BELGIUM: FC White Star Schorvoort

Terrein Schorvoortberg, Turnhout Schorvoort (FC White Star Schorvoort)

Belgium, province: Antwerp = Antwerpen

20 IV 2011 / FC White Star Schorvoort - FC Mariekerke 0-5 / Antwerp, Provincial Cup

3 IV 2024 / FC White Star Schorvoort - K Ternesse VV 2-0 / Antwerp, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

• 1967 / Foundation of a football club in Schorvoort, a former hamlet to the south of Turnhout – and meanwhile absorbed into that town – which takes on the name FC White Star Schorvoort. Applying for membership of Belgium’s Football Association, the club receives registration number 7025. The club, which starts its life in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3, settles at Terrein Schorvoortstraat. 
• 1971 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3F, FC White Star Schorvoort wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
• 1977 / Finishing in last place in Provincial League 2C, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P3.
• ± 1978 / FC White Star Schorvoort moves into a new ground at Schorvoortberg – hitherto a piece of wasteland owned by the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW). Terrein Schorvoortstraat is retained for the time being for lower team football and training sessions.
• 1979 / Runners-up in Provincial League 3D, FC White Star Schorvoort accedes to P2.
• ± 1981 / Terrein Schorvoortstraat, retained for lower team football and training sessions in the past few years, is abandoned once and for all. The last traces of the ground are removed around 1985.
• 1982 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2A, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P3.
• 1998 / Having had sixteen consecutive seasons in Provincial League 3, FC White Star Schorvoort now finishes in fourteenth place in P3C, resulting in an unprecedented relegation to Provincial League 4. It takes the club just one season to reconquer the lost territory, though, with promotion following in 1999 with a second place in P4D – and probably an ensuing round of play-offs.
• 2009 / Coached by Bart Willemsen, former KVC Westerlo and KAA Gent player, FC White Star Schorvoort finishes runners-up in P3D, 2 points behind champions KFC Mol. Qualifying for the play-offs for the fourth year in a row, the club finally manages to succeed in winning promotion to Provincial League 2.
• 2014 / Finishing in fourth place in P2B, FC White Star Schorvoort qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by K Wuustwezel FC (5-1).
• 2015 / Finishing in second place in P2B, 4 points behind champions K Berg & Dal VV, FC White Star Schorvoort qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by KFC Brasschaat (2-0).
• 2016 / Champions in P2B, 9 points ahead of K Merksplas SK – incidentally the first title for the club in 45 years – FC White Star Schorvoort, still coached by Bart Willemsen, accedes to Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
• 2017 / Finishing in last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 1, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P2 after just one season, along with KFC De Kempen Tielen-Lichtaart, KFC Brasschaat, and Verbroedering Zwijndrecht.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short in March 2020 due to the Covid lockdown after 26 of 30 matches, FC White Star Schorvoort finds itself in fourteenth place in P2B, resulting in relegation to Provincial League 3 along with VV Laakdal and KSV Schriek.
• 2022 / Runaway champions in P3A, 15 points ahead of KVC Lille United B, FC White Star Schorvoort wins promotion to Provincial League 2 under the guidance of trainer Jelle Van Litsenborg.
• 2023 / Runaway champions in P2B, 14 points ahead of KSK Weelde, FC White Star Schorvoort - still coached by Jelle Van Litsenborg - wins its second promotion in a row, acceding to Antwerp’s Provincial League 1 for the second time in club history.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different match visits: pictures 1-8, 10-12, 14-17 & 19-23 = April 2024 / pictures 9, 13 & 18 = April 2011.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: Union Rapide Ophasselt (1943-1947) / RC Ophasselt (1951-2011) / RSC Ophasselt (2011-)

Terrein Hasseltsestraat, Ophasselt (RSC Ophasselt, formerly Union Rapide Ophasselt / RC Ophasselt)

