BELGIUM: ES Signeulx matr. 3416 (1942-1949) / RES Signeulx matr. 6462 (1971-)

Terrain de la Rue du 113me Régiment d'Infanterie Française, Signeulx (RES Signeulx matr. 6462, formerly ES Signeulx matr. 3416)

Belgium, province: Luxembourg = Luxemburg

11 VII 2025 / RES Signeulx - ES Bleid B 1-3 / Pre-season friendly

Timeline

• 1915 / Foundation of a first football club in Signeulx, a village in the far south of Belgian Luxembourg, right on the border with France. The new club is given the name Sporting Club (SC) Signeulx. It is unclear if this club ever joined the official Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), but its existence probably did not last longer than a couple of years only. It is unclear where the ground of this short-lived club was situated.
• 1942 / Foundation of a new football club in Signeulx, which is given the name Éclair Sportif (ES) Signeulx, being accepted as new member of the Belgian FA with registration number 3416. ES Signeulx starts its life as a competitive club in Belgian Luxembourg’s Regional League 3. ES Signeulx settles on a pitch laid out at Rue du 113e Régiment d'Infanterie Française, right on the French border.
• 1946 / ES Signeulx conquers the title in Luxembourg’s Regional League 3 ahead of clubs such as SC Habay-la-Neuve, ES Izel, and ES Bellefontaine (matr. 3403). As such, the club accedes to Regional League 2.
• 1949 / After three seasons in Luxembourg’s Regional League 2, ES Signeulx folds, ceasing all activities. Registration number 3416 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists.
• 1961 / Foundation of a third successive football club in Signeulx, which is given the exact same name as its predecessor, Éclair Sportif (ES) Signeulx, acquiring membership of the Belgian FA with registration number 6462. The driving forces behind the foundation of the club are the village priest, Fr Julien Legueube, who also becomes the club’s first chairman, and the head of the local customs office, Victor Moureau, who takes on the role of secretary. A pitch is laid out for the club in the hamlet of Saint-Rémy, to the west of Signeulx, on the fields of a local farmer, whose son is part of ES Signeulx’s squad. The majority of the players are recruited from neighbouring clubs SC Mussy and ES Mussonaise, including goalkeeper Guy Bertrand. The club starts its life in Provincial League 3, the lowest division of Belgian Luxembourg’s league pyramid.
• 1962 / Moving away from the pitch at Saint-Rémy – with the farmer owning the ground losing interest in the football project, as his son stops playing – ES Signeulx finds a new home on a plot of land at Route de Bleid, to the northwest of the village, close to a roadside chapel.
• 1967 / ES Signeulx finishes as runners-up in Belgian Luxembourg’s Provincial League 3A, 6 points behind champions Excelsior Fouches.
• 1971 / Moving away from its pitch at Route de Bleid after nine years, ES Signeulx settles at a newly laid out pitch at Rue du 113me Régiment d'Infanterie Française – in fact the exact same location used by predecessor club ES Signeulx (matr. 3416) between 1942 and 1949. A small set of dressing rooms is erected, with an open bar adjacent to it.
• 1980 / The open bar at ES Signeulx’s ground is replaced by a roofed clubhouse, built into the already existing set of dressing rooms.
• 1984 / ES Signeulx finishes as runners-up in Belgian Luxembourg’s Provincial League 3A, 6 points behind champions FC Tintigny.
• 1995 / ES Signeulx’s pitch at Rue du 113me Régiment d'Infanterie Française is flooded by the River Vire, a stream flowing by the northern touchline of the ground.
• 1999 / ES Signeulx finishes as runners-up in Belgian Luxembourg’s Provincial League 3A.
• 2000 / Champions in Belgian Luxembourg’s Provincial League 3A, with an equal number of points as runners-up ES Châtillon, but with one victory more to their credit, ES Signeulx manages a historic promotion to Provincial League 2. The decision fell on the last day of the season, as Signeulx wiped out AS Nothomb-Post (6-1), while Châtillon were held to a stalemate. The title was all the more remarkable, given that ES Signeulx had been eleven points adrift of the league leaders halfway through the season.
• 2001 / Finishing in second-last place in their only-ever season in Luxembourg’s Provincial League 2A, ES Signeulx drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season. Ever since, the club have usually been near the bottom of the table in Provincial League 3A.
• 2011 / As ES Signeulx celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the club acquires the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Royal Éclair Sportif (RES) Signeulx.

Note 1 – Many thanks to ES Signeulx’s longtime secretary Guy Bertrand, also a former player of the club, for providing some essential parts of information for this article.

Note 2 – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-5 = non-matchday visit, August 2022 / pictures 6-19 = match visit, July 2025.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: R Anhée FC (±1942-2000) / R Anhée FC (B) (2000-)

Terrain de la Chaussée de Dinant, Anhée (B ground of R Anhée FC, formerly main pitch of  R Anhée FC)

