Belgium

Namur Provincial 1

Saturday 17th November 2018

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.01

R. Union Sportive Loyers 0 Union Sportive Beauraing ‘61 0,  attendance 65

@ Rue Comognes De Loyers, 3G Pitch

5101 Loyers

€6 Admission

No Programme.

Three of us in the car had visited Loyers back on 25th November 2012, where, oddly enough, we saw the same opposition as tonight lose 4-0 in front of 93 spectators. The game was played on Stade Nicolas Loyers, which was a wonderful ground, full of character and still in place. There was a new clubhouse, that was halfway through construction, taking shape behind the top goal. This is now along the side of the newly constructed 3G Pitch that is now home to the first team. The new ground is so bland and unfortunately it is the way so many clubs are now heading, in what they call progress.

Loyers were in second place in the league table, behind Nismes on goal difference. Beauraing were fourteenth, which is three off the bottom. The match was simply dreadful, although Beauraing certainly didn’t look like a team near the bottom and quite how Loyers can now be top of the league following this point is beyond me. Even more ridiculous, is the thought that they could be playing in the Belgian League next season !

Belgium

Oost Vlaanderen Provincial 4C

Saturday 17th November 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

F.C. Velzeke ‘B’ 1 S.V. Everbeek 2,  attendance 64

3’ 1-0

29’ 1-1

90’ 1-2

@ Windmolenstraat 1

Velzeke-Ruddershove

9620 Zottegem

€4 Admission

No Programme.

This trip was booked almost two months ago, when the outbound crossing on The Tunnel was to be at 09.24. This was actually re-timed to 09.29, which departed two minutes late.  We were originally only planning a match in the evening, but a couple of matches in the Oost Vlaanderen Provincial League were brought forward to this afternoon.

F.C. Rangers Merelbeke was our chosen match, but when the fixture list was updated, this had reverted back to the original Sunday afternoon slot, but with the match in Velzeke being no more than ten minutes off route, we decided to go here instead,(we were booked on the same outbound train, whether we did the match or not) even though it was only the ‘B’ team and the match was being played on the main ground, which is home to the first team, who play one level higher, in Provincial 3. Things are a bit different in Belgium. Despite being the ‘B’ team, many of these clubs clubs play in the main pyramid and there is then a reserve league below this, where they field their ‘reserve’ teams.

Anyway, this looked like it might be a reasonable match, as the ninth placed hosts were entertaining the unbeaten league leaders, although it was hard to tell which of them was top of the table, as Velzeke attacked them from the off and totally dominated the early exchanges. Having scored after three minutes, they then had a couple more chances, before being awarded a penalty in the twenty second minute, which is where the match turned on its head. The penalty was easily saved and a few minutes later Evebeek levelled it up with a 20 yard free kick that gave the ‘keeper no chance. The second half was played almost entirely in the Velzeke half of the pitch, but they looked like they would hang on to gain a point, until a long ball over the top saw the visitors break clear and win it at the death.

There was plenty of time to head south east into Namur Province, checking in at our overnight hotel, before taking in a match in Namur Provincial 1 at 8pm.

Below photo : The Evebeek ‘keeper easily saves the Velzeke penalty kick.