BELGIUM: K Fortuna '56 Smeermaas

Sportpark Clement Meesters, Smeermaas (K Fortuna '56 Smeermaas)

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

30 VII 2023 / K Fortuna '56 Smeermaas - KMR Biesen B 2-0 / Belgian Cup R1

Timeline

• 1923 / Foundation of a first football club in Smeermaas, FC Olympia Smeermaes. The club joins Belgium’s Football Association. It is unclear where this club’s ground was situated.
• 1925 / FC Olympia Smeermaes takes part in a regular league championship for the first time.
• 1926 / Winning the title in Limburg’s Provincial League 3A in its first competitive season, FC Olympia Smeermaes accedes to Provincial League 2 – the highest division of Limburg’s provincial league system at the time. In December 1926, as Belgium’s FA introduces the matricule system, FC Olympia Smeermaes acquires matricule 327.
• 1927 / Finishing 10th and dead-last in Limburg’s Provincial League 2, FC Olympia Smeermaes withdraws its team from regular league football.
• 1928 / FC Olympia Smeermaes folds, ceasing all activities. Matricule 327 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official membership list.
• 1938 / Ten years after the demise of FC Olympia Smeermaes, a new club is founded in the village, Onder Ons (OO) Smeermaas, which joins Belgium’s FA under matricule 2664. The club starts its life in Limburg’s Provincial League 3. As in the case of its predecessor, it is unclear where OO Smeermaas’ ground was situated.
• 1940 / Having taken part in Limburg’s provincial divisions for two seasons, Onder Ons Smeermaas withdraws its first team.
• 1946 / Not having developed any activities during the war years, Onder Ons Smeermaas withdraws its membership from Belgium’s FA.
• 1956 / Foundation of a new club in Smeermaas, which is given the name Fortuna. The club joins a recreational league, but it is unknown which one. Most probably, the club started its life at the ground at Maaseikersteenweg still in use today – albeit on the current pitch 2.
• 1959 / The club joins Belgium’s FA, taking on the official name Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas and obtaining matricule 6252 upon being accepted as new members. 
• 1960 / Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas enters a team in the regular provincial divisions for the first time, which starts its life in Provincial League 3 – the bottom division of Limburg’s provincial league system at that time.
• ± 1963 / A second pitch is added to Terrein Maaseikersteenweg, the current main pitch.
• 1969 / Winning the title in Provincial League 3E, Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 1970 / In the best season in club history, Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas finishes in 7th place in Provincial League 2C.
• 1974 / Having had a 5-year spell in Provincial League 2, the club finishes last in P2C, thus dropping back into P3.
• 1984 / Following 10 consecutive seasons in P3, Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas finishes last in Provincial League 3A, thus descending into Provincial League 4 for the first time.
• 1996 / Winning the title in Provincial League 4C, the club manages a return to P3 after 12 years. Nevertheless, 1996 is a year of profound grief, as Fortuna player Clement Meesters has a heart attack, dying on the pitch in Smeermaas.
• 1998 / After finishing second-last in P3C, Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas drops back into P4.
• 2009 / In the year of its 50th anniversary as a Belgian FA member, Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas acquires the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Koninklijke (K) Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas.
• 2011 / With Fortuna being on the brink of extinction due to old board members failing to find successors, goalkeeper trainer Erik Barrez eventually takes over the club after a plea by his wife, Clement Meesters’ sister.
• 2016 / Terrein Maaseikersteenweg is renamed Sportpark Clement Meesters in honour of the player who passed away on the pitch 20 years before.
• 2022 / K Fortuna ’56 Smeermaas finishes in 3rd place in P4A behind champions FC Veldwezelt and Belisia Bilzen SV B. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club defeats FC Halveweg Zonhoven in R1 (2-1 on aggregate) before stumbling over KVV Lummen in the final (4-3 aggr.); in the subsequent lucky loser play-off, held due to extra promotion places being available, the club has the better of KFC Eendracht Zelem (7-3 aggr.), thus eventually winning promotion to P3 after an uninterrupted spell of 24 years in the bottom division of Limburg’s provincial league pyramid.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: RSC Tilffois (B) (1973-± 2015) / RSC Tilffois (± 2015-)

Stade Hubert Colleye, Tilff Sainval (RSC Tilffois, formerly B pitch of RSC Tilffois)

