At the Grassroots Awards, UEFA may be honoring the real heroes of football. The people at the base who ensure that football is and remains a sport for everyone.
The prizes have been awarded since 2010 and Ik Dien is the first Belgian club to receive the prize for Best Amateur Club. “A huge boost and recognition. It is unbelievable”, says the club from Edegem, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2024.
Ik Dien is a football club that runs exclusively on volunteers, does not have a single paid football player among its members and never asks anyone for an entrance fee.
The club has 819 members, of which 693 players are divided over 46 teams. And the club also has 34 different nationalities. “Almost 15% are women and girls. Our youngest player is 4 and our oldest active player is 85 years old. The oldest active footballer was born in 1954.”
“We are a real, warm family club”, says chairman and former player/coach Ludo
Frans, member since 1977 and father of two footballing sons. ”Some families have been with us for 4 generations. It abounds with brother and sister pairs. Players stay
usually their whole lives with our club.”
“The canteen is a second living room for many. Our first team consists entirely of players who have grown up from youth. We have recently also set up a walking team due to popular demand.”
The motto of the club? “We train to win, but play for fun!”
“I have never been so happy. Not even with a title”, the chairman beams. “Even better: this prize came completely out of the blue. We are recognized without having submitted our candidacy as a club. We were nominated by Voetbal Vlaanderen and the KBVB. We must have noticed there too.”
Ik Dien is not the first Belgian club to receive a Grassroots Award. In the past, City Pirates has already won in the category Best Social Initiative and RWDM as Best Participation Initiative.
