Freethiel – stadium description

When the ground was established in early years of the 20th Century, it was a very popular… cycling track. Its name derives from those days – Frethiel comes from first syllables of the owner’s name, Frederick Thielemans. Only in 1938 football became the primary use with Beveren club moving in. It took another 11 years for players to stop changing clothes in wooden barracks as the ground received its first concrete structure in 1949.

Best years for the venue were late 60’s and early 70’s, when three new stands were raised, respectively in 1967, 1972 and 1974. At peak capacity reached 22,000, more than the number of citizens. It became the leading arena of Belgium and internationals against the likes of Barcelona or Inter were played here.

In 2008 yet another major revamp started with the erection of a new main grandstand, first of four to be built. The timeline for remaining construction is still unclear, though.