BELGIUM: KRC Bambrugge (B) (2016-2021) / FC Mere (B) (2016-2021) / SK Aaigem (B) (2016-) / Erpe-Mere United (B) (2021-2022) / Erpe-Mere United (2022-)

Gemeentelijk Domein Steenberg, Bambrugge (Erpe-Mere United & B ground of SK Aaigem, formerly B ground of KRC Bambrugge & FC Mere)

Belgium, province: East Flanders

26 XI 2022 / Erpe-Mere United - KRC Harelbeke 1-1 / VFV Division 2A (= BE level 4)

Timeline

• 2013 / The municipality of Erpe-Mere applies for a subsidy in view of the council's desire to have a synthetic pitch put in place at Domein Steenberg, situated right beside the town hall. 
• 2016 / The subsidy request having been granted, works on the 3G get underway, with works commencing in the spring of 2016. Upon its completion, the ground was put to service for several local schools' P.E. lessons, while the youth academies of all of the municipality's football clubs - FC Mere, SK Aaigem, and KRC Bambrugge - started making use of the pitch ever more regularly. Lacking extensive facilities, the wooden shed of the local boy-scouts, situated at the ground's southern end, was used as clubhouse and changing room.
• 2018 / The boy-scouts' barrack is demolished to make way for a full-fledged two-tiered clubhouse, to be shared by the scouts and the local football clubs. The premises are inaugurated in December 2018.
• 2020 / KRC Bambrugge wins promotion to the national leagues for the first time in the club's history. Although their home ground at Lindekouter does not have the correct measurements for national league football, the club is given the customary dispensation of one year to solve the problem.
• 2021 / A merger is concluded between FC Mere and KRC Bambrugge, resulting in the foundation of Erpe-Mere United, in which Bambrugge's matricule 5343 is retained. Local authorities had ardently hoped that the remaining other club within the municipality's borders, KFC Olympic Burst, would join in with the merger project, but Burst's board pulled out of the talks earlier on. Meanwhile, even though no amendments were made at the pitch measurements at Lindekouter - and with KRC Bambrugge easily holding its own in VFV Division 3A, finishing sixth -, EM United is given an extra year's dispensation to play its first team football at this ground.
• 2022 / At their own request, Erpe-Mere's boy-scouts are moved away from Domein Steenberg, the clubhouse being too small for their ever-growing membership. With no better options available, a temporarily move is made to the clubhouse at Gemeentelijk Voetbalveld Oudendijk in Burst - for the previous 38 years home to KFC Olympic Burst, the club which declined a merger with FC Mere and KRC Bambrugge in 2021. In 2022, Olympic Burst folds, ceasing all activities; in order to solve its remaining debts, the club sells its matricule (3901) to K Olsa Brakel, allowing the national league side to integrate their B team in the league pyramid at Provincial League 2 level rather than in Provincial League 4. Meanwhile, no further dispensation is given to Erpe-Mere United as to the pitch measurements at Terrein Lindekouter. The logical decision is taken to move first team football to Gemeentelijk Domein Steenberg - not in VFV Division 3, but in Division 2 following EM United's unexpected promotion via the play-offs. Meanwhile, Erpe-Mere's town council has unfolded a project to build the club a new ground at FC Mere's former pitches at Sint-Bavoweg, but if and when these plans will come to fruition, remains to be seen. Terrein Lindekouter, due to be replaced with housing, remains in use for the time being, hosting part of EM United's youth academy.
• 2023 / Finishing dead-last in VFV Amateur Division 2A with just 9 points, Erpe-Mere United drops back into D3 along with KVK Westhoek.

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