Belgium, province: East Flanders = Oost-Vlaanderen

1 IV 2024 / RSC Ophasselt - SV Sint-Antelinks B 2-3 / East Flanders, Provincial League 4D (= BE level 9)

Timeline

• 1943 / Foundation of a football club in the East Flemish village Ophasselt, which takes on the name Union Rapide Ophasselt. The club, which joins Belgium’s Football Association receiving registration number 3863 upon being accepted as new member, settles at Terrein Hasseltsestraat, on a pasture facing the local church.
• 1947 / Union Rapide Ophasselt changes its name to become Rapide Club (RC) Ophasselt. Also in or around 1947, the club moves to Terrein De Kat, to the west of the village centre.
• 1948 / Having started its life in Regional League 2 (2e Gewestelijke) five years previously, Rc Ophasselt now drops back into Regional League 3, the bottom level of East Flanders’ regional league pyramid at the time.
• 1951 / In or around 1951, having played some four years at Terrein De Kat, RC Ophasselt moves back to the club’s original ground at Hasseltsestraat.
• 1954 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3D, RC Ophasselt accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 1960 / RC Ophasselt wins the title in Provincial League 2C; as such, the club accedes to East Flanders’ Provincial League 1 for the first – and only – time ever. The adventure lasts just for one year, though, with relegation duly following in 1961.
• 1966 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2C, RC Ophasselt drops back into Provincial League 3.
• 1974 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P3C, RC Ophasselt descends into East Flanders’ Provincial League 4 for the first time in club history.
• 1991 / Having spent seventeen consecutive seasons in the bottom division of East Flanders’ provincial leagues, RC Ophasselt now wins the title in P4D, thus finally managing a return to Provincial League 3.
• 1992 / Managing back-to-back titles, RC Ophasselt finishes in first place in P3D, thus acceding to Provincial League 2 after an absence of 26 years. 
• 1994 / Having suffered two relegations in a row in 1993 and 1994, RC Ophasselt finds itself in Provincial League 4 again.
• 1997 / Finishing in third place in P4D, RC Ophasselt wins a subsequent round of promotion play-offs to accede to Provincial League 3. This time, the stay at that level lasts for two seasons, with relegation following in 1999.
• 2003 / Upon the demise of FC Maria-Lierde, RC Ophasselt takes over that club’s pitch, Terrein Caudenberg in Sint-Maria-Lierde, for lower team football and training sessions.
• 2010 / After a 5-0 away defeat at Eendracht Grotenberge on October 17th, 2010, RC Ophasselt withdraws from East Flanders’ Provincial League 4C.
• 2011 / With its first team not having finished the 2010-11 season, RC Ophasselt are on the brink of folding; at that point, though, the club is taken over by Joeri Kiekens, a football player from Ninove who spent the 2010-11 season at SK Vlierzele. Taking with him his father Jan, an experienced trainer/coach, Mr Kiekens adapts the club name, with Rapide Club (RC) Ophasselt becoming Rapide Santos Club (RSC) Ophasselt; moreover, he changes the club colours from red/green to blue/red. The only member of the old board remaining at the club is secretary Christian De Witte. The chairmanship is handed to Eddy Van Laethem, who is later succeeded by Jan Kiekens.
• 2013 / Finishing in second place in P4C, 6 points behind champions KFC Eendracht Moerbeke, RSC Ophasselt qualifies for the promotion play-offs. In spite of being defeated in R1 by KSC Oosterzele (1-4), the club accedes to Provincial League 3 due to extra promotion places being available (one of the reasons being that KSC Oosterzele concluded a merger with Voorwaarts Gijzenzele that summer, becoming Voorwaarts Gijzenzele-Oosterzele). For the 2013-14 season, the majority of first team home matches are moved to Terrein Caudenberg, the club’s training pitch in Sint-Maria-Lierde.
• 2014 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P3C, RSC Ophasselt drops back into Provincial League 4 along with KSV Maarkedal and Standaard Michelbeke. Also in the summer of 2014, RSC Ophasselt moves all its activities, including first team football, to Terrein Hasseltsestraat. Terrein Caudenberg in Sint-Maria-Lierde is abandoned once and for all.
• 2022 / Finishing in fifth place in P4D, RSC Ophasselt qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by VCE Huise-Ouwegem (5-2). 

