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F.C. Romania

Coordinates: 51°41′39.829″N 0°2′29.976″W / 51.69439694°N 0.04166000°W / 51.69439694; -0.04166000
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FC Romania
Full nameFootball Club Romania
Nickname(s)The Wolves[1]
Founded2006; 18 years ago (2006)
GroundTheobalds Lane, Cheshunt
Capacity3,174[2]
OwnerIonuţ Vintilă
ChairmanJohn Saunders
ManagerIonuţ Vintilă
LeagueSpartan South Midlands League Premier Division
2023–24Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, 5th of 19
Websitewww.fcromania.com

Football Club Romania is a football club based in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England. The club are members of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and groundshare at Cheshunt's Theobalds Lane.

History

The club was established in August 2006 by Ionuţ Vintilă, an immigrant from Romania, with the team name reflecting the Romanian immigrant background of most of the team.[1] They started in Sunday league football, initially playing in the Sunday London Weekend League. After winning their division at the first attempt, the club switched to Saturday football, joining the Essex Business Houses League in 2008.[3] In 2010 they joined Division One (Central and East) of the Middlesex County League. After finishing as runners-up in their first season in the division, they were promoted to the Premier Division. In 2011–12 the club finished as runners-up in the Premier Division,[4] but were unable to be promoted due to ground grading regulations.[3]

In 2012–13 the club entered the FA Vase for the first time, beating Tring Athletic in the first qualifying round, before losing 7–0 at Hoddesdon Town in the next round.[5] In the same season the club finished second in the Premier Division for a second successive season and were promoted to the Essex Senior League after a groundsharing agreement with Cheshunt allowed them to meet the ground grading regulations. The season also saw them win the Middlesex County League's Open Cup with a 3–1 win over Bratham in the final.[3] In 2014–15 the club entered the FA Cup for the first time, reaching the second qualifying round, where they lost to Sutton United.

The 2017–18 season saw FC Romania win the Essex Senior League's Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy, beating Takeley 1–0 in the final.[6] The club also finished third in the league, and after Shaw Lane folded, they were promoted to the South Central Division of the Isthmian League as part of the league readjustments. At the end of the 2020–21 season, which was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were transferred to Division One Central of the Southern League.

Following a takeover of the club at the start of the 2022–23 season, John Mackie and Terry Spillane were appointed joint-managers, the first managers of the club since it was founded other than Vintilă. However, Mackie left after a month, and Spillane soon after. The club were near to collapsed but Vintilă re-purchased the club in February 2023 and appointed himself as manager, but was unable to save the club from relegation after the league deducted 3 points for ineligible player in November 2022 against Hadley at past regime, as they finished bottom of Division One Central and were relegated to the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League.

Ground

The club originally played on Hackney Marshes, before moving to the Low Hall Recreation Ground in Walthamstow when they moved up to the Essex Business Houses League.[3] When the club joined the Middlesex County League they began playing at Leyton Sports Centre.[3] In 2012 the club began ground sharing at Theobalds Lane.[3]

Management and support staff

As of 18 September 2023
Role Name
Manager Romania Ionuţ Vintilă
Assistant Manager Cyprus George Georgiou
First Team Coach England Henri Jackson
Goalkeeper Coach Romania Bogdan Scorici
Director of Football Cyprus George Georgiou
Physiotherapist England Imran Rehman

Managerial history

  • 2006 Romania Ionuţ Vintilă
  • 2022 England John Mackie & Terry Spillane
  • 2022 Cape Verde Chico Ramos
  • 2023 Romania Ionuţ Vintilă

Officials

As of 1 July 2023
Role Name
Owner Ionuţ Vintilă
Chairman John Saunders
Club Secretary Darren Bacon
Welfare Officer George Georgiou
Head of Communications Barbara Saunders
Head of Marketing Henri Jackson
Club Photographer Scott Lear

Honours

  • Essex Senior League
    • Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy winners 2017–18
  • Middlesex County Football League
    • Open Cup winners 2012–13

Records

  • Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19[5]
  • Best FA Trophy performance: Second qualifying round, 2020–21
  • Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 2015–16[5]

Affiliated clubs

See also

References

  1. ^ a b FA Cup debutants FC Romania eye Sutton United upset BBC Sport, 26 September 2014
  2. ^ Cheshunt Non-League Club Directory
  3. ^ a b c d e f History of FC Romania F.C. Romania
  4. ^ Premier Division: League Table Archived 18 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Mitoo
  5. ^ a b c FC Romania at the Football Club History Database
  6. ^ FC Romania lift Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy Essex Senior League

51°41′39.829″N 0°2′29.976″W / 51.69439694°N 0.04166000°W / 51.69439694; -0.04166000

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