FC Romania

FC Romania is a non-league football club that was formed in August 2006 by Ion Vintilă. The team are based at Cheshunt Stadium close to the northern suburbs of London, where they are tenants to Cheshunt FC.

The club was formed to serve the Romanian community living in and around London and started off life playing in the Sunday London Weekend League and playing at Hackney Marshes. The team progressed to the Essex Business Houses League in 2008 and moving to the Low Hall Recreation Ground in Walthamstow.

‘The Wolves’ joined Division One (Central and East) of the Middlesex County League in 2010 while playing on an artificial pitch on Oliver Road behind Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road home. FC Romania won promotion to the Premier Division at the first attempt.

In 2011-12 the club finished as Middlesex County League runners-up but failed to win promotion because of ground grading issues. In 2012-13 the team finished in second place and were promoted to the Essex Senior League after arranging a groundshare with Cheshunt FC.

The club reached the second qualifying round of the FA Cup in 2014-15 in their first ever season in the competition; going out to Sutton United. In 2015-16 and 2016-17 the team ended in third place in the league.

Another FA Cup run to the second qualifying round came to an end in a replay to Hayes & Yeading United during the 2017-18 campaign prior to another third place in the league. However, this was enough to win promotion following the reorganisation of non-league football.

FC Romania were placed in Division One South Central of the Isthmian League where they ended the 2018-19 campaign in sixteenth place. The Wolves were second from bottom when the 2019-20 campaign was aborted owing to the Cornavirus pandemic.

It looked as though the club may be forced to close in the summer of 2020 as the club lost sponsorship and income before a businessman Stefan Voloseniuc read of their plight and decided to sponsor the club through his civil engineering company.

FC Romania will play in the Isthmian League Division One South Central in the 2020-21 season.

My visits

FC Romania 1 Takeley 0 (Wednesday 4^th October 2017) Essex Senior League (att: 48)

I’d had the day off work and spent most of it recovering from night shifts and my previous evening’s attendance at the epic FA Cup tie between Stratford Town and Scarborough Athletic. It was time to get some fresh air and exercise.

My timing wasn’t going to plan; nor was my organisation. I’d left home without my IPod, earphones and reading glasses. It was apparent just how essential these things were to me. I felt semi-naked!

Arriving at Liverpool Street I only had a few minutes before my train. I had considered going to Waltham Forest v Burnham Ramblers in the Essex Senior League as time was tight, but I stuck to my original plan.

I arrived at Theobalds Grove at 7.30 and walked briskly down the lane to Cheshunt Stadium. Admission was £5, but the programmes had all been sold. The car park was full so I expected a decent crowd once I’d entered the ground.

Cheshunt Stadium had been transformed since my previous visits; which can be viewed HERE. The area on the entrance side had been laid with new tarmac; the stands taken down and a new seated structure placed next to the pitch.

A perimeter fence had been installed to enclose the arena with small terraced covers put behind either goal. The far side still had the original little stand and it was still a long way back from the pitch. The new makeover was excellent.

It was time for some food. A cheeseburger and a Bovril cost me £5 as I settled to a place between the seats and the corner where the teams came out. Late kick offs are a usual feature of the Essex Senior League; with this encounter kicking off at 7.50.

Takeley went into the game unbeaten at the top of the league; while FC Romania were just above mid table with games in hand following their cup run. I expected a competitive game as is the norm in that competition; and I wasn’t let down.

The home side were cheered on all night by ten to fifteen ‘ultras’ who stayed behind the same goal all evening; singing their songs and generally adding to the occasion. A few had travelled down from north Essex.

The visiting fans were enraged within a few minutes as the home left back took down a Takeley player with high studs. I personally thought that referee Michael Scott could have given a yellow or red card. He decided to caution the player to the disgust of the visitors.

The Romanians generally used their nous and it began to enrage the visitors, who had that initial decision weighing on their minds. The match quickly became tetchy with chances at a premium. Plenty of niggly challenges were going in as I walked round the ground.

As I got round to the far goal a lovely pass sent Liviu Florin Pop through. He slotted neatly past the oncoming keeper to make it 1-0. The first cold winds of winter were blowing across the ground so I got a cup of tea.

The bloke in front asked the lady behind the hatch what a ‘tausage’ was? She grumpily told him it was a misprint. She didn’t look like raising a smile when I suggested that it may have been a Romanian sausage?

The Romanians played some lovely football and the Takeley defence was creaking at times; but they kept their composure. The sides headed off at the interval, with referee Scott still taking flak from the away team and their supporters despite him showing a total of six cards in the half.

At the interval a few neutral hoppers were in agreement that FC Romania could be the best team in the league, but they were prone to losing their discipline. The assistant manager of Eynesbury Rovers got chatting to the group.

