Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille (B) (1979-1982) / KFC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille (1982-1999) / KFC Lille (1999-2021) / KVC Lille United (2021-2022)

Heidebloemstadion "Sportcentrum Balsakker" Lille (formerly KFC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille / KFC Lille / KVC Lille United)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

20 I 2010 / KFC Lille - KFC Zwarte Leeuw 1-1 / National League 4C (= BE level 4)
30 XI 2019 / KFC Lille - KFC Wezel Sport 3-3 / Antwerp, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1938 / Foundation of FC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille (often referred to as FC Heidebloem Lille), which joins Belgium's FA under matricule 2618.
1954 / Finishing in first place in Antwerp's Provincial League 3E - the first title in club history -, FC Heidebloem Lille accedes to Provincial League 2 for the first time.
1974 / Following 20 consecutive seasons in P2, FC Heidebloem Lille drops back into Provincial League 3 after finishing second-last in P2C.
1976 / After spending two seasons in P3, FC Heidebloem is relegated to Provincial League 4 for the first time in club history. In the following ten seasons, the club alternates spells in P4 and P3.
1979 / FC Heidebloem Lille's youth academy moves to the newly laid-out Sportcentrum Balsakker.
1982 / FC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille also moves its first team football as well as all its other activities to Sportcentrum Balsakker, subsequently renamed Heidebloemstadion. It is unclear where the club's previous ground was (or: grounds were) situated.
1986 / Winning the title in Provincial League 3C, FC Heidebloem returns to P2 level for the first time in 12 years. The club remains at that level until 1994, with the exception of one season in P3 (1988-89).
1988 / FC Heidebloem obtains the royal epithet, thus changing its official name to become Koninklijke Football Club (KFC) De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille.
1994 / Clinching the title in Provincial League 2B, KFC Heidebloem Lille accedes to Antwerp's Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
1995 / Going from strength to strength, KFC Heidebloem wins the title in Provincial League 1, thus climbing up into the national divisions for the first time.
1999 / KFC De Heidebloem Sint-Pieters-Lille changes its official name to become KFC Lille.
2001 / In the best season in club history, KFC Lille manages a third-place finish in National Division 4C. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club is eliminated in R1 by KFC SV Wevelgem City (4-0).
2004 / Finishing last in National Division 4C with a score of just 21 points in 30 matches (a disadvantage of 9 points to Lille's closest rivals KFC Witgoor Sport Dessel and K Wuustwezel FC), KFC Lille drops back into Antwerp's Provincial League 1 after 9 consecutive seasons of national league football.
2006 / After finishing 4th in Antwerp's P1, KFC Lille wins the promotion play-offs to accede to National Division 4 after a two-year absence.
2008 / Having a good season in D4C, with a 6th place in the final table, KFC Lille qualifies for the promotion play-offs for a place in National Division 3, but the club is eliminated in R1 by KV Woluwe-Zaventem.
2011 / Finishing 14th in D4C, KFC Lille drops back into the provincial leagues along with KVV Heusden-Zolder and K Lutlommel VV.
2015 / Clinching the title in Provincial League 1 with an advantage of three points over nearest contender KFC Nijlen, KFC Lille returns to National Division 4.
2016 / Finishing 15th in D4C, KFC Lille is relegated yet again back into the provincial divisions, accompanied by K Bilzerse-Waltwilder VV and K Lyra TSV.
2017 / Following a third-place finish in P1, KFC Lille qualifies for the interprovincial play-offs by defeating FC Oppuurs in Antwerp's promotion play-offs. In the interprovincial round, however, the club finishes last in a group with FC Heur-Tongeren, Avanti Stekene (both qualifying for national league football), KHO Bierbeek, and KSK Voorwaarts Zwevezele.
2018 / In a scenario not dissimilar to the previous season, KFC Lille finishes second in P1, 12 points behind champions K Lyra TSV. Lille then goes on to win Antwerp's promotion play-off against K Berg & Dal VV to qualify for the interprovincial play-offs, in which it finishes last in a group with KVCSV Oostkamp, KFC HO Kalken (both qualifying for national league football), HO Veltem, and K Herk FC.
2020 / KFC Lille are declared champions in Antwerp's P1 in the 2019-20 season, cut short by the Covid 19 pandemic, with 26 (of 30) matches played and an advantage of 7 points over nearest contenders KRC Mechelen. As a result, Lille accedes to VFV Amateur Division 3, the fifth and lowest tier of the national league pyramid - and commencing its fourth spell of national league football.
2021 / A merger is concluded between KFC Lille and VC Poederlee (matricule 9328), resulting in the foundation of KVC Lille United, which retains KFC Lille's matricule 2618. Initially, FC Gierle was also involved in the merger talks, but this club withdrew from the project at an early stage, preferring to continue independently for the time being. In the meantime, all of KVC Lille United's activities are moved to Lille's Heidebloemstadion, as a completely new stadium is built on top of VC Poederlee's Heggestadion (I).
2022 / After finishing fourth in VFV's Amateur Division 3B, KVC Lille United crowns its first season following the merger with a promotion to Amateur Division 2, the fourth tier of Belgium's football pyramid, by defeating KFC Diest in the promotion play-offs. With a one-year delay, FC Gierle (matricule 9373) is absorbed into KVC Lille United. Due to Lille's Heidebloemstadion being knocked down after the 2021-22 season to make way for a new multi-sports park (including a swimming pool), most of KVC Lille United's activities, including first team football, temporarily move to Gierle's Sportcomplex Poeyelheide.
2023 / The new Heggestadion (II) in Poederlee is inaugurated in February 2023.

Note - Below, a compilation of photographs of three different visits: pictures 1-4 = non-matchday visit, July 2011 / pictures 5-16 & 18 = match visit, November 2019 / pictures 17 & 19 = match visit, January 2010.