Hidden somewhere in the Belgian Kempen you'll find the small village of Ramsel. Not only does the local football team have a bigger history than you'd expect, it's also the connecting link in the Vandenbergh family. The stadium in the Schoolstraat holds quite some history.
We are in 1916 and Europe is in serious war time. The brave Belgians went through rough times and football was one of the very few activities that people had to amuse themselves. It won't be a surprise a lot of older football teams ceased activities due to the war, but at the same time quite some clubs were founded. FC Altijd Kontent Ramsel (Always Happy) was one of those teams that started playing in 1916. Oddly enough they stopped playing in 1918 after the war.
It would take until 1922 to have serious talks again to reform the team. In 1924 it was official. Football Club Altijd Kontent Ramsel was back, albeit on a different playing field. Those first years the club's motto "Always Happy" kept them going as they would mainly stay in the lower regional leagues. Even after WWII. The first remarkable item happened in 1955 when they received their royal title and changed their name into K Ramsel FC. 'Altijd Kontent' would only be seen in their logo as of then.
The real glory days of the team would follow in the 70s. In 1970 they promoted to the top regional league and three years later they managed to reach the national leagues, fourth division at that time. In the meantime a young Erwin Vandenbergh joined the youth teams. It's no coincidence Ramsel FC had their best end result ever in 1976 (a third place), the exact same year Erwin debuted in the first team. Later on he would become a star player at Lierse, Anderlecht, AA Gent, RWDM and the Belgian national team.
K Ramsel FC would experience a different story though. In 1979 they relegated back to the regional leagues and they would stay there to this day. They even hit rock bottom as they are in the lowest regional league. Again, their old motto is what they keep in mind while playing. But it isn't completely over. Earlier in 2020 they managed to finalize a remarkable incoming transfer. Kevin Vandenbergh, son of Erwin, moved to Ramsel and is most likely to end his career at the same team where it all started for his father. After great spells at Westerlo, Genk, Utrecht and KV Mechelen we'll be able to see Kevin score his goals in Ramsel.
If you want to enjoy our articles in Dutch, you can read them here.
Comments