Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KSK Beveren-Leie

Gemeentelijk Sportstadion 'Den Dries', Beveren-Leie (KSK Beveren-Leie)

Belgium, province: West Flanders = West-Vlaanderen

9 V 2024 / KSK Beveren-Leie - Club Roeselare 2-4 / West Flanders, Provincial League 2 - promotion play-off (= BE level 7)

Timeline

1932 / Foundation of a football club in Beveren-Leie, which is given the name Sportkring (SK) Beveren-Leie. Instead of joining the official Belgian Football Association (KBVB), the club joins the so-called Vlaamsche Voetbalbond (VVB). The club settles at Terrein De Klokke at Kortrijkscheweg.
1942 / During World War II, SK Beveren-Leie withdraws its membership of the VVB, which had compromised itself by collaborating enthusiastically with the German oppressors.
1943 / SK Beveren-Leie is accepted as Belgian FA member, receiving registration number 3958.
1948 / Winning the title in West Flanders’ Regional League 3B (3e Gewestelijke), the club’s first title as a KBVB club, SK Beveren-Leie accedes to Regional League 2. The club’s performances in the following ten years are shrouded in clouds.
± 1950 / Moving away from Terrein De Klokke, SK Beveren-Leie settles at Terrein Ter Weerst, situated at the back of Café ‘t Neerhof, also located at Kortrijkseweg.
1957 / Upon the club’s 25th anniversary, SK Beveren-Leie obtains the royal epithet, officially changing its name to become Koninklijke Sportkring (KSK) Beveren-Leie.
1960 / Champions in West Flanders’ Provincial League 4C, KSK Beveren-Leie wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
1963 / Runners-up in Provincial League 3B, KSK Beveren-Leie is placed in Provincial League 2. The club holds its own at this level for five seasons before dropping back into P3 in 1968.
1969 / Runners-up in Provincial League 3C, KSK Beveren-Leie accedes to Provincial League 2 for the second time in the 1960s. This time, the club holds its own at this level for three seasons before dropping back into P3 in 1972.
1975 / Finishing in thirteenth place in West Flanders’ Provincial League 3C, KSK Beveren-Leie drops back into P4 after an absence of fifteen years at this bottom level of the provincial league system.
1976 / Abandoning Terrein Ter Weerst, KSK Beveren-Leie settles at the newly laid-out Gemeentelijk Sportstadion Den Dries, at the back of Café Den Dries, near the crossroads of Beveren Dries and Stagestraat. The ground’s main pitch is adorned with a covered stand of the Dutch firm Elascon.
1977 / Coached by Fernand Gernaye, KSK Beveren-Leie clinches the title in P4D, thus managing a return to Provincial League 3 after two years.
1978 / A clubhouse as well as a new set of dressing rooms are inaugurated at Gemeentelijk Sportstadion Den Dries.
1979 / Still coached by Fernand Gernaye, KSK Beveren-Leie manages its second title in three season – and as champions in Provincial League 3C, the club wins promotion to P2 after an absence of seven years at that level. The decisive points are obtained in a 4-1 home win over SV Kortrijk.
1987 / Having dropped back into P3 after seven seasons in 1986, KSK Beveren-Leie now manages a third place in P3C, winning a round of promotion play-offs to return to P2 at the first instance.
1988 / Finishing in third place in P2B, KSK Beveren-Leie qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club secures a second promotion in a row as well as a ticket for West Flanders’ Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
1989 / Second-from-bottom in P1, KSK Beveren-Leie drops back into Provincial League 2 after just one season.
1990 / Suffering back-to-back relegations following a fourteenth place in P2B, KSK Beveren-Leie suddenly finds itself in Provincial League 3, staying put at that level in the following decade.
2001 / Champions in P3C, KSK Beveren-Leie manages a return to Provincial League 2. The stay at that level lasts for just one season, though, with relegation duly following in 2002.
2005 / Bottom of the table in P3C, KSK Beveren-Leie drops back into Provincial League 4 along with Rekkem Sport, thus finding itself at the bottom of the league ladder for the first time in 28 years.
2007 / Inauguration of the new clubhouse and main stand at Gemeentelijk Sportpark Den Dries, with the Elascon stand being replaced by a much larger, industrial construction. At the same time, the entrance of the ground is moved from Beveren Dries to Leenriestraat at the other end of the ground.
2011 / Finishing in fourth place in P4C, KSK Beveren-Leie qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KFC Aarsele (4-2 aggr.).
2012 / Champions in P4C, 8 points ahead of closest followers SV Izegem, KSK Beveren-Leie returns to Provincial League 3 after an absence of seven seasons.
2016 / Champions in P3C, 6 points ahead of closest followers KSV Kortrijk, KSK Beveren-Leie returns to Provincial League 2 after an absence of 26 seasons.
2017 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2B, KSK Beveren-Leie has to play a relegation play-off against the fourteenth placed team in P2A, K Eendracht De Haan, winning the encounter 2-0 and thus narrowly staving off relegation.
2022 / The main pitch of Gemeentelijk Sportpark Den Dries is equipped with a synthetic surface.
2023 / Finishing in thirteenth place in P2A, KSK Beveren-Leie has to play a relegation play-off against the thirteenth placed team in P2B, Dosko Kanegem, winning the encounter 4-3 and thus narrowly staving off relegation.
2024 / Runners-up in P2B, 14 points behind champions Zwevegem Sport, KSK Beveren-Leie qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club edges past KSV Veurne in R1 (2-1), only to suffer defeat at the hands of Club Roeselare in the final (2-4), as a result of which Club Roeselare wins the ticket to Provincial League 1.