Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Vliermaal

Terrein Valgaërstraat, Vliermaal (FC Vliermaal)

Belgium, province: Limburg

26 VII 2025 / FC Vliermaal - SK Waanrode 2-1 / Pre-season friendly

Timeline

1948 / Foundation of a football club in Vliermaal, a village in the southern part of the Province of (Belgian) Limburg. The new club, which takes on the name FC Vliermaal, acquires membership of Belgium’s Football Association with registration number 4942. From the outset, the club plays its home matches on the pitch at Valgaërstraat. There is no clubhouse in situ as yet, with players changing clothes at the café of Arthur Coninx in the same street. Mr Coninx also takes on the role of chairman of the new club, with Jean Wierts being appointed as his deputy.
1949 / FC Vliermaal starts its life as a competitive club in Provincial League 3, the bottom division of Limburg’s provincial league system at that time.
1962 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 3E, 4 points ahead of runners-up VK Zepperen, FC Vliermaal wins promotion to Provincial League 2. The successful player-coach is Alfons Thijs.
1965 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B, FC Vliermaal wins promotion to Limburg’s Provincial League 1 for the first time.
1966 / Finishing bottom of the table in Limburg’s Provincial League 1, FC Vliermaal drops back into Provincial League 2 after just one season.
1971 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2C, FC Vliermaal drops back into Provincial League 3.
1972 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 3G, FC Vliermaal manages an immediate return to Provincial League 2. The promotion is achieved mainly thanks to the goals of the successful striking duo Leon Groven and Jean Raeds (21 and 19 goals respectively).
1974 / Finishing bottom of the table in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B, FC Vliermaal drops back into Provincial League 3 after two seasons. Also in 1974, the current canteen is erected at Terrein Valgaërstraat. Roughly at the same time, the small bit of cover on the opposite side is added to the set-up as well.
1975 / Runners-up in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, FC Vliermaal accedes to Provincial League 2, as extra promotion places are available.
1981 / Finishing bottom of the table in Limburg’s Provincial League 2C, FC Vliermaal drops back into Provincial League 3 after six years.
1982 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, FC Vliermaal finishes bottom of the table in Limburg’s Provincial League 3D, thus descending into Provincial League 4 for the first time.
1983 / As Arthur Coninx passes away at the age of 77, the chairmanship of the club is taken over by Henri Bienkens.
1992 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 4C, FC Vliermaal wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
1993 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 3B, 5 points ahead of closest rivals Vlijtingen VV and without suffering a single defeat all season, FC Vliermaal wins promotion to Provincial League 2. The decisive points are clinched in a 1-0 home win over Vlijtingen (goal by Johnny Rewegs). The successful coach is Louis Thijs.
1997 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 2C, FC Vliermaal manages a return to Provincial League 1 after an absence of 31 years. That same year, Kortessem’s municipal authorities help the club by adding a large covered terrace at the back of the southern touchline at Terrein Valgaërstraat.
1998 / In the best season in club history, FC Vliermaal finishes in thirteenth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 1 – a result which would have saved the club from relegation, were it not for the fact that three teams from the Province of Limburg tumble back from National Division 4 into Provincial League 1 (SK Wellen, KSC Hasselt, and Herk Sport Hasselt VV), as a result of which one extra team has to descend into Provincial League 2. As such, FC Vliermaal has to return to P2 after just one season, just as in 1966.
2000 / Champions in Limburg’s Provincial League 2B, FC Vliermaal manages a return to Provincial League 1 after two seasons. The decisive points are clinched in a home win over Waltwilder VV. The successful coach is Francis Jadoulle.
2001 / Finishing in third-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 1, FC Vliermaal – yet again, for the third time – suffers relegation back into Provincial League 2 after just one season.
2002 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, FC Vliermaal finishes in second-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 2C, thus dropping back into Provincial League 3.
2005 / Finishing in second-last place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3D, FC Vliermaal descends into Provincial League 4 along with KSV Hoeselt and bottom club FC Nerem.
2014 / Runners-up in Limburg’s Provincial League 4D, 17 points behind runaway champions Stormvogels Rosmeer, FC Vliermaal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages successive victories over LS Leut (1-4) and Excelsior Hamont (1-0). As such, FC Vliermaal manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of nine years.
2016 / Finishing in joint thirteenth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C with SK Herkenrode, FC Vliermaal meets that club in a tie-break match, going on to suffer a 2-1 defeat. As a result, the club has to take part in a relegation play-off against the clubs finishing fourteenth in the two other Provincial League 3 series, Grenstrappers Lommel Kolonie and Heidebloem Wijshagen. However, finishing top of the group, FC Vliermaal saves its skin, with Wijshagen being condemned to relegation.
2018 / Finishing in fifth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, FC Vliermaal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out K Hechtel FC in R1 (1-3) before being eliminated by K Boorsem Sport in R2 (3-4).
2019 / Finishing in third place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, FC Vliermaal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by Excelsior Hamont (3-3 aggr. & penalty shoot-out).
2022 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, FC Vliermaal has to play a set of relegation play-offs against Sparta Lille and Heis Sport, the clubs finishing in the same position in the two other P3 series. However, finishing top of the group, FC Vliermaal saves its skin, with Sparta Lille being the club condemned to relegation.
2025 / Finishing in fourth place in Limburg’s Provincial League 3C, FC Vliermaal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club draws a bye in R1, going on to edge past K Eendracht Louwel in R2 (1-0). As such, the club manages a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of 23 years.