Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: Veerle Sport (1972-2014) / VV Laakdal (2014-2024) / VV-Next Laakdal (B) (2024-)

Terrein Rauwstraat, Veerle (B ground of VV-Next Laakdal, formerly Veerle Sport / VV Laakdal)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

25 VIII 2024 / VV-Next Laakdal B - KSK Heist B 4-1 / Antwerp, Provincial Cup - group stage, group 6

Timeline

± 1910 / Football is introduced in the village of Veerle, in the southeastern corner of the province of Antwerp, by local boys attending the college in Geel, where the sport had already been popularised previously. First tentative matches are played on meadows in and around Veerle.
1912 / Probably in 1912 – but no later than 1913 – a football club was founded in Veerle, which is given the name Vlug & Vrij (VV) Veerle, with a pitch being laid out for the club at the back of the blacksmith shop of Mr Delsardt, Kapellestraat.
1924 / With no clarity existing on the league association in which VV Veerle played in the first decade of its existence, the club now successfully applies for membership of Belgium’s official Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), although no first team football is played initially.
1926 / In December 1926, when the Belgian Football Association introduces its list of registration numbers, VV Veerle receives number 404.
1928 / After four years, VV Veerle takes part in Antwerp’s provincial divisions for the first time, being placed in Regional League 3A (3e Gewestelijke A).
1929 / Although having a relatively strong season, finishing in third place in Regional League 3A, VV Veerle withdraws from first team football after just one season.
1931 / VV Veerle’s registration number 404 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists. By that time, probably, the club had already joined a different league association.
1933 / After two years, VV Veerle rejoins Belgium’s FA, acquiring registration number 2029. Yet again, though, the club does not enter a first team straightaway.
1935 / After two years of inactivity, VV Veerle (matr. 2029) takes part in regular league football for the first time, with its first team being placed in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3D.
1936 / After finishing in sixth place in P3D in its first season in the provincial divisions, VV Veerle withdraws from first team football, with its registration number 2029 being erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists one year later. Yet again, though, the club does not seem to have folded, continuing its existence in another league association.
1940 / A second football club is founded in Veerle, Sportvrienden FC Veerle, which acquires membership of Belgium’s FA with registration number 2911.
1941 / One year into the German occupation of Belgium, VV Veerle joins the Belgian FA for a third time, obtaining registration number 3060 upon being accepted as new member club.
1942 / Sportvrienden FC Veerle and VV Veerle (matr. 3060) take part in regular first team football for the first time, with both clubs being placed in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3G.
1943 / Sportvrienden FC Veerle finishes in fourth place in P3G, with VV Veerle being markedly less successful in that same division with an eleventh place. After the 1942-43 season, however, both clubs withdraw from first team football and cease their activities due to football matches having become an easy target for German occupation authorities to arrest young men to be sent away to Germany for the dreaded Arbeitseinsatz (forced labour).
1945 / With neither VV Veerle nor Sportvrienden FC Veerle resuming their activities after the liberation of Belgium from the German yoke in the fall of 1944 – and their registration numbers being erased in 1945 and 1946 respectively – a new football club sees the daylight in Veerle in December 1945, Veerle Sport. Emiel Van Meeuwen becomes Veerle Sport’s first chairman, with the club settling at VV Veerle’s old ground at Kapelstraat. The new club joins Belgium’s FA with registration number 4430.
1946 / Veerle Sport starts its life as a regular league club in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3E.
1949 / Abandoning Terrein Kapelstraat, Veerle Sport settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Tessenderloseweg.
1955 / Veerle Sport conquers the title in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3E following a victory over FC Netezonen in a tie-break match played at VC Westerlo’s ground (2-1). As such, the club wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the first time. Also in 1955, Veerle Sport founds its youth academy.
