2017–18 Belgian Third Amateur Division

The 2017–18 Belgian Third Amateur Division is the second season of the division in its current format, replacing the former Belgian Fourth Division.

Belgian Third Amateur Division
Season2017–18

Team changes

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Takeover

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Belgian Third Amateur Division A

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Menen (P) 30 19 5 6 66 35 +31 62 Promotion to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division
2 Dikkelvenne (P) 30 18 4 8 71 36 +35 58 Qualification to Promotion play-offs VFV
3 Wingene 30 16 9 5 47 23 +24 57
4 Eppegem (P) 30 16 7 7 60 42 +18 55
5 Wetteren 30 14 8 8 46 38 +8 50
6 Lebbeke 30 13 8 9 47 40 +7 47
7 Melsele 30 12 7 11 52 44 +8 43
8 Wervik 30 12 7 11 43 43 0 43
9 Merelbeke 30 11 10 9 51 44 +7 43
10 Wolvertem Merchtem 30 10 9 11 40 49 −9 39
11 Lede 30 10 6 14 41 48 −7 36
12 Stekene 30 9 8 13 43 51 −8 35
13 Ninove (R) 30 8 8 14 45 57 −12 32 Qualification to relegation play-offs
14 Grimbergen (R) 30 7 5 18 34 62 −28 26 Relegation to the 2018–19 Belgian Provincial Leagues
15 Mariekerke (R) 30 6 8 16 38 55 −17 26
16 Vlamertinge (R) 30 2 5 23 13 70 −57 11
Source: https://www.vbal4.be/p010241z9.htm
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated


Belgian Third Amateur Division B

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Heur-Tongeren (P) 30 17 4 9 59 37 +22 55 Promotion to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division
2 Wellen 30 15 10 5 53 31 +22 55 Qualification to Promotion play-offs VFV
3 Termien 30 16 6 8 60 39 +21 54
4 Diegem (P) 30 15 5 10 61 43 +18 50
5 Leopoldsburg 30 14 6 10 54 39 +15 48
6 Bilzen 30 14 6 10 60 54 +6 48
7 Nijlen 30 13 6 11 54 55 −1 45
8 Esperanza Pelt 30 13 5 12 54 50 +4 44
9 Woluwe-Zaventem 30 11 8 11 55 51 +4 41
10 Houtvenne 30 11 7 12 60 59 +1 40
11 Kampenhout 30 10 8 12 41 49 −8 38
12 Ternesse 30 9 7 14 54 69 −15 34
13 Diest (R) 30 9 5 16 41 66 −25 32 Qualification to relegation play-offs
14 Hoeilaart (R) 30 8 6 16 39 68 −29 30 Relegation to the 2018–19 Belgian Provincial Leagues
15 Herentals (R) 30 7 6 17 38 59 −21 27
16 Sterrebeek (R) 30 6 9 15 40 54 −14 27


Belgian Third Amateur Division C

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 La Louvière (P) 30 21 6 3 74 24 +50 69 Promotion to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division
2 Francs Borains (P) 30 20 6 4 80 31 +49 66 Qualification to Promotion play-offs ACFF
3 Onhaye 30 18 2 10 66 47 +19 56
4 Tournai 30 16 7 7 45 27 +18 55
5 Couvin-Mariembourg (P) 30 16 6 8 61 43 +18 54
6 Binche 30 16 4 10 56 53 +3 52
7 Wavre 30 15 7 8 58 47 +11 52
8 Entité Manageoise 30 11 8 11 52 50 +2 41
9 Albert Quevy-Mons 30 10 9 11 44 40 +4 39
10 Jeunesse Tamines 30 10 7 13 46 56 −10 37
11 Ganshoren 30 10 6 14 40 54 −14 36
12 Léopold 30 9 5 16 47 50 −3 32
13 Stade Brainois 30 8 5 17 35 52 −17 29 Qualification to relegation play-offs
14 Spy (R) 30 6 4 20 39 83 −44 22 Relegation to the 2018–19 Belgian Provincial Leagues
15 Solre (R) 30 4 8 18 35 67 −32 20
16 Waterloo (R) 30 4 2 24 34 88 −54 14


Belgian Third Amateur Division D

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Locations of the 2017–18 Belgian Third Amateur Division D teams

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Tilleur (P) 30 21 4 5 73 24 +49 67 Promotion to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division
2 Visé (P) 30 19 7 4 83 32 +51 64 Qualification to Promotion play-offs ACFF
3 Stockay 30 17 7 6 59 33 +26 58
4 Aische 30 14 8 8 53 39 +14 50
5 Herstal 30 12 11 7 76 59 +17 47
6 Longlier 30 13 6 11 46 49 −3 45
7 Aywaille 30 13 4 13 60 59 +1 43
8 Givry 30 11 10 9 66 48 +18 43
9 Richelle 30 11 9 10 58 42 +16 42
10 Verlaine 30 10 10 10 51 45 +6 40
11 Huy 30 10 9 11 51 52 −1 39
12 Mormont 30 10 8 12 45 53 −8 38
13 Bertrix 30 10 6 14 36 61 −25 36 Qualification to relegation play-offs
14 Habay (R) 30 8 6 16 41 54 −13 30 Relegation to the 2018–19 Belgian Provincial Leagues
15 Namur[a] (R) 30 2 4 24 31 111 −80 10
16 Cointe (R) 30 1 7 22 25 93 −68 10
  1. ^ UR Namur has been sanctioned by the control commission of the Belgian FA for financial irregularities and outstanding debts to former players and staff. The team will face relegation and start the 2018–19 season with a penalty of 9 points. If they had achieved promotion during the 2017–18 season, the club would have remained in the Belgian Third Amateur Division, however as they relegated, they immediately dropped two levels, not one.[1]


Championship matches

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Both the two VFV and two ACFF teams winning their leagues will play a title match to determine the overall VFV and ACFF champions of the Belgian Third Division. The overall ACFF champion will be determined over two legs while Menen and Heur-Tongeren will play for the VFV title in a single match at the stadium of Menen (determined by draw). There will be no match between the overall VFV and ACFF champions.

