Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: K Arsenaal Goetsenhoven

Sunday 9 April 2023

BELGIUM: K Arsenaal Goetsenhoven

Terrein Tiensebaan, Goetsenhoven (K Arsenaal Goetsenhoven)

Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant

9 IV 2023 / KA Goetsenhoven - Racing Butsel B 4-1 / Brabant, VFV Provincial League 4F (= BE level 9)

Timeline

1939 / Foundation of Sporting Club (SC) Goetsenhoven, which joins the Belgian Football Association that same year, obtaining matricule 2817. The club fields a first team for the first time in the 1940-41 season, with home matches being played at Terrein Bonkerstraat.
1946 / Not having fielded a first team since 1942, SC Goetsenhoven folds, ceasing all activities. Matricule 2817 is erased from the Belgian FA's official lists.
1953 / At the instigation of Edmond De Grauwe, the local priest's nephew, a successor club sees the daylight, which is given the name Arsenaal Goetsenhoven. Obtaining matricule 5656 upon being accepted as new FA members, the club starts its life in Brabant's Provincial League 3. The home ground is situated at Kappendaal, in the shadow of the local church in the village centre. After a while, the pitch is moved slightly, without the address changing.
± 1957 / Abandoning Terrein Kappendaal, Arsenaal Goetsenhoven moves to the club's current ground at Tiensebaan.
1969 / Finishing in 14th place in Brabant's Provincial League 3A, the club is relegated to the newly formed Provincial League 4.
1982 / After 29 years, the club wins its first silverware, clinching the title in Provincial League 4F, thus returning to P3 after a stay of 13 seasons at the bottom of Brabant's provincial league pyramid.
1983 / Going from strength to strength, Arsenaal Goetsenhoven wins its second title in a row, finishing in 1st place in P3A, thus acceding to Provincial League 2 for the first time in club history.
1985 / The owner of a snooker hall in nearby Tienen, Emiel Van Ham, becomes the main sponsor of the club, investing much of his money in signing talented players from the Leuven area.
1987 / Having had relatively good results in the two previous years in P2, Arsenaal Goetsenhoven has an excellent 1986-87 season, clinching the P2B title, thus acceding to Brabant's Provincial League 1 for the first time.
1988 / In its first season in Provincial League 1, the club holds its own by finishing in 11th place - incidentally also the best result in club history. After the 1987-88 season, however, Emiel Van Ham withdraws his involvement with the club; with tax authorities hot on his heels, he flees the country, living in Spain for some years. Many years later, he shows up at Arsenaal Goetsenhoven again with a proposal to take over the sponsorship again with his new taxi company, but the overtures are refused. Probably still sailing in muddy financial waters, Van Ham takes his life shortly after this episode.
1989 / With all players of the previous squad having left the club following the departure of Uncle Pennybags, Arsenaal Goetsenhoven finishes second-last in P1, thus dropping back int P2 after two years.
1990 / Finishing dead-last in P2B, the club suffers back-to-back relegations, thus suddenly finding itself in P3.
1995 / In an all-consuming fire, the clubhouse at Tiensebaan is ground to dust - incidentally the second time in club history. By the summer of 1996, a new and enlarged clubhouse is inaugurated.
2003 / At its 50th anniversary, the club acquires the royal epithet, thus becoming Koninklijke Arsenaal (sometimes abbreviated: KA) Goetsenhoven.
2010 / Finishing last in P3A, K Arsenaal Goetsenhoven drops back into Provincial League 4 (along with Atlas Linter and Toekomst Bunsbeek), 28 years after last having played at that level.
2015 / Finishing in 2nd place in Provincial League 4H, just 3 points behind KHO Bierbeek B, KA Goetsenhoven just misses out on a return to Provincial League 3.

Note - Part of the information above was provided by two board members of KA Goetsenhoven, Paul Stas (treasurer) and Daniel Bruers (secretary). My gratitude goes out to both of them!