Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KFC Scela Zele (1932-1970) / KFC Eendracht Zele (1970-) / FC Gençlerbirliği Zele (2004-2009)

Gemeentelijk Sportpark 'Ter Elst', Zele (KFC Eendracht Zele, formerly KFC Scela Zele / FC Gençlerbirliği Zele)

Belgium, province: East Flanders = Oost-Vlaanderen

3 X 2010 / KFC Eendracht Zele - KRC Mechelen 1-1 / National Division 4B (= BE level 4)

Timeline

± 1915 / Foundation of a first football club in Zele, Imperia Zele, with the pitch being situated at the back of Leo De Geyter’s house at Zwarte Meulenstraat (modern-day Oude Kouterdreef) in the hamlet of Kouter, to the west of Zele’s village centre. The club, which is rapidly renamed Sporting Club Zele, does not seem to have joined any football association. The club probably ceased activities in 1916 or 1917, as the hardships of the German occupation in World War I were ever more acutely felt.
1923 / Foundation of Standaard FC Zele, with Benoit Waterschoot being the initiator of the new club, which joins Belgium’s official Football Association and settles at Sporting Club Zele’s former pitch at Zwarte Meulenstraat.
1924 / After one year in a division of debutant clubs, Standaard FC Zele folds, ceasing all activities.
1925 / Foundation of a new football club in Zele, Katholieke Sportopbeuring FC Scela – Scela being a reference to the Frankish name of the region – with Pieter De Bruyne taking on the role of chairman. After paying the debts owed to Belgium’s FA by Standaard FC Zele, the new club joins Belgium’s FA, settling at Standaard’s former ground at Zwarte Meulenstraat.
1926 / Katholieke Sportopbeuring FC Scela changes its name to become FC Scela Zele, acquiring registration number 783 upon the introduction of the Belgian FA’s registration list in December 1926.
1927 / A group of disaffected Scela members forms a breakaway club, FC Sportkring Zele, which joins Belgium’s FA as Sportkring (SK) Zele, acquiring registration number 1046 and settling at Terrein Oude Kouterdreef, only a stone’s throw away from Scela’s pitch.
1929 / At the instigation of chairman Pieter De Bruyne, FC Scela Zele withdraws its membership of Belgium’s FA, instead joining a Catholic league association, the so-called Diocesaan Sportverbond van Oost-Vlaanderen (DSV), a Catholic league association. Around that same time, the club leaves Terrein Zwarte Meulenstraat, settling at Terrein Maurice Van Damme. Also in 1929, SK Zele settles at a new ground, Terrein De Bunder, situated at Bunderwegel.
1930 / In its first season as a DSV member, FC Scela Zele wins promotion to the Catholic association’s top flight, the Eere-Afdeeling. In the following two seasons, the club manages finishes in the higher reaches of that division.
1931 / Runners-up in East Flanders’ Regional League 2 (2e Gewestelijke), SK Zele wins promotion to Provincial League 2, the highest provincial division at the time.
1932 / Finishing in thirteenth place in Provincial League 2, SK Zele drops back into Regional League 2. Also in 1932, with Pieter De Bruyne relinquishing the chairmanship of the club, FC Scela Zele rejoins the official Belgian FA, acquiring registration number 1837 upon being readmitted to the association. That same year, Scela also moves from Terrein Maurice Van Damme to the so-called Geitenakker in Zele proper, at Elststraat – the location where KFC Eendracht Zele still plays its first-team football today. Due to Scela being placed in Regional League 2, the club meets village rivals SK Zele for the first time, with the first derby at Terrein Elststraat finishing in an emphatic 4-0 Scela win.
1933 / In its first season after rejoining Belgium’s FA, FC Scela Zele wins the title in East Flanders’ Regional League 2A, but without promotion to Provincial League 2 forthcoming due to a rule stipulating that no club can win promotion in its first season.
1934 / Winning its second consecutive Regional League 2A title in a row, with 18 wins in 18 matches, finishing an impressive 11 points ahead of closest followers Green Boys Doornzele, FC Scela Zele accedes to East Flanders’ Provincial League 2. The successful coach of the club is Gustaaf Oste.
1936 / Coached by Mr Soudain, SK Zele clinches the title in East Flanders’ Regional League 2B, 4 points ahead of closest rivals VV Wilskracht Sint-Niklaas, thus managing a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of four seasons.
1939 / Scela centre-forward Jules Jacobs, 21 years old, earns a transfer to RSC Anderlechtois, staying with the Brussels club until 1942 and continuing his career with RRC Brussels and KAV Dendermonde until returning to Zele – joining Scela’s village rivals SK Zele in 1946 for three more years until hanging up his boots.