Championship match VFV

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Menen0–5 FFHeur-Tongeren

The match was not played as Menen forfeited the game, Heur-Tongeren is the official VFV champion.

Championship match ACFF

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First leg

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Tilleur1–1La Louvière
Kinif   19' Falzone   30'

Second leg

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La Louvière2–2Tilleur
Phiri   26'
Maeyens   90+1'
Falcione   32'
Janin   87'

With an aggregate score of 3-3, Tilleur won the encounter on away goals and was crowned overall ACFF champion of the 2017–18 Belgian Third Amateur Division.

Promotion play-offs

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Promotion play-offs VFV

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The teams finishing in second place in the Third Amateur Division A and Third Amateur Division B will take part in a promotion playoff first round together with three period winners from both divisions. These 8 teams from the VFV will play the first round of a promotion-playoff, with two teams promoting to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division. Depending on the number of VFV teams relegating from the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division and possible mergers and bankruptcies, more teams might get promoted. As a result, the two winning teams in the VFV Round 2 immediately received promotion, while the other teams continued the play-offs to determine the order in which possible further places would be awarded.

In Division A, champions Menen and second placed Dikkelvenne each won one periods, allowing the next three teams in the league to take part: Wingene, Eppegem and Wetteren. In Division B, the two periods were won by champion Heur-Tongeren while second placed Wellen won the remaining period. Hence the teams in overall positions 3 to 5 took part: Termien, Diegem Sport and Leopoldsburg.

VFV Round 1

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Dikkelvenne3–0Wellen
Jabar  
Martens  
Pollet  
Wingene1–2Diegem
Leopoldsburg1–1 (a.e.t.)Termien
Penalties
2–4
Eppegem4–3 (a.e.t.)Wetteren

The four winners will continue into the VFV Round 2 where one extra place is available.

VFV Round 2

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Diegem3–0Termien
Gajanovic   10'
Benamar   66'
Frick   80'
Dikkelvenne1–2Eppegem

Diegem and Eppegem were promoted to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division, while Dikkelvenne and Termien moved to the VFV Round 3 to play for the order on the waiting list in case any remaining places came up.

VFV Round 3

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Dikkelvenne2–0Termien
Van Damme   49'
Martens   77'
Report

Following the bankruptcy of Lierse in the Belgian First Division B, an extra spot became available. As the winner of round 3, Dikkelvenne was promoted to take up this free spot. Termien remains in the Belgian Third Amateur Division.

Promotion play-offs ACFF

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The team finishing in second place in the Third Amateur Division C and Third Amateur Division D will take part in a promotion playoff first round together with three period winners from both divisions. These 8 teams from the ACFF will play the first round of a promotion-playoff, with normally one team promoting to the 2018–19 Belgian Second Amateur Division although more places could come up which is why the third round also features a match between the losers of the second round.

In Division C, Couvin-Mariembourg and Onhaye managed to each win one period. As the other period was won by champions La Louvière, the remaining spots in the play-offs went to second placed Francs Borains and fourth placed Tournai. In Division D, the champions Tilleur had won two periods, the other went to Visé who were joined in the play-offs by the teams finishing 3rd to 5th, Stockay, Aische and Herstal.

ACFF Round 1

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Onhaye2–3Couvin-Mariembourg
Gilain   29'
Kembi   38'
Report Hallaert   28'
Meerpoel   87'
Maistriaux   90'
Tournai1–4Francs Borains
Herstal0–2Aische
Stockay2–3Visé

The four winners moved on to Round 2 while the losers are eliminated.

ACFF Round 2

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Francs Borains4–0Aische
Boussu
Visé2–0Couvin-Mariembourg
Visé

The winners would normally move on to Round 3 to play for promotion, however this season two teams were promoted directly and therefore the match was not necessary as both Francs Borains and Visé were promoted. The losers play a match to determine third place in case extra promotion places would come up.

Third place match

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Aische1–3Couvin-Mariembourg

As one extra spot became available, Couvin-Mariembourg was also promoted. Aische remained in the Belgian Third Amateur Division.

Relegation play-offs

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ACFF

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Bertrix3–1Stade Brainois
Bertrix

As no teams from the ACFF wing relegated from the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division, both teams were eventually spared from relegation.

Ninove4–1Diest
Verhaeghe   10'
Amazou   27'
Van Den Branden   70'
Lepage   90+5'
Report Commers   12'

At the time of the match, it was yet uncertain how many teams from each wing would be relegated. In the end, with the relegations of Hamme, Berchem Sport and Patro Eisden Maasmechelen from the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division and the addition bankruptcy of Lierse (playing in the 2017–18 Belgian First Division B), which are all VFV teams, both Diest and Ninove were eventually relegated.

References

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