Belgium, province: Namur = Namen

July 2010 & July 2025 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1936 / Foundation of a football club in Anhée, a village in the Province of Namur, situated on the boards of the Meuse south of Namur proper. At the initiative of the local priest, Abbé Decaux, Emmanuel de Wouters and Joseph Culot get together to form FC Anhée, which acquires registration number 2462 upon being accepted as new member of the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB). Emmanuel de Wouters takes on the role of the club’s chairman. A pitch is laid out for the club on the fields of Mr Chevalier at Chaussée de Dinant – not the later main pitch, but a pasture in the immediate vicinity of it.
• 1937 / FC Anhée makes its debut as a competitive club in Namur’s Regional League 4.
• 1938 / Clinching the title in Namur’s Regional League 4 in its first competitive season, FC Anhée wins promotion to Regional League 3.
• ± 1939 / Being forced out of its pitch at Chaussée de Dinant, FC Anhée finds a temporary solution on a pitch laid out on the pastures of G. Jacmart, beyond the fringes of the village.
• 1940 / FC Anhée wins promotion from Namur’s Regional League 3 to Regional League 2.
• ± 1942 / After concluding an agreement with the local St Joseph copper factory, FC Anhée is allowed to settle on a pitch at Chaussée de Dinant – destined to remain in use until the present day. 
• 1943 / Clinching the title in Namur’s Regional League 2, FC Anhée qualifies for the promotion play-offs for a place in Provincial League 2, the highest provincial level in Namur at that time. Being drawn against LC Walcourt and Jeunesse Rochefortoise FC, FC Anhée goes on to win the group, with a comprehensive 7-2 home win against the team from Rochefort bringing about the decision. As such, FC Anhée wins promotion to Provincial League 2 – in fact the third promotion in five years.
• 1944 / Due to heavy fighting between the German and Allied forces in the south of Belgium in the summer of 1944, FC Anhée’s pitch at Chaussée de Dinant is completely ruined – having to be laid out anew. More gravely, as the Germans are driven out, it turns out that FC Anhée has lost no fewer than five of its players as war victims, two having died as prisoners-of-war in German camps and three more as resistance fighters. 
• 1945 / After two years of inactivity, FC Anhée restarts its life as a competitive club in Namur’s Provincial League 2.
• 1950 / Suffering relegation from Namur’s Provincial League 2 (being renamed Provincial League 1 in the early 1950s), FC Anhée drops back into Regional League 2 (renamed Provincial League 2).
• 1961 / Floodlights are added to the set-up at Chaussée de Dinant to allow midweek training sessions during the winter season.
• 1962 / Suffering relegation from Namur’s Provincial League 2, FC Anhée descends into Provincial League 3, the bottom division of Namur’s league pyramid at that time.
• 1968 / FC Anhée finishes as runners up in Namur’s Provincial League 3 behind champions JS Onhaye.
• 1969 / Runners-up in Namur’s Provincial League 3 behind champions Scarabée Club Yvoir, FC Anhée wins promotion to Provincial League 2 as additional promotion places are available.
• 1976 / FC Anhée drops back from Namur’s Provincial League 2 to Provincial League 3.
• 1977 / FC Anhée’s wooden clubhouse at Chaussée de Dinant is consumed in a fire, with a new construction in stone being erected as replacement in the following months.
• 1979 / Clinching the title in Namur’s Provincial League 3, FC Anhée manages a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of three years.
• 1981 / FC Anhée finishes as runners-up in Namur’s Provincial League 2, 1 point behind champions US Thy-le-Château.
• 1983 / On the back of reaching the quarter final of the Provincial Cup the previous season, FC Anhée qualifies for the Belgian Cup, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by national league side RCS Verviétois (6-1).
• 1985 / Finishing in the lower half of Provincial League 2, FC Anhée goes on to suffer defeat in a play-off against ES Viroin-Olloy, played at RWSC Mettet’s ground (1-2). As a result, the club has to play a set of relegation play-offs against US Assesse and UBS Auvelais – but, managing victories over both of these sides, the club saves its skin in P2.
• 1986 / Reaching R1 of the Belgian Cup for a second time, FC Anhée suffers elimination in R1 at the hands of US Sartoise (2-1).
• 1987 / In the club’s best performance in Namur’s Provincial Cup, FC Anhée reaches the semifinal, in which it is knocked out by National Division 4 side UR Namur. Also in 1987, one year late, the club celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, acquiring the royal epithet and adapting its name to become Royal Anhée Football Club, abbreviated as R Anhée FC. No information is available regarding the club’s first team performances between 1987 and 2008 – with the club finding itself in Provincial League 2 in both of these years.
• 2000 / A new ground is laid out for R Anhée FC at Rue du Petit-Bois (later renamed Stade Jacques Colot), in fact at the back of the old ground at Chaussée de Dinant, which has been retained ever since by the club for lower team football and training sessions.
• 2024 / The old clubhouse at Chaussée de Dinant is replaced by a new construction, erected in the orange and black club colours.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different non-matchday visits: pictures 1-6 = July 2010 / pictures 7-12 = July 2025.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

BELGIUM: JES Velaines (1969-2018) / Entente Velaines Enclusienne (2018-)

Stade Philippe De Harveng, Velaines (Entente Velaines Enclusienne, formerly JES Velaines)

Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen

July 2025 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1969 / Foundation of a football club in Velaines, a village in the northwest of the Province of Hainaut. The new club, which takes on the name Jeunesse Entente Sportive (JES) Velaines, joins a recreational league rather than seeking affiliation with the official Belgian Football Association. Most probably, the village priest at the time, Fr Philippe De Harveng, played a pivotal role in the creation of the club. Probably, the club played its football on the pitch at Rue des Écoles from the beginning. 
• 1975 / After six years in recreational football, JES Velaines joins the Belgian FA, acquiring registration number 8282 upon being accepted as a new member club and being placed in the bottom division of Hainaut’s provincial league pyramid, Provincial League 4.
• 1999 / Having played 24 consecutive seasons in Provincial League 4, JES Velaines now clinches the title in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, 2 points ahead of OC Warcoing. As such, the club accedes to Provincial League 3 for the first time.
• 2002 / JES Velaines finishes as runners-up in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, 10 points behind champions AC Anvaing.
• 2006 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, JES Velaines drops back into Provincial League 4 after seven seasons, along with bottom club FC Hérinnes.
• 2007 / JES Velaines finishes in joint second place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4B with FC Ellezellois, 20 points behind runaway champions RFC Molenbaix.
• 2008 / Champions in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4, 6 points ahead of closest followers RUS Beloeil B, JES Velaines manages a return to Provincial League 3 after two seasons.
• 2009 / Finishing bottom of the table in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, JES Velaines drops back into Provincial League 4 after just one season, along with the club in second-last place, FC Rumes La Glanerie.
• 2011 / Fr Philippe De Harveng passes away at the age of 83 in a convent in Barvaux-sur-Ourthe. This may have been the moment when JES Velaines’ ground at Rue des Écoles was renamed Stade Philippe De Harveng (misspelled as Deharveng at the entrance of the ground).
• 2012 / Champions in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals ASC Havinnes B, JES Velaines wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
• 2016 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, JES Velaines drops back into Provincial League 4 along with bottom club FC Wodecq.
• 2018 / In its last season as an independent club, JES Velaines finishes in fourth place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4B. Following the 2017-18 season, the club concludes a merger with FC Mont-de-l’Enclus from nearby Amougies (Amengijs), a club founded in 2007 (registration number 9500) and managing to stay up in Provincial League 3 in the 2017-18 season. The result of the merger is the creation of Entente Velaines Enclusienne, with the club’s main team continuing its life in Provincial League 3 – not in Amougies, but in Velaines, and with a B team being created, which starts its life in Provincial League 4 and plays its home matches in Amougies’ Stade Communal at Rue de la Station.
• 2019 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3B, Entente Velaines Enclusienne (A) descends into Provincial League 4 along with AC Quaregnon-Wasmuel and bottom club FC Thulin.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, Entente Velaines Enclusienne (A) finds itself top of the table in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, 4 points ahead of closest followers FC Rumes La Glanerie. As such, the club is placed in Provincial League 3 for the new season.
• 2025 / Champions in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals Péruwelz FC B, Entente Velaines Enclusienne (A) manages a historic promotion to Provincial League 2.
• 2026 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut's Provincial League 2A, Entente Velaines Enclusienne drops back into Provincial League 3 after just one season, alongside bottom club RSC Templeuvois.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

NETHERLANDS: FCEB (1964-1968) / RKSV Excelsior '18 (1968-1990) / SVEB (1990-2024) / SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST (B) (2024-)

Sportpark 't Venneke, Broekhuizenvorst (B ground of SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST, formerly FCEB / RKSV Excelsior '18 / SVEB)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