1940 / Also in 1940, shortly after Germany's occupation of the Low Countries in the spring months of 1940, a recreational football team is founded in the hamlet of Heikant, just to the west of Zele. The team, named Zonnekloppers, which is organised as a subsection of FC Scela Zele, one of two clubs in Zele proper, plays its football on various pastures in and around Heikant, including Terrein Hector D'heer and Terrein Kouterbossen. Also in 1940, in an emergency competition organised for the 1939-40 season following the mobilisation of the Belgian armed forces, FC Scela Zele finishes in first place in its division, 2 points ahead of KFC Temsica – although it has to be pointed out that league football was suspended before the end of the season due to the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940. SK Zele had withdrawn from the same competition earlier in the season due to a lack of players.
1943 / As the war continues, with ever fewer players being available, Zonnekloppers from Heikant as well as another small recreational club, FC Durmen, are integrated into FC Scela Zele.
1944 / In the wake of liberation, the decision is taken in Heikant to reform Zonnekloppers and apply for Belgian FA membership as an independent club – eventually being admitted in December 1944 under a new name, FC Heikant Zele. The club, which obtains matricule 4174 upon being accepted as new FA member, settles at a newly laid-out pitch at 't Lokerstraatje. Also in 1944, after a period of inactivity of four years, SK Zele takes up its activities in an emergency competition, Regional League 2 Denderstreek.
1945 / Abandoning Terrein De Bunder after sixteen years, SK Zele settles at Terrein Dendermondebaan (later usually referred to as Terrein Zandberg or De Klodde), laid out on a plot of land owned by Louis Rosseels. The new ground, which sports a covered stand with the dressing rooms situated underneath, is inaugurated with a gala match between a Zele XI and SC Eendracht Aalst in front of a crowd of some 1,500 spectators. For 1945-46, the first regular season since 1939, both clubs from Zele retake their place in Provincial League 2.
1948 / Finishing in fourteenth place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 2, FC Scela Zele drops back into Regional League 2.
1949 / Finishing in joint first place in Regional League 2B with SC Volharden Aalst, FC Scela Zele – coached by Gust De Wit – meets the club from Aalst in a tie-break match played at De Pintelaan in Ghent, FC Sparta Gent’s ground; the first match having finished in a 1-1 draw, a second tie-break match is organised on the same location, with SC Volharden Aalst walking away as winners (3-2). As such, FC Scela narrowly misses out on a promotion to Provincial League 2.
1950 / Still coached by Gust De Wit, FC Scela Zele wins the title in Regional League 2B with 30 wins from 30 matches, finishing 20 points ahead of closest followers FC Berlare. Scela’s centre-forward Basil Robberecht finds the net 29 times in the course of the season.
1951 / Celebrating its 25th anniversary, FC Scela Zele acquires the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Koninklijke Football Club (KFC) Scela Zele.
1952 / Celebrating its 25th anniversary, SK Zele acquires the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Koninklijke Sportkring (KSK) Zele. Also in 1952, in a reorganisation of the league pyramid, a Provincial League 1 is created in East Flanders – with both KFC Scela Zele and KSK Zele taking part in this competition in the 1952-53 season.
1953 / In the Belgian Cup, KFC Scela Zele meets champions RFC Liège, losing the encounter at Terrein Elststraat 1-4 in front of a crowd of some 3,000 spectators; Scela’s solitary goal is scored by Fons Smits.
1954 / In the best season in club history, KSK Zele finishes runners-up in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, 6 points behind KMSK Deinze.
1955 / Under the guidance of player-coach Charles Fierens, KFC Scela Zele narrowly misses out on the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1 – requiring a win in the last match of the season away against its sole remaining rival, RRC Gand, the club only manages a 1-1 draw in front of a crowd of some 5,000 spectators. Also in the 1954-55 season, Scela qualifies for the round of last 32 of the Belgian Cup, suffering an away defeat at Club Brugge KV (6-1).
1956 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, 1 point ahead of closest rivals FC Ninove, KFC Scela Zele accedes to National Division 4 for the first time in club history. The decisive points are clinched in a 2-0 derby win against KSK Zele at Terrein Elststraat (goals scored by Leukemans and A. Christiaens). In the following seasons, Scela – coached in those years by Gust De Wit – manages to become a regular feature at the lowest step of the national league pyramid.
1960 / At Terrein Zandberg, KSK Zele’s ground, floodlights are put in place, with an inaugural match being played between R Antwerp FC and KSC Eendracht Aalst to celebrate the occasion.
