Belgium, province: Flemish Brabant = Vlaams Brabant
30 VIII 2026 / FC Zemst Sportief - Eendracht Mazenzele Opwijk B 4-0 / Brabant, VFV Provincial League 3B (= BE level 8)
Timeline
- 1930 / Foundation of a first football club in Zemst, a village situated directly to the south of Mechlin, but just across the provincial border in Brabant, with the new club taking on the name FC Semst Sportif. This club joins the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB) with registration number 1631. It is unclear where the pitch of FC Semst Sportif was situated.
- 1932 / In January 1932, after an existence of barely a year and a half, the registration number of FC Semst Sportif is erased from the Belgian FA’s membership list. During its short existence, the club did not compete in one of the regular regional divisions.
- 1933 / A new football club is formed in Zemst, with the old name being reinstated, but with a Dutch orthography rather than the French; FC Zemst Sportief. Emiel Van Steenwinckel becomes the new club’s first chairman, with a pitch being found at Hofstadensche Steenweg – in fact the old pitch of a former recreational club from Hofstade, possibly named Roode Ster. The ground is usually referred to as Terrein aan de Barebeek / Boerebeek.
- 1935 / After two years of being an unaffiliated club, FC Zemst Sportief joins the Vlaamsche Voetbalbond (VVB), a league association of Flemish clubs existing as a rival federation besides the official Belgian FA.
- ± 1937 / Moving away from Terrein aan de Barebeek / Boerebeek, FC Zemst Sportief moves to a new ground situated between the Zenne River and Steenweg naar de Gulderij, referred to locally somewhat ominously as Terrein De Hel.
- ± 1939 / Moving away from Terrein De Hel, which was not in conformity with VVB league requirements, FC Zemst Sportief moves to a newly laid-out pitch on the outskirts of Zemst, Terrein De Wipweide – later renamed Terrein Den Turfput. The ground, where the club has played ever since, is situated in an old peat extraction area.
- 1942 / Leaving the VVB, which had suffered a considerable blow to its reputation due to the willingness of its leading figures to work with German occupation authorities, along with regional rivals FC Bonheiden, SK Hombeek, and FC Hever, FC Zemst Sportief joins the regular Belgian FA, receiving registration number 3746 upon being accepted as a new member club. For the 1942-43 season, strikingly, the club is placed in Antwerp’s Regional League 3 (3e Gewestelijke) rather than in the same division in the Brabant provincial league system.
- 1943 / Having played in Antwerp’s Regional League 3 in its first season as a Belgian FA member club, FC Zemst Sportief is now transferred to Brabant’s Regional League 3 – renamed Provincial League 3 in 1952.
- 1954 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E with player-coach Frans Mannaerts, FC Zemst Sportief wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the first time.
- 1955 / Finishing in third-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2A, FC Zemst Sportief drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season.
- 1967 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief wins promotion to Provincial League 2 after an absence of twelve years at that level.
- 1969 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2C, FC Zemst Sportief is retrograded into Provincial League 3 after two years.
- 1972 / Finishing bottom of the table in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief descends into Provincial League 4 for the first time.
- 1974 / Runner-up in Brabant’s Provincial League 4D, FC Zemst Sportief manages a return to Provincial League 3 after two years.
- 1976 / A second pitch is added to the set-up at Terrein Den Turfput.
- 1978 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the second time in club history. The successful player-coach is Dirk Cordemans.
- 1979 / In the best season in club history, FC Zemst Sportief finishes in fifth place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2C.
- 1983 / Finishing bottom of the table in Brabant’s Provincial League 2C, FC Zemst Sportief drops back into Provincial League 3.
- 1984 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief descends into Provincial League 4.
- 1996 / FC Zemst Sportief narrowly misses out on the title in Brabant’s Provincial League 4E, finishing 1 point behind champions ACS Koningslo.
- 1998 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 4E, finishing 9 points ahead of closest followers VK Eendracht Peizegem, FC Zemst Sportief manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of fourteen years. The successful player-coach is Vital Van Seghbroek.
- 2000 / Finishing bottom of the table in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief descends into Provincial League 4, along with the club in second-last place, FC Beigem.
- 2001 / Construction works are undertaken on a new set of dressing rooms, constructed alongside the western touchline of the main pitch of Terrein Den Turfput. The old dressing rooms, situated on the northern end of the ground, have remained in use as storage room until the present day.
- 2003 / Runner-up in Brabant’s Provincial League 4D, 9 points behind champions SK Ottenburg, FC Zemst Sportief wins promotion to Provincial League 3. Also in 2003, following the construction of a set of dressing rooms, a new clubhouse is added as an extension of the changing rooms; the building works are undertaken following the destruction of the roof of the old clubhouse in a storm. On December 20th, 2003, the new clubhouse is officially inaugurated.
- 2005 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, FC Zemst Sportief drops back into Provincial League 4, alongside the club in second-last position, FC Perk. Also in 2005, a third pitch is added to the set-up at Terrein Den Turfput.
- 2008 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 4G, 7 points ahead of runner-up FC Perk, FC Zemst Sportief wins promotion to Provincial League 3. The successful coaching duo consists of Philippe Van Perck and Marc Vanhaute.
- 2016 / The main pitch of Terrein Den Turfput is laid out anew with a synthetic surface.
- 2022 / Runner-up in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 3C, 1 point behind champions FC Beigem, FC Zemst Sportief qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against VK Borchtlombeek (3-2).
- 2023 / Runner-up in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 3B, 15 points behind runaway champions KVC Delta Londerzeel, FC Zemst Sportief qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club successively knocks out FC Moorsel (6-0) and KV Tremelo (2-1) in the first two rounds, only to suffer elimination in the semis against Tielt-Winge 3000 (1-3).
- 2024 / Finishing in third place in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 3B, FC Zemst Sportief qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against FC Binkom (3-0).
- 2025 / Finishing in fifth place in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 3B, FC Zemst Sportief qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Knocking out KVC Haacht in R1 (0-2) and FC Moorsel in R2 (4-3), the club goes on to suffer defeat in the final against VC Groot Dilbeek (2-3) – but, in the end, this result proves immaterial, due to extra promotion places being available. As such, Zemst manages a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of 42 years.
- 2026 / Finishing in second-last place in Brabant’s VFV Provincial League 2B, FC Zemst Sportief drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season, along with bottom club KVC Houtem-Oplinter.
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