July 2025 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1918 / Foundation of a football club in Broekhuizenvorst, a village in the north of the Netherlands’ part of Limburg, on the banks of the River Meuse. The new club takes on the name Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging (RKSV) Excelsior. Excelsior would go on to prove the most resilient club in the village, but there were more teams in Broekhuizenvorst and the neighbouring village of Broekhuizen, with names such as ADO (Alles Door Oefening), HBS (Houdt Braaf Stand), ELTO (probably: Eenheid Leidt Tot Overwinning), and ODO (probably: Oefening Doet Overwinnen). ADO and HBS were older than Excelsior. In the early years of the club’s existence, RKSV Excelsior played its football on various makeshift pitches in and around the village, the first probably being the so-called Wei achter Bouten, followed by Terrein Stegen Brug at Blitterswijckseweg and Terrein De Heide.
• 1920 / In 1920 at its latest, RKSV Excelsior applies for membership of the so-called RKLVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Limburgsche Voetbalbond), the Limburg sub-branch of Roman Catholic Football Association RKF (Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie), which was a rival of the non-religious NVB (later renamed KNVB, Koninklijke Nederlandsche Voetbalbond) in pre-war Netherlands. Also in or around 1920, RKSV Excelsior found a permanent playing field, the so-called Burgemeesterswei or Wei van Geloven, situated at the crossroads of Raathweg and Broekhuizerweg. Due to the vicinity of the Meuse to the field, home matches have to be moved to the Terrein ‘t Roath, situated further away from the river, in case of floods.
• 1922 / Champions in RKLVB Division 1E, RKSV Excelsior wins promotion to the lowest step of the supra-regional RKF divisions (probably RKF Division 2 at the time). 
• 1925 / Probably following a relegation from RKF Division 2 into RKLVB Division 1, RKSV Excelsior is on the brink of folding, but, in the end, the club manages to avoid its demise.
• 1928 / RKSV Excelsior wins its second RKLVB Division 1 title. It is unclear if the club won promotion to the ranks of the RKF on this occasion.
• 1929 / Excelsior's rival club ADO, also from Broekhuizenvorst, joins the RKLVB. At the time, ADO has its own pitch, situated at Swolgenscheweg. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring village of Broekhuizen, a first football team is formed, Juliana, which does not join any football association, sticking to playing just friendly matches. Juliana plays its matches at Terrein Frits Janssen, situated in the hamlet of Stokt, halfway between Broekhuizen and Lottum.
• 1930 / In Broekhuizen, a second football team is formed, consisting of a group of boys who had been refused membership of Juliana. The foundation of the new club, which is given the name UVO (‘Uit Vriendschap Ontstaan’), is supported by the local priest, Fr Mullecom. Other than Juliana, UVO applies for membership of the RKLVB straightaway following a successful summer tournament at Broekhuizenvorst club ADO, where UVO wins first prize. For the 1930-31 season, UVO is placed in RKLVB Division 3F. The club’s first chairman is Casper van Megen. UVO’s ground, Terrein Op de Berg, is laid out on a plot of farmland owned by Gradus van Soest, a pitch with a remarkable slope of at least 2 metres.
• 1932 / Moving away from its pitch for the past ten odd years, the so-called Burgemeesterwei, RKSV Excelsior moves to a newly laid-out pitch at Swolgenscheweg. Meanwhile, in Broekhuizen, UVO changes its name to become Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging (RKSV) Brughusia – Brughusia being the oldest known notation of Broekhuizen. The new name was an idea of Fr Van Dooren, who had succeeded Fr Mullecom as Broekhuizen’s village priest in 1930.
• 1933 / RKSV Brughusia clinches the title in RKLVB Division 3, thus gaining promotion to Division 2 of that league system. Meanwhile, in Broekhuizenvorst, ADO folds, ceasing all activities, with most of the remaining membership switching to RKSV Excelsior.
• 1934 / RKSV Excelsior clinches the title in Overgangsklasse RKLVB, gaining promotion to ICVB Division 2 (as RKF Division 2 had been renamed in 1932). It is unclear how long the club held out at this level, but the spell cannot have lasted for longer than three seasons.
• 1938 / In a repeat of the events four years previously, RKSV Excelsior clinches the title in Overgangsklasse RKLVB, gaining promotion to ICVB Division 2. Also in 1938, at the behest of RKF authorities, RKSV Excelsior has to change its name due to the ubiquitousness of the name Excelsior among the association’s member clubs. Willy-nilly, the club takes on the new name FCEB, i.e. Football Club Excelsior Broekhuizenvorst, but locally, it keeps being referred to as ‘Excelsior’ almost universally in the following decades.
• 1939 / Clinching the title in RKLVB Division 2 without suffering a single defeat, RKSV Brughusia wins promotion to RKLVB Division 1. The decisive points are clinched in a 5-2 home win over its last remaining rival, RKSV Oostrum.
• 1940 / Following the occupation of the Netherlands by the German Reich, all football associations except for the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB for the duration of the war) cease their activities to prevent being wound up by German authorities. As so many other RKF clubs, FCEB and RKSV Brughusia join the new federation, with FCEB being placed in District South’s (Sunday) League 4F and Brughusia in the NVB Limburg sub-branch, Afdeling Limburg – more specifically in Division 1 of that league system, organised below the level of (Sunday) League 4.
• 1943 / Moving away from Terren Op de Berg after thirteen years, RKSV Brughusia settles at Terrein Aerts, situated at Meulenpedje – later known as Ellenberg.
• 1944 / With Broekhuizen and Broekhuizenvorst being completely destroyed following the liberation of the southern half of the Netherlands in the fall of 1944, the pitches of FCEB and RKSV Brughusia are in a deplorable state, with much time and effort having to be invested in their reconstruction. Moreover, Brughusia’s trophy cabinet has been taken away to Germany by fleeing Wehrmacht soldiers. Much of FCEB’s cabinet has been saved thanks to its having been hidden under a pile of straw at the farmstead of Mr Van Lin.
• 1946 / Finishing in last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4H in the first season after war’s end, FCEB suffers defeat in a promotion-relegation play-off against vv RESIA ’42 (3-2), played at RKSV Wanssum’s ground. As such, the club descends into Afdeling Limburg Division 1, where it stumbles upon derby rivals RKSV Brughusia for the first time.
• 1947 / RKSV Brughusia finishes bottom of the table in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, but manages to save its skin in the relegation play-offs.
• 1949 / Finishing in joint first place in Afdeling Limburg Division 1 with RKSV Lottum, FCEB goes on to suffer defeat in a title play-off, played at RKDEV’s ground in Arcen. As such, the club misses out on the opportunity of a return to Sunday League 4. Also in 1949, works get underway at a new ground for FCEB at Ooyenseweg, at the crossroads with Sint-Annapad.
• 1950 / Finishing bottom of the table in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, RKSV Brughusia descends into Division 2 of this league pyramid.
