Extreme Football Tourism: February 2010

Sportcentrum 'Fernand Schuerman', Temse (SV Blauw-Wit Temse & Voetbalacademie Temse, formerly K Sportvereniging Temse & B ground of KSC Lokeren-Temse)

Belgium, province: East Flanders = Oost-Vlaanderen

28 II 2010 / KSV Temse - VC Eendracht Aalst 2002 2-3 / National League 3A (= BE level 3)
21 IX 2019 / KSV Temse - KSV Oudenaarde 3-1 / VFV National Division 2A (= BE level 4)

Note 1 - KSV Temse saw the daylight in 1945 as a merger between Temsche SK and KFC Temsica. In 2020, a new merger was concluded, this time with KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen, forming KSC Lokeren-Temse; first team football took place at Lokeren's Daknamstadion, whilst the new club's youth academy had its place in Temse. In 2023, all activities were moved to Daknam in Lokeren, two years after a phoenix club had seen the daylight in Temse in the shape of SV Blauw-Wit Temse. The departure came about as the Temse part of the merger with Lokeren broke away from the club, starting a new existence as groundsharers of SV Blauw-Wit Temse as Voetbalacademie Temse.

Note 2 - Below, a compilation of photographs of two different match visits: pictures 1-6 = February 2010 (early stages of construction of new grandstand & temporary covered stands) / pictures 7-20 = September 2019 (grandstand in place).

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

Stade Communal Louis Manne, Bas-Oha (R Entente Sportive Wanze-Bas-Oha, formerly R Jeunesse Sportive Bas-Oha / Union 81 FC)