1961 / Coached by Jean Claessens, KSK Zele finishes in fourteenth place in Provincial League 1, resulting in the club descending into P2.
1962 / In the most successful season in club history, KFC Scela Zele finishes in fourth place in National Division 4B, behind regional rivals KFC Vigor Wuitens Hamme, KRC Lokeren, and SK Beveren-Waas.
1964 / Coached by Albert Landuyt, KSK Zele clinches the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 2B, 4 points ahead of SK De Klinge. As such, the club accedes to Provincial League 1 after an absence of three seasons.
1967 / Having had to make do with just one pitch at Elststraat since moving to that ground 35 years previously, KFC Scela Zele is now given the luxury of a training pitch at the back of the stadium. Also in 1967, Scela’s winger Louis Christiaens signs a contract with ARA La Gantoise, staying with the Ghent club for two seasons, subsequently joining lower league teams K Sint-Niklaasse SK and VC Jong Lede until hanging up his boots in 1976.
1968 / Under the guidance of player-coach Flor Van de Velde, KSK Zele finishes bottom of the table in P1, thus dropping back into Provincial League 2 after four seasons. Also in 1968, a new club sees the daylight in the hamlet of Kouter, FC De Zeven Zele – a reference to the patron of the local church, Our Lady of Seven Pains. The new club, reinforced by a set of Scela players, settles at a newly laid-out ground at Driesstraat, starting its life in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3 under the guidance of player-coach Werner De Wilde.
1969 / Coached by Mr Holbrecht, KSK Zele finishes in thirteenth place in P2B, thus descending into Provincial League 3 for the first time in club history. Meanwhile, FC De Zeven Zele, finishing in tenth place in P3H, is placed in the newly created Provincial League 4 for the 1969-70 season. Also in the course of the 1968-69 season, Scela’s skipper André Van Hassel plays his 500th match for the club.
1970 / In its last season as an independent club, KFC Scela Zele finishes in tenth place in National Division 4B – the club’s fourteenth consecutive season at the national level. Meanwhile, in the lower reaches of East Flanders’ provincial divisions, KSK Zele finishes eleventh in P3D and FC De Zeven Zele 10th in P4F. Following the 1969-70 season, a merger is concluded between the three clubs, resulting in the foundation of KFC Eendracht Zele under KSK Zele’s registration number 1046. Henceforth, first team football is played at Scela’s ground, Terrein Elststraat – also regularly referred to in those years as Elststadion. Terrein Zandberg (KSK) and Terrein Driesstraat (Zeven) are retained for lower team football and training sessions – for how long Terrein Driesstraat remained in use following the merger is unclear.
1972 / A thorough renovation is undertaken at Terrein Elststraat, with the ground henceforth taking on the official name Gemeentelijk Sportpark Ter Elst.
1973 / Coached by Jaak Versnoeyen, KFC Eendracht Zele wins the title in National Division 4B, 3 points ahead of VC Zwevegem Sport. The decisive point is clinched in an away match at FC Flénu (1-1). As such, seventeen seasons of KFC Scela and KFC Eendracht playing in D4, the club accedes to National Division 3 for the first time.
1975 / On the last day of the 1974-75 season, a record crowd of 5,022 flocks to Sportpark Ter Elst to see KAA Gent win the National Division 3A title, with the Ghent side having the better of KFC Eendracht Zele (0-2).
1978 / Defeating RRC Tournaisien in R1 of the Belgian Cup (1-1 and penalty shoot-out) at Sportpark Ter Elst, KFC Eendracht Zele earns an away tie at Stadion De Freethiel, being defeated by D1 side and cup holders KSK Beveren (1-0).
1980 / Two 16-year-old Eendracht youth academy players, centre-forward Hans Christiaens and goalkeeper Filip De Wilde, are signed by top flight side KSK Beveren. Both of them go on to have excellent professional league careers. Between 1982 and 1999, Hans Christiaens defends the colours of KSK Beveren, Club Brugge KV, Brøndby IF, KSK Ronse, and KFC Sportverbroedering Wevelgem-City, as well as earning three caps for the Belgian national team. De Wilde, on the other hand, making his debut for KSK Beveren as a back-up for the injured Jean-Marie Pfaff in 1981, goes on to play for RSC Anderlecht(ois), Sporting Club de Portugal, SK Sturm Graz, KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen, and KFC Verbroedering Geel, hanging up his boots in 2005. De Wilde was also selected for the Belgian national team on many occasions, earning 33 caps between 1989 and 2000 and being part of his country’s squads in four international tournaments between 1990 and 2000.