• 1951 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, FCEB fails to win promotion to Sunday League 4 due to losing out in a championship play-off against RKVV Kessel. Meanwhile, down in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, RKSV Brughusia also wins the title, but like its local rivals, the club is deprived of success in the championship play-offs, thus missing out on promotion. Also in 1951, after some two years of work, FCEB’s new ground, Terrein Ooyenseweg, is inaugurated.  
• 1954 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, FCEB manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of eight years following a successful round of championship play-offs. To be in accordance with KNVB rules concerning the facilities in its leagues, FCEB club members build a set of dressing rooms in situ.
• 1955 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, 6 points ahead of closest rivals AVV America and without suffering a single defeat all season, FCEB goes on to win the championship play-offs, thus managing back-to-back promotions and acceding to Sunday League 3 for the first time. Meanwhile, in Broekhuizen, RKSV Brughusia has to leave Terrein Aerts after twelve years, due to the grounds being required for housing (modern-day Hoogstraat). The club has to move to a temporary pitch, also owned by the Aerts family, at Stadsberg. Due to its vicinity to the River Meuse, the pitch is liable to frequent floodings.
• ± 1956 / Moving away from Terrein Stadsberg, RKSV Brughusia moves away to a new temporary pitch in the hamlet of Stokt, laid out on the farmland of a local smallholder, J. van Megen.
• 1958 / Champions in Afdeling Limburg Division 2P, RKSV Brughusia fails to win promotion in the subsequent round of championship play-offs.
• 1959 / Champions in Afdeling Limburg Division 2 for the second year running, RKSV Brughusia now crowns its season with a successful round of championship play-offs, thus managing a return to Afdeling Limburg Division 1 after an absence of nine years.
• 1960 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, RKSV Brughusia goes on to win the championship play-offs, thus acceding to District South II’s Sunday League 4 for the first time in club history. The successful coach is Theo Breukers. Due to the fact that the club’s ground, Terrein J. van Megen, is deemed unfit for league football by KNVB authorities, Brughusia concludes a groundsharing agreement with FCEB, thus playing its home matches at Terrein Ooyenseweg.
• 1961 / In the best season in club history, RKSV Brughusia finishes in sixth place in District South II’s Sunday League 4H. Meanwhile, FCEB are notified that Terrein Ooyenseweg will have to make way for housing in the foreseeable future. Before long, works get underway on two separate new parks for RKSV Brughusia and FCEB, laid out by Koninklijke Nederlandse Heidemaatschappij (Royal Netherlands’ Association for Wasteland Redevelopment). Earlier talk of a combined park at De Roath for both clubs, which could have led to a merger, comes to nothing.
• 1962 / In the best season in club history, FCEB finishes in fifth place in District South II’s Sunday League 3B. Meanwhile, RKVV Brughusia’s home tie against RKVV Volharding in Sunday League 4G, in which Volharding clinches the title (score: 1-1), draws some 800 spectators to Terrein Ooyenseweg.
• 1963 / After three seasons of groundsharing with FCEB at Terrein Ooyenseweg, RKSV Brughusia moves into its newly laid-out Sportpark De Stokt at Hilkensbergweg, with the inaugural ceremony in June 1963 being performed by the club’s honorary president Bert Litjens and Broekhuizen’s mayor, Mr Van Gerven. The new facilities are blessed by village priest Fr Haest.
• 1964 / One year after RKSV Brughusia, FCEB also moves into a new ground of its own, Terrein Beerendonckerweg, i.e. the future Sportpark ‘t Venneke. The inaugural ceremony takes place on September 27th, 1964. Terrein Ooyenseweg is abandoned.
• 1965 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, FCEB drops back into Sunday League 4 after ten seasons. Meanwhile, in Brughuizen, RKSV Brughusia has an equally unsuccessful season, finishing bottom of the table in Sunday League 4H and dropping back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 after five years. 
• 1966 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, RKSV Brughusia descends from Afdeling Limburg Division 1 into Division 2. Meanwhile, at FCEB’s new Terrein Beerendonckerweg, the main pitch is equipped with a set of floodlights. 
• 1968 / At the club’s fiftieth anniversary, FCEB is allowed to reinstate its old name ‘Excelsior’ by KNVB authorities, on the condition that the foundation year is added to the name to avoid confusion with other clubs. As such, FCEB changes its name to become Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging Excelsior 1918, usually written as (RKSV) Excelsior ’18.
• 1969 / Due to a lack of youth players in some of their lower teams, RKSV Excelsior ’18 and RKSV Brughusia conclude a temporary partnership to field combined youth teams.
• 1971 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 2 following an emphatic 12-0 win over vv EWC ’46 III, RKSV Brughusia wins promotion to Afdeling Limburg Division 1. The successful coach is Jeu Alards.
• 1972 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, 2 points ahead of closest rivals RKVV Montagnards, RKSV Excelsior ’18 wins promotion to Sunday League 3. That same year, Excelsior inaugurates the newly built clubhouse at Terrein Beerendonckerweg.
• 1973 / RKSV Brughusia only avoids relegation from Afdeling Limburg Division 1 to Division 2 by saving its skin in a tie-break match against SV Meerlo, played at Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld in Blitterswijck. The match is decided through goals by Jacob van den Hoogen and Charl Tissen in extra time (2-0 A.E.T.).
• 1974 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 1, RKSV Brughusia manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of nine years. The decisive points are clinched in a home tie against vv RESIA ’42 (3-0). The successful coach is Jos Kerstjens.
• 1975 / Finishing in last place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, RKSV Excelsior ’18 drops back into Sunday League 4 along with the club in second-last place, BSV Olympia ’18. As RKSV Brughusia easily holds its own in League 4, finishing in sixth place in Sunday League 4H – thereby equalling the best performance in club history from 1961 – the clubs from Broekhuizen and Broekhuizenvorst meet each other in the league for the first time since the 1940s. The first encounter, played at Terrein Beerendonckerweg, ends in a surprising 0-2 win for RKSV Brughusia.
• 1976 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, RKSV Brughusia drops back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 after two seasons. That same year, the facilities at Sportpark De Stokt in Brughuizen are upgraded, with the clubhouse being equipped with central heating and showers.
• 1978 / RKSV Brughusia finishes as runners-up in Afdeling Limburg Division 1.
• 1981 / With RKSV Excelsior ‘18’s Terrein Beerendonckerweg undergoing a first round of renovations since its inauguration in 1964, the ground is officially renamed Sportpark ‘t Venneke. The inaugural ceremony of the name plate at the entrance of the park is performed by Broekhuizen’s mayor, Mr Simons.
