakeholders, the club was revived on 23 June 2020 under the name Renaissance Mons 44, soon restored to its historical identity as RAEC Mons. It has since achieved consecutive promotions in 2022–23 and 2023–24, resurging in the Belgian football pyramid.

RAEC Mons was founded on 1 April 1910, after royal authorisation was granted to name the club in honour of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth. The founders—René Tondreau, Maurice Van Pel, Henri Lebailly, and Fernand Courtois—leased a one-hectare site on Avenue du Tir, where the club's home ground, the Stade Charles Tondreau, was inaugurated on 25 September 1910. The club was registered with the Belgian Football Association under matricule number 44.

For much of its history, Mons alternated between the second and third tiers, establishing itself as a long-term lower-league club. In 2000, the team earned promotion to Division 2 via a decisive play-off win over Beringen Heusden-Zolder. Two years later, Mons finished runners-up to KV Mechelen but won the promotion play-offs, securing their first-ever place in the Belgian top flight for the 2002–03 season.

The club's debut top-flight campaign ended in a ninth-place finish, with striker Cédric Roussel scoring 22 league goals. Relegation followed in 2004–05, but Mons immediately returned by winning the 2005–06 Division 2 title under coach José Riga. They remained in Division 1 until 2009, when a league restructuring reducing the number of teams to 16 contributed to another relegation.

Mons gained promotion again in 2011 after defeating Waasland-Beveren in a rare promotion play-off test match. In 2012–13, under coach Enzo Scifo, the club achieved its highest-ever league finish, placing seventh in the regular season. However, relegation followed in 2013–14 after finishing bottom of the table.

Financial difficulties persisted in Division 2, and on 16 February 2015 the club was declared bankrupt. Unable to find a buyer, Mons ceased operations after its final competitive match on 25 April 2015, a 1–0 defeat to Royal Antwerp.

On 23 June 2020, the club was re-established by supporters and former players under the name Renaissance Mons 44, retaining its historic crest and colours. In June 2021, it reverted to its original name, Renaissance Albert Élisabeth Club de Mons. Mons achieved back-to-back promotions in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to reach the Belgian Division 2, before finishing third in 2024–25 and narrowly missing promotion to the Challenger Pro League. In August 2025, new investors Peter Gould and Charlie Methven joined the board, signalling renewed ambitions for the club's future.

RAEC Mons has played its home matches at the Stade Charles Tondreau since the ground's inauguration on 25 September 1910. Located at 80 Avenue du Tir in Mons, the stadium is owned by the City of Mons and has a current capacity of approximately 6,000 spectators.

On 16 May 2024, the City of Mons and RAEC Mons announced a renovation project for stands 3 and 4, awarded to the Walloon construction company Lixon.^[1] The plans include increasing capacity by around 2,000 seats and incorporating residential and commercial spaces, such as student housing, a community centre, a sports medicine clinic, a gym, and retail facilities. Construction is expected to take two to three years, with phased delivery of the new infrastructure.

In 2024, the City also announced a redevelopment of the club's training site, involving the demolition of existing facilities and the construction of ten new locker rooms, a physiotherapy area, and a bar for use by players, families, and members.

On 22 January 2021, RAEC Mons inaugurated its men's academy, the Young Dragons Academy. A women's programme, the Ladies Academy, followed on 30 March 2021, based at the Stade Charles Tondreau. In 2022, the training centre was awarded a three-star rating by the Association des Clubs Francophones de Football (ACFF), the highest certification for football academies in Wallonia.

• Mons 1910
• Dragon Side
• Les Légendaires

• Ultras Mons
• Ultras Briganti
• The Monkeys
• Dragon City
• Socios Mons

• R.A.E.C. Mons at UEFA.com
• R.A.E.C. Mons Archived 13 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine at EUFO.de
• R.A.E.C. Mons at WorldFootball
• R.A.E.C. Mons at National-Football-Teams.com