The last few months Lokeren and Temse have been in the news on a frequent basis. KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen had to file for bankruptcy and was in desperate need of solutions to survive. After a few failed discussions KSV Temse became the hero of the day. But who is this KSV Temse?
To know the real history we have to go all the way back to 1908. That's when Racing Temsche was founded by the Brys brothers. They had learned the game while studying in England. The first few years the team didn't play in the Belgian FA competition, they only joined midway the 20s changing their name into FC Temsica (although some sources speak of KV Temsica). In the meantime Temsica had received competition from Temsche Sportkring. Temsche SK did join the Belgian FA sooner and therefore also received a lower matricule number.
After years of only lower league (regional) football, Temsica had decided to join forces with Temsche SK (whom had played third division a number of years during the 30s) and go fo national football together. A first merger attempt failed in 1944, but in 1945 it was a done deal. Matricule numbers 501 and 807 were dismissed (as according to the rules back then a merger had to apply for a new matricule number) and Koninklijke Sportvereeniging Temsche was officially born. They only really received the royal titel in 1995, but the FA allowed the use of it already in 1945.
The ambition to reach the national leagues became reality in 1948 already (still third division), but sadly enough it became a one year story. Afterwards the team started a long and hard struggle to come back. Up until 2003 KSV Temse went up and down between the two top regional leagues. The bulk if those years were spent in the second division, but every ten years or so the team did manage to play the top regional league as well. But 1993 would become the year of change. That's when they returned to the top regional league and ever since their results kept going better. National football was waiting.
It finally happened in 2003, but the start was rather difficult. After more than half a century KSV Temse was back in the national leagues, but again it was a one year story. Luckily this time they returned quickly (2005) and never had to look back again. The faces turned to third division (as a new goal) and in 2009 they finally returned to third division. In the meantime (between 2008 and 2010) a new grandstand was being built to accommodate their ambition.
Several years the team had chances to promote to second division but at least as many years they were fighting to stay in third division. In the end KSV Temse always kept on playing third division. But next to the pitch dark clouds appeared. Struggles in the board room caused instability and financial problems. There were even messages in 2019 that stated doubts about the further existence of the team. In the meantime KSV Temse played the second amateur division after the restructured competition format in 2016.
We are 2020 now and all of a sudden the football landscape in Temse is completely different. The neighbours from Lokeren saw their team disappear and they were looking for solutions to start over. Several scenarios were discussed but in the end KSV Temse became the hero. KSV would move to Daknam in Lokeren and play as SC Lokeren-Temse using the KSV Temse matricule number. Their own Fernand Schuerman stadium became the new B stadium (mainly for the youth teams). Yet the Fernand Schuerman stadium can still enjoy A football as recently SV Blauw Wit Temse was founded. The new team isn't a continuation of the old KSV Temse, but is mainly created to fill the gap KSV has left by moving to Lokeren. Blauw Wit managed to find an agreement to play on old and known fields. And we are glad for that! Because the stadium, despite the new grandstand, still breathes a lot of charm.