1963 / Finishing in second-last place in Provincial League 2B, Veerle Sport drops back into Provincial League 3.
1972 / Finishing in ninth place in P3H, Veerle Sport is retrograded to the newly created Provincial League 4 for the new season. In December 1972, abandoning Terrein Tessenderloseweg, Veerle Sport settles at a newly laid-out ground at Rauwstraat – the ground still in use today.
1973 / Champions in P4E, Veerle Sport manages an immediate return to Provincial League 3.
1976 / Runners-up in P3C, Veerle Sport accedes to Provincial League 2 after an absence of thirteen years at that level.
1982 / Champions in P2C, Veerle Sport wins promotion to Antwerp’s Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
1984 / In the best season in club history, Veerle Sport finishes in third place in Provincial League 1 – a result which is equalled four years later.
1993 / Having been a stable Provincial League 1 side for eleven consecutive seasons, Veerle Sport now finishes in thirteenth place, resulting in the club descending into Provincial League 2.
1996 / Champions in P2C, Veerle Sport starts its second spell in Provincial League 1.
2000 / Having battled against relegation for most of the previous four years, Veerle Sport now drops out of Provincial League 1 following a last place finish in the 1999-2000 season. The club would never manage a return to the top provincial division in the remaining years of its existence.
2006 / Finishing in last place in P2C, Veerle Sport descends into Provincial League 3 along with FC Zwaneven, K Verbroedering Balen, KFC Lentezon Beerse, KSK Oosthoven, KFC Meer, KFC Beekhoek Sport, KFC Meerle, and KVV Vosselaar – the clubs dropping back being so numerous due to three Provincial League 2 divisions being reduced to two for the new season.
2008 / Having come close to promotion to P2 in the play-offs in the previous season, Veerle Sport now finishes bottom of the table in P3D, dropping back into Provincial League 4 along with the club in second-last place, KSK Oosthoven.
2012 / Having had some very difficult years in the bottom half of the Provincial League 4 table, Veerle Sport now finishes in fifth place in P4E, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which the club defeats Zoerle Sport in R1 (4-1 aggr.) and KFC Sint-Martinus Halle in R2 (6-5 aggr.) to break down the door to Provincial League 3 after an absence of four seasons.
2014 / In its last season as an independent club, Veerle Sport finishes in eighth place in P3C. Following the 2013-14 season, the club concludes a merger with K Standaard FC Vorst from nearby Vorst, a club founded in 1933 (registration number 2046) playing in Provincial League 4 at that moment. The new merger club, which retains Veerle’s number 4430, is given the name Voetbalvereniging (VV) Laakdal, with first team football being played at Veerle’s Terrein Rauwstraat and Vorst’s Terrein Huiperstraat being retained for lower team football and training sessions. The new merger club starts its life in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C.
2015 / Finishing in fifteenth place in P3C, VV Laakdal descends into Provincial League 4 along with KFC Heultje, Blauberg Sport, and bottom club K Blauwvoet Oevel.
2016 / Champions in P4E, 5 points ahead of closest followers KVV Rauw Sport, VV Laakdal manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of just one season.
2019 / Finishing in third place in P3C, VV Laakdal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages defeats of, among others, KSK Kasterlee (3-0), eventually resulting in promotion to Provincial League 2.
2020 / With the promotion to P2 proving a poisoned chalice, VV Laakdal is unable to cope at the higher level, finishing in second-last in P2B and dropping back into Provincial League 3 straightaway along with bottom club KSV Schriek.
2022 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P3C, VV Laakdal drops back into Provincial League 4 along with KFC Berg-Op Beerzel, FC Netezonen, and bottom club KVV Rauw Sport.
2024 / Finishing in an abysmal second-last position in Provincial League 4F (with only 9 points) in its last season, VV Laakdal concludes a merger with FC Netezonen from nearby Eindhout (a club founded in 1940), resulting in the foundation of VV-Next Laakdal, with Netezonen’s registration number 2868 being retained. The new club starts its life with two ‘first’ teams, as VV-Next A plays its matches at Terrein Rundershoek in Eindhout, with VV-Next B being home at Terrein Rauwstraat in Veerle. Moreover, Terrein Huiperstraat in Vorst is also retained for lower team football and training purposes.