Sunday 13 April 2008

BELGIUM: R Berchem Sport (1929-1967) K Berchem Sport (1967-2005, ±2010-) / K Berchem Sport 2004 (2005-±2010)

Stadion 't Rooi = Ludo Coeckstadion, Antwerp = Antwerpen = Anvers Berchem (K Berchem Sport, formerly R Berchem Sport / K Berchem Sport 2004)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

13 IV 2008 / K Berchem Sport - KSV Bornem 2-1 / League 4B (= BE level 4)
8 IV 2010 / K Berchem Sport - Verbroedering Meldert 1-3 / League 4B (= BE level 4)
5 IX 2012 / K Berchem Sport - KRC Mechelen 0-1 / League 3A (= BE level 3)

Note 1: Berchem Sport, founded in 1906 as an athletics club and adding football to their range of activities two years later, moved into Stadion 't Rooi in 1929. In 1931, the club became a Société Royale, preferring the French epithet 'Royal' to the Dutch-language 'Koninklijk' until 1967, when the club name was 'flemicised'. In 2005, following severe financial problems, the club had to resort to a restart under a slightly amended name, K Berchem Sport 2004 - when exactly the '2004' element was dropped from the name is beyond my knowledge, but I guess around 2010 the club chose to no longer add the year to their name and revert to the old K Berchem Sport. In 2008, the stadium was named after mythical former player Ludo Coeck. Finally, in 2019, all terraces were knocked down and - the main stand being declared unsafe - two new, temporary stands were installed (cp. pictures 37-44 below). It is as yet unclear what the future holds for the ground's monumental main stand.

Note 2: The photo series below has been compiled from four visits, chronologically: pictures 22-23: matchday visit, April 2008 / pictures 16-17, 19, 21, 30-33, 35-36 = matchday visit, April 2010 / pictures 15, 18, 20 & 24-29 = matchday visit, September 2012 / pictures 1-14 & 34: non-matchday visit, February 2018 / pictures 37-44 = non-matchday visit, March 2022.












































All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker (co-edited by J.C. te Boekhorst) / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

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