Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: KFC Excelsior Vorst (1998-2026)

Sportcomplex De Vloed, Vorst Meerlaar = Klein Vorst (formerly KFC Excelsior Vorst)

Belgium, province: Antwerp = Antwerpen

July 2026 / no match visited

Timeline

1915 / Foundation of a football club in Klein Vorst, alternatively referred to as Meerlaar, a hamlet to the east of Vorst proper in the eastern part of the Province of Antwerp. The new club takes on the name Excelsior Vorst. It is unclear if the club’s ground was situated at Meerhoutstraat – opposite of Café Wagemans, the location used until 1998 – from the very beginning.
1926 / Excelsior Vorst joins the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB) as Excelsior Voetbalvereeniging (VV) Vorst. Later that year, as the system of registration numbers is introduced, the club acquires number 706. Initially, Excelsior VV Vorst refrains from participating in the official regional divisions, probably taking part in a competition for aspiring clubs instead.
1929 / Excelsior VV Vorst is placed in Antwerp’s Regional League 3 for the first time.
1930 / Having taken part in one Regional League 3 season, Excelsior VV Vorst withdraws its membership of the Belgian FA, joining the newly founded Vlaamsche Voetbalbond (VVB), a league association of clubs from the Dutch-speaking half of Belgium disgruntled with the language policy of the Belgian FA – but more generally taking a Flemish nationalist stance. In the ranks of the VVB, the club takes on the adapted name Voetbalclub (VC) Vorst-Kempen, acquiring registration number 90.
1931 / Registration number 706 of the old Excelsior VV Vorst is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists in February 1931.
1940 / Withdrawing from the pro-Flemish – and, frankly speaking, also pro-German – VVB, VC Vorst-Kempen retraces its steps to the Belgian FA, being readmitted with the adapted name Excelsior Vorst and a new registration number 2894.
1942 / After two years of inactivity, Excelsior Vorst is placed in Antwerp’s Regional League 3.
1943 / Clinching the title in Antwerp’s Regional League 3G, Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Regional League 2, the top division of Antwerp’s regional divisions at that time (until the reorganisation of the league pyramid in 1952, which saw the introduction of a Provincial League 1).
1956 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2C, Excelsior Vorst descends into Provincial League 3.
1966 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3G, Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Provincial League 2 after an absence of ten years at that level.
1968 / Acquiring the royal epithet, Excelsior Vorst officially adapts its name to become Koninklijke Football Club (KFC) Excelsior Vorst.
1975 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2C, KFC Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Provincial League 1 for the first time.
1976 / In the best season in club history, KFC Excelsior Vorst manages a fifth place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 1.
1986 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 1, KFC Excelsior Vorst drops back into Provincial League 2 after eleven years.
1987 / Finishing in second-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2C, KFC Excelsior Vorst suffers back-to-back relegations, descending into Provincial League 3.
1988 / Runner-up in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3D, KFC Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
1993 / Finishing in third-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2B, KFC Excelsior Vorst drops back into Provincial League 3.
1998 / Moving away from Terrein aan de Meerhoutstraat, KFC Excelsior Vorst settles on a newly laid-out ground at Lindestraat, Sportcomplex De Vloed, which it shares with Rugbyclub (RC) Laakdal. The new facilities are officially inaugurated in September 1998 by the mayor of Laakdal, Patrick Vankrunkelsven, and his alderman for sports affairs, Freddy Jans.
2001 / Runner-up in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3D, KFC Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
2003 / Finishing in third-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 2C, KFC Excelsior Vorst drops back into Provincial League 3 after two years.
2009 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3D – with four P3 series are brought back to three – KFC Excelsior Vorst drops back into Provincial League 4 along with FC Netezonen Eindhout, FC Larum, KFC Tongerlo, KFC De Vrijheid Herselt, and bottom side K Blauwvoet Oevel.
2010 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club eases past KSC Mechelen in R1 (6-1 aggr), only to stumble over derby rivals FC Netezonen Eindhout in the final (3-1 aggr.).
2011 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by K Sparta Linkeroever FC (6-4 aggr.).
2012 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, 2 points ahead of closest rivals Wezel Sport FC, KFC Excelsior Vorst wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
2013 / Finishing in third-last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, KFC Excelsior Vorst descends into Provincial League 4 alongside K Massenhoven VC, KSKS Herentals, and bottom club KVC Oostmalle Sport.
2015 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KFC Meerle (3-3 aggr. & away goals).
2016 / Finishing in third place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against KFC Sint-Martinus Halle (5-2 aggr.).
2017 / Finishing in fourth place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by KSK Donk (3-1 aggr.).
2018 / Finishing in fifth place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4E, KFC Excelsior Vorst qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out K Blauwvoet Oevel in R1 (2-0 aggr.), going on to defeat KFC Olympic Essen in the final (4-3 aggr.). As such, the club manages a return to Provincial League 3 after five years.
2023 / Finishing bottom of the table in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C, KFC Excelsior Vorst descends into Provincial League 4, alongside KFC De Kempen B and KFC Excelsior Bouwel.
2026 / In its last season, KFC Excelsior Vorst finishes in eleventh place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 4G. After an independent existence of 111 years, KFC Excelsior Vorst is absorbed into VV-Next Laakdal, in itself a merger (dating back to 2024) of Veerle Sport and FC Netezonen Eindhout, with all activities moving away from Sportcomplex De Vloed.