Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: Excelsior Hamont

Saturday, 18 February 2023

BELGIUM: Excelsior Hamont

Terrein Watermolenstraat, Hamont (Excelsior Hamont)

Belgium, province: Limburg

18 II 2023 / Excelsior Hamont - K Kaulille FC 0-3 / Limburg, Provincial League 3B (= BE level 8)

Timeline

1964 / Foundation of Excelsior Hamont, a recreational football club. The first ground is situated on a pasture owned by a local farmer, Mr Schouten.
± 1967 / In 1966 or 1967, Excelsior Hamont abandons Terrein Schouten, settling down at a newly laid-out pitch at Watermolenstraat.
1984 / Having had extremely successful years as a member of Koninklijke Belgische Liefhebbersvoetbalbond (KBLVB), winning the Belgian Cup and Super Cup for recreational teams, Excelsior Hamont finally joins the official Belgian Football Association, being accepted as new members under matricule 8953. The club is placed in Limburg's Provincial League 4.
1986 / In a thorough renovation of Excelsior's home ground at Watermolenstraat, a new clubhouse is constructed - the construction pictured in the photos below -, while two new pitches are also laid out in an east-west direction (given a quarter turn as compared to the old pitch).
1990 / Finishing second in Provincial League 4E, Excelsior Hamont manages its first promotion as a Provincial League club - probably by winning a play-off or series of play-offs.
1995 / Having stayed up narrowly in the previous four seasons, Excelsior finishes last in P3A, thus suffering relegation back into P4.
2006 / Following relatively anonymous years in Provincial League 4, Excelsior Hamont manages a new promotion to P3 by winning the promotion play-offs after finishing fif th in P4A. The adventure at P3 level lasts just one season, though, with relegation ensuing in 2007 after a last-place finish in P3C.
2008 / In a perfect copy of the 2005-06 season, Excelsior wins promotion via the play-offs after a fifth place finish in P4B.
2011 / Having had an excellent 2009-10 season, resulting in a sixth place in P3B, the club finishes second-last in its series in P3, thus returning to Provincial League 4 after three years.
2016 / Clinching its first league title since joining the Belgian FA 32 years previously, Excelsior Hamont wins promotion from P4A to accede to P3 after a five-year absence.
2019 / Finishing in third place in P3A, Excelsior Hamont wins the ensuing promotion play-offs. In the deciding match, K Kadijk SK is held to a 1-1 draw, upon which access is won to Provincial League 2 for the first time in club history.
2020 / Finishing second-last in Provincial League 2A, Excelsior drops back into P3 after just one solitary year at P2 level.
2024 / Finishing in fourth place in Provincial League 3B, Excelsior Hamont qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by Eendracht Mechelen-aan-de-Maas B (1-2 A.E.T.).