End of the road for Lommel

Desperate measures
The remaining members of Lommel's first-team squad were no longer able to make the weekly insurance payments needed to carry on playing matches in the Eerste Klasse and Belgian Cup. Coach Jos Heyligen had been left with 13 players after the club stopped paying staff in December, a move which had precipitated an exodus of talent from the Stedelijk Sportstadion. Their last game was a 4-0 league defeat at R. Standard de Liège last Saturday.

Financial problems
Lommel were placed into liquidation last week with debts of around €2m and denied a professional licence for next season by the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA-KVBV) because of moneys owed to the national federation, players, and the tax authorities.

Third tier
The club must now pay €9,000 to the URBSFA-KVBV by Monday if they are to compete in the Third Division in 2003/04 along with another debt-ridden top-flight team, KV Mechelen. Otherwise, Lommel will cease to exist as a professional club - with all their results this season annulled - and forced to start again in regional football.

Games forfeited
If the money is paid, Lommel, who were in 15th place in the 18-team Eerste Klasse, will be deemed to have lost all their remaining fixtures 5-0, including their Belgian Cup semi-final second leg against RAA Louviéroise - a tie which Lommel, remarkably, led 3-2 at the halfway stage. However, if the cash is not raised, all their results will be expunged - meaning a recalculation of the league table.

Position confirmed
"If the club stops playing but pays their debts, they could end up in Division Three," a URBSFA-KVBV spokesman said. "If not, they will simply be struck off. If that happens, all their results will be cancelled." Under that scenario, Sporting Lokeren St-Niklaas Waaslan would move up to second place, and a UEFA Champions League qualifying berth, ahead of RSC Anderlecht, having gained no points against Lommel this season to the capital club's three.

No solidarity
League director Jean-Marie Philips had suggested that other clubs pay Lommel's debts in order to keep them in the competition for the rest of the campaign. But Lokeren representative Patrick Orlans disagreed, saying: "If a club does not pay their debts to the URBSFA-KVBV then they are scrapped."

No relegation
Either way, the withdrawal of Lommel and Mechelen - the top flight's bottom club who are playing out their fixtures with loan players and local juniors - means that no other clubs will be relegated this term, other than for financial reasons. That is good news for R. Charleroi SC, who are currently second bottom in the standings. A URBSFA-KBVB spokesman said: "It is likely that Charleroi will survive."