Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KVC Eendracht Deftinge

Terrein Kasteelken, Deftinge (KVC Eendracht Deftinge)

Belgium, province: East Flanders = Oost-Vlaanderen

7 IV 2024 / KVCE Deftinge - EC Oudenhove 2-1 / East Flanders, Provincial League 3B (= BE level 8)

Timeline

1942 / Foundation of a first football club in Deftinge, which takes on the name Eendracht Deftinge. The club, which settles at Terrein Kouterstraat, joins Belgium’s Football Association under registration number 3452.
1944 / In its second season, Eendracht Deftinge conquers the title in East Flanders’ Regional League 2E (2e Gewestelijke E), but no promotion ensues.
1946 / Eendracht Deftinge folds, ceasing all activities. Registration number 3452 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists.
1964 / Eighteen years after the demise of Eendracht Deftinge, a new football club is founded in the village; Voetbalclub (VC) Eendracht Deftinge, usually abbreviatedly referred to as VCE Deftinge, which joins Belgium’s FA acquiring registration number 6726. The founding members elect the local baker, Fermant Verheyen, as first chairman of the new club. Starting its life in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3, the club settles at Terrein Kasteelken.
1970 / Finishing in thirteenth place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3C, VCE Deftinge is retrograded to the newly created Provincial League 4.
1971 / Having had to make do with just one pitch for the first seven years of its existence, VCE Deftinge now has a second pitch laid out at Terrein Kasteelken. This new pitch, situated to the west of the original ground, becomes the new main pitch of the club – which it has remained until the present day. Around that same time, a new clubhouse is also constructed, adjoining the new main pitch; this clubhouse is further extended in the 1990s.
1974 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 4E, VCE Deftinge manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of four seasons.
1980 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3B, VCE Deftinge manages an unprecedented promotion to Provincial League 2.
1981 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2B, VCE Deftinge drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season. The club has not managed a return to the P2 level ever since.
1985 / Finishing in last place in P3C, VCE Deftinge descends into Provincial League 4.
1991 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 4C, VCE Deftinge wins promotion to P3; the stay at that level does not last longer than one year, though, with relegation duly following in 1992.
1993 / Finishing in third place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 4D, VCE Deftinge wins promotion to P3 via an ensuing round of play-offs; the stay at that level does not last longer than one year, though, with relegation duly following in 1994.
1995 / Clinching the title in East Flanders’ Provincial League 4C, VCE Deftinge wins promotion to P3 for the third time in five seasons.
2006 / Finishing in last place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3C, VCE Deftinge drops back into P4 along with VV Sint-Maria-Horebeke.
2010 / Runners-up in Provincial League 4C, 12 points behind champions SV Ressegem, VCE Deftinge qualifies for the promotion play-offs; finishing top of a group with FC Young Stars Eeklo and VK Letterhoutem, the club manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of four years. Also in 2010, VCE Deftinge absorbs Sporting Eendracht Schendelbeke (registration number 4988). Schendelbeke’s ground, Terrein Aalstsesteenweg, remains in use for some five more years before being ceded to a local motor club.
2011 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P3C, VCE Deftinge narrowly staves off direct relegation, a fate befalling VV Volkegem and KFC Petegem-Schelde. Subsequently, the club fails to assure itself of a prolonged stay in P3 due to finishing in third place in a play-off group of five behind VK Akkers Middelburg and SV Melsen – with SVH Waasmunster and FC Mere being the two other clubs having to make the step backwards.
2012 / Runners-up in P4C, 10 points behind champions VK Jong Geraardsbergen, VCE Deftinge qualifies for the promotion play-offs; successively defeating Eendracht Wit-Zwart 93 Sint-Antelinks SV (1-2) and White Star Meerdonk (0-1), the club accedes to Provincial League 3 via the backdoor.
2016 / Finishing last in P3C, VCE Deftinge drops back into Provincial League 4 along with KFC Maarkedal.
2017 / Finishing in fifth place in P4C, VCE Deftinge qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it defeats VV Volkegem (1-1 and penalty shoot-out) to manage a return to Provincial League 3 after just one season.
± 2021 / VCE Deftinge successfully applies for authorisation to add the royal epithet to its name, thus becoming Koninklijke Voetbalclub Eendracht Deftinge, sometimes abbreviated to KVC Eendracht Deftinge, but more commonly to KVCE Deftinge.
2022 / Finishing in fourth place in East Flanders’ Provincial League 3D, KVCE Deftinge qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by KVV Schelde Serskamp-Schellebelle (5-2).
2024 / In April 2024, a thorough renovation of Terrein Kasteelken gets underway, which involves the removal of the clubhouse. The club’s first team plays its last home matches at the Frans Groeninckstadion in Voorde, while the youth academy is temporarily moved to RSC Ophasselt’s Terrein Hasseltsestraat and VK Wilskracht Idegem’s Terrein Station Idegem. Meanwhile, on the pitch, KVC Eendracht Deftinge manages a respectable fourth place in P3B, resulting in the club qualifying for the promotion play-offs, drawing a bye in R1, but being eliminated in R2 by KSV Eendracht Bazel.

Note 1 - In photo 12 below, KSV Geraardsbergen's Complex Depoorter can be detected in the background. Though the two grounds belong to different municipalities, they are no further apart than about 1,000 metres in a straight line.

Note 2 - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-3 & 5-6 = non-matchday visit, 1 IV 2024 / pictures 4 & 7-29 = match visit, 7 IV 2024.