FCM Bacău
Asociația Sportivă a Suporterilor FCM 1950 Bacău, commonly known as ASS FCM 1950 Bacău, FCM 1950 Bacău or simply as FCM Bacău, is a Romanian football club based in Bacău, Bacău County. Founded in 1950 as "Dinamo Bacău", the club from Moldavia spent 42 seasons in the top-flight of the Romanian football, winning a Romanian League Cup and qualifying for European competitions such as Cup Winners' Cup or 2 times. In the early 2010s, the club entered in a shadowy cone, due to the conflict between the team's owner, Dumitru Sechelariu (former mayor of Bacău) and  the newly elected mayor, who chose to retire the public financing of the team and to sustain SC Bacău. Health problems and subsequently the premature death of Dumitru Sechelariu in the early 2013 multiplied the existing financial problems of the club, then at the start of the 2013–14 Liga III season, "the Mad Bulls" withdrew from championship and were dissolved. In 2017, the Supporters Association of FCM Bacău, supported by Sergiu Sechelariu, brother of Dumitru and legal owner of the "FCM 1950 Bacău brand", started a collaboration with Gauss Bacău (former SC Bacău), team also left in the meantime without  financing by the municipality, but the collaboration broken in the summer of 2018 and after a year of inactivity, the fans (supported again by Sechelariu's brother) started a new project named ASS FCM 1950 Bacău and enrolled the senior squad in the Liga IV. History. First years and the best results (1950–1992). FCM Bacău was established in 1950 as "Dinamo Bacău", being under the tutelage of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as other clubs that bore the name "Dinamo". The management of the club from Bacău subsequently decided to separate from the ministry and they renamed it  as Sport Club Bacău and added other sports sections such as athletics or tennis. The first presence in the first league of Romania was during the 1956 season, when, unfortunately at the end, they relegated to the second division. However followed years full of football in the city situated on the banks of Bistrița River, which reached its peak in the 1968–69 edition when it was ranked 5th and qualified for the Fairs Cities' Cup, the precursor of the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. At that time, Dinamo Bacău had an exceptional generation in which they had names  such as: Emerich Dembrovschi, Nicolae Vătafu, Petre Băluță, Artistică Ghiță or Daniel Ene. The opponent in the first round was Floriana F.C., team which Dinamo beat with the score of 6–0, three goals being scored by the greatest scorer and player in the team's history, Emerich Dembrovschi (Hero of Guadalajara, the player who scored against Brazil and Pelé). After a 1–0 in the second match, Dinamo qualified for the second round, where they met Skeid Fotball, which previously had eliminated the well-known West German side 1860 Munich. "Băcăuanii" qualified again, now after a 2–0 on aggregate and met  in the third round the Scottish club Kilmarnock F.C., club that they eliminated after a 3–1 on aggregate, reaching a splendid performance for the Romanian football, the qualification in the quarter-finals of the competition. In the quarter-finals the team from Bacău met the prestigious club Arsenal F.C., club that will eliminate the Romanian side, after that, winning the competition. After the historical presence in the quarterfinals of the Fairs Cities' Cup, "băcăuanii" would obtain notable results also in the domestic championship where at the end of the 1972–73 season, SC Bacău (name used by the club between 1970  and 1990) would finish in the 4th place, this being the best ranking in the club's history. Sport Club also managed to make a beautiful figure in the Cupa României, where, after the Romanian Revolution, they managed to reach the final, at the end of the 1990–91 season, but in the final, they lost against Universitatea Craiova, score 1–2. Universitatea Craiova was also the winner of Divizia A in that season, which allowed "the yellow and blues" to qualify for the second and last time in a European competition, the UEFA Cup. FC Bacău was drawn to meet Werder  Bremen. Werder was the team that would win the Cup Winners' Cup that year, defeating AS Monaco by 2–0. At that time Werder Bremen was a powerful club, with a cosmopolitan squad, with strong players, both physically and as value. Moreover, a first disproportion was given by the height of the players, the average of the two teams saying that the Germans were 21 inches taller. On the other hand, FC Bacău was the team of nobody, with big financial problems. Sechelariu's era (1992–2014). From 1992 to 2006, the team remained in the Divizia A, under the name of  Selena, "AS" and FCM, as it is today. Dumitru Sechelariu was behind everything that happened (good or bad) during this time at FCM Bacău. It was first a period of relative growth, with following rankings: 11th (1995–96), also the season in which AS Bacău won 5–1 on the Steaua Stadium, one of the biggest surprises in the Romanian football), 5th (1996–97), 10th (1997–98), 5th (1998–99), 8th (1999–2000); followed by the relegation that occurred in the summer of 2001, after the relegation play-off against Farul Constanța and the purchase of the place from the newly promoted FC Baia Mare, in  the same summer. The 2001–02 season started with great ambitions, with huge investments for a team from Romania, with relatively big names in the squad and on the bench, with the ecstasy of a 4–2 win