Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: AS Lindeman (±1962-1998) / K Helzold FC (B) (1998-1999) / K Heusden-Zolder (B) (1999-2004) / K Beringen-Heusden-Zolder (C) (2004-2005) / Berkenbos VV (B) (2005-2006) / KFC Anadol (B) (2006-)

Terrein Valentinusstraat Oost, Heusden-Zolder Lindeman (Training pitch of KFC Anadol, formerly AS Lindeman / training ground of K Helzold FC - K Heusden-Zolder - K Beringen-Heusden-Zolder - Berkenbos VV)

Belgium, province: Limburg

July 2024 / no match visited

Timeline

± 1962 / Foundation of Associazione Sportive (AS) Lindeman, an amalgamation of several recreational clubs in Heusden-Zolder founded by Italian émigrés, including AFI (Associazione Famiglia Italiana), Palermo, ASM (meaning acronym unknown), and Il Sole Rosso. It is unclear if AS Lindeman played its football at Terrein Valentinusstraat from the outset.
1968 / A neighbouring club of Turkish émigrés is founded, FC Anadol, who settle on a pitch at Valentinusstraat, situated to the north of the Selimiye Camii Mosque, right next to AS Lindeman's ground (Terrein Valentinusstraat Noord)
± 1979 / A new pitch is laid out in the woods on the other, southern, side of the mosque at Valentinusstraat for AS Lindeman's neighbours FC Anadol, with that club's first team football moving to this pitch (Terrein Valentinusstraat West). The old pitch is retained for lower team football and training sessions.
1986 / After an existence of over twenty years as a recreational club, AS Lindeman now joins the official Belgian Football Association, being accepted as new member club with registration number 9042 and being placed in Limburg’s Provincial League 4.
1994 / In the best season in club history, AS Lindeman finishes in fifth place in Provincial League 4B. The club never managed to climb to a higher level than the bottom division of Limburg’s provincial divisions.
1998 / After an independent existence of twelve years as a Belgian FA club, AS Lindeman is absorbed into K Helzold FC, with first team football moving to the Helzoldstadion in Berkenbos. Terrein Valentinusstraat is retained for training sessions.
1999 / K Helzold FC merges with KSK Heusden, resulting in the foundation of K Heusden-Zolder, with first team football moving to KSK Heusden’s Stadion De Noordberm. Helzold’s stadium is abandoned, while Terrein Valentinusstraat Oost is retained for training sessions. Also in the following years, with a name change to become K Beringen-Heusden-Zolder being filed in 2004, and first team football temporarily moving to Genk’s Fenixstadion (2003-04) and Fenixstadion terr. B (2004-05), the two pitches at Valentinusstraat were retained.
2005 / AS K Beringen-Heusden-Zolder moves its first team football to Beringen’s Mijnstadion, the club’s lease of the two pitches at Valentinusstraat expires. Subsequently, the main pitch of Terrein Valentinusstraat Oost is taken over by Berkenbos VV, who use it as a training ground for the duration of the 2005-06 season, while the B pitch (cp. picture 11 below) is used for training sessions and lower team football by FC Anadol, of which the A ground is situated at Valentinusstraat as well (Terrein Valentinusstraat West).
2006 / As Berkenbos VV abandon Terrein Valentinusstraat Oost, FC Anadol (KFC Anadol from 2018 onwards) take over the former AS Lindeman ground as a whole, continuing to make use of the facilities for training sessions.