BELGIUM: VV Brustem Centrum (1975-2015) / KVV Zepperen-Brustem (B) (2015-2022) / KVV Zepperen-Brustem (C) (2022-)

Hemelrijkstadion, Brustem (KVV Zepperen-Brustem, C ground / formerly VV Brustem Centrum & B ground of KVV Zepperen-Brustem)

Belgium, province: Limburg

22 III 2015 / VV Brustem Centrum - Bregel Sport 0-0 / Limburg, Provincial League 2B (= Div. 6)

Timeline

• 1927 / Foundation of a first football club in Brustem, a village in the vicinity of Saint-Trond (Sint-Truiden) in the Province of Limburg; the new club, which takes on the name Brusthem FC, receives registration number 1014 upon joining the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB). It is unclear where the pitch of Brusthem FC was situated.
• 1928 / Brusthem FC is placed in Limburg’s Regional League 3 (3e Gewestelijke) in its first season as a competitive club.
• 1930 / After an existence of three years, Brusthem FC folds, ceasing all activities.
• 1931 / Re-establishment of Brusthem FC, with the club being accepted as a new Belgian FA member under registration number 1797.
• 1932 / Brusthem FC (matr. 1797) is placed in Limburg’s Regional League 3 in its first season as a competitive club.
• 1933 / Brusthem FC (matr. 1797) withdraws from Regional League 3 after one season.
• 1934 / The second incarnation of Brusthem FC folds, ceasing all activities.
• 1954 / Foundation of a third successive football club in Brustem, with this club being given the name Brustem Voetbalvereniging (VV). Brustem VV is admitted into the Belgian FA with registration number 5752. It is unclear where the pitch of Brustem VV was situated.
• 1956 / Brustem VV folds after an existence of two seasons.
• 1972 / Foundation of a recreational football club in Brustem, which takes on the name Avia Club Brustem – receiving regular registration number 7843 and recreational number 4592. 
• 1974 / In December 1974, a new football club sees the daylight in Brustem; the club, which takes on the name Voetbalvereniging (VV) Brustem Centrum, may have sprung from Avia Club Brustem, but information concerning this matter is sadly missing; VV Brustem Centrum settles on a pitch laid out at a street called Hemelrijk – with the ground hence being referred to rather grandiosely as Hemelrijkstadion as a result.
• 1975 / VV Brustem Centrum joins the Belgian Football Association with registration number 8250, with the club being placed in Limburg’s Provincial League 4 for the 1975-76 season.
• 1988 / Runner-up in Limburg’s Provincial League 4B, VV Brustem Centrum wins promotion to Provincial League 3 for the first time.
• 1995 / Clinching the first title in club history, VV Brustem Centrum finishes top of the table in Limburg’s Provincial League 3D, thus gaining promotion to Provincial League 2.
• 2003 / Finishing in third-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2A, VV Brustem Centrum drops back into Provincial League 3 after eight years.
• 2005 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, 2 points ahead of closest rivals BS Sport Berbroek-Schulen, VV Brustem Centrum manages a return to Provincial League 2 after two seasons.
• 2006 / Finishing in second-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2C, VV Brustem Centrum drops back into Provincial League 3, along with KOVC Landen and bottom club K Diepenbeek VV De Zwaluw.
• 2008 / Runner-up in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, 5 points behind champions Daring Huvo Jeuk, VV Brustem Centrum qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out Kadijk SK in R1, going on to suffer defeat in the final against K Bilzerse VV. In a lucky loser play-off, Brustem manages a win against Sporting Grote-Heide, thus managing promotion to Provincial League 2 via the backdoor.
• 2012 / Finishing in fifth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B, VV Brustem Centrum qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club eliminates Sporting Nevok Gruitrode in R1 (7-3 aggr.), only to suffer defeat in R2 against K Standard Elen (2-1 aggr.).
• 2013 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B, 5 points ahead of closest followers – and derby rivals – KVK Zepperen, VV Brustem Centrum wins promotion to Provincial League 1 for the first time.
• 2014 / Finishing in third-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 1, VV Brustem Centrum drops back into Provincial League 2 after just one season, along with FC Melosport Zonhoven, KFC Landen, and bottom club Groen Star Beek.
• 2015 / In its last season as an independent club, VV Brustem Centrum finishes in sixth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B. Following the 2014-15 season, a merger is concluded between KVK Zepperen and VV Brustem Centrum, the result being the foundation of Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging (KVV) Zepperen-Brustem. In a compromise deal, the new club retains registration number 8250 of Brustem, with first team football moving to Voetbalterrein Het Dekken in Zepperen. The Hemelrijkstadion in Brustem is retained for lower team football and training sessions. In the 2015-16 season, KVV Zepperen-Brustem takes the place of KVK Zepperen in Provincial League 1.
• 2022 / As KVV Zepperen-Brustem enters a B team in Limburg’s Provincial League 4 for the first time, the chosen venue for home matches is not the Hemelrijkstadion in Brustem, but the synthetic side-pitch of Voetbalterrein Het Dekken. The facilities in Brustem remain in use for training sessions only.
  

Note - Photos 2, 5 & 14 below courtesy of Anneke te Boekhorst.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker & Anneke te Boekhorst / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of authors