1981 / Defeating RJS Bas-Oha in R1 of the Belgian Cup (4-0), KFC Eendracht Zele is eliminated in R2 at the hands of D1 side KFC Winterslag (3-1).
1982 / In the best season in club history, KFC Eendracht Zele, coached by Hervé Van Lerberghe, finishes runners-up in National Division 3A, 6 points behind champions K Sint-Niklase SK.
1985 / Defeating AS Herstalienne SR in R1 of the Belgian Cup (2-3), KFC Eendracht Zele is eliminated in R2 at the hands of D1 side RWDM (0-1).
1987 / Under the guidance of player-coach Maurice De Schrijver, KFC Eendracht Zele narrowly misses out on the title in National Division 3A, finishing in third place, 1 point behind champion KFC Eeklo and with an equal number of points as runners-up RAA Louviéroise.
1988 / Defeating RFC Farciennes in R1 of the Belgian Cup (2-0), KFC Eendracht Zele is eliminated in R2 at the hands of D1 side RWDM (2-3).
1989 / Defeating R Tilleur FC in R1 of the Belgian Cup (6-2) and Racing Jet Wavre in R2 (1-0), KFC Eendracht Zele is eventually eliminated in R2 at the hands of D2 side KFC Lommel SK (2-5 A.E.T.).
1992 / Finishing in second-last place in National Division 3A with coach Jaak Goossens, who had replaced Kamiel Van Damme in the course of the season, 3 points short of RAA Louviéroise and a safe fourteenth spot, KFC Eendracht Zele descends into D4 after nineteen seasons, along with bottom club KSC Menen.
1993 / With the terracing at the eastern side of Gemeentelijk Sportpark Ter Elst being removed, a new set of dressing rooms is inaugurated at that end of the ground.
1995 / Runners-up in National Division 4A, with an equal number of points as champions KHO Merchtem-Brussegem, but with ‘just’ sixteen wins – with eighteen wins for Merchtem – KFC Eendracht Zele has to settle for the promotion play-offs, edging past RRC Tournaisien at Gemeentelijk Sportpark Ter Elst (0-0 and penalty shoot-out), only to suffer elimination in R2 at the hands of KAS Eupen (another 0-0 & penalty shoot-out at Sportpark Ter Elst). As such, the squad of trainer Toon Pfaff misses out on a return to D3. Also in 1995, Zele’s centre-forward Filip Fiers is signed by R Charleroi SC, going on to also wear the colours of KAA Gent and K Sint-Truidense VV before hanging up his boots in 2001.
1996 / Coached by Toon Pfaff, KFC Eendracht Zele clinches the title in National Division 4A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals Eendracht Meldert and 2 points ahead of KFC Olympia Wilrijk. The decision fell on the last day of the season, with KFC Eendracht Zele managing a home win over FC Eendracht Hekelgem (2-0), Eendracht Meldert suffering an away defeat at KVO Aarschot, and KFCO Wilrijk only managing a draw away at K Stade Leuven. Zele’s centre-forward Roel Van den Bergh finds the net 23 times in the course of the season. Also in 1996, KFC Eendracht Zele’s B ground, Terrein Zandberg at Dendermondelaan, is given a thorough refurbishment, involving the removal of KSK Zele’s grandstand, dating back to 1945.
1997 / Still coached by Toon Pfaff, KFC Eendracht Zele drops back into D4 – along with AFC Tubize – after just one season, finishing bottom of the table in National Division 3A. The decisive defeat is suffered at the hands of KSK Roeselare (1-2).
1998 / Finishing bottom of the table in National Division 4B with player-coach Yves Van Borm, KFC Eendracht Zele suffers its second relegation in a row, dropping back into Provincial League 1 along with K Tubantia Borgerhout VK and KFC Liedekerke. As such, the community of Zele lacks a representative at the national level for the first time in 42 years.
2000 / Coached by Raymond Murphy, who replaced Guido Steyaert in the course of the season, KFC Eendracht Zele finishes second-last in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, thus descending into Provincial League 2 along with bottom side SC Oosterzele. As such, the club finds itself at the lowest level in the history of football in Zele since World War II.
2003 / KFC Eendracht Zele, coached by club man Jaak Goossens, finds itself in the same division (P2C) as KFC Heikant Zele for the first time in club history, suffering two defeats at the hands of their derby rivals – with both matches being attended by some 1,500-2,000 spectators. Eventually, Eendracht narrowly saves its skin, finishing in fourteenth place, 1 place below KFC Heikant.
