BELGIUM: VC Groot-Bijgaarden (1957-2013) / Bodegem-Kapelle United (2022-)

Sportcomplex Bosstraat, Groot-Bijgaarden = Grand-Bigard (Bodegem-Kapelle United, formerly VC Groot-Bijgaarden)

Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant

11 VIII 2022 / BOKA United - VC Groot-Dilbeek 2-3 / Pre-season friendly

Timeline

• 1956 / Foundation of VC Groot-Bijgaarden. The club, joining Belgium's Football Association under matricule 5981, most probably played at Bosstraat from the foundation onwards.
• 2000 / VC Groot-Bijgaarden have one season (2000-01) in Provincial League 2, the highest level ever attained by the club.
• 2013 / Merger between VC Groot-Bijgaarden and Dilbeek Sport, resulting in the foundation of VC Groot-Dilbeek. All activities move to Dilbeek's ground, Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Roelandsveld and its first side pitch. The premises in Groot-Bijgaarden are abandoned.
• 2021 / After having been left to decay for years - without any football being played on the main pitch (the first side-pitch remaining in use for P.E. lessons by the local secondary school) -, Groot-Bijgaarden's town-council takes the decision to refurbish the ground at Bosstraat. The clubhouse is renovated and a synthetic pitch is being put in place.
• 2022 / Upon completion of the renovation works, Provincial League 1 side Bodegem-Kapelle United - mostly referred to as BOKA United - moves their first team football to the ground at Bosstraat. The club's ground at Lumbeekstraat in Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle remains in use for lower team football and training purposes, while a third ground in Sint-Martens-Bodegem, the so-called Henri Appelmansstadion, only in use for training purposes from 2019, is abandoned in the summer of 2023.
• 2023 / Finishing in 12th place in Brabant VFV's Provincial League 1 - 2 points short of a safe place in the table -, BOKA United descends into P2 along with KSC Grimbergen, KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek, HO Veltem, and FC Melsbroek.

Note: Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1 & 4-14 = match visit, August 2022 / pictures 2-3 = non-matchday visit, July 2022.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author