We went by Meerhout a couple of months ago and visited the current and the (in the meantime demolished) lost ground of Berg & Dal VV. But obviously that wasn’t the only team in Meerhout. Verbroedering Meerhout is now a part of the Geel team (spicy detail – Berg & Dal VV is currently playing in the former stadium of Verbroedering Meerhout) and Verbroedering used to have an agreement with lower league team KFC Heibloem Zittaart, with Zittaart being a part of the Meerhout village. The former stadium of Zittaart is still there.
There isn’t a lot known about KFC Heibloem ZIttaart. They were founded in 1941 and presumably immediately started playing in the Heibloemstraat. Heibloem Zittaart never made it to the national leagues, but we did manager to find they made it to the second highest regional league at one point. During the decades they played a lot of derbies – mainly against Berg & Dal VV, but also against Verbroedering Meerhout, Achter Olen, Oosterlo and several others.
Somewhere down the line (we believe it was in 2005) some kind of a brotherhood – an agreement in fact – started to exist with Verbroedering Meerhout. Mainly when Verbroedering started to go up in the leagues and even played in the national divisions. But early 2008 (by then Heibloem played the lowest regional division and Verbroedering was in fourth division) this agreement was put to an end by Verbroedering. This mainly meant that Heibloem ZIttaart had to look for a new board and even a new home ground.
We believe the agreement was a first step into a merger between the two teams, but the deal fell through after three years. If someone can confirm on this, that would be great. Nevertheless, Heibloem Zittaart started talks with the neighbouring FC Vrije Mannen Oosterlo (that had a serious shortage in players) to set up a merger, but that deal fell through as well. At the end of the season, in 2008, KFC Heibloem Zittaart had no option than to cease all activities. FC Vrije Mannen Oosterlo experienced the same problems shortly after – a forced move to De Leunen in Geel, less fans, no financial income anymore and in 2012 they ceased all activities as well.
In the meantime, the stadium in the Heibloemstraat was kept unused. Even ten years after date. But we’d advise everyone to visit this as soon as possible, since Meerhout seems to be cleaning up their village. The original stadium and lost ground of Berg & Dal VV has been demolished recently and we suspect this one is next.
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