In these days of "high class" international football at the World Cup in Qatar, we love to give attention to the exact opposite of the football shown in the Middle East. That's why we recently visited a lower league team in a very small village, somewhere in Belgium.
Close by Putte, there is a tiny little village carrying the name Peulis. For a very long time it formed part of neighbouring villages Rijmenam and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, but since 1977 it's officially a part of Putte. Before all of those changes, people were already loving the football game. In 1943 Football Club Peulis was created, but in 1949 the team disappeared again.
Whether Football Club Peulis really disappeared to non existence or rather took a step back in a small league somewhere, we don't know. Fact is, the local division of the KWB (Kristelijke Werknemersbeweging / Christian Employee's Movement) started playing football and after a while they started playing competitive football in the FALOS, the football league of the KWB. In 1973, the Peulis division of the KWB's football team was officialised and they moved to the KKSFB (Koninklijke Katholieke Sport Federatie van België / Royal Catholic Sports Federation of Belgium).
The results were great as well. After a couple of promotions and a whole deal of nice games, the dream grew to officially join the Belgian FA. To the example of the late FC Peulis, the club finally jumped over in 1982 as Sportkring Peulis. The results were a bit more modest this time. It took them until 2001 to finally earn a first promotion, upon which only a year later relegation followed and the lowest regional league has been played ever since.
Although the local character and the lower-league atmosphere may attract some groundhoppers around, it's something else which is the real eye catcher. Their remarkably high stand behind/above the dugouts are from a different level. It's a stand you won't see that often and which makes this ground definitely worth a visit. Put SK Peulis on your to do list, you won't regret it!
If you want to enjoy our articles in Dutch, you can read them here.