Overpelt - Sportpark De Leukens
Bocholt 4-0 Dessel Sport (7-12-11)
Play Offs in December?
I love Belgium with all it's quirks. Anyone who has worked near the linguistic border will appreciate the oddity that is this relatively small country. To hear conversations going on in two different languages as a matter of routine is quite an experience. It's football is no different. It continually pushes the boundaries of what we in England would tollerate. They have tried country-wide membership schemes, embraced the bus-combi and created a league system that means the league is finished, and the play offs start, in mid March (and that is with a winter break!). And don't forget, this is the country that gave us Jean-Marc Bosman.
It came as no surprise that they have started to introduce the period championship to it's lower leagues, and will no doubt extend to others. I know that it is an very un-English thing to say, but I like the period championships. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the system (I believe started in the Netherlands) splits the season in equal parts (e.g. 4) and the winner of each group of games goes into the end of season playoffs. Dependant on the rules they will be joined by a certain number of highest place non period champions and possibly those finishing low enough in the league above. Yes, it is potentially unfair. A team may have a particulalry easy group of games mid way through the season. A low placed (and possibly even bottom placed) team can get promoted. But it does generate excitement. Anyone who witness the travelling MVV fans at Eindhoven last Feb when they clinched PC3 (although only about 12th in the league) will testify to that.
So what does the Belgian Div 3 Group B first period championship, that finished in October, have to do with Div 4 Overpelt in December? Simple. Bocholt and Dessel Sport finished equal, thus requiring a one off playoff at a neutral venue. As ridiculous as this sounds, it did provide Wednesday night football at a time that Europe is beginning to shut down for winter.
I was impressed with the ground. Neat and tidy, with excellent access to the main roads and a large social club and car park. Although not used, there was seggregation available. The ground originally belonged to KVV Overpelt-Fabriek who merged with Lommel SK (you didn't think we could go a Belgian write up without a merger did you?) to form KVSK United Overpelt-Lommel, with Overpeltse VV moving in in 2003.
The game was won comfortably by Bocholt, a remarkable turn around from the game I had seen 6 weeks earlier between the two at Dessel. I can't finished without mentioning the Bocholt bench. I must emphasise that neither red card Dessel got impacted on the out come of the game (it was already won), but I found the antics of the coaching staff and subs of Bocholt completely unacceptable. I hope it was a one off, but you should all be ashamed of the way you conducted yourselves that night.
It came as no surprise that they have started to introduce the period championship to it's lower leagues, and will no doubt extend to others. I know that it is an very un-English thing to say, but I like the period championships. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the system (I believe started in the Netherlands) splits the season in equal parts (e.g. 4) and the winner of each group of games goes into the end of season playoffs. Dependant on the rules they will be joined by a certain number of highest place non period champions and possibly those finishing low enough in the league above. Yes, it is potentially unfair. A team may have a particulalry easy group of games mid way through the season. A low placed (and possibly even bottom placed) team can get promoted. But it does generate excitement. Anyone who witness the travelling MVV fans at Eindhoven last Feb when they clinched PC3 (although only about 12th in the league) will testify to that.
So what does the Belgian Div 3 Group B first period championship, that finished in October, have to do with Div 4 Overpelt in December? Simple. Bocholt and Dessel Sport finished equal, thus requiring a one off playoff at a neutral venue. As ridiculous as this sounds, it did provide Wednesday night football at a time that Europe is beginning to shut down for winter.
I was impressed with the ground. Neat and tidy, with excellent access to the main roads and a large social club and car park. Although not used, there was seggregation available. The ground originally belonged to KVV Overpelt-Fabriek who merged with Lommel SK (you didn't think we could go a Belgian write up without a merger did you?) to form KVSK United Overpelt-Lommel, with Overpeltse VV moving in in 2003.
The game was won comfortably by Bocholt, a remarkable turn around from the game I had seen 6 weeks earlier between the two at Dessel. I can't finished without mentioning the Bocholt bench. I must emphasise that neither red card Dessel got impacted on the out come of the game (it was already won), but I found the antics of the coaching staff and subs of Bocholt completely unacceptable. I hope it was a one off, but you should all be ashamed of the way you conducted yourselves that night.