Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: RFC Somzée

Sunday, 10 August 2025

BELGIUM: RFC Somzée

Complexe Sportif Abbé A. Michaux, Somzée (RFC Somzée)

Belgium, province: Namur = Namen

10 VIII 2025 / RFC Somzée - RFC Surice 3-1 / Namur, Provincial Cup R2

Timeline

1956 / Foundation of a football club in Somzée, a village in the Province of Namur. The new club, which takes on the straightforward name FC Somzée, acquires registration number 5930 upon joining the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB). The club’s first pitch is situated at Route de Tarcienne. The history of the club’s first fifty seasons has been badly documented, but it is clear FC Somzée never rose to a level higher than Namur’s Provincial League 2.
1960 / Moving away from Route de Tarcienne, FC Somzée settles at its current ground at Rue Amérique, named after the village priest who was one of the founders of the club; Stade / Complexe Sportif Abbé A. Michaux.
1997 / Playing in Provincial League 2 at that time, FC Somzée reaches the final of Namur’s Provincial Cup, played at Terrain de la Chaussée de Charleroi in Moignelée, in which the club suffers a 2-1 defeat in the last minutes of regular play at the hands of R Arquet FC (2-1). A young Somzée defender playing in that match, 19-year-old Daniel van Buyten, who started his footballing life at JS Froidchapelloise, is picked up by R Charleroi SC following the 1996-97 season.
1998 / Daniel Van Buyten makes his full professional debut for R Charleroi SC. In the remainder of his career, Van Buyten would go on to defend the colours of R Standard de Liège, Olympique Marseille, Manchester City FC, Hamburger SV, and FC Bayern München, eventually hanging up his boots in 2014 – also winning the last of his 85 caps for the Belgian national team that same year.
2009 / Finishing in third-last place in Namur’s Provincial League 2B, FC Somzée descends into Provincial League 3 along with ES Biesmerée and bottom club FC Achêne.
2010 / A new clubhouse is erected alongside the northern touchline of Complexe Sportif Abbé Michaux, which replaces an old construction at the eastern end, which was knocked down subsequently.
2012 / Runaway champions in Namur’s Provincial League 3B, 20 points ahead of closest followers JS Morialmé, FC Somzée manages a return to Provincial League 2.
2013 / Acquiring the royal epithet, FC Somzée officially changes its name to become Royal Football Club (RFC) Somzée.
2014 / Finishing in third-last place in Namur’s Provincial League 2B, RFC Somzée avoids relegation by winning a play-off against the club in the same position in P2A, RCS Bossièrois (3-1 aggr.).
2016 / Finishing bottom of the table in Namur’s Provincial League 2B, RFC Somzée drops back into Provincial League 3 along with the club in second-last place, RCS Hastièrois.
2020 / At the behest of Walcourt’s municipal authorities, RFC Somzée acquires a training ground at Rue Fontaine in Yves-Gomezée, formerly used by RUS Yvetoise.
2023 / Finishing in third place in Namur’s Provincial League 3C, RFC Somzée qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by FC Vencimontois (0-1).
2024 / Runners-up in Namur’s Provincial League 3C, 12 points behind runaway champions R Excelsior FC Moustier, RFC Somzée qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out Sporting Excel Jemeppe (3-1) and RJS Taminoise B (1-2) in the first two rounds, thus qualifying for the three-way final against RAS Houyet and Jeunesse Taviétoise. In spite of losing its matches against both of these clubs (scores 1-0 and 2-3 respectively), RFC Somzée still accedes to Provincial League 2 due to extra promotion places being available.
2025 / Finishing in second-last place in Namur’s Provincial League 2A, RFC Somzée drops back into Provincial League 3 along with bottom team RCS Onhaye B.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-4 = non-matchday visit, July 2025 / pictures 5-18 = match visit, August 2025.