Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC White Star Schorvoort

Wednesday 3 April 2024

BELGIUM: FC White Star Schorvoort

Terrein Schorvoortberg, Turnhout Schorvoort (FC White Star Schorvoort)

Belgium, province: Antwerp = Antwerpen

20 IV 2011 / FC White Star Schorvoort - FC Mariekerke 0-5 / Antwerp, Provincial Cup

3 IV 2024 / FC White Star Schorvoort - K Ternesse VV 2-0 / Antwerp, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1967 / Foundation of a football club in Schorvoort, a former hamlet to the south of Turnhout – and meanwhile absorbed into that town – which takes on the name FC White Star Schorvoort. Applying for membership of Belgium’s Football Association, the club receives registration number 7025. The club, which starts its life in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3, settles at Terrein Schorvoortstraat.
1971 / Champions in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3F, FC White Star Schorvoort wins promotion to Provincial League 2.
1977 / Finishing in last place in Provincial League 2C, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P3.
± 1978 / FC White Star Schorvoort moves into a new ground at Schorvoortberg – hitherto a piece of wasteland owned by the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW). Terrein Schorvoortstraat is retained for the time being for lower team football and training sessions.
1979 / Runners-up in Provincial League 3D, FC White Star Schorvoort accedes to P2.
± 1981 / Terrein Schorvoortstraat, retained for lower team football and training sessions in the past few years, is abandoned once and for all. The last traces of the ground are removed around 1985.
1982 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P2A, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P3.
1998 / Having had sixteen consecutive seasons in Provincial League 3, FC White Star Schorvoort now finishes in fourteenth place in P3C, resulting in an unprecedented relegation to Provincial League 4. It takes the club just one season to reconquer the lost territory, though, with promotion following in 1999 with a second place in P4D – and probably an ensuing round of play-offs.
2009 / Coached by Bart Willemsen, former KVC Westerlo and KAA Gent player, FC White Star Schorvoort finishes runners-up in P3D, 2 points behind champions KFC Mol. Qualifying for the play-offs for the fourth year in a row, the club finally manages to succeed in winning promotion to Provincial League 2.
2014 / Finishing in fourth place in P2B, FC White Star Schorvoort qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by K Wuustwezel FC (5-1).
2015 / Finishing in second place in P2B, 4 points behind champions K Berg & Dal VV, FC White Star Schorvoort qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by KFC Brasschaat (2-0).
2016 / Champions in P2B, 9 points ahead of K Merksplas SK – incidentally the first title for the club in 45 years – FC White Star Schorvoort, still coached by Bart Willemsen, accedes to Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
2017 / Finishing in last place in Antwerp’s Provincial League 1, FC White Star Schorvoort drops back into P2 after just one season, along with KFC De Kempen Tielen-Lichtaart, KFC Brasschaat, and Verbroedering Zwijndrecht.
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short in March 2020 due to the Covid lockdown after 26 of 30 matches, FC White Star Schorvoort finds itself in fourteenth place in P2B, resulting in relegation to Provincial League 3 along with VV Laakdal and KSV Schriek.
2022 / Runaway champions in P3A, 15 points ahead of KVC Lille United B, FC White Star Schorvoort wins promotion to Provincial League 2 under the guidance of trainer Jelle Van Litsenborg.
2023 / Runaway champions in P2B, 14 points ahead of KSK Weelde, FC White Star Schorvoort - still coached by Jelle Van Litsenborg - wins its second promotion in a row, acceding to Antwerp’s Provincial League 1 for the second time in club history.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different match visits: pictures 1-8, 10-12, 14-17 & 19-23 = April 2024 / pictures 9, 13 & 18 = April 2011.