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Bert went to the Spirou Charleroi vs. RBC VOO Verviers Pepinster on May 12^th, 2010 at the Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium.

On the last day of the Ethias League, Spirou Charleroi defeated Leuven 63-76 and secured second rank in the Belgian Division I regular season. Sacha Massot, very much inspired, boosted the Spirou team for a win which will actually allow the Charleroi team to reach the playoff semi-finals straight away, without having to be involved into a preliminary playoff round. BC Liège finished the regular season at first rank and will also directly play the Ethias League Playoff semi-finals. The two other semi-final seeds will be decided after BC Oostende vs. Union Mons-Hainaut and Okapi Aalstar vs. Antwerp will be played (best of three) late in May.

The team of RBC Verviers Pepinster, the oldest team to play in the domestic top level division -- 25 years in a row -- and most probably what could have been the season's revelation in Belgium if they had better managed their season end, lost any hope of qualifying for the playoff round by being defeated at home against Okapi Aalstar on the very last day: 62-73. On the other hand, Union Mons-Hainaut led by a fantastic Nate Reinking defeated Antwerp, already qualified, to get the last qualifying spot for the playoffs: 78-77.

Just a few days before, on May 12th, Bert and his family were invited by Dexia Bank to attend the Spirou Charleroi vs. RBC Verviers Pepinster game at the Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium. After an excellent buffet dinner at the Spiroudome's restaurant 'Le Château', Bert attended the game which turned into a real thriller. He, family and friends sat just behind the RBC Verviers Pepinster players' bench... Bert could even stretch his arm and give a water bottle to thankful Belgian talent Niels Marnegrave during a time-out.

Spirou had been severely defeated by BC Oostende on the previous weekend. Pepinster's Head Coach Juergen Van Meerbeeck had been fired after five consecutive losses and replaced by Christian Lemaire in the beginning of the week.

The new coach Lemaire almost succeeded in in first game as RBC always stayed close in the match-up against Spirou. Despite several turnovers and missed shots on both sides, the Spirou Charleroi vs. RBC Verviers Pepinster game was very pleasant to watch. On the Pepinster side, US forward Chris Devine, born in Alaska, was missing due to injury but the rest of the US squad Stanley Burrell (guard, leading the league in assists, ex-Xavier, born in 1984), Anthony Hilliard (forward, born in 1986), Darnell Wilson (forward, born in 1985), Brandon Freeman (guard, ex-Arkansas, born in 1983), and top rebounder John Tofi (center, ex-UTEP, born in 1984, who grabbed 12 rebounds against Spirou –- see picture, source UTEP) helped by future top Belgian players Niels Marnegrave (guard, born in 1987) and Maxime De Zeeuw (forward, born in 1987) kept being close.

In the first half, three alley-oops by Spirou forward Wes Wilkinson seemed to be the real point of departure for the local team. It was just a small light in the dark as Coach Bozzi's men never seemed to reach a large lead. In the second half, US pro Brent Wright (Florida in NCAA, Maccabi Haifa, Ventspils, BC Oostende, Cibona Zagreb, Perm, etc.) of Spirou Charleroi played well but was sent out of the game after an eye injury. In the last quarter, Spirou, with Sacha Massot well present in the paint and Chris Hill very efficient from the free-throw line, led 70-60 with a few minutes to go. Lemaire's young team came back into the game mainly thanks to Brandon Freeman (offensively) and Maxime De Zeeuw (defensively): 70-70. Spirou guard Jerry Johnson scored two free-throws and, on the buzzer, Pepinster's young Belgian international De Zeeuw missed his last three-point attempt… the ball rolling on the rim and out…

Spirou Head Coach Giovanni Bozzi was well aware that his team had been lucky this time while Pepinster's new boss Christian Lemaire felt proud of his guys' reactions in the game despite the close defeat. A close loss 72-70 which will finally cost RBC Verviers Pepinster a lot indeed.

Playoffs can start now!

Spirou Charleroi: Chris Hill 10, Jerry Johnson 10, Dwayne Broyles 9, Nick Jacobson 8, Jonathan Tabu 3, Andre Riddick 6, Wes Wilkinson 16, Sacha Massot 6, Courtney Sims 0, Brent Wright 4.

RBC Verviers Pepinster: Stanley Burrell 2, Anthony Hilliard 0, Darnell Wilson 16, Niels Marnegrave 5, Anthony Chada 2, Brandon Freeman 22, Maxime De Zeeuw 11, John Tofi 12.

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Bert went to the CEP Fleurus vs. BS Waregem game on Mar. 12^th, 2010: in memory of Mr. André Robert, a Belgian basketball pioneer who passed away at age 78.

André Robert, the ex-President of Belgium's historical basketball club CEP Fleurus, died at the age of 78 in his hometown Fleurus on Thursday morning. The club had been presided over by André Robert from 1965 to 2003. Under his 38-year presidency, CEP Fleurus reached the Belgian First National Division play-offs and played in Korac Cup, one former major European competition, against major opponents like Izmir (Turkey), Kakac (ex-Yugoslavia), Hapoel Tel AViv (Israel), Vasas Budapest (Hungary), Banco di Roma (Italy) with Enrico Gilardi and Larry Wright, Jugoplastika Split (ex-Yugoslavia) with Kukoc, Radja and Perasovic as well as Real Madrid (Spain) with Corbalan, Romay, Biriukov and Alexis.

André Robert, second from left, second row.

André Robert, owner of a small grocery shop, was passionate about basketball. He gave a chance to fantastic players like Carlo Van Vaerenbergh, Rudy Moortgat, Kurt Mollekens, Christian Marion, Marc Defort, Edgar Yanga, Jean-Marie Barbier, Jean-Marc Jaumin and even Eric Struelens who were or could have been famous Belgian internationals. As President of CEP Fleurus, he was also personally involved in recruiting and hiring some foreign talents: e.g. US players Tom Newell, Lloyd Batts, Rik Suttle, Herbert Nobles, Dean Marquardt, Mark Plansky and Alvin Heggs as well as former Czechoslovakia's captain and 1985 Eurobasket silver medalist Stanislav Kropilak. President Robert liked to work with Coach Jack De Coninck from Antwerp, Belgium. With Jiri Zednicek as coach (also a FIBA legend), CEP Fleurus of President Robert had some great results on the European scene. This was a long time before neighbouring club Spirou Charleroi reached the Euroleague or the Eurocup. The President also gave second chances to excellent Belgian internationals like Erik Rogiers (currently Head Coach of Belgian Ethias League club Optima Gent) and the late Alain Hockins.

André Robert was incinerated in Gilly, Belgium on Thursday, Mar. 16^th, 2010. Last time I talked to the former President, also involved in the Belgian Cup commission in the past and former Belgian National Team trainer, he was attending the Belgium vs. France (with Parker and Turiaf) game held at the Lotto Arena on 27 August 2009. He was happy that the Lions had won the game and that Team Belgium had reached such a high level on the international scene. André Robert (first from the left on the following picture, thank you to Toni Covato for handing me over the illustrating pictures on this page) will definitely be remembered as a Belgian basketball pioneer.

Eric Struelens, one of the best Belgian basketball players of all time, wrote something about President Robert on Facebook: "A great man without whom I would maybe have never done what I have achieved!" CEP Fleurus of new President Giovanni Mureddu, now in Division II, played Waregem on Mar. 12^th. The game was played in front of a nice crowd in the mythic Salle Bonsecours which could be named Salle André Robert very soon...

CEP Fleurus won the game against Waregem: 79-58. The local attendance honored the late President André Robert with long applauses before the game and also through the whole fourth quarter. “Merci Président!”