No, not at all! The Forest Steam Train takes passengers through the eastern and southern parts of Bempt. The new stadium will be located in the northwestern part. Our hope is that the stadium and the Steam Train will coexist in perfect harmony.
Note that the Forest Steam Train runs from late April to early October. Part of this period coincides with the RUSG’s off-season. There are no matches between late May and late July.
Absolutely. The football clubs Renaissance Forestoise, FC Forest, Olympique Forestois and Maccabi use four synthetic pitches. They will all be maintained in their current configuration. The same goes for the panoramic cafeteria and the ground‑floor changing rooms. Nothing will change. The amateur complex will remain accessible 100% of the time, even during Union games.
No, no one will be training at the new stadium. There won’t be a training center for our professional team, nor for our youth and women’s teams, at the Bempt site. In fact, the club has just made a significant investment in a training center in Zaventem for the first team and in renovating the training center for its youth teams at the Barca complex, next to the Erasme Hospital in Anderlecht.
Union’s intention is for the stadium and its surroundings to be open to the neighborhood and to be useful to residents even outside match days.
All local clubs and all freely accessible sports facilities (the agoraspace and the urban fitness area) will remain on the Bempt site.
The project is designed to minimize soil sealing by using permeable materials wherever possible.
However, some impermeable surfaces (such as the forecourt just before the stadium entrance) are unavoidable to accommodate supporters.
This is already the case and will continue in and around the new stadium. The Union’s Ecoteam comes by immediately after each match, and volunteers pick up trash. They assist the municipal services and Bruxelles Propreté, who then come by the next morning for a thorough cleanup.
Acoustic studies indicate that the stadium’s presence provides a localized improvement in the acoustic environment compared to existing traffic noise, particularly to the east.
The new Union stadium will be located more than 250 metres away from the nearest residential areas. This is significantly more than at the Marien Stadium, where homes are situated directly opposite the Brusselsesteenweg. It is also considerably more than for other Brussels stadiums or most stadiums in the Belgian First Division, with the exception of the new stadium in Ghent.
Belgian regulations (“Football Law”) require visiting club supporters to travel in organized group buses. This system, known as “combi-buses,” helps prevent any disturbances caused by the presence of visiting supporters.
In the case of the Bempt Stadium, the planned layout will prevent any interaction with the residential neighborhoods of Forest and the park. Access to and exit from their parking lot is directly connected to the Ring.
As with all football matches, safety is ensured by Union’s stewards, with the presence and support of the police, the Red Cross and the fire brigade. This is the standard procedure. In addition, Union also funds a private security company.
We are also very proud of the Union culture, which stands out for its values of non-violence and inclusion. Our supporters prioritize a positive atmosphere and are well known for it. It is our ambition to continue fostering this unique spirit.