His side had been drawn away to FC Romania in the next round of the FA Vase so he wanted to take a look. He left with plenty of advice; most of it probably no use at all! At least I gleaned some potential afternoon fixtures for the following week.

The second half was better viewing, with both sides looking to play football and attack. The clear cut chances were still rare, but at least the intent was there. Some of the home players had lovely skill on the ball.

With around ten minutes to go I decided to call it a night so that I could catch an earlier train back. I wanted to enjoy a few pints back at Kingsbury on my night off where I went to meet Steve Barnes. It appears that I didn’t miss anything too vital.

FC Romania 2 Brackley Town 4 (Sunday 25^th October 2020) Isthmian League Division One South Central (att: 160)

Choices were sparse on this day off work after Jersey Bulls had COVID travel restrictions imposed upon them. It had been my intention to watch them at their adopted home of Ascot United taking on Westside.

However, my regular travel companion and kind driver Tony was still keen to head across to Cheshunt, so who was I to refuse? It was pleasant if chilly afternoon when he collected me at Stanmore station. I was in good form.

An unexpected family meet and cycle ride showing them my favourite superhighway route around the sights was enough to gladden any heart. This was improved upon further by Celtic dropping two points in stoppage time in their game at Aberdeen.

Traffic continued to be on the lighter side as we headed around the M25 before getting an excellent parking spot just outside the main gates to the car park. We were pleasantly surprised to see a queue to get into the ground.

Admission was a tenner while the programmes had already been sold out. The amiable chap on the turnstile gave me the business card of the FC Romania secretary who was willing to get copies printed out and sent on free of charge for anyone who needed an issue. That impressed me.

There was time for a cuppa while taking in the scene. The only changes to the venue since my previous visit was the installation of new tip up seats in the far side stand which remained a long way from the pitch.

Before play the visiting Robins were around the play-off places while the hosts were towards the bottom of the table. Tony had been impressed with Brackley in their FA Cup defeat at Haringey Borough in the FA Cup a few weeks previously.

He was a good judge as they went at Romania from the start, exposing their three man defensive line up by playing down the wings. Little winger Seb Bowerman was giving full back Grosvenor Jack a torrid time beating him inside out before delivering low crosses.

It was Bowerman who provided the opening goal, jinking to the byline and then rolling the ball back to Dan Bayliss who slotted home with aplomb on three minutes to the acclaim of the away fans behind the goal who appeared oblivious to social distancing despite constant reminders over the PA.

The left winger continued to cause havoc. A free kick dipped just over the bar of home custodian Adrian Darabant and then he set up Shamar Moore who took his eye off the ball as it bobbled meaning his foot hot fresh air.

Armoo Jesse of Romania was seemingly doing his best to earn himself the sole early use of the showers having been correctly shown a yellow card for a poor challenge. He continued to harangue referee Fletcher and commit himself to situations that would he’d have been wise to avoid.

Then suddenly out of nowhere Romania equalised. A long ball was neatly headed on to Adrian Hurdubei who played in Vladut Sighiartu with a first time pass. The forward made no mistake slotting home past Mark Scott.

It was soon back to previous type as Brackley dominated possession. Michael Platt crashed a header from a Bowerman cross against the post before Jack Dean smashed a later effort out of the ground.

At this point the vocal Romania ultras arrived and got behind the side, who seemed to pick up a little with the encouragement. Their keeper Darabant was in the wars, requiring treatment twice in quick succession.

The first of these came from Bracknell retaking the lead as he fumbled Platt’s low cross. Moore went in for the loose ball and collided with Darabant while Bowerman was on hand to tap home into an empty net, queue more remonstrations from Jesse.

Robins skipper Max Herbert began to orchestrate the game in midfield after the interval but despite their possession his side couldn’t add to their lead. The turning point came when Romania attacked with William Dabquah delivering a cross to the back post where the impressive Hurdubei volleyed against the woodwork.

Jesse was replaced, no doubt so the hosts could finish the game with a full contingent. It was 3-1 on sixty seven minutes when Bowerman’s centre bounced before being headed in by Joe Grant who looked close to been offside.

Ten minutes later Bowerman was brought down in the box after tormenting Alex Rita. He picked himself up to dispatch the penalty to extend the lead to 4-1. Despite constant probing and pressure Romania continued to try and build attacks of their own.

Da Silva Eusebio was pushed in the area by Roberto Nditi, before scoring from the spot. The final few minutes saw lots more Bracknell possession. The only surprise was the game ended with a 2-4 scoreline.

It was a little disappointing that nobody thought it a good idea to unlock the main exit out of the ground at full time, meaning the whole crowd gathered near the turnstile and had to leave one by one. So much for the excellent regular announcements reminding us of social media.

Another decent game on a good playing surface and home before 6pm for a siesta before my Sunday meal. If only all Sabbath’s were as pleasurable.