Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Kempenzonen

Sunday 19 February 2023

BELGIUM: FC Kempenzonen

Kleine Boeretang, Dessel (FC Kempenzonen)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

19 II 2023 / FC Kempenzonen (zo) - FC Den Berg 3-4 / Arbeidersvoetbal Kempen, Sunday League

Timeline

1969 / Foundation of a recreational club in Dessel, which is given the name FC Kempenzonen. In its first season, the club, founded by Louis Goots, does not have a ground of its own yet - neither is it affiliated yet to a league, for the moment playing only friendly matches against other recreational teams on various different pitches in and around Dessel.
1970 / FC Kempenzonen settles at its current ground at Kleine Boeretang; a pitch is laid out on a sandy plot surrounded by woods on the western edges of Dessel. The club joins a recreational league, although it is unclear which one - possibly a league of clubs from Belgian Limburg. Later on, FC Kempenzonen joined Arbeidersvoetbal Kempen (AVK).
1982 / Patrick Goots, the 16-year old son of Kempenzonen’s founder Louis Goots, makes his debut in the KFC Dessel Sport's first team. From that moment on, Patrick also regularly plays along with his father's recreational club, especially in the summer months.
1985 / At 19 years of age, Patrick Goots takes over the role of coach at FC Kempenzonen - and he has continued in this capacity until the present day, in spite of his obligations as a professional league footballer in an impressive and successful career as a centre-forward, which takes him from KFC Dessel Sport to KFC Lommelse SK (1986-88), Beerschot VAC (1988-90), KV Kortrijk (1990-91), KRC Genk (1991-94), KSK Beveren (1994-96), K Sint-Truidense VV (1996-97), KFC Turnhout (1997-99), R Antwerp FC (1999-2004), KV Mechelen (2004-06), KFC Racing Mol-Wezel (2006-08), and KVV Thes Sport Tessenderlo (2008-09). Utterly committed to FC Kempenzonen, Goots even turned down a transfer to French side LB Châteauroux at some point.
1995 / In the 1994-95 season, FC Kempenzonen obtains its first league title - or rather: titles, because the club's Saturday (Division 1) and Sunday League teams win the title in Arbeidersvoetbal Kempen. The club goes on to become one of the powerhouses in AVK, with the Saturday League team winning the title again in 1997, 2000, 2007, and 2015, while the Sunday League team is even more successful with title wins in 1999-2001, 2007, 2009-15 (seven in succession!), and 2017. Furthermore, the club wins several cups, including three Beker van Vlaanderen editions - the cup competition for recreational teams from across Flanders.
2002 / Inauguration of the current clubhouse.
2009 / Stopping as a professional league player at the age of 43, Patrick Goots joins FC Kempenzonen's Saturday squad as a player, while staying on as the club's coach.
2011 / Abandoning its old Lorzestadion, KFC Dessel Sport settles down at a new ground, the so-called Armand Melisstadion, situated on the eastern end of Kempenzonen's pitch. Prior to this, Dessel Sport was already home in the area, as the club's youth academy had been home at Brasel (to the north of FC Kempenzonen) for many years.
2019 / Hanging up his boots at the age of 53, Patrick Goots gives up his role as player-manager, henceforth returning to 'just' coaching the team.
2022 / KFC Dessel Sport obtains permission from Dessel's town council for a synthetic pitch, which is laid out on the northern end of FC Kempenzonen's pitch - occupied by forest up to that time.