1907-1967: The Early years

Founded in October 1907, as the railway workers’ team, the club’s original Hungarian name was Kolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club (K.V.S.C.). K.V.S.C. was the third club to be founded in Cluj, and the tenth in what is now Romania. More importantly, the club is the oldest football organization still in existence in Romania.

From 1907 to 1914, the team participated in the municipal championship of Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca). The first game was a complete disaster, 0-23 with KKAC Cluj. However, the next few results were less one-sided (2-11, 0-5, 0-3), and K.V.S.C. finished in third spot (out of three teams!). In 1908 the team had the honour to take part in its first international match against FC 33 Budapest, a team with Hungarian international Karoly Zsak in goal. Unfortunately K.V.S.C. was defeated 2-8. During the next two seasons, the team’s game play improved, yielding two-second place finishes. In 1911, the club’s efforts finally yielded fruit, with the top spot in the municipal championship after a victory against KEAC 3-2. As the competition grew to include eight teams, winning became more difficult. Still, the league victory was repeated the next year as well. The winning squad of 1911 was as follows: Herner – Walter, Grimm – Mate, Herschovits, Mike – Tuzson, Deak, Orsolyak, Koncz, Czinner.  

Left: The winning side of 1911

During this time a fierce rivalry developed between K.V.S.C. and the students’ team, KKAS. For years to come, and indeed even today, this rivalry was to sometimes stray beyond the bounds of fairplay.

In 1912 the club’s name changed to Kolozsvári Torna Club (K.T.C.). The very next year, K.T.C. played the toughest game in the club’s short history, losing 0-7 to then Hungarian champions Ferencvaros. Also, during this time the rules of association football were not quite as well defined as they are today, so K.T.C. often finished games with less than eleven players on the pitch!

Due to KVSC/KTC's success in the local league, the team earned the opportunity  to travel to Budapest several times in order to play in the Hungarian finals tournament against other top provincial sides in 1911 and 1912.

Left: KVSC-KKAS, 1911

However, due to the First World War all sporting competitions were cancelled. Still, after the war’s end, K.T.C. won two consecutive regional titles in 1918-1919 and 1919-1920. The First World War also led to the ceding of Transylvania to Romania. Because of this, the club changed its name to C.F.R. Cluj. C.F.R. stands for Caile Ferate Romane, which translates to “Romanian Railways”. A year later, C.F.R. is included in the newly-formed Romanian football league system.

In 1922 an incident occurred in C.F.R.’s local derby with Victoria Cluj. All twenty-two players on the field were under the influence of alcohol! Later that year, during the C.F.R. – CA Cluj fixture, supporters of both teams caused several incidents, leading to the collapse of a part of the stadium stands. In 1923 ten of the club’s players left, so a talented group of juniors was promoted. Grouped around veterans Makssai and Kronstadter, these youngsters were to prove decisive in the title race. One year later, C.F.R. let the regional championship slip through their fingers in 1-2 loss in the final game to rivals Universitatea Cluj. There was so much tension during this fixture, that the spectators even had to be evacuated in the 75^th minute after altercations between rival fans.

C.F.R’s first notable result was in 1924 when the team held triple Romanian champions Chinezul Timisoara to a 1-1 draw. This game was the first played on C.F.R.’s then new stadium.

During the 1920s the squad was composed of the following footballers: Boga, Makssai, Walasz, Basga, Szilaghi, Vegh, Hegh, Kabuzovsky, Kinizsi II, Nagy, Ujvari, Takacs I, Curteanu, Barabas, Takacs II, Tocson, Heresz, Micu, Deak, Neagu, Oros, Olteanu, Moraru, Radu, Sandor, Merceanu, Kronstadter, Szaniszlo, and Juhasz.

Right: CFR in the 1920s

In 1926 the club was forced to withdraw from all official competitions due to a lack of financial resources. In fact, the club's stadium was transformed into a lumber depository. In spite of everything, C.F.R. returned to football and succeeded in defeating Universitatea Cluj and Romania Cluj in the 1928-1929 season. Again in 1931, though, the team had to withdraw as not enough funds were available. One year later, C.F.R. narrowly misses out on promotion to the first league to the benefit of Universitatea Cluj. In 1933, the club again could not earn promotion, losing out on the opportunity in the very last round of play to CA Cluj.

