BELGIUM: SC Hooger-Op Haaltert (1938-1942) / KRC Haaltert (1942-2020)

Complex Dreef, Haaltert (formerly SC Hooger-Op Haaltert / KRC Haaltert)

Belgium, province: East Flanders

6 VIII 2016 / RC Haaltert - FC SKV Overmere 0-1 / East Flanders, Provincial Cup - group stage

Timeline

• 1926 / Foundation of Sportkring (SK) Haeltert. Upon affiliating with Belgium's Football Association, the club receives matricule 703.
• 1936 / SK Haeltert folds after ten years of existence.
• 1938 / A successor club to SK Haeltert sees the daylight in the shape of Sportclub (SC) Hooger-Op Haaltert. The club joins Belgium's FA, obtaining matricule 2729
• 1942 / SC Hooger-Op Haaltert changes its name to become Racing Club (RC) Haaltert.
• 1975 / RC Haaltert becomes a Société Royale, changing its name to KRC Haaltert. Given that sports clubs can usually only apply for the royal epithet after 50 years of existence, it would come as no surprise to find that SC Hooger-Op Haaltert was the continuation of an older club which played in a different football league, not affiliated to the Belgian FA, before 1938 (anyone who has more information regarding this matter is welcome to contact me).
• 1980 / After an existence spent in Provincial Leagues 3 and 2, KRC Haaltert manages to make the leap to East Flanders' Provincial League 1 for the first time. The spell lasted for seven seasons, until 1987; the club never returned to this level in the following decades.
• 2008 / Following two successive relegations, KRC Haaltert finds itself in Provincial League 4.
• 2020 / After alternating spells in Provincial Leagues 3 and 4, KRC Haaltert concludes a merger with FC Kerksken, forming KFC Kerksken-Haaltert, retaining Haaltert's matricule. All activities move to Kerksken's Stadion Burgemeester Willy Michiels, while Haaltert's ground at Dreef is abandoned.

Note: Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-12 = match visit, August 2016 / pictures 13-23 = non-matchday (ruin) visit, August 2022.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker (co-edited by J.C. te Boekhorst) / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author