against Dinamo București and the final disappointments that only brought a 6th place. After 2002, FCM Bacău was only in the lower part of the tables, until finally relegated in the Liga II at the end of the 2005–06 edition. Not infrequently, Sechelariu referred to FCM Bacău calling it "my child", sometimes "dear", sometimes "disabled". The history of the football club from Bacău, between  1992 and 2009 was extraordinarily agitated and followed the contours of its owner faithfully. After all, it was a mixture of will, beauty and bitter disappointment. In 2006 the Moldavian team relegated to the Liga II, then at the end of the 2006–07 season, the team finished in the 5th place, showing a decline that in the following years would be highlighted more, this period being one of the most negative of the club based in the city of George Bacovia, which at the end of the 2007–08 season was at one step away of being relegated even in the  third tier. For the 2009–10 season the team set out as the main target a promotion in the Liga I, but due to financial problems and misunderstandings between Dumitru Sechelariu and the Local Council of the Municipality, FCM ended as being relegated to the Liga III, after two matches lost by forfeit. After the exclusion from the second league, the Municipality of Bacău registered the team in the next season of the Liga III, under the name of "SCM Bacău". On 9 June 2010, it was announced that the new club will be built on the structure of the old  club, SC FCM Bacău SA, which after the capital increase came under the control of the Municipality, Dumitru Sechelariu the former owner of the club became a minority shareholder. The new management of "the yellow and blues" decided to change the name in SC FCM Bacău SA and to release the contracts of the players who came from the former "AS FCM Bacău". FCM Bacău promoted in the Liga II in 2011, and in the following season obtained a 7th place. Before the next season, the financial situation no longer allowed the club to keep the contracts of the players , who left the team (the majority leaving for FC Botoșani) and Sechelariu decided to transfer it entirely to the Municipality. At that time, the team was going to be relegated in the third league, and the Municipality decided to stop the investments in this club and to re-direct the public financing to CS Mesagerul Bacău, a team that would receive the name of SC Bacău, also the health problems and subsequently the premature death of Dumitru Sechelariu in early 2013 left no door opened for the existing financial problems of the club, then at the start of the new  season, "the Mad Bulls" withdrew from championship and were dissolved. Supporters, the last hope (2017–2020). In 2017, the Supporters Association of FCM Bacău, supported by Sergiu Sechelariu, brother of Dumitru and legal owner of the "FCM 1950 Bacău brand", started a collaboration with Gauss Bacău (former SC Bacău), team also left in the meantime without financing by the municipality, but the collaboration has broken in the summer of 2018 and after a year of inactivity, the fans (supported again by Sechelariu's brother) started a new project named ASS FCM 1950 Bacău and enrolled the senior squad in the Liga  IV,but the team was again dissolved at the end of the 2019-20 season. Grounds. Until 1966 FCM Bacău (named "Dinamo Bacău") used to play its home matches on Steaua Roșie Stadium, with a capacity of 5,000 people, but moved subsequently on the Municipal Stadium in Bacău, with a capacity of 17,500 seats. Seen as a coquettish stadium of the country, especially during Sechelariu's era, when the owner of the team Dumitru Sechelariu renovated, modernized it and assured the installation of a floodlight system. Between 2001 and 2004, the stadium was named as "Dumitru Sechelariu", after the name  of the eccentric businessman, mayor of Bacău and owner of FCM. Death of Sechelariu it meant broadly the death of football from Bacău, after FCM, the stadium was also abandoned, being the victim of an unsuccessful modernization project. The stadium which is situated in the center of the city and was only some time ago the home of FCM is now a ruin. After the re-foundation as ASS FCM Bacău, the club has to play its home matches on Baza Sportivă Nautică Șerbănești, with a capacity of only 200 people. Support. FCM Bacău has many supporters in Bacău and  especially in Bacău County. The ultras groups of FCM Bacău are known as "Taurii furioși", "Best" and "Ultra Boys". The three groups merged in 2010 and form "FCM 1950 Bacău", group that developed subsequently in an association that managed to bring back to life the club from the city of George Bacovia. In the past were also another ultras groups such as "RSB", "Prima-Linie" or "FRT Bacău". FCM Bacău fans have an intense rivalry with the supporters of Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, which are known under the name of "Urșii carpatini". Rivalries. The most important rivalry for FCM Bacău is  the one against Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț. This match is known as the "Derby of Moldavia" or "Il Classico". Over time, FCM had important rivalries with other teams, such as Steaua București, Dinamo București or Rapid București, as well as some regional ones and even local, for example against SC Bacău. Honours. Leagues. Liga I Liga II Liga III Liga IV – Bacău County Cups. Cupa României Cupa Ligii: Notable former players. The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for FCM Bacău.