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

30 VII 2023 / RSC Tilffois - RCS Xhorisien 1-0 / Liège, Provincial Cup P1-P2 - R1

Timeline

• 1921 / Foundation of Sporting Club (SC) Tilffois on October 1st, 1921. Settling at the Vélodrome de Tilff, the club starts its life in Liège’s Provincial League 4 – winning promotion to League 3 in its first season.
• 1926 / Upon Belgium’s FA introducing the matricule system, SC Tilffois is assigned matricule 172.
• ± 1927 / Moving away from the Vélodrome, SC Tilffois settles on the western side of the Ourthe, at Chemin de Halage in Sainval, a hamlet on the northern outskirts of Tilff.
• ± 1937 / The ground at Chemin de Halage is renamed Stade Hubert Colleye in honour of a local coal merchant who had been instrumental in the club’s survival in its early years.
• 1946 / Upon the club’s 25th birthday, SC Tilffois obtains the royal epithet, thus becoming Royal Sporting Club (RSC) Tilffois.
• 1928 / SC Tilffois manages to win promotion to Provincial League 2, the top division of Liège’s Provincial League system at that time. In the following seasons, the club finishes runners-up at that level on multiple occasions. 
• 1963 / Having spent 34 consecutive seasons in Provincial League 2, RSC Tilffois now descends into P3.
• 1965 / Winning the title in Provincial League 3 without any defeats and just one draw, RSC Tilffois finds its way back into Provincial League 2.
• 1970 / Finishing second-last in Provincial League 2, RSC Tilffois descends into P3 after losing a relegation play-off.
• 1972 / Winning the title in P3, RSC Tilffois accedes to Provincial League 2 once again – a spell which lasts just for one season, with relegation duly following in 1973. 
• 1973 / Stade Hubert Colleye is extended with a second pitch, mainly used for training purposes.
• 1975 / A clubhouse is added to Stade Hubert Colleye.
• 1978 / Floodlights are added to the ground’s main pitch.
• 2009 / Finishing in last place in Provincial League 3C, RSC Tilffois descends into Provincial League 4, the bottom division of Liège’s provincial league system, along with R Aywaille FC and R Excelsior FC Lambermontois.
• ± 2015 / First team football is moved to Pitch 2 of Stade Hubert Colleye, an arrangement which has lasted until the present day.
• 2017 / Winning the title in Provincial League 4C, without a single defeat and 12 points ahead of closest followers RFC Queue-du-Bois, RSC Tilffois finds its way back to P3 after 8 seasons.
• 2019 / Finishing runners-up in Provincial League 3B, 13 points behind R Oupeye FC, RSC Tilffois qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Defeating RCS Sart-Tilman in the final, the club accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 2021 / In July 2021, as Eastern Belgium is marred by severe floodings, Stade Hubert Colleye is rendered unusable for two months. Playing its preparatory matches at FC Jupille’s ground at Rue de Visé, the club returns to its home ground in September of that same year. All training sessions, however, are moved to Site Bonnet in Tilleur for the entire season.
• 2023 / Coached by Jean-Marie Raucq, RSC Tilffois clinches the title in Provincial League 2B, 5 points ahead of RFC Trooz and FC Warsage – thus acceding to Liège’s Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
• 2024 / In spite of Jean-Marie Raucq leaving the club in the course of the season, RSC Tilffois has a steady first year in Liège's Provincial League 1, finishing in fourth place and qualifying for the promotion play-offs. Managing comfortable wins over R Union Flémalloise (3-0) and AC Hombourg (0-4), the club qualifies for the ACFF Interprovincial Play-offs, of which only the first match is played (a 3-1 away defeat at Stade Everois RC), upon which the remainder of the encounters is called off due to places in ACFF Amateur Division 3 being available for all participating clubs. As such, RSC Tilffois accedes to the national divisions for the first time in the club's history.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: R Excelsior FC Lambermontois (B) (1984-2008) / R Excelsior FC Lambermontois (2008-2023) / R Entente Lambermont-Rechain (B) (2023-)

Stade Léon Rodez - terrain 2, Lambermont (B pitch of R Entente Lambermont-Rechain, formerly A & B ground of R Excelsior FC Lambermontois)

