Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen
12 VIII 2025 / FC Houtaing - Standaard Michelbeke B 2-4 / Pre-season friendly
Timeline
- 1976 / Foundation of FC Houtaing, a football club in Houtaing, sometimes referred to as Houtaing-lez-Ath (or Houthem in Dutch), a village in the north of the Province of Hainaut. The founding father and first chairman, former referee Gérard Deligny, concludes an agreement with the leadership of the local boarding school, the Collège de la Berlière, to the effect that the football club is given permission to lay out a pitch in the park at the back of the chateau, which is the main building of the school. A first match is played against a recreational club, Catena de Ligne. In the months after the foundation of the club, a first clubhouse is erected – a very basic affair without electricity or running water.
- 1977 / FC Houtaing joins a recreational football league, the so-called Entente Terrienne, being placed in Division 2 of that association’s league pyramid.
- 1979 / Finishing in third place of Entente Terrienne Division 2, FC Houtaing wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league association. In the summer of 1979, the clubhouse in the Parc de la Berlière is consumed in a fire. In the following months, a replacement is built, with several luxuries missing in the original building, including running water and electricity. Around this same time, FC Houtaing also founds a modest youth academy, which would hold out for some years before being wound up again.
- 1985 / FC Houtaing wins its first title in Entente Terrienne Division 1, going on to crown its season with the conquest of the league association’s cup competition as well.
- 1986 / FC Houtaing wins its second consecutive title in Entente Terrienne Division 1.
- 1989 / After two runners-up finishes, FC Houtaing conquers its third title in Entente Terrienne Division 1.
- 1990 / While winning its fourth title in Entente Terrienne Division 1, FC Houtaing also manages to clinch its second cup win as well.
- 1991 / After winning its third cup in the Entente Terrienne, FC Houtaing changes allegiance, joining another recreational league, the so-called Entente Boraine, being placed in Division 3 of that association’s league pyramid.
- 1992 / Conquering the title in Entente Boraine Division 3, FC Houtaing wins promotion to Division 2 of the said league association.
- 1993 / Finishing as runners-up in Entente Boraine Division 2, FC Houtaing accedes to Division 1 of the said league association.
- 1995 / FC Houtaing wins the cup competition of the Entente Boraine for the first and only time.
- 1996 / FC Houtaing suffers relegation for the first time in its existence, dropping back from Division 1 into Division 2 of the Entente Boraine.
- 1998 / Relinquishing its membership of the Entente Boraine, FC Houtaing joins another recreational football association, the so-called Amitié Tournai, which organises two separate competitions without promotion or relegation.
- 2001 / FC Houtaing wins the title in Amitié Tournai Group B, while also reaching the cup final of this league association.
- 2003 / FC Houtaing wins the title in Amitié Tournai Group B for the second time.
- 2007 / FC Houtaing conquers the Coupe du Président, a cup competition for Amitié Tournai member clubs.
- 2008 / FC Houtaing conquers the Coupe Guy Carette, a cup competition for Amitié Tournai member clubs.
- 2010 / FC Houtaing wins the title in Amitié Tournai Group B for the third time.
- 2012 / FC Houtaing conquers the Coupe René Chantry, a cup competition for Amitié Tournai member clubs. That same year, the clubhouse in the Parc de la Berlière is largely destroyed after a tree falls down on its roof. The construction has to be rebuilt.
- 2014 / After two runners-up finishes, FC Houtaing conquers the title in Amitié Tournai, meanwhile reduced to just one group of clubs, while also conquering the Coupe René Chantry for the second year running. That same year, following the example of other Amitié Tournai clubs in the preceding years, FC Houtaing leaves the crumbling recreational association, joining the official Belgian Football Association instead. Acquiring registration number 9635 upon being accepted as a new member, FC Houtaing is placed in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4 for the 2014-15 season.
- 2016 / Runners-up in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4B, 18 points behind runaway champions RFC Excelsior Biévène B, FC Houtaing qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club edges past US Merbesars in R1 (1-0), only to suffer defeat in R2 at the hands of JSC Brugelette (1-4). However, in a lucky loser round, the club manages to defeat RES Roux B in an away match after a penalty shoot-out (1-1 in regular time), thus acceding to Provincial League 3 through the backdoor.
- 2017 / Finishing bottom of the table in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, FC Houtaing drops back into Provincial League 4 after just one season, along with RAS Pays Blanc Antoinien B and FC Hérinnes.
- 2023 / Finishing in third place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4B, FC Houtaing qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against RUS Hensies B (3-3 & penalty shoot-out).
Note 1 – Thanks to FC Houtaing board member Laurent Colin for kindly providing an extensive survey of the club’s history.
Note 2 – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1 & 5-24 = match visit, August 2025 / pictures 2-4 = non-matchday visit, July 2025.
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