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: RSC Muno

Rue de Tourgeon, Muno (RSC Muno)

Belgium, province: Luxembourg = Luxemburg

30 III 2024 / RSC Muno - SC Villers-devant-Orval 2-1 / Belgian Luxembourg, Provincial League 3B (= BE level 8)

Timeline

• 1917 / First traces of football activity in the village of Muno, but whatever the name of the first club was, it never joined Belgium’s Football Association and must have folded some time in the following years.
• 1932 / Foundation of Sporting Club (SC) Muno, with local timber merchant Joseph Godfrin becoming the new club’s first chairman. Upon joining Belgium’s FA, SC Muno receives registration number 1848. The club settles at a ground at Lieu-dit-Tonois, situated at Route de France on the southern outskirts of the village – right on the border with France.
• 1935 / Clinching the title in Belgian Luxembourg’s Division 3A, SC Muno accedes to Division 2, the highest regional division below the national league system at that time.
• 1946 / Having remained inactive for most of the years of German occupation, SC Muno restarts in Belgian Luxembourg’s Division 3.
• 1948 / Clinching the title in D3, SC Muno wins promotion to Provincial League 2 – staying at that level until dropping back into the bottom division two years later, in 1950.
• 1953 / After 21 years at the helm of the club, founder-chairman Joseph Godfrin cedes his place at the helm of the club.
• 1964 / SC Muno wins the title in Provincial League 3B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals Standard FC Bouillon. As such, the club accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 1967 / Winning the title in Provincial League 2A, SC Muno breaks down the door to Luxembourg’s Provincial League 1 for the first – and only – time in its existence.
• 1972 / Finishing in last place in P1, SC Muno drops back into Provincial League 2 after five seasons in the provincial top flight.
• 1976 / Abandoning the ground at Lieu-dit-Tonois, SC Muno settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Rue de Tourgeon in the village centre.
• 1978 / The clubhouse at Rue de Tourgeon, which includes a small indoor hall, is inaugurated.
• 1982 / Upon the club’s fiftieth anniversary, SC Muno obtains the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Royal Sporting Club (RSC) Muno.
• 1983 / Finishing in last place in P2A, RSC Muno drops back into Provincial League 3, nineteen years after last having played at that lowly level.
• 1995 / Clinching the title in Provincial League 3B, RSC Muno manages a return to Provincial League 2. The club’s stay at that level lasts for two seasons, with relegation following in 1997.
• 2006 / RSC Muno withdraws from first team football for the 2006-07 season.
• 2011 / Winning the title in Provincial League 3C, 8 points ahead of strongest contenders RCS Sugny, RSC Muno manages a return to P2.
• 2012 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2B, RSC Muno drops back into Provincial League 3 along with ES Jéhonvilloise and RCS Sugny.
• 2014 / Clinching the title in Luxembourg’s Provincial League 3B, 3 points ahead of closest followers Union Cécilienne, RSC Muno accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 2015 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2A, RSC Muno escapes direct relegation, eventually saving its skin by finishing ahead of R Standard FC Bouillon and RES Durbuy-Barvaux in the relegation play-offs. 
• 2016 / Finishing in second-last place in P2A, RSC Muno drops back into P3 along with bottom club FC Torgny-Rouvroy.
• 2017 / Champions in P3B, 3 points ahead of closest rivals RUS Etalle, RSC Muno manages a new return to Provincial League 2.
• 2019 / Finishing in twelfth place in P2A, just 1 point short of AS Nothomb-Post and safety, RSC Muno descends into Provincial League 3 along with US Saint-Bernard Waltzing-Bonnert and RUS Etalle.
• 2022 / RSC Muno finishes in third place in P3B, just 3 points behind champions FC Tintifontaine. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club defeats R Excelsior Fouches (3-1) before being eliminated in R2 by R Espérance Rossignol (5-0).

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-7 = non-matchday visit, August 2022 / pictures 8-21 = match visit, March 2024.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author