Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Lembeke

Terrein Heihoekse Kerkwegel, Lembeke (FC Lembeke)

Belgium, province: East Flanders = Oost-Vlaanderen

12 XI 2023 / FC Lembeke - KVK Svelta Melsele 2-2 / East Flanders, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

± 1902 / Foundation of a first football club in the village of Lembeke in East Flanders, named Excelsior Lembeke. It is unclear when this club, which never joined the Belgian Football Association, folded – possibly around the start of World War I.
1929 / Foundation of a new football club in Lembeke, named VK Tyl. This club never joined the official Belgian FA either, preferring to play its football in either the Vlaamsche Voetbalbond (VVB) or the Katholiek Vlaamsch Sportverbond (KVS).
1949 / VK Tyl, which had been constrained to cease its activities during the years of German occupation of Belgium, is refounded under a new name, FC Lembeke. This club joins the Katholiek Vlaams Sportverbond (KVS), making its debut on September 4th, 1949, with a 4-1 away defeat at VK Landegem.
1967 / Having been a KVS member club for the past eighteen years, FC Lembeke changes its allegiance, joining the official Belgian FA under registration number 7037. The club, which plays at Terrein Nieuwstraat at the time – a ground without a clubhouse (a local pub, Café Demartelaere, being used as such) is placed in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3.
1969 / Finishing second-last in Provincial League 3A, FC Lembeke suffers relegation into the newly created Provincial League 4.
± 1970 / Having played on a makeshift pitch, Terrein Aveschoot, for some time, FC Lembeke moves into the newly built Terrein Heihoekse Kerkwegel, right in the heart of the village, around 1970.
1973 / Coached by Georges Vanhyfte, FC Lembeke clinches the title in Provincial League 4A, thereby winning promotion to Provincial League 3. The adventure at this level does not last longer than one year, though, with relegation following immediately in 1974.
1990 / Having spent no fewer than sixteen consecutive seasons in East Flanders’ bottom division, FC Lembeke now wins the title in Provincial League 4A, thus earning promotion to P3A.
1991 / Winning its second consecutive title, FC Lembeke accedes to East Flanders’ Provincial League 2 (P2A) for the first time in its history. The adventure does not last longer than one season, though, with relegation following immediately in 1992.
2001 / Runners-up in Provincial League 3A, FC Lembeke accedes to Provincial League 2, possibly after winning a round of promotion play-offs.
± 2002 / An new pitch is added to Terrein Heihoekse Kerkwegel, to the south of what had until then been the ground’s main pitch. This new pitch has been the ground’s main pitch since.
2006 / Runners-up in P2A in the previous two seasons, FC Lembeke now finishes second-last in the same division, thus dropping back into P3 along with bottom club VC Zwijnaarde.
2007 / In a tight title race in P3A, FC Lembeke clinches first place as well as promotion to P2 by defeating KFC Eendracht Belzele-Evergem on the last day of the season (1-2), thereby finishing 1 point ahead of KSLV Zelzate, which was held to a 0-0 stalemate by VV Eendracht Hansbeke.
2009 / Second-last in P2A, FC Lembeke drops back into Provincial League 3 along with bottom club SKV Oostakker.
2014 / Finishing 3 points ahead of SK Nevele, FC Lembeke clinches the title in Provincial League 3A, thereby earning promotion to P2.
2017 / Bottom of the league in P2A, FC Lembeke descends into East Flanders’ Provincial League 3 along with FC Sint-Martens-Latem and FC Sint-Kruis-Winkel.
2018 / FC Lembeke finishes in third place in P3A behind champions VSV Gent and runner-up Ertvelde United. In the ensuing promotion play-offs, the club manages wins over KVK Svelta Melsele B (home, 2-1), KVV Laarne-Kalken (away, 1-1 and penalty shoot-out), and VC Nazareth-Eke (2-1) to accede to Provincial League 2 – even though the play-off final is lost to VK White Boys Sint-Niklaas (1-2), with both clubs already ensured of promotion due to extra spots in P2 being available.
2022 / As VC Boekhoute folds, FC Lembeke takes over the ground of that club, the Leonie Ryckaertstadion, which has since been in use for training purposes. Also in 2022, the new clubhouse at Heihoekse Kerkwegel, the so-called Lotus Café – named after the local biscuit manufacturer, who is the club’s main sponsor – is inaugurated by Kaprijke’s mayor, Pieter Claeys.
2023 / Finishing in third place in P2A, far behind champions FC Destelbergen and runner-up FC Sint-Martens-Latem, FC Lembeke qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Managing successive defeats of SV Zaffelare (3-1), KFC Herleving Sinaai (2-3), Lando Sport Merendree (3-1), and Zeveren Sportief (0-2), the club accedes to East Flanders’ Provincial League 1 for the first time ever – with Zeveren earning an additional promotion place.
2024 / Finishing in fourteenth place in East Flanders' Provincial League 1, FC Lembeke drops back into Provincial League 2 after just one season, along with SK Vlaamse Ardennen, SK Lokeren Doorslaar, KSSV Denderleeuw, and bottom club Zeveren Sportief.