Romanians migrants have featured on the UK’s political agenda in recent years, but now they’re hitting the sporting headlines as well.
Thanks to the success of Hertfordshire-based FC Romania, the focus has switched from immigration issues to promotion up football’s ladder of leagues.
The team was formed in 2006 by Ionut Vintila, a Romanian based in Cheshunt, also home to their ground Theobalds Lane.
Their first season was spent in Sunday league football, but they switched to Saturdays the following year after relatives of Ionut persuaded him it would be a good idea.
“It started with us playing football in an organised manner and more for fun than anything else. The idea came from relatives of mine who helped gather the money needed to register to the league,” Vintila explains.
[pullquote align=”right”]“It seems we’re on a good track. As long as we have English fans who buy FC Romania scarves, we are doing a good thing.”[/pullquote]
He has since seen the team grow through a combination of hard work and a lot of help to reach reach the level they’re at today in the ninth-tier Essex Senior League.
This season has been a new high for the Romanians, becoming the first team named after a country to play in the FA Cup, and it was a memorable run for ‘The Wolves’.
After entering the competition in the extra preliminary rounds, they overcame Haverhill Rovers, Heybridge Swifts and AFC Sudbury to reach the second qualifying round only to be denied a place in the FA Cup first round proper by higher-tiered Sutton United losing 3-2, a result that left Vintila wondering what might have been.
“We started the game badly, and to go 3-0 down to a team in a higher league than us cost us. But we came back really well and in the last 15 minutes I thought we were going to take it to extra time, but we couldn’t get another goal,” Vintila said.
With the FA Cup no longer on the team’s agenda, they have set their sights on securing their eighth promotion in nine seasons, a feat that seems highly possible with them sitting in third place.
They’re one point behind second placed Barking FC and nine behind leaders Haringey Borough FC, who’ve only lost once this season to (you guessed it) FC Romania.
Vintila added: “I think we can get promoted, so I hope that we can be playing in the league above next year.
“The team has great potential. We found a sponsor three years ago – construction group Conarg Ltd – so we have financial stability. I think in three or four years we could be playing in the seventh tier league, the Ryman Premier.”
At the moment, the team is made up only of Romanians, but Vintila said he would welcome any player who could aid their cause.
“We organise trials to find new players before every season and nationality is not important. If a player is considered to be of help, our arms are wide open.”
Vintila believes the success of FC Romania can help improve perceptions of his compatriots after much negative immigration-related media coverage.
“I hope so. It seems we’re on a good track. As long as we have English fans who buy FC Romania scarves, we are doing a good thing,” the manager said.
After winning 3-1 against Sporting Bengal United on Saturday, ‘The Wolves’ will look to continue their promotion pursuit when they play Hullbridge Sports FC on 6 December.
Featured image courtesy of Laldie Mint via Flickr