According to the Belgian FA, KWIK Eine is only 72 years old. The truth tells a completely different story. In the middle of East Flanders, near Oudenaarde, groundhoppers can feast their eyes and emotions on the home ground of KWIK Eine.
When it all started exactly is hard to pinpoint. First real messages on football in Eine go back to 1908 but it's very likely WIK Eine found its true origin already before 1908. The oldest document that state the existence of the team date from 1908 with a financial book and a members list. The name of the team back then was Foot-Ball-Club Willen Is Kunnen van Eyne. Finally in 1925 FC WIK decided to join the FA.
Team colours already were red/white back then and they started playing in the Serpentstraat after having played in the Heurnestraat for a few decades. But WWII did not only create human victims. FC WIK started having problems. In 1942 for instance they lost their pitch in the Serpentstraat and they were forced to move to the Broekstraat. But it just so happens that the Belgian FA decided to create certain rules around football fields in Belgium. Their new pitch in the Broekstraat did not meet the new demands and FC WIK couldn't play football anymore. The Belgian FA decided to scrap the team from the books, but in reality FC WIK kept on existing and they even realised some transfers in the next couple of years.
In 1945 a new era started in Eine. Willen Is Kunnen Eine joined the FA a second time after having made an agreement with a local farmer that owned the grounds in the Serpentstraat. The highs and lows for WIK were mainly in the regional leagues. By 1967 they managed to go to the first regional division, but five years later they were back in the third. But by the end of the 90s KWIK was back in the top regional league, even earning promotion in 2001 after having won the play offs. National division for the first time in history.
The first decade in the new millennium was one changing positions in fourth national division and the top regional league, but since 2010 it started to go downhill again unfortunately. Currently they are fighting for their spot in the second regional league.
After having played in the Serpentstraat (Ten Dijkbosch) for about 70 years, KWIK moved to the current stadium in the Pater Ruyffelaertstraat in 1992. Everything you see in this shoot is a true 90s baby. There is nothing left anymore of Ten Dijkbosch unfortunately. WIK - Willen Is Kunnen is a very peculiar football name. In fact KWIK Eine is one of the two only teams in Belgium with that abbreviation. WIK Boekel (not even that far away from Eine) is the only other team. It does make us long for the days where more teams had names like this. Remember THOR...
Willen Is Kunnen is a more frequent name for a marching band by the way. Willen Is Kunnen literally translates into To Want Is To Be Able To. TWISTBAT. Imagine that. On the other hand, KWIK Eine is definitely worth a visit although it's a fairly recent stadium. The grandstand is a beauty. There are some nice standing areas and some terracing. And especially the original entrance (these days it's on the other side of the stadium) is a looker.
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