Constant Vanden Stock

Belgian football has bidden farewell to RSC Anderlecht honorary president Constant Vanden Stock, who passed away at the age of 93 on Saturday.

'Important person'
"Firstly, the Royal Belgian Football Association would like to pay its deepest respects to the family regarding to their loss," read a statement from the Belgian FA. "Constant Vanden Stock was an important person in Belgian football, for both the FA and Anderlecht. Belgian football has lost an important figure."

Anderlecht debut
Born on 13 June 1914, Vanden Stock enjoyed a long and successful career in the game, serving in a number of roles, but he was most strongly associated with Anderlecht, where he started out as a youth player in 1924. Eight years later and ready to make his mark, the fresh-faced defender made his first-team debut and helped the capital club gain promotion to the Eerste Klasse in 1935. They have been a permanent presence in Belgium's top flight ever since.

National coach
Vanden Stock left Anderlecht for R. Union Saint-Gilloise in 1938 and stayed on there until 1943. After a period as chairman at CS La Forestoise, he took over as Belgian national team coach in 1958 – a function he would continue until 1968. Next entrusted with the role of technical director at Club Brugge KV, Vanden Stock did not stay long in Bruges before the lure of Anderlecht proved too strong. He returned to help Les Mauves through a difficult financial period and took over from Albert Roosens as chairman in 1971.

Golden era 
It was a position he was to hold for the next 25 years, and he led the club through a golden era that brought them ten national championships, seven Belgian Cups, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1976 and 1978, the UEFA Cup in 1983 and the UEFA Super Cup in 1976 and 1978. Finally, at the age of 82 in 1996, he stepped down to be succeeded by his son Roger, but he accepted the title of honorary president and remained an influential figure behind the scenes.

Stadium name
Vanden Stock's other passion was beer, after he inherited the Belle-Vue brewery from his father Philémon. It remains one of the biggest breweries in Belgium, but nowhere will Constant be missed more than at the arena that bears his name – the Constant Vanden Stock in Brussels, home to his beloved Anderlecht.