© luc daelemans
Chairman Marc Van Craen and three other members of the board of directors will make way at the top of Voetbal Vlaanderen (VV), the Flemish amateur wing of the RBFA, at the end of June. Football Flanders confirms this to the Belga news agency. The new members have already been elected, a new chairman has not yet been appointed. Van Craen will become full-time operational director of arbitration within Voetbal Vlaanderen.
Jeroen DePauwBron: BELGIAN
The Antwerp native took office in June 2019 to succeed Gilbert Timmermans, after entering the federation as an amateur referee. During his tenure, he oversaw the Flemish federation during the major corona crisis and reformed the financial and administrative rules of amateur football. In the last months of his presidency, he also took over the operational management of the arbitration department, on which he will fully concentrate from July.
“I really enjoyed doing it”, says Van Craen himself about the past four years. “Together with a very good team, important things have been achieved and tough decisions have been made under my chairmanship. I’ve always tried to listen to everyone, but in such a big federation you can’t please everyone. Sometimes the public interest takes precedence over the individual.”
Under the church tower
Van Craen notices changes for amateur clubs in the future. “There are economies of scale and mergers here and there, because it has become more complex to run a club. The most important thing is that the youth can continue to play under the church tower.”
Together with Van Craen, three more board members will be leaving in June. The most famous of these, Robert Huygens (former federation chairman RBFA), has reached the age limit of 75 and must therefore step down as a representative of the province of East Flanders. Jean-Pierre Notelteirs (First National) and Willy Ozeel (West Flanders) also stop as board members. Wim Fonteyn, Herman Van Loo and Jan Brouwers are their respective successors.
VanCran. — © luc daelemans
On June 21, the General Assembly of VV will officially appoint the newcomers, the first board of directors will take place a day later. During that council, the new president and his vice-presidents will be elected.
Finally, two more independent directors will join the board, where Imke Courtois has also been an independent director since 2021. VV will announce who they are later.
