BELGIUM: K Hechtel FC

Duinenstadion, Hechtel (K Hechtel FC)

Belgium, province: Limburg

3 IX 2022 / K Hechtel FC - K Achel VV 0-5 / Belgian Limburg, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

• 1926 / Foundation of Hechtselsche Voetbalvereeniging (VV). Upon joining Belgium's Football Association, the club obtains matricule 817.
• 1932 / Hechtelsche VV folds, already having withdrawn its first team following the 1929-30 season. 
• 1938 / Foundation of Hechtel Football Club (FC). The new club receives matricule 2662.
• 1961 / Winning the title in Limburg's Provincial League 2B, Hechtel FC accedes to Provincial League 1 for the first time. The club manages to hold its own at this level for eleven years, eventually suffering relegation to P2 in 1972.
• 1973 / Moving from its old ground at Hasseltsebaan, where the club probably played from its foundation onwards, Hechtel FC settles at its newly built Duinenstadion. This new ground in the woods to the south of Hechtel disposes of a two-storey clubhouse as well as a large covered terrace.
• 1974 / Heralding a second spell in Provincial League 1, Hechtel FC wins the title in Provincial League 2A.
• 1986 / After twelve seasons in Provincial League 1, with a fourth place in 1978 as its best result, Hechtel FC is relegated to Provincial League 2.
• 1988 / Upon its 50th anniversary, the club becomes a Société Royale, changing its name to become Koninklijke Hechtel Football Club - or, more commonly, K Hechtel FC. Meanwhile, on the pitch, there is not much reason to celebrate, as the club finds itself in Provincial League 4 following three (!) successive relegations.
• 2022 / After alternating spells in P4, P3, and P2 - and two promotions in three years -, K Hechtel FC is back in Provincial League 1 for the first time in 36 seasons. The match attended by me at Duinenstadion (photos below) was Hechtel's first league game in this memorable season - unfortunately with a less than happy result.
• 2023 / Finishing dead-last in Provincial League 1 with just 7 points from 30 matches, K Hechtel FC drops back into P2.

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