Simply photos of matchday and stadium visits, mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands, occasionally in Britain or farther afield. Additionally, some historical information about grounds and clubs is provided. Others call it 'groundhopping', whereas I prefer 'football tourism'... but things have run slightly out of control: therefore, this is Extreme Football Tourism.
Stade de Gourgues, Wiers (RFC Wiersien) Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen 16 IV 2017 / FC Wiersien - FC Havré 2-1 / Hainaut, Provincial League 2A (= BE level 7)
Stade Communal-Rue Victor Debecker, Gembloux = Gembloers (Union Bossière Gembloux, formerly R Gembloux Sport) Belgium, province: Namur = Namen 15 IV 2017 / Gembloux Sport B - RFC Rhisnois B 1-5 / Namur, Provincial League 4A (= BE level 9)
Note 1: R Gembloux Sport, founded in 1934 and adorned with the royal epithet from 1986 onwards, merged with RCS Bossièrois in 2021, forming Union Bossière Gembloux. All football moved away from the Stade Communal in Gembloux to Bossière's ground at Rue de la Croix Rouge. In 2023, after renovation works had taken place, the merger club's first team moved into the Stade Communal. Note 2: photos 2-5 date back to a non-matchday visit, July 2011.
Stade Hameau, Monceau-sur-Sambre (RAS Monceau, B ground / formerly CS Monceau-Hameau) Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen 15 IV 2017 / RAS Monceau - RFC Houdinois 2-4 / Hainaut, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6) Note: due to an impact crater having formed on the pitch of their Stade Communal - Victor Corbier, RAS Monceau had to play all their first team football from February 2017 onwards at their B ground, Stade Hameau. Between 2019 and 2021, first team football moved to the other end of Greater Charleroi, to Châtelet's Stade Adrien Mura. In the meantime, the city countil had crushed the hopes of RAS Monceau to return to the Stade Communal, which has now been abandoned once and for all. In 2021, after a synthetic pitch had been put in place at the Stade Hameau, RAS Monceau moved their first team football back to Stade Hameau; still, the premises in Châtelet will be retained by the club for lower team football and training purposes.
All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author
