Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Houthem (1975-2024) / RJH Comines (B) (2024-)

Terrain du Cornet d'en Haut, Houthem (B ground of RJH Comines, formerly FC Houthem)

Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen

23 XII 2023 / FC Houthem - KSCT Menen 3-0 / West Flanders, Provincial League 4D (= BE level 9)

Timeline

1973 / Foundation of a recreational club in Houthem, Hainaut – situated in Hainaut’s exclave Comines-Warneton (Komen-Waasten), surrounded by Flanders and France since its transfer from the province of West Flanders to Hainaut in 1963 – by the name of FC Houthem. Not disposing of a ground of its own yet, the club, seeking affiliation with the so-called Westhoekbond with clubs from the wider Ypres region, settles at a pitch situated at the back of the Athenée Royale in Comines.
1974 / After one year in the Westhoekbond, FC Houthem applies for membership of Belgium’s Football Association, being admitted as new members under registration number 8122. Like other clubs from Comines-Warneton, the club prefers to play in West Flanders’ provincial league system rather than Hainaut’s due to its cultural and geographical proximity to that part of Flanders; as such, the club is placed in West Flanders’ Provincial League 4C.
1975 / Having played at Comines’ Athenée Royale for two years, FC Houthem moves into a new ground, put in place at the behest of Houthem’s mayor at (Rue) Cornet d’en Haut.
2003 / Having played in the bottom division of West Flanders’ provincial divisions for the past 29 seasons, FC Houthem now manages promotion to Provincial League 3 after finishing second in Provincial League 4A – and possibly having won a set of promotion play-offs subsequently.
2004 / Bottom of the table in P3A, FC Houthem drops back into Provincial League 4 after just one season.
2006 / Finishing in seventh place in P4D, 19 points behind champions VK Dadizele, FC Houthem nevertheless qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it surprisingly earns a ticket for Provincial League 3.
2007 / In a disastrous season, in which the club picks up just 5 meagre points (goal difference of -106, 18-124), FC Houthem finishes rock bottom in Provincial League 3A, descending back into Provincial League 4 after just one season yet again.
2017 / After a good season in P4A, in which the club finishes third behind Merkem Sport and Sparta Dikkebus, FC Houthem withdraws from first team football temporarily, continuing with just reserves’ and youth teams.
2019 / FC Houthem returns in Provincial League 4 with a regular first team.
2024 / In its last season as an independent club, FC Houthem finishes in eighth place in West Flanders' P4C. Following the 2023-24 season, the club concludes a merger agreement with R Jespo Comines-Warneton, resulting in the foundation of Royal Jespo Houthem (RJH) Comines, which retains Jespo's registration number 2298. First team football moves to Jespo's Stade Rémi Carlier in Bas-Warneton, while Terrain du Cornet d'en Haut as well as Comines' Stade Communal are retained for lower team football and training sessions.