Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene

Terrein Denderweg, Teralfene (VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene)

Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant = Vlaams Brabant

13 X 2024 / VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene - K Olympia SC Wijgmaal 4-1 / Brabant, VFV Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1956 / Foundation of a football club in Teralfene, which takes on the name Voetbalclub (VC) De Leeuwkens Teralfene. The club has a pitch situated at Kortenbos.
1957 / Possibly after one year of playing in a recreational football league, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene joins the official Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), receiving registration number 6031 upon being accepted as new member club; and being placed in Brabant’s Provincial League 3H in its first season. Also in 1957, or possibly in 1958, the club abandons Terrein Kortenbos, settling at Terrein Denderweg, where it has been home ever since.
1959 / A second club is founded in Teralfene, Sporting Teralfene, which receives registration number 6223 upon being accepted as new member club of Belgium’s FA. The club is placed in Brabant’s Provincial League 3F, where it meets VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene. This club’s ground is situated at Kleine Heideweg, although it later moves slightly further down the road, to Okaaistraat.
1965 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3F, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the first time.
1967 / Champions in Provincial League 2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene accedes to Brabant’s Provincial League 1 for the first time.
1968 / Going from strength to strength, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene finishes as runners-up in its first season in Brabant’s Provincial League 1, winning direct promotion to National Division 4 along with champions Eendracht Hoeilaart.
1969 / In the best season in club history, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene finishes in thirteenth place in National Division 4A, thereby narrowly holding its own in the fourth and lowest division of the Belgian national league pyramid – finishing just 1 point ahead of the best of the three clubs to drop out of the league, KSV Blankenberge.
1970 / Finishing bottom of the table in National Division 4B, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene drops back into Provincial League 1 along with KFC Verbroedering Geel and FC Itegem.
1972 / Finishing bottom of the table in Brabant’s Provincial League 1, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene drops back into Provincial League 2.
1978 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene drops back into Provincial League 3, thirteen years after last having played at that level.
1982 / Champions in Brabant’s P3F, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
1983 / Champions in Brabant’s P2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene manages a return to Provincial League 1.
1986 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Brabant’s Provincial League 1, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene drops back into Provincial League 2 after three years.
1987 / After alternating spells in Provincial Leagues 3 and 2, Leeuwkens’ village rivals Sporting Teralfene change their name to become Sporting Affligem, settling as groundsharers with FC Eendracht Hekelgem at Terrein Haezenweg.
1988 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s P2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene descends into Provincial League 3.
1992 / Having played five more seasons in Brabant’s Provincial League 4, Sporting Affligem withdraws from the Belgian Football Association, continuing as a recreational club in the Roman-Catholic KAVVV (OV & VB) league, initially playing at Gemeentelijk Centrum Bellekouter, later moving to a groundshare with EMI Essene at Terrein Kerkplein.
2002 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3F, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene wins promotion to Provincial League 2 after an absence of fourteen seasons.
2004 / Finishing second from bottom in Brabant’s P2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene descends back into Provincial League 3.
2006 / Runners-up in Brabant’s P3F, 7 points behind champions KFC Eppegem, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene wins automatic promotion to Provincial League 2.
2009 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Brabant’s P2C, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene drops back into Provincial League 3, along with RAS Saintoise and bottom club FC Eendracht Affligem.
2010 / The only pitch at Terrein Denderweg is equipped with a synthetic surface.
2011 / Runners-up in Brabant’s P3C, finishing 1 point behind champions FC Denderzonen Pamel, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club finishes in second place in a group of six, thus winning promotion to Provincial League 2 along with FC Saint-Michel and KVC Delta Londerzeel, at the expense of KFC Herent, RAS Jodoigne, and SK Kampelaar.
2018 / Runners-up in Brabant’s VFV P2B, 11 points behind champions KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek, VC De Leeuwkens misses out on promotion; no promotion play-offs are held, with only the best of the numbers two in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 2 series, OHR Huldenberg in P2A (which picked up 11 points more than Leeuwkens) joining the two champions in Provincial League 1.
2023 / Youri Lapage, former player of RSC Anderlecht’s youth academy, SC Eendracht Aalst, FCV Dender EH, KRC Gent, KHO Wolvertem-Merchtem, VC De Leeuwkens Teralfene, and SK Denderhoutem – and incidentally also the grandson of former RSC Anderlechtois star and Belgian national player and coach Paul Van Himst – is named trainer-coach of VC De Leeuwkens in December 2023.
2024 / Finishing in fifth place in Brabant VFV’s P2A, VC De Leeuwkens qualifies for the play-offs. Managing successive victories over KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek (0-3), SK Nossegem (1-3), and KVC Houtem-Oplinter (2-1), the club wins a surprise promotion to Provincial League 1 – returning to that level after an absence of 38 years.