• 1983 / RKSV Excelsior ’18 finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, 3 points behind champions VVV ’03.
• 1984 / Finishing in joint second place in Afdeling Limburg Division 1 with vv EWC ’46, SV Meerlo, and vv RESIA ’42, RKSV Brughusia meets the three clubs in a play-off for one additional promotion place – but Brughusia misses out on the extra ticket, with vv EWC ’46 finishing in first place in the competition.
• 1985 / One year after narrowly missing out on a return to Sunday League 4, RKSV Brughusia now suffers relegation from Afdeling Limburg Division 1 to Division 2. Also in 1985, for the first time since the early 1970s, RKSV Excelsior ’18 and RKSV Brughusia conclude a partnership, with part of the youth academy, notably the U12 and U10 teams, being merged into one.
• 1986 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, 2 points ahead of runners-up RKVV Montagnards, RKSV Excelsior ’18 manages a return to Sunday League 3 after an absence of eleven years. The decisive point is clinched in the last match of the season, resulting in an away draw at IVO in Velden, with Montagnards losing its home tie against RKOSV Achates. Also in 1986, the youth academy partnership between RKSV Excelsior ’18 and RKSV Brughusia is further integrated, as the U14 and U16 teams are also merged into one.
• 1987 / As a last step towards a full integration of both clubs’ youth academies, RKSV Excelsior ’18 and RKSV Brughusia also merge their U18 teams.
• 1988 / RKSV Excelsior ’18 celebrates its seventieth anniversary in the presence of the only surviving founding member, Egon Haffmans. Also in 1988, members’ meetings of both Excelsior and Brughusia give the go-ahead sign for talks of a fully-fledged merger between the two clubs.
• 1989 / RKSV Excelsior ’18 finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, 5 points behind champions SV Vitesse ’08.  
• 1990 / In its last season as an independent club, RKSV Excelsior ’18 finishes in sixth place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, with RKSV Brughusia having spent the last five years of its existence down in Afdeling Limburg Division 2. Following the 1989-90 season, the two clubs conclude a merger deal, resulting in the foundation of Sportvereniging Excelsior Brughusia, abbreviated as SVEB. The new club’s first chairman is Gerrit Clabbers. With all activities moving to Sportpark ‘t Venneke in Broekhuizenvorst, Brughusia’s Sportpark De Stokt is abandoned. While works get underway on a thorough renovation of the park in Broekhuizenvorst, SVEB starts its life in Sunday League 3, taking the place of RKSV Excelsior ’18. 
• 1991 / Finishing in joint first place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D with VVV ’03, SVEB meets the club from Venlo in a tie-break match, played at IVO’s Theo Lommen Sportpark in Velden. However, suffering a 1-0 defeat, SVEB misses out on promotion to Sunday League 2. Also in 1991, more specifically on September 1st of that year, the new clubhouse at Sportpark ‘t Venneke is inaugurated.
• 1992 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, 5 points behind champions RKTVV Tiglieja, SVEB qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club crowns its season with a 3-0 win over vv RIOS ’31 in the final, played at Sportpark De Driesprong in Maasbree. As such, for the first time in the history of football in Broekhuizenvorst and Broekhuizen, SVEB wins promotion to Sunday League 2.
• 1993 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 2B, SVEB descends into Sunday League 3 along with the club in second-last place, vv Sittard.
• 1997 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, SVEB is retrograded into Sunday League 4 along with the club in second-last place, RKOSV Achates.
• 2001 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, 3 points ahead of runners-up RKVV Montagnards, SVEB manages a return to Sunday League 3 after an absence of four seasons.
• 2002 / Unable to hold its own at the higher level, SVEB finishes in third-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, suffering defeat in the ensuing round of relegation play-offs and thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 after just one season, along with RKVV Erp and bottom club vv Boskant.
• 2004 / Finishing in fourth place in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, SVEB goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus acceding to Sunday League 3.
• 2005 / As on the previous occasion, SVEB suffers relegation from District South II’s Sunday League 3D after just one season, finishing in second-last place and dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club RKSV Sparta ’25. 
• 2010 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, 2 points behind champions vv Boekel Sport, SVEB qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by vv Nooit Gedacht (7-2 aggr.).
• 2011 / Finishing in joint first place in District South II’s Sunday League 4F with RKSV Venlo, SVEB wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after winning a tie-break match against the aforementioned club, played at Sportpark Wienus in Hegelsom.
• 2012 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 3C, SVEB drops back into Sunday League 4 along with RKMSV, RKVV Mifano, and vv DESM.
• 2015 / Finishing in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, SVEB descends into Sunday League 5 for the first time, along with bottom club DEV-Arcen. That same year, the club merges its youth academy with neighbour club Sporting ST from Swolgen.
• 2016 / Finishing as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 5F, 8 points behind champions RKSV Meterik, SVEB goes on to win a play-off encounter against FC Cranendonck (5-2 aggr.), which is sufficient for promotion to Sunday League 4.
• 2017 / SVEB signs Tom van Bergen as its head coach. Van Bergen, a former professional league midfielder at VVV-Venlo and MVV (2001-07), would stay with the club for two seasons.
• 2023 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, SVEB suffers relegation to Sunday League 5.
• 2024 / In its last season as an independent club, SVEB finishes in ninth place in District South II’s Sunday League 5D. Following the 2023-24 season, the club concludes a partnership deal with Sporting ST, resulting in all of the two clubs’ teams merging into one under the provisional name SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST (SSA = Samenwerking Seniorenafdelingen, SJO = Samenwerking Jeugdopleidingen) – the prelude to a fully-fledged merger. First team football is alternately played at Sporting ST’s Sportpark Kerkebos and at Sportpark ‘t Venneke in Broekhuizenvorst.
• 2025 / All first team matches of SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST are moved to Sportpark Kerkebos in Swolgen. It is as yet unclear what the future will hold for Sportpark ‘t Venneke.
• 2026 / The merger between SVEB and Sporting ST is sealed conclusively, as both clubs are absorbed into VICI 04 - an intricate choice of name, as, in Latin, Vici means both 'I won' (a clear reference to Caesar's immortal quote 'Veni, vidi, vici' - I came, I saw, I conquered) and 'Villages' - the plural of 'vicus', village or hamlet. As such, VICI 04 should also be understood as 'four villages', i.e. Tienray, Swolgen, Broekhuizen, and Broekhuizenvorst. 04 is not a reference to a historic date.

