Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Meerhof Willebroek (±1977-2000) / KVC Willebroek-Meerhof (B) (2000-2011) / Willebroekse SV matr. 9574 (2011-2024)

Sunday, 14 August 2022

BELGIUM: FC Meerhof Willebroek (±1977-2000) / KVC Willebroek-Meerhof (B) (2000-2011) / Willebroekse SV matr. 9574 (2011-2024)

Terrein Breendonkstraat, Willebroek = Willebroeck (Willebroekse SV, formerly FC Meerhof Willebroek / youth academy of KVC Willebroek-Meerhof)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

14 VIII 2022 / Willebroekse SV - K Kalmthout SK 1-3 / Antwerp, Provincial Cup - group stage, group 1

Timeline

1965 / Foundation of FC Meerhof - Meerhof being the name of a neighbourhood on the southern outskirts of Willebroek. The club joins Arbeidersvoetbal, a recreational football league.
1971 / FC Meerhof joins Belgium's Football Association under registration number 7587, changing its name to become FC Meerhof Willebroek and starting its life in Antwerp's Provincial League 3C.
1972 / Finishing in ninth place in Provincial League 3C, FC Meerhof Willebroek - along with all other clubs finishing in the bottom half of the P3 table that season - is placed in the newly formed Provincial League 4 for the 1972-73 season.
1973 / Clinching the title in P4C, FC Meerhof Willebroek bounces straight back to Provincial League 3.
±1977 / The exact year cannot be ascertained (yet), but FC Meerhof Willebroek changed grounds in approximately 1977-78, moving from their original pitch at Ringlaan to a new sports park just across the road, at Breendonkstraat.
1978 / For the first time in the club's history, FC Meerhof Willebroek manages to win promotion to Antwerp's Provincial League 2 - following a title in P3B.
1982 / In the best season in club history, FC Meerhof Willebroek finishes in third place in Provincial League 2B.
1991 / Bottom of the table in P2A, FC Meerhof Willebroek drops back into Provincial League 3 after thirteen seasons.
1993 / Runners-up in P3B, FC Meerhof Willebroek wins promotion to Provincial League 2, probably following a round of play-offs; the club holds out at this level for no longer than one season, though, dropping back into P3 in 1994.
1995 / Runners-up in P3B, FC Meerhof Willebroek wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the second time in three seasons, probably following a round of play-offs; this time, the club holds its own at this level for two seasons, ultimately dropping back into P3 in 1997.
2000 / Following the 1999-2000 season, in which the club finishes in fifth place in P3B, FC Meerhof Willebroek concludes a merger with their more successful town rivals K Willebroekse SV, forming KVC Willebroek-Meerhof under Willebroekse's registration number 85. Henceforth, first team football is played at Stadion De Schalk, K Willebroekse SV's venue since 1984, while the premises at Breendonkstraat remain in use for the new club's youth academy.
2011 / After two successive relegations (in 2010 & 2011), throwing the club back from National Division 3 to Provincial League 1, KVC Willebroek-Meerhof, in grave financial difficulties, folds, ceasing all activities. A phoenix club is founded straightaway, bearing the name of the bigger of the original two merger partners, Willebroekse SV, but under a new registration number (9574) and starting its life at the bottom of Antwerp's provincial ladder. With Stadion De Schalk being abandoned - and later demolished - all activities of the new club have since taken place at Breendonkstraat.
2013 / Finishing in fourth place in Antwerp's Provincial League 2B, Willebroekse SV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KFC Wezel Sport (4-1 aggr.).
2014 / Runners-up in Provincial League 4C, 5 points behind champions Zennester Hombeek, Willebroekse SV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by Zwart-Wit Eendracht Kessel (4-2 aggr.).
2015 / Champions in P4C, 3 points ahead of closest rivals RFC Blaasveld, Willebroekse SV wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
2018 / Champions in P3B, 8 points ahead of closest rivals KFC Putte, Willebroekse SV wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
2019 / Finishing bottom of the table in P2A, Willebroekse SV drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season, along with KV Bonheiden, FC Ekeren, and Sporting Tisselt.
2022 / Finishing in fourth place in P3B, Willebroekse SV qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club has the better of K Berchem Sport 2004 B in R1 (3-2 aggr.), but is eliminated in R2 by KVC Lille United B (3-2 aggr.). Due to one extra promotion place being available, though, Willebroekse SV accedes to Provincial League 2 through the backdoor.
2023 / Finishing 14th in P2A, Willebroekse SV has to play a relegation play-off against the club which finished third-last in P2B, K Wuustwezel FC, in order to save its skin - which it manages to do in a single match, played in Wuustwezel (1-1 & penalty shoot-out).
2024 / Finishing bottom of the table in P2A, Willebroekse SV drops back into Provincial League 3 along with KFC Brasschaat and KFC Katelijne. Following the 2023-24 season, the club withdraws its KBVB membership due to financial difficulties.