BELGIUM: Sporting Heide Linter (1969-2024) / KSV Drieslinter (B) (2024-)

Terrein Heidebos, Linter Heide (Sporting Heide Linter)

Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant = Vlaams Brabant

22 X 2023 / Sporting Heide Linter - K Halle VV 2-1 / Brabant, VFV Provincial League 4F (= BE level 9)

Timeline

• 1967 / Foundation of a recreational football club in Heide, a hamlet of Neerlinter; the club takes on the name Sporting Heide Linter and joins Brabant’s branch of recreational football league RKLVB (Rooms-Katholieke Liefhebbersvoetbalbond). In the first two years of its existence, the club plays on several different makeshift pitches. 
• 1969 / Sporting Heide Linter settles at Terrein Heidebos.
• 1975 / Abandoning the RKLVB, Sporting Heide Linter joins the official Belgian Football Association (KBVB), obtaining registration number 8272. The club starts its life as a KBVB club in Brabant’s Provincial League 4. 
• 1983 / Clinching the title in Provincial League 4F, Sporting Heide Linter accedes to Provincial League 3 for the first time.
• 1987 / Guided by trainer Jean-Pierre Tavernier, who took with him several players of his former club Klub 73 Tienen, Sporting Heide Linter wins the title in Provincial League 3A following a 1-1 home draw against Toekomst Bunsbeek. At the end of the season, the club has a 6-point advantage over runner-up side VV Kersbeek. 
• 1988 / Still coached by Jean-Pierre Tavernier, Sporting Heide Linter has its best season in club history, finishing in 6th place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2B.
• 1989 / Finishing 15th in P2B, Sporting Heide Linter drops back into Provincial League 3 after two seasons.
• 1997 / Second-last in the final ranking of Provincial League 3A, Sporting Heide Linter finds itself in P4 for the first time in fourteen years.
• 2005 / Runners-up in Provincial League 4E, Sporting Heide Linter wins promotion to P3 without promotion play-offs. The new stay in P3 does not last longer than one season, though, with relegation following in 2006.
• 2008 / Finishing just one point behind title winners FC Binkom in Provincial League 4I, Sporting Heide Linter wins an automatic promotion place and thus accedes to Provincial League 3 once again. 
• 2012 / Second-last in Provincial League 3A, Sporting Heide Linter drops back into P4 along with bottom club KSK Rummen.
• 2014 / Finishing in 3rd place in Provincial League 4H behind Sparta Kumtich-Tienen and RD Zoutleeuw, Sporting Heide Linter wins promotion to P3 due to extra promotion places being available. 
• 2016 / Second-last in P3A, Sporting Heide Linter drops back into P4 along with bottom club KV Boutersem.
• 2019 / Sporting Heide Linter finishes runners-up in Provincial League 4A, 9 points behind village rivals KSV Drieslinter, but without the longed-for promotion back to P3. The club also comes rather close to the title in 2018 (3rd place) and 2020 (4th).
• 2024 / In its last season, Sporting Heide Linter finishes in eighth place in P4F. Following the 2023-24 season, the club folds, ceasing all activities. Terrein Heidebos is taken over by neighbour club KSV Drieslinter, who make use of it for lower team football and training sessions. Thereupon, that club abandons its other training ground, Terrein Helen-Bosstraat in Orsmaal-Gussenhoven, which is deemed redundant.

Note – Important parts of the information above were provided by Sporting Heide Linter’s chairman Willy Preud’homme.

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