Football Club Ganshoren is a Belgian football club located in the Brussels north-west district of Ganshoren who were formed on April 1st 1971. However, the current club is the third to appear under the Ganshoren name.
Crossing FC Ganshoren were founded in 1913; going on to become Brabant provincial champions in 1958-59 before changing their name to Royal Crossing Club Molenbeek and moving south to Molenbeek in the capital.
In future years that club would evolve to win promotion to the top flight of Belgian football as R.C.S. Schaarbeek to become the famous Royal Crossing Club Schaarbeek. In 1991 Crossing merged with V.V. Elewijt to become KVV Crossing Elewijt.
A new club; Red Star Ganshoren was created in 1964, from whence they spent the next six seasons playing in fourth level Brabant Provincial football, before dissolving in 1970.
FC Ganshoren began life playing at the same fourth level of regional football in the 1971-72 season before winning a promotion and then progressing to the second tier at the end of the 1979-80 campaign.
In 1986-87 a further promotion was won to the elite Brabant Provincial divisions, where they remained until 1989-90. 1991-92 saw the club regain their top flight status, before dropping back down two years later.
The 1990’s were not kind to Ganshoren, as a total of three relegations saw the club plummet back to the fourth provincial level by the completion of the 1996-97 season. However, the club were to bounce back in dramatic fashion.
The fourth tier title was won at the first attempt. In 2000-01 ‘Le Vert et Noir’ won another promotion to reach the second level. In 2007-08 Ganshoren went back to the top tier of provincial football following another successful season.
In 2010-11 the team finished in third place to enter the play-offs. Victories over RCS Brainois and then Albert Schaerbeek RUS took the club to the Belgian national Fourth Divisions for the first time in their history.
Ganshoren maintained their position and secured safety through the play-offs in 2013-14. The following season saw the club finish just above the drop zone before the league was rebranded as the Third Amateur Division for 2016-17.
Once again the team just avoided relegation in 2016-17 to retain their national leagues status prior to an eleventh place in 2017-18. However, the 2018-19 season saw Ganshoren finish in the relegation play-off where they went down to RAFC Oppagne-Wéris. Fortunately, they were saved from the drop owing to results in other divisions.
The team led the division when the COVID-19 pandemic cut the 2019-20 season short. The Belgian FA declared the positions as final and promoted the club to the fourth tier Belgian Second Amateur Division.
FC Ganshoren will play in the Belgian Second Amateur Division in the 2020-21 season.
The team led the division when the COVID-19 pandemic cut the 2019-20 season short. The Belgian FA declared the positions as final and promoted the club to the fourth tier Belgian Second Amateur Division.
FC Ganshoren will play in the Belgian Second Amateur Division in the 2020-21 season.
My visit
Saturday 19th August 2017
My long weekend in the capital had got off to a good start as I’d visited a couple of grounds before having a brief siesta in my room at the Hotel Sabina. There was time to call in at a couple more grounds before the first of my evening games at Stade Roi Baudouin.
My long weekend in the capital had got off to a good start as I’d visited a couple of grounds before having a brief siesta in my room at the Hotel Sabina. There was time to call in at a couple more grounds before the first of my evening games at Stade Roi Baudouin.
The number 2 Metro took me from Madou to Simonis, where I went upstairs to a busy bus stop, with a good view of Parc Elisabeth with the magnificent Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur à Koekelberg at the far end.
The number 87 bus took me north east through the city to the Ganshoren-sport stop on Avenue des Neuf Provinces. I walked up the small lane Rois au Bois over the railway level crossing past Royal Charles-Quint Tennis Club.
The lane also had other sports organisations along it. I came to the locked gates of FC Ganshoren around five minutes on the right hand side. The small venue looked to be well kept and ideal for a club of their standing.
All of the club facilities were at the near end, while an impressive grandstand straddled the half way line on the far side. The rest of the ground consisted of flat grass and hard standing. The wonders of a zoom on my IPhone camera allowed me to get some reasonable snaps.
My next venue was within walking distance through Marais de Jette-Ganshoren; where I got a bloody good drenching in a downpour on route to Stade Communal de Jette.
My next venue was within walking distance through Marais de Jette-Ganshoren; where I got a bloody good drenching in a downpour on route to Stade Communal de Jette.
No comments:
Post a Comment