HISTORY

1931–1942

Rivalry Between Sportkring Westerlo and Westerlo Sport

From 1924 to 1930, there was also the brief existence of Westerlo Football Club, the first club from Westerlo to join the Belgian Football Association. But it wasn’t until 1931 that the real revival began: Notary Naest once again made the pitch at De Bist available, marking the birth of Bist Sport. Upon joining the Belgian Football Association on October 1, 1933, the name was changed to Sportkring Westerlo. The club was particularly proud of registration number 2027.

The 1930s were the years of economic crisis, and this hardship also reached Sportkring Westerlo. Serious internal disagreements arose within the board, leading to a split in the team. This led to the foundation of Westerlo Sport. Westerlo Sport was based at Zoerledreef and was assigned registration number 2024. This number is still used today by KVC Westerlo.

The rivalry between Sportkring Westerlo and Westerlo Sport was not to be underestimated. Matches were often fiercely contested, though always in the spirit of fair play. These local derbies became the stuff of legend. Every inch of ground was fought over, and the Westerlo clashes were often discussed for weeks afterwards. After the disbanding of the Kempen League, the club joined the Belgian Football Association in 1935. Three years later, Westerlo became champions for the first time.

1942

Merger into Voetbalclub Westerlo

Although the many local derbies created some of the best stories, the ongoing rivalry also hindered sporting progress. Dean Fierens had grown tired of this situation. In May 1942, together with René Bens, he arranged a merger. The new Voetbalclub Westerlo continued under registration number 2024, while registration number 2027 was discontinued. Still, the former village clubs continue to live on in Campine legends—they were granted eternal life there. René Bens became the first chairman of what is now KVC Westerlo.

1942–1970

The Rapid Rise

Things moved very quickly for the Westerlo football club after that—perhaps, in hindsight, even too quickly. At Verbroedering Arendonk, during the 1959/60 season, we secured the title in the second provincial division. Promotion to the national leagues came in 1968! Just one year later, the celebrations continued with another championship title. And then came the leap to the third division. In 1970, we narrowly missed a third consecutive title after an epic battle against FC Seraing. Anyone who was there still gets fired up thinking about it. What a match that was!

1969 · KFC Herentals – VC Westerlo

1970–1993

Decline and Resurrection

As quickly as the rise came, the fall followed just as swiftly. On April 11, reality hit hard. After a heavy defeat at Tienen, Westerlo was sent back down. For ten years, the Kemphanen struggled in the promotion division. And the cup of suffering had to be emptied to the last drop: after two consecutive relegations, the once proud and ambitious Westerlo found itself in the second provincial division. Some still blush with shame at the memory. But fortunately, everything turned out fine in the end.

1984-1985 VC Westerlo

1993–1997

From Second to First National Division

Westerlo established itself as a steady presence in the third national division. That changed with the return of Jos Heyligen, who immediately secured the title. After that impressive achievement, coaches like Barry Hulshoff and Franky Dekenne took over, but in 1996 Jos Heyligen returned for a third spell. Successfully so, as just one year later Westerlo earned promotion to the first national division. That promotion followed a thrilling match against SV Waregem.

1997–2012

The Road to Europe

Fifteen consecutive seasons followed in the top division, each one more memorable than the last. At the start of the 2000/01 season, KVC Westerlo got a taste of European football through the UEFA Intertoto Cup. And it left us wanting more. That same season, alongside success in the league, we also won the Belgian Cup against KFC Lommelse SK. This victory meant we could participate in European competition for the first time the following season.

In the UEFA Cup, we faced Hertha Berlin in the first round — the club of local hero Bart Goor at the time. The first leg was marked by difficult circumstances. Just before the match, the September 11 attacks had shocked the world. On top of that, the weather during the game was terrible. Although we put in a strong performance, victory went to Die Alte Dame. The return leg was played in Hertha Berlin’s impressive stadium — a true eye-opener — but unfortunately, we failed to qualify for the second round. A missed opportunity, as more certainly seemed possible.

KVC Westerlo equaled its best-ever finish in the top flight — sixth place — in both the 2003/04 and 2008/09 seasons, a feat we had also achieved back in 1999/2000. The 2010/11 season was another standout campaign. That year, KVC Westerlo won Play-Off 2 and nearly repeated the cup success of a decade earlier. On the road to the final, we knocked out clubs like RSC Anderlecht, with a goal from Paulo Henrique securing the win over the Brussels side — no small feat considering they were able to bring on Romelu Lukaku in the 76th minute. We also defeated Lierse SK and Cercle Brugge en route to the final.

The final itself was lost 2–0 to Standard de Liège. With players like Steven Defour, Axel Witsel, and Sinan Bolat on their team sheet, it’s fair to say that defeat was no disgrace.

2012–2019

Dreaming of the Past

In the 2011/12 season, we finished in a disappointing fifteenth place. Relegation to the second division could not be avoided. Two years later, we managed to win the title in the then-called Belgacom League after a 1–0 home victory against KAS Eupen.

However, in the 2016/17 season, we were relegated once again.

Match after match, season after season, we kept dreaming of a return. In the 2018/19 season, we finished fourth in the overall standings, securing a place in Play-off 2. In a group with Beerschot-Wilrijk, Sint-Truiden, Charleroi, Oostende, and Eupen, we finished an impressive third. It strengthened our belief: KVC Westerlo belongs at the highest level.

2019–Present

Takeover and Promotion to 1A

On June 18, 2019, a major announcement was made: Turkish businessman Oktay Ercan became the new owner of the club. Under his leadership, and with Hasan Cetinkaya as vice president, the foundations for the future were laid. One thing was immediately clear: KVC Westerlo was bursting with ambition.

The 2021/22 season was a special one. The match against Lierse Kempenzone was postponed due to storm Eunice. The match against RWDM was delayed because of heavy snowfall. And the match against KMSK Deinze had to be rescheduled due to a COVID outbreak. But there was no room for delay at KVC Westerlo: we were fully focused on securing promotion to 1A. Today, we are enjoying beautiful football moments at the highest level — while continuing to write Westerlo’s football history.

Today, KVC Westerlo looks to the future with ambition. The club continues to grow — both athletically and structurally — while staying true to its identity: warm, passionate, and firmly rooted in the Kempen region.