Football in Heaven: Groundhopping in Romania

Words: Mike Bayly

Images: Mike Bayly

There is a saying in Romania, “I-a picat fata”.

Literally translated it means ‘their face has fallen off”.

Colloquially, we would understand it as ‘jaw dropping’, an idiom that aptly describes venues selected for the Football In Heaven (FIH) groundhops that take place across Romania.

Initiated in 2017 by football journalist Emanuel Rosu, FIH completed its sixth instalment last week, the latest covering grounds in Bacau County and Harghita County in the East of the country.

©Mike Bayly/ Terrace Edition. ACS FC Sansimion.

While most FIH attendees are English, the groups have been historically supplemented by visitors from Norway, Georgia, France and even as far afield as India.

A foundational aim of FIH was to introduce fans to Romanian football and culture and by extension allow people to discover a truly beautiful country many will be unfamiliar with. “I know how special certain places in Romania are” says Rosu. “I thought FIH would be a great opportunity to show that to the world through football. These trips have been my dream since childhood.”

For casual observers, Romania is synonymous with Nicolae Ceausescu and a legacy of communist-era infrastructure. Its landscapes and architecture undoubtedly recall this period but there is so much more to this nation than cold war-era tropes. That the head of Bacau County Council and representatives of the Romanian government addressed the 30 or so gathered football fans in Bacau’s Palatul Administrativ building hoping we would encourage friends to visit, is testament to how much importance and credibility FIH has garnered with authorities in the last 6 years.

Typically focused on levels three, four and five of the Romanian pyramid (effectively semi-professional and amateur football) previous FIH outings featured grounds next to hilltop castles, snow-capped mountain ranges or, in the case of AS Minerul Iacobeni, an elevated pitch accessed via a rope bridge over a fast-flowing river.

©Mike Bayly/ Terrace Edition. AS Magura Târgu.

As an industrial region, Bacau’s chemical and excavation works provided backdrops at AS FC Dinamo Bacau and AS Magura Târgu Ocna (which, from a photography perspective, is very alluring), nicely contrasting the bucolic settings of ACS FC Sansimion and AS MÜ Frumoasa.

Each venue was sufficiently different to justify its inclusion, ranging from modern compact stadiums to remote outposts where spectators occupied quaint wooden stands (a recurring feature of these hops that would invariably be given the shortest of shrift by British health and safety officials) or stood on raised embankments.

What really sets FIH aside and forms a key component of the trips’ success, is the hospitality and enthusiasm of the host clubs. At CS UZU Darmanesti, the whole village appeared to turn out (along with a welcoming committee of local dignitaries), laying on a free half-time buffet and taking time to chat and pose for photos with members of the group.

The highlight of the trip though was ACS FC Sânsimion, a club of Székelys Hungarian heritage who regaled fans with vociferous support and a brass band rendition of popular songs. There is something fantastically incongruous about a robust sliding challenge executed on a muddy pitch in rural Romania to the sound of Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’.

©Mike Bayly/ Terrace Edition. CS UZU Darmanesti.

I have grown to love Romania through my FIH visits. The scenery is spectacular, the grounds beguiling and the people among the warmest I have met. Forging friendships and celebrating a shared love of sport is a guiding philosophy of FIH. “I want these trips to create memories, unite people, and make the locals feel important as well” says Rosu. “The players we watch will probably never reach the top-flight European level, but having so much international attention focused on the games will, at least, make them feel special.”

Plans will soon be underway for a future FIH event. For anyone keen on experiencing a unique brand of lower-level football in a fascinating, friendly country, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Your face won’t fall off. But your jaw will almost certainly drop.