Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KVV Sint-Denijssport

Terrein Kleinkouterken, Sint-Denijs-Westrem (KVV Sint-Denijssport)

Belgium, province: East Flanders

5 III 2023 / KVV Sint-Denijssport - FC Kleit 1-0 / East Flanders, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1922 / Foundation of a Roman-Catholic Youth League in Sint-Denijs, the so-called Sint-Denijse Katholieke Jongelingenbond. Its founders are the local doctor, Maurice Dewulf, and chaplain Georges Merry. Initially, the main branch of the league is a theatre club, "Kunst Veredelt", but, later in 1922, a football club sees the daylight as well, which is given the name FC Sint-Denijssport - all of this after a vote had taken place among members who were given the choice between three sports (football, athletics, and gymnastics), with 51 of 53 votes going to football. For the time being, FC Sint-Denijssport does not join a league, instead playing friendly matches against teams from surrounding villages. As yet, there is no regular ground, with matches taking place at the military training area situated at Steenweg op Kortrijk. At this first ground, the makeshift goal posts had to be removed after every match in order not to hinder the Belgian army's tank training manouvres taking place on the same location during midweek.
1923 / Under the new name Katholieke Vlaamsche Voetbalbond (KVV) Sint-Denijssport, the club joins a Roman-Catholic football league, the so-called Diocesane Sportverbond (DSV). A new pitch is found at Terrein Ghellinck, alternatively referred to as "Tuinen van Sint-Camillus"; the pitch area is owned by Count de Ghellinck - in fact, it is part of the yard area of his chateau. Still, also here, club members have to remove the goal posts after each match. Later on in the 1920s, KVV Sint-Denijssport switches to a ground owned by a local farmer, Mr Van Oost, at Lauwstraat, only to return to Terrein Ghellinck later on - and further moving on to the gardens of another chateau, Kasteel Puttenhove, owned by Count Jan Soenens. In November 1923, a library and book club are added as the third branch of Sint-Denijs-Westrem's youth league.
1924 / In its first season in DSV, KVV Sint-Denijssport wins the title in DSV Division 2 (Tweede Afdeeling), the third and lowest tier in this football association's league system.
1930 / With just one defeat in 22 matches, KVV Sint-Denijssport clinches the title in DSV Division 1, thus acceding to DSV's Division of Honour, in which it manages a respectable fifth place in the 1930-31 season. Also in 1930, the club moves from Kasteel Puttenhove to a newly laid-out pitch, Terrein De Vennen, situated at the back of the local church.
1932 / The club's 10th anniversary is marked with an international match between Roman-Catholic teams from Belgium and the Netherlands at Terrein De Vennen; strikingly, no final score of this match has been recorded. To allow more spectators to attend the match, a covered stand is constructed.
1933 / Having finished in second place the previous season, KVV Sint-Denijssport wins the title in DSV's Division of Honour in the 1932-33 season.
1937 / Leaving the ranks of DSV, KVV Sint-Denijssport joins the official Belgian Football Association, obtaining matricule 2533 upon being accepted as new members. The club is placed in Regional League 2 ("Tweede Gewestelijke"), the level below Provincial League 2. Probably also in 1937, the club moves from Terrein De Vennen to Terrein Gaaisprang, situated at Schuttershof.
1942 / As the organisation of football matches and regular league football becomes more and more complicated due to the hardships brought about by the German occupation of Belgium, club members progressively focus on athletics as a means to keep fit. In the war years, a short-lived second football club sees the daylight in Sint-Denijs-Westrem. Recht Voor Allen (RVA) joins the so-called Katholiek Sportverbond (KSV), the successor of DSV, but this club probably did not exist for much longer than a few years.
1945 / Abandoning Terrein Gaaisprang in or around 1945, KVV Sint-Denijssport returns to Kasteel Puttenhove. It is unclear for how long exactly the club stayed here, as a report from 1959 mentions the old ground, Terrein Gaaisprang, as the home of the club.
1947 / Finishing 16th and last in Regional League 2G, the club is relegated to Regional League 3.
1949 / Winning the decisive match in Regional League 3C emphatically (4-0 away at its last remaining rival SK Zingem in a match attended by some 600 supporters from Sint-Denijs-Westrem), KVV Sint-Denijssport wins its first title as a Belgian FA club, thus managing a return to Regional League 2.
1952 / Having suffered relegation the previous season, KVV Sint-Denijssport finishes second in Regional League 3B. In a thorough reorganisation of East Flanders' league system, which sees the abolition of the regional divisions, the club is placed in Provincial League 2 for the 1952-53 season. The stay at that level does not last longer than one season, though, with relegation to Provincial League 3 following in 1953.
