How Union Saint-Gilloise spent ten years as Royale Union

The name change first took shape by removing the letters SG from the logo. The two circles were filled with an "R" and a "U". At the centre, where the circles overlapped, there was initially an empty space, before a small football was drawn there. The name "Royale Union" was born and was officially approved by the football federation on 13 May 1973.

A trendy lady

A few months later, ambitious businessman and future chairman Ghislain Bayet wanted to shake off Union's old, dusty image. The name change alone wasn't enough: the club's management structure was overhauled. Georges Heylens was appointed as coach with a mandate to save Union from relegation to the third division, which, as it turned out, he didn't manage. The Old Lady was to become a trendy lady, whatever the cost.

And the club badge? It would remain the symbol of renewal and change, quite literally. The circles of the logo as we still know it today were discarded. Royale Union, or RU, with a ball on the second leg of the "R", or a ball as a background to give the logo its round shape. 

From new to old

That final logo appeared for the first time on season tickets in 1975 and on shirts in 1976. Driven by wild ambitions and fresh financial crises, Union was hurtling towards bankruptcy at full speed.

In December 1976, Union was saved thanks to a supporters' cooperative and numerous fundraising efforts, as evidenced by the support cards from that era, which also bore the UR logo.

The "new" logo gradually faded out from the 1977-78 season onwards. And in 1983, our real name was reinstated. Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.