History: KVC Westerlo

Abortive attempts
Indeed, just ten years after their foundation the team actually folded. Several abortive attempts at reform later they finally got their act together in 1935 when, now known as Westerlo Sporto, the club became a member of the Belgian Football Association.

New merger
Three years later the team won a provincial league championship but the second world war caused considerable disruption and in 1942 they re-emerged in yet another new guise after a merger between Den Bisto and De Dreefo.

Gradual climb
Success, though, was still hard to come by and in 1946 the side were relegated to the lower leagues. They gradually began a steady – but lengthy – climb up the divisions and finally, two decades later, reached the third division in 1969.

Vermeer's vision
Thanks to the foresight of the club's former president, Fernand Vermeer, KVC Westerlo began to turn the corner and in 1997 a play-off victory ensured promotion to the top flight for the first time; since then they have not looked back.

Cup winners
Despite a relatively unimpressive start to their stay among the élite, Westerlo at least consolidated their position. In 2001 the Kuipje stadium outfit claimed their first piece of silverware by lifting the Belgian Cup after beating KFC Lommelse SK 1-0 in the final.

Into Europe
This success provided European football for the first time but, sadly, it was an inauspicious start as Westerlo were eliminated in the first round of the 2001/02 UEFA Cup, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Hertha BSC Berlin.

2001/02: 14th in Belgian league.