Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KFC Kattenbos Sport

Thursday 18 May 2023

BELGIUM: KFC Kattenbos Sport

Sportpark Kattenbos - Oude Diestersebaan, Lommel Kattenbos (KFC Kattenbos Sport)

Belgium, province: Limburg

18 V 2023 / KFC Kattenbos Sport - FC Maasland Noordoost 2-0 / Limburg, Provincial League 3 - promotion play-off final (= BE level 8)

Timeline

1936 / Foundation of Roode Duivels Kattenbosch by Jaak Hendriks (15 years old) and Jef Vandervee (17). The club's first ground is situated at Statieplein.
1937 / After one year of practicing, Roode Duivels Kattenbosch joins the so-called Noordlimburgse Verstandhouding, a local league. Also in 1937, a first board is put together, with Jaak Hendriks being one of the initial members, remaining in function until 1960.
1940 / The decision is taken to join the official Belgian Football Association, which involves an obligatory name change, given that Rode Duivels ('Red Devils') is the nickname of the Belgian national team. The chosen new name is FC Kattenbos Sport - and under that name, the club is accepted as new FA member, obtaining matricule 2900. Given that the pitch at Statieplein does not have the correct measurements for official matches, the club settles at a new ground at the back of Mathijs Cochet's café, situated in the area of modern-day Pater Eymardstraat. Also in 1940, a first coach is appointed, former Wezel Sport FC player Emiel Meutelaers.
1941 / FC Kattenbos Sport takes part in regular league football for the first time, being placed in Limburg's Regional League 2G (2e Gewestelijke G). Also in 1941, the club forms a youth academy.
± 1945 / Abandoning Terrein Mathijs Cochet, FC Kattenbos Sport moves to a pitch at the back of Café Hoeben, a local pub situated on the main road from Lommel to Leopoldsburg.
1952 / Winning the title in Limburg's Regional League 2A, FC Kattenbos Sport wins promotion to the newly formed Provincial League 1. In the remainder of the 1950s, the club spends a total of 5 seasons in P1, subdivided into 3 short spells (1952-54, 1955-57, and 1959-60), with an 11th place in the 1952-53 season being the best result in club history.
1969 / Having spent the previous 9 seasons in Provincial League 2, FC Kattenbos Sport now finishes bottom in P2B, thus suffering relegation to Provincial League 3 for the first time in club history.
1971 / Winning the title in Provincial League 3E, the club manages a return to P2.
1972 / Moving away from Café Hoeben, FC Kattenbos Sport settles at a newly laid-out ground at Oude Diestersebaan, later renamed Sportpark Kattenbos.
1973 / Winning the title in Provincial League 2A, FC Kattenbos Sport returns to Limburg's Provincial League 1 after a 13-year absence.
1976 / Having narrowly escaped relegation in the previous 2 seasons, FC Kattenbos Sport now finishes 16th and last in Provincial League 1, thus dropping back into P2 after 3 years. In the following 30 seasons, the club alternates spells in P2 (1976-80, 1991-97, 1998-99) and in P3 (1980-91, 1997-98, 1999-2006), picking up one title in the process - in Provincial League 3B in 1991.
1990 / On the 50th anniversary of the club's KBVB membership, FC Kattenbos Sport acquires the royal epithet, thus becoming Koninklijke Football Club (KFC) Kattenbos Sport.
2006 / With an advantage of 3 points over VK Gestel, KFC Kattenbos Sport clinches the P3A title. The spell in P2 lasts just one year, with relegation following in 2007.
2015 / KFC Kattenbos Sport wins the title in Provincial League 3A, finishing with 9 more points than closest followers K Achel VV and K Vrijheid Zolder. Yet again, the club spends just 1 season in Provincial League 2 before dropping back into P3.
2023 / Finishing runners-up in Provincial League 3B, just 1 point behind title winners Turkse FC, KFC Kattenbos Sport qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Having the fortune of being allowed to draw 3 consecutive home matches, the club successively works its way past Sporting Wijchmaal, Unico Tongeren, and FC Maasland Noordoost to return to Provincial League 2 after a 7-year absence.

Note - Information regarding the various grounds used by the club in the course of its history was provided by André Schreppers, who, in different roles (club secretary, groundsman, etc.), has been involved with Kattenbos Sport from 1976 onwards.