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

30 VII 2023 / R Entente Lambermont-Rechain B - RJS Olnoise B 3-1 / Liège, Provincial Cup P3-4

Timeline

• ± 1906 / Foundation of a first football club in Lambermont, Union Lambermont, which must have folded after no more than one or two years of existence.
• 1907 / Foundation of a new football club in Lambermont, which takes on the name Racing Club (RC) Lambermont. The club’s first pitch is a pasture owned by a local farmer, Mr Lambert, situated at modern-day Avenue des Villas.
• 1918 / Its activities having been severely curtailed due to the hardships of World War I and German occupation of Belgium, RC Lambermont concludes a merger with Skill from Verviers, forming Skill Racing Union (renamed SRU Verviers in 1932). All activities move to Verviers.
• 1919 / Refoundation of RC Lambermont as Excelsior Football Club Lambermont, undertaken by a group of disaffected Skill Racing Union members from Lambermont. The club finds a home ground on a pasture which is rented from a local farmer, Mr Vandenbroucke, at Lieu-dit Bruyère du Fourneau. Not being admitted by Belgium's FA as new member club, Excelsior FC Lambermont joins a rivalling association, the Ligue Wallonne.
• 1922 / Excelsior FC Lambermont allows itself to be absorbed by top flight side CS Verviétois – with Verviétois promising to pay Lambermont’s outstanding debts to Skill Racing Union as well as allowing Lambermont to reform after one season.
• 1923 / After one year under the aegis of CS Verviétois, Excelsior FC Lambermont is reformed, and accepted as members of the official Belgian Football Association. The club starts its life as an FA member in Liège’s Provincial League 3, recovering its old ground, Terrain Vandenbroucke.
• 1924 / Moving away from Terrain Vandenbroucke, Excelsior FC Lambermont settles at a new ground, referred to as Terrain Grands-Champs.
• 1926 / Moving away from Terrain Grand-Champs, Excelsior FC Lambermont settles at Terrain Wasay – in fact situated on nearly the exact location of Pitch 2 of modern-day Stade Léon Rodez. Upon Belgium’s FA introducing the matricule system, Excelsior FC Lambermont is assigned matricule 299.
• 1927 / After just one season at Terrain Wasay, Excelsior FC Lambermont moves to a newly laid-out pitch at Rue des Ormes.
• ± 1933 / Moving away from their pitch at Rue des Ormes, EFC Lambermont settles at Terrain Zurstrassen, in fact opposite the pasture where the club spent the first 10 years of its existence.
• 1946 / Moving away from Terrain Zurstrassen, Excelsior FC Lambermont settles at Terrain Sauvenier, situated at Rue d’Ensival.
• 1969 / Having disposed of just one pitch in the first 55 years of its history, EFC Lambermont now acquire a plot of land from a local farmer, Mr Minguet, which remains in use as a training pitch for the next 15 years. Also in 1969, the club acquires the royal epithet, thus becoming Royal Excelsior Football Club (R Excelsior FC or REFC) Lambermont.
• 1972 / Moving away from Terrain Sauvenier, R Excelsior FC Lambermont settles at a new main pitch situated at Route de Wegnez – in fact a meadow which it rents from the same owner as its B pitch, Mr Minguet. 
• 1974 / R Excelsior FC Lambermont is expropriated of its main pitch, which is replaced by housing. The club is left with just its training pitch, which is temporarily used for matches as well. In the second half of the year, the club finds itself a new pasture on the other side of Route de Wegnez.
• 1975 / REFC Lambermont has to move its A pitch 6 metres due to the Route de Wegnez being widened. That same year, becoming a non-profit organisation, R Excelsior FC Lambermont undergoes an obligatory name change – though it is a merely cosmetic adaptation, as the club is henceforth officially known as Royal Excelsior Football Club Lambermontois.
• 1984 / Inauguration of REFC Lambermontois’ new ground at Beau Site on September 22nd, 1984. In honour of founding member and long-time club president, the ground is given the name of Léon Rodez (1901-1996), who attends the inaugural ceremony.
• 2008 / A synthetic surface is put in place on Pitch 2 of Stade Léon Rodez, the result being that first team football moves to this pitch (probably immediately) as well. The ground’s main pitch sees very little football in the following 15 years.
• 2009 / Finishing 15th in Liège’s Provincial League 3C, REFC Lambermontois drops back into P4 along with R Aywaille FC and bottom club RSC Tilffois.
• 2019 / Having finished runners-up in P4D in 2010 and 2018 (behind RFC Heusy-Rouheid and AC Soiron respectively), R Excelsior FC Lambermontois now clinches the title in P4F, 8 points ahead of closest followers R Entente Rechaintoise B, thus returning to P3 after 10 years.
• 2023 / In its last season as an independent club, REFC Lambermontois finishes in 14th place in Liège’s Provincial League 3D. The club concludes a merger with R Entente Rechaintoise, resulting in the foundation of R Entente Lambermont-Rechain, which retains Lambermont’s low matricule 299; Rechaintoise’s matricule 3905 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists. As Rechain’s Terrain Les Tourelles is abandoned, all activities move to Stade Léon Rodez in Lambermont. First team football is moved to the old grass pitch, which had seen very little activity since 2008, while all other teams play their football on the synthetic B pitch.

Note – The main source for the information above is a booklet published on the occasion of the club’s 75th anniversary in 1994, “1919-1994 75ème anniversaire Royal Excelsior FC Lambermontois”; sadly, no name of an author of this precious publication is given.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author