Note – Crucial parts of the information above were derived from various books and booklets released on anniversaries of SVEB and its two predecessor clubs: “Excelsior ’18 50 jaar” (anon. / 1968) / “Excelsior 1918-1978” (anon. / 1978), “RKSV Brughusia 60 1930-1990” (anon. / 1990), and “75 jaar voetbal in de gemeente Broekhuizen” (anon. / 1993). Historical articles in these publications were written by Piet Weys, Wiel Schatorjé, and Hay Reintjes.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

NETHERLANDS: Sporting ST (2011-2024) / SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST (2024-2026) / VICI 04 (2026-)

Sportpark Kerkebos, Swolgen (VICI )4, formerly Sporting ST / SSA-SJO SVEB-Sporting ST)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

5 VII 2025 / VVV-Venlo - Borussia Mönchengladbach U23 4-3 / Pre-season friendly

Timeline

• 1920 / Foundation of a football club in Swolgen, a village in the northern half of the Province of Limburg, Netherlands. The new club, which takes on the name RKVV Wilhelmina, starts its life on a pitch laid out at modern-day Lambertusstraat, at the back of the church. The name of the club is a derivation of Café Zaal Wilhelmina, a local pub, which also served as the clubhouse and dressing room for the players. RKVV Wilhelmina joined the so-called RKLVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Limburgsche Voetbalbond), the Limburg branch of Roman Catholic Football Federation RKF.
• 1922 / RKVV Wilhelmina is temporarily suspended by the RKLVB for unknown reasons. Probably, the club folded at this point or shortly afterwards.
• 1927 / Foundation of a football club in Tienray, a village about a kilometre to the west of Swolgen. The new club is given the name RKVV TOP (‘Tot Ons Plezier’). RKVV TOP joins the RKLVB, as does a new club in Swolgen, which is given the straightforward name RKVV Swolgen. Whereas not much information is available about the whereabouts of TOP’s pitch or pitches, RKVV Swolgen probably started its life on a piece of wasteland referred to locally as the Swolgenerheide (modern-day Jan van Swolgenstraat), with the club moving to Terrein Harrie Janssen at Molenzijweg not long afterwards. After two seasons at this ground, the club moved to Terrein Willem Beurskens, at modern-day Molenstraat, at some point in the early 1930s. 
• 1932 or 1933 / RKVV Swolgen clinches the title in IVCB Overgangsklasse F (which means that the club must have managed at least two promotions previously, from RKLVB Division 2 and Division 1), winning promotion to IVCB Division 2 – IVCB standing for Interdiocesane Voetbalcompetitiebond, the nationwide RKF league system.
• 1934 / RKVV Swolgen drops back from IVCB Division 2 to the Overgangsklasse.
• 1937 / Withdrawing from RKLVB Division 1J, RKVV TOP becomes inactive for some time. Not much more information is available about the pre-war history of this club.
• 1940 / Following the occupation of the Netherlands by the German Reich, all football associations except for the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB for the duration of the war) cease their activities to prevent being wound up by German authorities. As so many other RKF clubs, RKVV Swolgen and RKVV TOP join the ‘neutral’ federation, with both being placed in the NVB Limburg sub-branch, Afdeling Limburg. At some point in the following years, RKVV Swolgense Boys changed its name to become RKSV (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging) Swolgense Boys.
• 1942 / At the behest of NVB authorities, who want to avoid confusion with SV TOP from Oss, RKVV TOP has to change its name, becoming RKVV Tienray and – not much later – RKVV TOP ’27.
• 1946 / RKSV Swolgense Boys wins promotion from Afdeling Limburg Division 1 to KNVB District South II’s (Sunday) League 4 for the first time.
• 1947 / RKSV Swolgense Boys finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, 3 points behind champions vv EWC ’46. Also in 1947, the club moves away from Terrein Willem Beurskens, settling on a newly laid-out pitch at Kerkebos.
• 1949 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4E, with an equal number of points as RKVV Quick Boys ’31, RKVV Swolgense Boys goes on to win a tie-break match for the title. Subsequently, the club fails to win promotion to Sunday League 3 in the championship play-offs against SV Hercules Reuver and RKSV Swift ’36.
• 1956 / RKSV Swolgense Boys finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, 10 points behind runaway champions RKSV Stormvogels ’28.
• 1958 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, RKSV Swolgense Boys drops back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 after twelve seasons.
• 1962 / RKSV Swolgense Boys manages a return to Sunday League 4 after four years in Afdeling Limburg Division 1.
• 1965-66 / While Terrein Kerkebos is undergoing renovation, with new dressing rooms and a practice pitch being added to the set-up, RKVV Swolgense Boys spends the entire 1965-66 season on a temporary pitch, Terrein Jac. Kleeven at Hulsweg.
• 1966 / RKVV TOP ’27 wins promotion from Afdeling Limburg Division 1 to Sunday League 4 for the first time.
• 1968 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, RKVV Swolgense Boys drops back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1.
• 1970 / In the best season in club history, RKVV TOP ’27 finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, 10 points behind runaway champions SV Vitesse ’08. Meanwhile, a second pitch is added to the set-up at Terrein Kerkebos, with first team football being moved to this new pitch.
• 1978 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, RKVV TOP ’27 descends into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 after twelve years – only after losing a tie-break match for second-last place in the league with RKSV Melderslo.
