Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: K Hoger Op Huizingen

Sunday, 5 October 2025

BELGIUM: K Hoger Op Huizingen

Sportstadion Omer Van Roy "Terrein Den Beemd", Huizingen (K Hoger Op Huizingen)

Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant = Vlaams Brabant

5 X 2025 / KHO Huizingen - K Europa 90 Kraainem FC 2-0 / Brabant, VFV Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1937 / Foundation of a football club in Huizingen, a Flemish village to the southwest of Brussels, which takes on the name Hoger Op (HO) Huizingen. It is unclear to which football association the club belonged in the first five years of its existence. Initially, HO Huizingen plays its football on a pitch laid out near the local water tower (modern-day Reiberg), later moving to Terrein Sollenberg.
1942 / After five years in another federation (possibly the VVB, Vlaamsche Voetbalbond), HO Huizingen joins the official Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), being accorded registration number 3676 upon being accepted as a new member club.
1943 / HO Huizingen starts its existence as a competitive club in Brabant’s Regional League 3 (3e Gewestelijke), renamed Provincial League 3 following a reorganisation of the league pyramid in 1952.
1960 / Moving away from Terrein Sollenberg, HO Huizingen settles at the so-called Provinciaal Domein, a multi-sports facility at Henry Torleylaan. As to be expected in such a facility, the main pitch is surrounded by an athletics track.
1962 / HO Huizingen temporarily withdraws from first team football.
1963 / After one season without a regular first team, HO Huizingen makes a comeback in Brabant’s Provincial League 4.
1965 / Attaining the first tangible success in the club’s history, HO Huizingen clinches the title in Brabant’s Provincial League 4D, gaining promotion to Provincial League 3.
1976 / Moving away from the Provinciaal Domein, HO Huizingen settles on a newly laid-out municipal sports park, Sportstadion Omer Van Roy, colloquially referred to as Terrein De Beemd, situated at Sollenbeemd. The decision to lay out a purpose-built football ground is one of the last acts of Huizingen’s municipal council, given that the Huizingen community would merge into the larger entity of Beersel per January 1977. The new park, which did not dispose of a clubhouse yet, was named after Huizingen’s last mayor, Omer Van Roy. Originally, the only pitch of the park was surrounded by a gravel track, but that was removed a few years later.
1977 / Having spent twelve seasons in Provincial League 3, HO Huizingen now finishes in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3C, thus dropping back into the bottom division, Provincial League 4.
1978 / Runners-up in Brabant’s Provincial League 4I, HO Huizingen manages an immediate return to Provincial League 3.
1979 / After three years of having to make do with makeshift facilities, the new clubhouse at Sportstadion Omer Van Roy, comprising a canteen and dressing rooms, is inaugurated.
1983 / Finishing bottom of the table in Brabant’s Provincial League 3C, HO Huizingen is retrograded into Provincial League 4 after five seasons. Also in 1983, a second pitch is laid out at Sportstadion Omer Van Roy.
1985 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 4H, HO Huizingen manages a return to Provincial League 3 after two years.
1988 / One year after the club’s fiftieth anniversary, the royal epithet is acquired, with HO Huizingen thus officially taking on the name Koninklijke Hoger Op (KHO) Huizingen.
1991 / A small covered terrace is added to the set-up at the main pitch of Sportstadion Omer Van Roy. In the process, the main pitch is slightly moved in a south-westward direction.
1996 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3C, KHO Huizingen accedes to Provincial League 2 for the first time in club history.
1998 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2C, KHO Huizingen descends into Provincial League 3.
2006 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3C, KHO Huizingen tumbles back into Provincial League 4 along with bottom club SK Vlezenbeek, thus finding itself at the bottom of the league ladder after an absence of 21 years at that level.
2009 / Runaway champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 4C, 21 points ahead of closest followers FC Herne, KHO Huizingen wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
2012 / The second pitch of Sportstadion Omer Van Roy is laid out anew with a synthetic surface.
2017 / Runners-up in Brabant’s Provincial League 3D, 14 points behind runaway champions KFC Lennik, KHO Huizingen accedes to Provincial League 2 directly due to extra promotion places being available.
2025 / Finishing in fifth place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2A, KHO Huizingen qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek (4-2 A.E.T.) in R1, only to suffer a comprehensive (5-1) defeat at the hands of VK Linden in the final – and going on to lose the lucky loser final against KHO Bierbeek as well (0-2). However, thanks to all of Flemish Brabant’s Provincial League 1 clubs taking part in the Interprovincial play-offs gaining promotion, extra promotion places are available – resulting in promotion not only for KHO Bierbeek, but for KHO Huizingen as well. It marks the first time in club history that K Hoger Op Huizingen finds itself at the highest provincial level.