Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: K Zandhovense SK (±1972-) / K Lierse SK (B) (2013-2017)

Terrein Schildebaan, Zandhoven (K Zandhovense SK, formerly B ground of K Lierse SK)

Belgium, province: Antwerp = Antwerpen

9 XI 2015 / K Lierse SK Reserves - AFC Tubize Reserves 5-1 / Reserves' Division 2

Timeline

1924 / Foundation of a football club in Zandhoven, a village in the Province of Antwerp, with the new club taking on the name Zandhovensche Sportkring (SK). The club, which joins the Belgian Football Association, settles on a pitch known locally as Terrein In ‘t Veld.
1926 / Zandhovensche SK starts its life as a competitive club in Antwerp’s Regional League 3A (3e Gewestelijke A). Later that same year, as the Belgian FA introduces its system of registration numbers, Zandhovensche SK acquires number 442.
1928 / Clinching the title in Antwerp’s Regional League 3D, Zandhovensche SK wins promotion to Regional League 2.
1929 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Regional League 2A, Zandhovensche SK drops back into Regional League 3 after just one season.
1931 / Runners-up in Antwerp’s Regional League 3C, Zandhovensche SK (adapting its name to Zandhovense SK following modifications in the rules of Dutch orthography in 1934) wins promotion to Regional League 2.
1938 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Antwerp’s Regional League 2B, Zandhovense SK drops back into Regional League 3 after seven seasons.
1947 / Runners-up in Antwerp’s Regional League 3B, Zandhovense SK wins promotion to Regional League 2.
± 1948 / Moving away from Terrein In ‘t Veld, Zandhovense SK settles at Terrein Schildebaan – not coinciding with the current location, but at the back of modern-day Schildebaan no. 18.
1949 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Regional League 2A, Zandhovense SK drops back into Regional League 3.
1952 / Champions in Antwerp’s Regional League 3D, Zandhovense SK wins promotion to the newly created Provincial League 2.
1954 / Acquiring the royal epithet, Zandhovense SK officially adapts its name to become Koninklijke Zandhovense Sportkring, or K Zandhoven(se) SK.
1956 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2B, K Zandhovense SK descends into Provincial League 3.
1961 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3F, K Zandhovense SK manages a return to Provinial League 2 after an absence of five years. That same year, the club moves from Terrein Schildebaan (18) to a newly laid-out pitch further to the north of the same street – coinciding with the B pitch of the current ground of the club.
± 1972 / K Zandhovense SK moves its first team football to a newly laid-out pitch to the southwest of the original main pitch. This new main pitch has remained in use for first team football until the present day.
1973 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2A, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 3.
1974 / Runners-up in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3A, K Zandhovense SK manages an immediate return to Provincial League 2.
1979 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2A, K Zandhovense SK is retrograded into Provincial League 3.
1981 / Clinching its first title in twenty years, K Zandhovense SK finishes top of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, thus gaining promotion to Provincial League 2.
1986 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2B, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 3 after five seasons.
1988 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, K Zandhovense SK descends into Provincial League 4 for the first time in club history.
1989 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4D, K Zandhovense SK goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing an immediate return to Provincial League 3.
1994 / Runners-up in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, K Zandhovense SK goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus acceding to Provincial League 2.
1996 / Finishing in third-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2B, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 3.
1999 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, K Zandhovense SK goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus acceding to Provincial League 2.
2002 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2A, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 3.
2003 / Runners-up in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, K Zandhovense SK goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing an immediate return to Provincial League 2.
2006 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2B, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 3 along with KFC Tongerlo and KFC Linda Olen.
2007 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, K Zandhovense SK suffers back-to-back relegations, being retrograded to Provincial League 4 along with Wiekevorst Sporting and bottom club KSV Hulshout.
2011 / Finishing in sixth place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4D, K Zandhovense SK qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages successive wins over KVV Zwaluwen Olmen (6-2 aggr.) and K Sparta Linkeroever FC (5-1 aggr.), thus gaining promotion to Provincial League 3.
2012 / Finishing in third-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3A, K Zandhovense SK drops back into Provincial League 4 after just one season, along with K Tubantia Borgerhout VK and bottom club K Schilde SK.
2013 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4C, K Zandhovense SK qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by KFC Flandria (3-1 aggr.). That same year, the club concludes a partnership agreement with professional league side K Lierse SK, involving the home matches of Lierse’s reserves being moved to Terrein Schildebaan. Lierse’s owner Maged Samy puts a budget at the disposal of K Zandhovense SK to have a small covered stand erected alongside the main pitch.
2014 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4D, K Zandhovense SK qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KFC De Vrijheid Herselt (4-2 aggr.).
2015 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4B, 2 points ahead of runners-up FC Turksport Antwerpen, K Zandhovense SK wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
2017 / After four years, the partnership deal between K Zandhovense SK and K Lierse SK ends, with the latter’s reserves’ team moving away from Terrein Schildebaan.
2019 / Runaway champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, 14 points ahead of closest followers FC Zwaneven, K Zandhovense SK manages a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of thirteen years. The successful coach is Frank Dirix.
2023 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2A, K Zandhovense SK qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages successive wins over KSAV Sint-Dimpna Geel (1-0) and KSK Weelde (0-2), resulting in the club acceding to Provincial League 1 for the first time since its foundation. The successful coach is Frank Dirix.
2025 / After seven seasons at the helm of the club’s first team, Zandhoven’s coach Frank Dirix leaves the club to sign a contract as head coach at K Berchem Sport 2004.

Note – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-5 = non-matchday visit, August 2025 / pictures 6-19 = match visit, November 2015.