1955 / Doctor Maurice Dewulf, co-founder of Sint-Denijse Katholieke Jongelingenbond, passes away. Dewulf was chairman of KVV Sint-Denijssport from its foundation until his unexpected passing.
1961 / Abandoning Terrein Gaaisprang, the club settles at the newly constructed Terrein Dokter Maurice Dewulf, situated near Kasteel Borluut. For that reason, it is often referred to as 'Borluutplein' - or, given that the two pitches are owned by Sint-Denijs municipality, Sint-Denijse Gemeenteplein.
1962 / Former AA La Gantoise and Belgian national team player Freddy Chaves becomes head coach at KVV Sint-Denijssport, staying at the helm for the following three seasons. In the 1960s, the club misses out on promotion to Provincial League 2 on several occasions, finishing second in P3 in the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons; and third in 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.
1967 / A new clubhouse is inaugurated at Borluutplein.
1971 / Having played in P3 for the previous 18 seasons, KVV Sint-Denijssport finished in 14th place in Provincial League 3A, thus being retrograded to Provincial League 4 for the first time in club history.
1972 / Finishing second in P4C behind title winners FC Eendracht Moortsele, the club is placed in Provincial League 3 in the following year thanks to an extra place in P3 being available. The successful coach is Jef Casteleyn.
1974 / Having dropped back into P4 the previous year, KVV Sint-Denijssport manages an immediate return to P3 thanks to another second place in Provincial League 4C with coach José Van Vynckt.
1976 / Obtaining the royal epithet in November 1975, the club changes its name to become Koninlijke Vlaamse Voetbalvereniging Sint-Denijssport - and, as such, the abbreviated club name remains the same, KVV Sint-Denijssport. Also in 1976, new changing rooms are constructed as well as an extension of the covered standing area along the pitch.
1977 / The club misses out on the P3B title after losing a play-off for first place against FC Heirnis Gent.
1994 / Having played in P3 for 20 (!) consecutive seasons, KVV Sint-Denijssport wins the title in P3B, defeating its nearest rivals VSV Gent in the last match of the season (2-0). The club returns to Provincial League 2 after not having played at that level for 41 seasons.
1996 / KVV Sint-Denijssport finishes third in Provincial League 2A, the best result in club history up to that time.
1997 / On January 11th, 1997, having played at Terrein Dewulf for 36 years, the club moves to Terrein Kleinkouterken, a newly laid-out ground which disposes of two playing fields.
1999 / Having managed to save its skin in P2 for the four past seasons, KVV Sint-Denijssport finishes 15th in P2A, thus dropping back into P3 after five years. In the following decade, the club alternates spells in P3 (1999-2000, 2003-04, 2007-09) and P2 (2000-03, 2004-07).
2009 / The club clinches the P3C title with an advantage of 10 points over nearest rivals KVV Windeke, thus returning to Provincial League 2 level.
2014 / A third pitch is added to Terrein Kleinkouterken. In honour of a recently deceased club member, this pitch is given the name Terrein Leon Pieters.
2015 / Having played in P2 for six seasons, KVV Sint-Denijssport finishes in 15th place in P2A, thus dropping back into Provincial League 3.
2016 / After a second-place finish in P3B behind KVV Schelde Serskamp-Schellebelle, the club is eliminated in the first round of the promotion play-offs, losing 3-1 in an away match against VK Watervliet. Three years later, Sint-Denijssport comes close to winning promotion again, finishing just one point behind SV Zaffelare.
2020 / With an advantage of 6 points over VC Eendracht Houtem, KVV Sint-Denijssport is awarded the title in P3B based on 25 of 30 matches in the 2019-20 season, broken off due to the COVID pandemic.
2022 / KVV Sint-Denijssport finishes 4th in P2A due to a strong second half of the season. Having qualified for the promotion play-offs, the club successively defeats KSV Eendracht Bazel in R1 (1-3) and KSK Kieldrecht in R2 (2-0) to accede to East Flanders' Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
2023 / Finishing runners-up in its first season in P1, 4 points behind KVC De Toekomst Borsbeke, KVV Sint-Denijssport earns a historic promotion to VFV Amateur Division 3, given that Borsbeke had chosen not to apply for a license for national league football.

Note - Main source for the information given above is a book which was published on the occasion of the club's 75th anniversary in 1997: Jan Monbaliu (†), “Van hechte bond tot gezonde drieling. Herinneringen aan 75 jaar Sint-Denijse Jongelingenbond”, ed. Sintjoris: Merendree 1997. Thanks to KVV Sint-Denijssport's presidency for putting a copy of this book at my disposal.