 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Raymond Ernest Michel Braine | ||
| Date of birth | (1907-04-28)28 April 1907 | ||
| Place of birth | Antwerp,Belgium | ||
| Date of death | 24 December 1978(1978-12-24) (aged 71) | ||
| Place of death | Antwerp, Belgium | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1922–1930 | Beerschot VAC | 142 | (141) |
| 1930–1936 | Sparta Prague | 106 | (120) |
| 1936–1943 | Beerschot VAC | 113 | (69) |
| 1943–1944 | La Forestoise | 21 | (0) |
| Total | 382 | (330) | |
| International career | |||
| 1925–1939 | Belgium | 54 | (26) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Raymond Ernest Michel Braine (28 April 1907 – 24 December 1978) was aBelgianfootballstriker.[1] He was also the first Belgian professional player, when he obtained a transfer toSparta Prague in 1930. Braine played in 54 matches for theBelgium national football team and scored 26 times, making him Belgium's 5th top all-time scorer.
His first club wasBeerschot inAntwerp. Braine made hisBelgian Championship debut on 11 February 1923 againstDaring Club de Bruxelles (lost 3-0). He scored 4 times in 4 appearances that season and Beerschot finished second. Raymond's brother,Pierre, was also part of the team. The next year, Braine obtained his first trophy by earning a Championship title. Three more titles followed in 1925, 1926 and 1928. He was also part of Belgium's team at the1928 Summer Olympics.[2]
At the time,Belgian football was not professional. However, certain players did receive money (unofficially) based on performance. Some other players supplemented their incomes by opening cafés. At one point theBelgian Football Association published a paper stating:"Considering it is important to stop the progression of player-café owners, the executive Committee takes the decision that at this day, except for a player whose parents ran the café for more than 5 years, the authorisation to open a café will be subordinated to the condition that the player will not be a part of the first team."
Braine, who just opened a café in December 1929, decided to go and play abroad. His first attempt was inEngland with London side Clapton Orient, but he could not obtain a work permit. He signed a lucrative contract in 1930 withSparta Prague and subsequently became the first Belgian professional player. With Sparta, Braine wonCzechoslovak First League titles in1932 and1936, as well as 1935'sMitropa Cup.[1] He finished as top scorer twice with Sparta Prague.
Before the1934 World Cup, Braine had received an offer of 100,000Koruna from theCzechoslovak FA to become a citizen ofCzechoslovakia which he refused. Afterwards, Czechoslovakia lost the final game toItaly. He came back to Beerschot in 1937 and won the Championship twice again. This time, he played in the1938 World Cup.
In 1943, Braine was transferred toC.S. La Forestoise as adefender for one season, a team that had just been promoted the year before to thefirst division, because of theWar.
 | ||
| ||