• 1991 / RKVV Swolgense Boys manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of 23 years.
• 1993 / Finishing in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, RKVV Swolgense Boys drops back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 along with bottom club SV Lottum. In 1994 or 1995, the club must have suffered a second relegation, finding itself in Afdeling Limburg Division 2 as a result.
• 1996 / In a reorganisation of the non-league football pyramid, which sees the abolition of all KNVB sub-branches, RKVV Swolgense Boys and RKVV TOP ’27 are both placed in District South II’s Sunday League 6.
• 2001 / Finishing as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 6D, 8 points behind champions RK BVV ’27, RKVV Swolgense Boys goes on to win promotion to Sunday League 5 in the subsequent round of play-offs. The successful coach is Cor Beekers.
• 2002 / Still coached by Cor Beekers, RKVV Swolgense Boys proves unable to cope with the level in Sunday League 5, finishing in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 5F and dropping back into Sunday League 6 after just one season.
• 2003 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 6E following a tie-break match against vv RESIA ’42, played at Sportpark Oude Linde in Well (2-1), RKVV Swolgense Boys manages an immediate return to Sunday League 5. The successful coach is Jan Loock.
• 2005 / Finishing as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 5F, 3 points behind champions RKVV Excellent, RKVV Swolgense Boys goes on to win promotion to Sunday League 5 in the subsequent round of play-offs. Meanwhile, in Tienray, RKVV TOP ’27 finishes in third place in District South II’s Sunday League 6F, going on to win promotion to Sunday League 5 in the play-offs. The successful coach is Marcel Hovens.
• 2007 / Coached by Ruud Vermeer, RKVV Swolgense Boys finishes in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, resulting in the club being retrograded to Sunday League 5 with bottom club RKSV FCV. Meanwhile, RKVV TOP ’27 finishes in fifth place in Sunday League 5F, going on to win promotion in the play-offs – heralding a return of the club to Sunday League 4 after an absence of 29 years at that level. The successful coach is Peter Seuren.
• 2008 / Coached by Sjaak Verlinden, RKVV TOP ’27 finishes bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, thus dropping back into Sunday League 5 after just one season, along with the club in second-last place, SV Oostrum. Meanwhile, RKVV Swolgense Boys manages to reconquer the lost territory, finishing as runaway champions in Sunday League 5F, 12 points ahead of runners-up RKVV Montagnards and thus taking TOP’s place in Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Henk de Bijl.
• 2010 / In their last season as independent clubs, RKVV Swolgense Boys manages a safe eighth place in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, while RKVV TOP ’27, coached by Gé Ummenthun, finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 4F, resulting in the club dropping back into Sunday League 6 with the club in second-last position, RKVV Holthees-Smakt. Following the 2009-10 season, (RK)SV Swolgense Boys and (RK)vv TOP ’27 conclude a merger, resulting in the foundation of Sporting Swolgen Tienray – commonly abbreviated as Sporting ST – taking the place of Swolgense Boys in Sunday League 4. While Sportpark Kerkebos in Swolgen is being completely renovated, the new merger club spends its first season at Sportpark ‘t Hoogeveld at Nehobolaan in Tienray, the ground of the former (RK)vv TOP ’27. 
• 2011 / With a new main pitch, situated to the west of the former Sportpark Kerkebos, having been laid out in Swolgen, flanked by a completely new clubhouse, all activities of Sporting ST are moved to what is officially branded the Multifunctionele Accommodatie (MFA) Kerkebos. Sportpark ‘t Hoogeveld in Tienray is abandoned.
• 2014 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, Sporting ST descends into Sunday League 5 along with the club in second-last place, VCH.
• 2023 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 5D, 1 point ahead of runners-up Astrantia SV, Sporting ST wins promotion to Sunday League 4.
• 2024 / Stopping short of a fully-fledged merger for the moment, Sporting ST concludes a partnership agreement with SVEB from nearby Broekhuizenvorst, resulting in the creation of Samenwerking Seniorenafdelingen-Samenwerkende Jeugdopleidingen (SSA-SJO) SVEB-Sporting ST, with all senior and youth academy teams being merged and matches being subdivided between Sportpark Kerkebos in Swolgen and Sportpark ‘t Venneke in Broekhuizenvorst. First team football of SSA SVEB-Sporting ST is alternately played at both parks as well.
• 2025 / First team football is moved to Sportpark Kerkebos once and for all. The future of Sportpark ‘t Venneke in Broekhuizenvorst remains veiled in clouds for the moment.
• 2026 / Conquering the title in District South II's Sunday League 4F, 2 points ahead of closest rivals DEV-Arcen, SSA SVEB-Sporting ST wins promotion to Sunday League 3. Also in 2026, the merger between SVEB and Sporting ST is sealed conclusively, as both clubs are absorbed into VICI 04 - an intricate choice of name, as, in Latin, Vici means both 'I won' (a clear reference to Caesar's immortal quote 'Veni, vidi, vici' - I came, I saw, I conquered) and 'Villages' - the plural of 'vicus', village or hamlet. As such, VICI 04 should also be understood as 'four villages', i.e. Tienray, Swolgen, Broekhuizen, and Broekhuizenvorst. 04 is not a reference to a historic date.

Note – Thanks to Swolgense Boys’ archivist Emiel Beurskens for providing essential snippets of information for the article above.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author