Connections - Romania

Three Rumanians have played for Tottenham over the years, Gica Popescu, Ilie Dumitrescu and most recently Viad Chiriches. We have also had some memorable encounters with Rumanian opposition and not always for the best of reasons.

We have met them on three occasions in European competition dating back to 1972 as well as several other meetings with clubs from that country in pre-season tournaments. 

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Ilie Dumitrescu  (top) joined us in the summer of 1994,  an exciting forward he played 24 games (plus 4 as sub) netting 8 times before leaving us in 1996. He also earned 10 caps (2 goals) for his country in that time. Having played a vital part in Romania reaching the World Cup Semi-final’s in America that summer. He signed for Spurs on the same day as Jurgen Klinsman.

In the 2007 Europa League group game we played Dinamo Bucharest at home. Berbatov and Defoe (twice) scored in our 3-1 win.  At that time the Europa League groups had five teams and you played each other once.

Gica Popescu

 Gica Popescu, a defender, signed for us shortly after Dumitrescu and played for us in the 19994/5 season making 28 appearances and scoring three times. He also earned 6 caps (1 goal ) that season.  At the time the club had several changes of manager and Gica only played for us that one season. 

England’s links with Rumania go back to 1939, when it was the last international England played before World War 2 started.  In the eleven games played between the two countries ex-Spurs men have been in charge on five occasions. Alf Ramsey three times, Terry Venables and Glen Hoddle once each. Hoddle also scored the only goal by a Spurs player. Alan Mullery and Sol Campbell have both played them twice. Chris Waddle, Darren Anderton  and Teddy Sheringham (as a sub.) are the only Tottenham men involved. 

Our two other ties with Romanian clubs came in 1971/2 on our way to winning the UEFA cup. In the Third round we were drawn with Rapid Bucharest. The first leg at the Lane was a 3-0 win with Martin Chivers 2 and Martin Peters getting the goals. The first arriving 
in the opening minute. Chivers took one of his long throw-in’s into the box. The defence seemed to freeze and Peters headed home. The second goal came just after the half an hour. After good work by Jimmy Neighbour, Chivers used his strength to score. The Rumanian's complained that there had been a foul in the build up. At one point even their manager joined the players in jostling the referee as they protested. Tottenham missed a number of other chances and it was not until the hour mark that Chivers again, this time from a Gilzean knockdown made it 3-0.

The second leg was the game that became known in the press as the Battle of Bucharest. Bill Nicholson described them as ‘the dirtiest side Spurs had ever played’. Despite this Spurs went on to win 2-0. Rapid missed several chances early on which might have changed the outcome and at one stage with Jennings beaten Peter Collins cleared off the goal line. Then only a brilliant save from Jennings kept the match goalless at halftime.

The Rumanian’s pressed hard with Spurs counterattacking. Around the hour mark Spurs made it safe when Chivers shot was saved but Jimmy Pearce, on as a sub for Gilzean, hit home the rebound. The Rumanians were again upset and showed it with two players having their names taken for throwing the ball at the ref. A few minutes later Jimmy Pearce and a defender were sent off for fighting. Jimmy had only been on the pitch for 12 minutes and in that time he also had a goal disallowed. Later Peters also had a miss from the penalty shooting just wide of the post. The last goal came in the last few minutes when Chivers scored from a acute angle from the left.  The presses were left in no doubt that the game contained a number of dirty fouls. However when asked for a copy of the match the local TV station claimed, it had wiped all the copies, by mistake.

Having beaten one Rumanian team we were drawn with UT Arad in the next round. In the first leg away played on a poor pitch and in a strong wind. Tottenham played with two up front and two ranks of four which frustrated the home team who had to settle  for trying to beat Jennings from long range. Roger Morgan scored our first goal. The second was a trade mark goal at the time, Morgan took the corner Gilzean headed on and England finished at the far post.

At half time Gilzean was replaced by Peter Collins.  Arad changed their shirts from Cream to Red! The second leg at the Lane finished 1-1. Gilzean scored late on to level on the night. 

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December 1958 saw the first Rumanian side visit White Hart Lane for one of the friendly floodlight ties that were popular during that period. On this occasion Spurs took a 3-0 lead through Cliff Jones, Terry Medwin and Tommy Harmer from a penalty. The visitors pulled two goals back. A late goal from Aifie Stokes gave Spurs a 4-2 win.

December 1958 saw the first Rumanian side visit White Hart Lane for one of the friendly floodlight ties that were popular during that period. On this occasion Spurs took a 3-0 lead through Cliff Jones, Terry Medwin and Tommy Harmer from a penalty. The visitors pulled two goals back. A late goal from Aifie Stokes gave Spurs a 4-2 win.

The most recent player to play for the club was defender Viad Chiriches (above) who joined us from  Steaua Bucharest in 2013. He scored two goals in his 41 games in his two years with Tottenham.  Viad who captained his country while he was with us never reproduced his international form for his club and moved to Napoli in the summer of 2015.

Tottenham players who have turned out for their country against Rumania include Dimitar Berbatov, Mike England, Verdran Corluka, Luka Modric, Ronny Rosenthal, Steffan Iversen, Teemu Tainio, Ossie Ardiles, Wilson Palacios, Erik Thorstvedt, Robbie Keane, Sergi Rebrov and Gordon Durie.

two other connections worthy of  mention.  In the August of 1995 we met Steau Bucharest in Glasgow!  As part of the Ibrox International Tournament. It was not a good weekend for Spurs. Having lost to Sampdoria the day before we lost again 2-3.  Six years earlier we had met the Dinamo club in another pre-season tournament, this time in Madrid. On this occasion David Howells scored our goal in a 3-1 defeat.

COYS.
Keith Harrison.
t- Keith 16024542
f- peter shearman (old non de plume)

If you know any other connections with Rumania please let us know.
Thanks to THFC, The Times, England Stats, Bob Goodwin
This article has updated, September 2015.

About the author:
Keith Harrison, Nilgiris, TN
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