2004 / Coached by Rik Van Cauter, KFC Eendracht Zele clinches the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 2C, 3 points ahead of closest followers SK Berlare – with the decisive points being clinched in a 2-0 home win against KAV Dendermonde. Also in 2004, the club of Zele’s Turkish community, FC Gençlerbirliği Zele, switches from recreational football association Walivo to Belgium’s official FA, acquiring registration number 9453. The club, which had hitherto played its football at Terrein Zandberg ‘De Klodde’ at Dendermondebaan, is allowed to move its first team football to Gemeentelijk Sportpark Ter Elst – thus becoming groundsharers of KFC Eendracht Zele. For the 2004-05 season, the club is placed in East Flanders’ Provincial League 4E – finishing in last place in its debut year.
2006 / Coached by Benny Lobijn, KFC Eendracht Zele finishes in third place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages defeats of KFC Eeklo (5-3 aggr.) and K Olsa Brakel (4-2 aggr.) – resulting in Eendracht managing a return to the national divisions after an absence of eight seasons. With trainer Benny Lobijn signing a deal with KV Red Star Waasland, he is replaced at Sportpark Ter Elst by former Netherlands’ international player Wim Hofkens. Hofkens’ spell in Zele proves to be short, though, with the coach being sacked after a series of bad results.
2009 / After four anonymous seasons in the lower reaches of East Flanders’ Provincial League 4, FC Gençlerbirliği Zele withdraws its membership of Belgium’s FA, rejoining Walivo and thus returning to its existence as a recreational club.
2011 / Coached by Guy Droessaert, KFC Eendracht Zele finishes in fourteenth place in National Division 4B, thus dropping back into Provincial League 1 along with KSK Sint-Paulus Opwijk and KVC Willebroek-Meerhof.
2012 / Coached by Karel Fraeye, KFC Eendracht Zele clinches the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, 21 points ahead of closest rivals KVK Svelta Melsele – with the decisive points being clinched in a home game against KV Eendracht Aalter (4-3). Due to the huge gap separating the club from its rivals, Eendracht is the first club in the whole of Belgium crowning itself champions that season, with centre-forward Hamza Amazou finding the net twenty times.
2014 / Under the guidance of trainer Karel Fraeye, KFC Eendracht Zele clinches the title in National Division 4B – finishing with an equal number of points as KFC Duffel, but with one more win than the Antwerp club (16 vs. 15). The decision fell on the last day of the season, with Zele defeating BX Brussels at Ter Elst (4-0) and KFC Duffel only managing a goalless draw away at K Wolvertem SC.
2015 / Finishing in seventeenth place in National Division 3A, KFC Eendracht Zele drops back into D4 along with bottom club RFC Tournai. In a vain attempt to stop the rot, coach Steven De Groot was sacked and replaced by Jean-Pierre Vande Velde. The decisive defeat occurred at Ter Elst, with KFC Izegem walking away with the points (0-2).
2016 / Finishing in sixth place in National Division 4A, KFC Eendracht Zele qualifies for the play-offs to win a spot in a new-to-be-formed VFV Amateur Division 2, but the club is eliminated in R1 by KSK Halle (1-0). As such, Eendracht is placed in VFV Amateur Division 3, the new, fifth division of the national league pyramid.
2017 / Finishing bottom of the table in VFV Amateur Division 3A with coach Chris Van Trappen, KFC Eendracht Zele descends into P1 along with fellow East Flanders teams SK Berlare and KFC Sporting Sint-Gillis-Waas.
2019 / Coached by Kristof Smet, KFC Eendracht Zele finishes in third place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 1, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KV Eendracht Aalter (3-1 aggr.).
2023 / In a difficult season, KFC Eendracht Zele manages to stay up in Provincial League 1, finishing in twelfth place, but the club’s board, marred by financial difficulties, chooses to withdraw from P1 and make a new start in Provincial League 4 – this being the first time ever that the club is represented at the bottom level of the league pyramid. In the 2023-24 season, the club only manages an eleventh place in Provincial League 4E, with thirteen teams taking part.

Note –The main source of the information given above is a fantastic and wonderfully detailed club history released on the occasion of KFC Eendracht Zele’s 50th anniversary in 2020: Marnix Boeykens “KFC Eendracht Zele. Fusieclub met ups & downs”, ed. Eric Van den Broeck & Marnix Boeykens: Zele 2020 (released as one hard-cover with Eric Van den Broeck, "75 jaar KFC Heikant Zele. Oorlogskind uit het onbezet gebied").