Between 1934 and 1936, C.F.R. played for two seasons in Divizia B, ranking sixth in 1934-1935 and eighth in 1935-1936. Unfortunately, in 1936 C.F.R. relegated to the third league, where the team played for two seasons, ranking second and fourth. By 1940 the starting eleven was made up of: Maklari – Marton, Ghiuritan – Curta, Kiss, Tataru – Muresan, Moraru, Nicusor, Rotaru, Roman.

The beginning of the Second World War led to the northern half of Transylvania being ceded to Hungary. So, during the war C.F.R. changed its name to MAV Cluj and played in the Hungarian NB2. MAV's coach was Hocksari, a former Hungarian international who played for Ripensia Timisoara. Even with such fine coaching though, the team only finished in second spot, losing to rivals Torekves Budapest 2-3 at home in the final match. 

Left: CFR in 1948

After the war’s end, C.F.R. was able to again play on Romanian soil. The team was the first to play football once again in Romania, defeating Simeria (9-4) and Brasov (6-0) in friendly fixtures on the first and second of April 1945. The next year the club competed for one season in the third league, earning promotion. In the 1947-48 season, C.F.R. merged with another local club, Ferar Cluj, and played in Divizia A for the very first time. The team’s very first result was a memorable 2-2 draw to champions ITA Arad. Although later results that season were not exceptional, the club easily avoided demotion. The 1948-1949 season began very well, as C.F.R. reached first spot after nine rounds. However, several incredible happenings, as well as a controversial football federation ruling, led to the club’s relegation to Divizia B. C.F.R., with four Romanian internationals now had to participate in the second tier of football. Another twenty years would pass before the club would again compete in Romania’s top flight.

One of the club’s footballers during this time, Stefan Kovacs, later became one of the most successful coaches of all time, leading Ajax Amsterdam to European success, as well the French National Football Team to the world title.

In 1950 the Soviet-backed communist government of the time ordered all the railway-sponsored football clubs in Romania to change their names to “Locomotiva”. Hence, C.F.R. Cluj became Locomotiva Cluj.

Abandoned by its key players, Locomotiva relied on a group of medics transferred from city rivals Universitatea. Their names were Vigu, Radulescu, Negrutiu, Coracu, Cristea, and Tomescu. Even though these doctors were very experienced footballers, they were incapable of carrying the entire team back to the first league. Thus, for the next several years, the team from Cluj wallowed in the miseries of mediocrity. Just as everybody thought the situation could not worsen, it did. Although in 1957 former Romanian international Stefan Dobai became head coach, the club relegated yet again. As a result, in its semi-centenary year, C.F.R. was playing in the anonymity of the third league.

The next season, youth team coach Constantin Radulescu was called up to coach the first team. That year the team played a remarkable match against Dermata Cluj, losing in the end after Silviu Avram, a former C.F.R. player, scored the game’s only goal. This fixture generated an incredible amount of attention. In fact, 8 000 fans were present. During Radulescu’s first term at C.F.R. the squad was as such: Bucur, Chisu, Cristolteanu, Dobay, Pipas, Calcajos, Crecan, Killin, Fluieras, Kunkuty, Treaba, Stanciu, Oprea and Papiu.

By 1960, C.F.R. was again playing in the second league. This achievement was accompanied by victory in the regional Congressional Cup, after wins against Rapid and Stiinta Cluj. That same year, C.F.R. was obligated by local officials to merge with Rapid Cluj. The new club was renamed CSM Cluj and the soon-to-be famous Stefan Kovacs was appointed as coach. However, results were much poorer than expected, and the team struggled yet again. Eventually, the club's name was changed yet again to Clujeana, but the results were still lacking in Divizia B. Also, during this time the Romanian railway organization in Cluj created an amateur football team, Depoul de Locomotive, which participated in the county championship before earning promotion to the regionals. By 1967, the two teams merged into one and, due to favourable circumstances, C.F.R. promoted to the second league.

* In 1964, the club’s junior team won the national championship under coach Stefan Nagy.

        Next match:

Sept. 11/2010

7th Round 2010/11

Rapid - CFR Cluj  

Cluj-Napoca

Aug. 2 8/2010 

CFR Cluj-Pandurii

2-1

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