2015–16 Belgian Third Division

The 2015–16 season of the Belgian Third Divisions is the 89th season of the third-tier football league in Belgium, since it was established in 1926.

Belgian Third Divisions
Season2015–16

Participating teams

The league is composed of 37 teams split into two groups of 18 and 19. Teams will play only other teams in their own division.

As a part of changes in the Belgian league system to be implemented in 2016, the Third Division was rebranded as First Amateur Division and contracted to 16 teams. The three-period rankings and promotion playoff between third and fourth tier teams were scrapped. The 11 (or 12) teams in each group relegate to the restructured fourth division called Second Amateur Division, while the last placers also relegate to the new fifth division called Third Amateur Division.[1][2]

For the 2016–17 season onwards, the Amateur Superleague is made up of 16 teams, namely the nine relegated from the 2015–16 Second Division, the 2015–16 champion and runner-up of each Third Division group, the winner of qualifying playoffs contested by four teams in each group, and the winner of the match between losing playoff finalists. These teams must meet technical and administrative criteria.[3]

League tables

Due to a reform in the Belgian football league, the Belgian Third Division ceases to exist and is replaced by the Belgian Second Amateur Division from the 2016–17 season, now at the fourth level of Belgian football. A newly created league, the Belgian First Amateur Division is formed at the third level, effectively pushing the teams in this division one level down the pyramid. Only the top two teams in each division and the two promotion playoff winners are "promoted" to the new league, meaning they will remain at the third level, while most of the teams effectively drop to the fourth level. The two teams finishing in last position in each group are relegated to the Belgian Third Amateur Division, which in fact means a drop from level 3 to level 5 of the pyramid.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Hamme (C, P) 34 21 5 8 66 31 +35 68 Qualification to the 2016–17 Belgian First Amateur Division
2 Sint-Eloois-Winkel [lower-alpha 1] 34 16 13 5 56 43 +13 61 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
3 Oudenaarde [lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] (P) 34 17 9 8 70 45 +25 60 Qualification to the 2016–17 Belgian First Amateur Division
4 FCV Dender EH (P) 34 16 11 7 69 43 +26 59 Qualification to the Promotion play-offs
5 Londerzeel 34 17 8 9 58 37 +21 59
6 Sparta Petegem[lower-alpha 2] 34 16 8 10 66 54 +12 56 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
7 Eendracht Aalst[lower-alpha 2] 34 15 9 10 66 55 +11 54 Qualification to the Promotion play-offs
8 Temse[lower-alpha 2] 34 15 8 11 60 48 +12 53 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
9 La Louvière Centre[lower-alpha 2] 34 14 8 12 54 44 +10 50 Qualification to the Promotion play-offs
10 Olsa Brakel 34 11 13 10 56 46 +10 46 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
11 Gullegem 34 10 15 9 50 45 +5 45
12 Gent-Zeehaven 34 11 10 13 50 56 −6 43
13 Sint-Niklase 34 11 9 14 51 57 −6 42
12 Bornem 34 9 11 14 54 56 −2 38
15 Izegem 34 7 7 20 51 73 −22 28
16 Torhout 34 8 4 22 29 75 −46 28
17 Acrenoise 34 5 9 20 37 86 −49 24
18 Racing Mechelen 34 5 7 22 33 82 −49 22 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Third Amateur Division
Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 2016. Source: Group A at Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. Sint-Eloois-Winkel did not apply for a Belgian remunerated football license and is thus not allowed to play in the 2016-17 Belgian First Amateur Division. As a result, third placed Oudenaarde was promoted instead.
  2. Normally, the teams finishing in positions 3 to 6 were set to participate in the promotion playoffs (together with the teams finishing in the same positions in Group B) for the three remaining places in the 2016-17 Belgian First Amateur Division. Due to the fact that Sint-Eloois-Winkel, Sparta Petegem and Temse did not apply for a license and Oudenaarde was promoted, the playoff was contested by the four teams finishing highest in the league that did receive a licence, allowing Eendracht Aalst and La Louvière Centre to take part as well.

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Beerschot Wilrijk (C, P) 36 21 8 7 64 39 +25 71 Qualification to the 2016–17 Belgian First Amateur Division
2 Oosterzonen Oosterwijk (P) 36 19 14 3 68 38 +30 71
3 Bocholter 36 19 7 10 52 41 +11 64 Qualification to the Promotion play-offs
4 Hasselt (P) 36 18 6 12 63 41 +22 60
5 Wallonne Ciney[lower-alpha 1] 36 17 6 13 57 42 +15 57 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
6 Sprimont-Comblain (P) 36 16 8 12 56 43 +13 56 Qualification to the Promotion play-offs
7 Liège[lower-alpha 1] 36 15 8 13 58 56 +2 53
8 Hamoir 36 15 7 14 70 74 −4 52 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Second Amateur Division
9 Rupel Boom 36 15 6 15 65 55 +10 51
10 Berchem Sport 36 14 8 14 51 55 −4 50
11 Cappellen 36 14 7 15 51 56 −5 49
12 Hoogstraten 36 13 9 14 60 60 0 48
13 Walhain 36 12 11 13 48 57 −9 47
14 Tempo Overijse 36 12 9 15 47 56 −9 45
15 Union La Calamine 36 12 4 20 44 59 −15 40
16 Tienen-Hageland 36 10 10 16 52 56 −4 40
17 Grimbergen 36 9 7 20 38 55 −17 34
18 Woluwe-Zaventem 36 9 6 21 34 61 −27 33
19 Diegem Sport 36 8 7 21 33 67 −34 31 Relegation to the 2016–17 Belgian Third Amateur Division
Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 2016. Source: Group B at Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. Ciney did not apply for a Belgian remunerated football license and is thus not allowed to play in the 2016-17 Belgian First Amateur Division. As a result, seventh placed Liège was allowed to participate in the promotion playoffs for the three remaining places in the 2016-17 Belgian First Amateur Division.

Promotion play-offs

The eight teams taking part in the promotion play-offs are playing to win one of the three remaining places in the 2016-17 Belgian First Amateur Division. The final match between the winners of Round 2, Sprimont-Comblain and FCV Dender EH, was not played as both teams already achieved promotion by winning Round 2. Hasselt beat La Louvière Centre in the third place match and took the final promotion spot. The five losing teams will play in the 2016-17 Belgian Second Amateur Division, effectively one level lower than in the 2015-16 season.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
            
Bocholter 1 1 2
Sprimont-Comblain 2 3 4
Sprimont-Comblain 3 3 6
Hasselt 0 0 0
Liège 1 0 1
Hasselt 1 0 1 (a)
 
 
Londerzeel 1 1 2
FCV Dender EH 2 0 2 (a)
FCV Dender EH 2 1 3 Third place
La Louvière Centre 0 1 1
La Louvière Centre 1 5 6 La Louvière Centre 2 0 2
Eendracht Aalst 3 0 3 Hasselt 3 4 7

References
  1. Chenot, Vincent (10 June 2015). "VOICI LA NOUVELLE RÉFORME DES D3 ET PROMOTIONS: UN SEUL DESCENDANT PAR D3 ET PROMOTION POUR LA SAISON 2015-2016". sudinfo.be (in French). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  2. Lecaillon, Stéphane (15 June 2015). "Le football belge réformé et régionalisé ce lundi". L'Avenir (in French).
  3. "Licences 2016-2017 : mode d'emploi" (in French). SportBelge. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
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