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

27 II 2010 / RJS Bas-Oha - RFC Huy 0-3 / National Division 4D (= BE level 4)

Timeline

1922 / Foundation of a first football club in Bas-Oha, a village on the northern bank of the River Meuse, in the immediate vicinity of the town of Huy. The new club takes on the name Bas-Oha FC, joining the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB) that same year. It is unclear where the pitch of Bas-Oha FC was situated.
1926 / After an existence of four years, Bas-Oha FC withdraws its membership of the Belgian FA, merging with another club – it is unclear which club this was, although it is certain that it must have been a member of a different football association than the official Belgian FA.
1930 / Foundation of a new football club in Bas-Oha, which takes on the name Jeunesse Sportive (JS) Bas-Oha, joining the Belgian FA with registration number 1654. It is unclear if the club played its home matches on the pitch at Rue du Pressoir (later renamed Stade Louis Manne in honour of a longtime club president) from the outset. In the following decades, the club plays its matches in Liège’s regional and provincial divisions.
1955 / Upon the club’s 25th anniversary, JS Bas-Oha acquires the royal epithet, thus officially changing its name to become Royale Jeunesse Sportive (RJS) Bas-Oha.
1969 / Clinching the title in Liège’s Provincial League 1, RJS Bas-Oha wins promotion to the national divisions for the first time in club history, acceding to National Division 4 – the fourth and lowest tier of the national league pyramid – along with runners-up R Alliance Melen-Micheroux.
1970 / Finishing in second-last place in National Division 4D, RJS Bas-Oha drops back into the provincial leagues after just one season, along with KFC MD Halen and bottom club Bomal FC.
1973 / Runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 1, 4 points behind champions R Union Hutoise FC, RJS Bas-Oha wins promotion to National Division 4 due to extra promotion places being available.
1974 / Going from strength to strength, RJS Bas-Oha finishes as runners-up in National Division 4B, 6 points behind champions – and derby rivals – RCS Andennais. As such, the club wins automatic promotion to National Division 3 due to extra promotion places being available. In the summer of 1974, the club is joined by former Belgian international striker Roger Claessen (17 caps), former player of R Standard de Liège, ATS Alemannia 1900 (Aix-la-Chapelle), Beerschot VAC, and R Crossing Schaerbeek. Bringing along a wealth of experience to the club, Claessen takes on the role of player-manager.
1975 / In the best season in club history, RJS Bas-Oha manages a thirteenth place in National Division 3B.
1976 / Finishing in third-last place in National Division 3B, RJS Bas-Oha saves its skin in a relegation play-off against KAV Dendermonde, winning the home tie (8-2) and losing the away match (2-0) – and going on to win a tie-breaker, necessary due to goal difference not being taken into account, played at Stade Justin Peeters in Wavre (3-0). Following the 1975-76 season, Roger Claessen leaves the club for a new player-coach deal at RFC Saint-Vith. He is succeeded by another former Belgian international player, 34-year-old midfielder Henri Depireux (2 caps), formerly under contract with RFC Liège, R Standard de Liège, R Racing White, and RWDM.
1978 / Finishing bottom of the table in National Division 3B, RJS Bas-Oha drops back into National Division 4 after four seasons, along with the club in second-last place, derby rivals RCS Andennais. Following the 1977-78 season, Henri Depireux leaves his post as player-coach in Bas-Oha, signing a new deal with RFC Tilleur.
1982 / Finishing in third-last place in National Division 4B, RJS Bas-Oha descends into the provincial divisions, along with K Humbeek FC and bottom club RCS Andennais. It marks the end of a nine-year spell as a national league club. In the following decades, the club is a regular feature in Liège’s Provincial Leagues 1 & 2.
2000 / Clinching the title in Liège’s Provincial League 2A, RJS Bas-Oha wins promotion to Provincial League 1.
2001 / Runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 1 behind champions R Battice FC, RJS Bas-Oha qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out by R Spa FC.
2002 / Clinching the title in Liège’s Provincial League 1, RJS Bas-Oha manages a return to National Division 4 after an absence of twenty seasons, accompanied by Liège play-off winners RFC Union La Calamine.
2005 / Finishing in joint twelfth position in National Division 4D with RFC Meux, RJS Bas-Oha goes on to win a tie-break match against this club, played at Stade Alfred Ducarme in Hannut (2-1 A.E.T.). This saves the club from having to participate in the promotion-relegation play-offs. That same year, works get underway to create a youth academy ground at Rue de Leumont, the park of neighbouring provincial league club Union 81 FC from Antheit. As a result of the works, Union 81 FC concludes a groundsharing agreement with RJS Bas-Oha, allowing the club to play its home matches at Stade Louis Manne for the duration of the works. With the number of pitches at the ground being extended from two to five (!), of which four (Terrain 1, Terrain 2, Terrain 4, and Terrain 5) sport a small covered stand, the new facility, rebaptised Ecole des Jeunes Footballeurs de l’Entité de Wanze (EJFEW), is officially inaugurated on November 16, 2005. With no first team football being played at this facility, it became the home of the youth academies of RJS Bas-Oha as well as another neighbour club, R Wanze Sports.
2006 / After one year of groundsharing at Stade Louis Manne, Union 81 FC is absorbed into RJS Bas-Oha. That same year, RJS Bas-Oha signs 34-year-old midfielder Manuel Godfroid, former professional league player at RFC Liège, R Antwerp FC, R Standard de Liège, and FC Rapid 1923 (Bucharest).
2008 / Finishing in second-last place in National Division 4C, RJS Bas-Oha drops back into the provincial divisions after six years, along with K Overpeltse VV and bottom club RCSJ Grivegnée.
2009 / Runaway champions in Liège’s Provincial League 1, 12 points ahead of closest followers RFC Warnant, RJS Bas-Oha manages an immediate return to National Division 4. In the summer of 2009, after a spell of three years with the club, Manuel Godfroid leaves to sign a contract with Solières Sports – only to hang up his boots once and for all a few months later.
2011 / Finishing in thirteenth place in National Division 4D, RJS Bas-Oha goes on to suffer defeat against K Herk FC in a tie-break match to avoid the interprovincial (promotion-relegation) play-offs (1-1 & penalty shoot-out). Subsequently, the club knocks out CS Entité Manageoise in R1 of the play-offs (1-4), only to be knocked out in R2 by R Standard FC Bièvre (0-2). Although the club goes on to record a clear win in a lucky loser play-off at FC Jeunesse Lorraine Arlonaise (1-4), it drops back into Provincial League 1 – along with RES Couvin-Mariembourg, RRFC Montegnée, and bottom club RFC Hannutois – due to no extra places in National Division 4 falling free.
2013 / Finishing in second-last place in Liège’s Provincial League 1, RJS Bas-Oha descends into Provincial League 2 along with RDC Cointe-Liège and bottom club RFC Vyle-Tharoul. Following the 2012-13 season, the club concludes a merger with Provincial League 3 side R Wanze Sports, resulting in the foundation of Royale Entente Sportive (RES) Wanze-Bas-Oha, which retains Bas-Oha’s registration number 1654; Wanze’s number 4496 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists. While Wanze’s ground at Chaussée de Wavre is abandoned, first team football of the new club – which starts its life in Provincial League 2 – is henceforth played at Stade Louis Manne in Bas-Oha. The Ecole des Jeunes at Rue de Leumont in Antheit remains in use for lower team football and training sessions.
2015 / Finishing in fourth place in Liège’s Provincial League 2A, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by JS Fizoise (1-1 & penalty shoot-out).
2016 / Clinching the title in Liège’s Provincial League 2A, 6 points ahead of closest rivals R Ougrée FC, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha wins promotion to Provincial League 1, acceding to that level for the first time since the merger between RJS Bas-Oha and R Wanze Sports three years previously.
2017 / Finishing in fifth place in Liège’s Provincial League 1, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by URSL Visé (2-1).
2019 / Runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 1, 15 points behind runaway champions RFC Raeren-Eynatten, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha fails to win promotion in the subsequent play-off rounds, which are won by JS Fizoise.
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short by the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha finds itself in second place in Liège’s Provincial League 1, trailing leaders Stade Disonais by 1 point. On that basis, the club is admitted to ACFF Amateur Division 3, the fifth and lowest tier of the national league pyramid, for the new season.
2022 / Finishing in second-last place in ACFF Amateur Division 3B, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha drops back into Provincial League 1 along with Luxembourgian clubs RAFC Oppagne-Wéris and RUS Gouvy.
2023 / Runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 1, 9 points behind champions Etoile Elsautoise, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha wins automatic promotion to ACFF Amateur Division 3 due to extra promotion places being available.
2024 / Unable to cope with the level of national league football for the second time running, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha finishes in third-last place in ACFF Amateur Division 3B, dropping back into the provincial divisions after just one season, along with RRC Longlier and bottom club FC Herstal.
2025 / Runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 1, 2 points behind champions R Union Momalloise, RES Wanze-Bas-Oha qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out Etoile de Faimes in R1 (4-0), only to be eliminated in R2 by RFC Croatia Wandre (4-4 & penalty shoot-out).

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-12 = non-matchday visit, April 2019 / pictures 13-23 = matchday visit, February 2010. Photos 14, 16 & 20-21 published courtesy of Joost Voncken; many thanks are due to him for allowing me to use his images.