ACS Hușana Huși


Asociația Clubul Sportiv Hușana Huși, commonly known as ACS Hușana Huși, Hușana Huși or simply as Hușana, is a Romanian professional football club based in Huși, Vaslui County, founded in 1968 and currently playing in the Liga III.
Hușana Huși was founded in 1968 and named after the local shoe factory, Hușana. Over time the club mainly operated besides a local factory, hence the frequent change of name, from Hușana to Steaua Mecanica, from Metalul to FCM and back to Hușana in the 2010s.
The club is based in Huși, a town well known in Romania for its wine production, hence one of the club's nicknames as "the Team Between the Vineyards". Despite that, Huși, as well as Vaslui County have a delicate financial situation, hence the inconsistent results of the team, over the years. Hușana was, at his best, a meteoric member of Divizia C, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, subsequently the team evolving mainly in the Liga IV with only a few seasons spent in the third tier, during the early 1990s and middle 2000s.

History

First years and the ascension (1968–1981)

Hușana Huși was founded in 1968 and named after the local shoe factory, Hușana. First squad of "the white and blues" was composed exclusively from local players such as Zimțescu brothers, Iacob, Marian, Bujder, Perju, Iolea, Vrabie, Sapcă, Butucea or Dulhac. These were players who played only for hobby, but their dedication and the quality of the played football resulted in a stadium full of supporters at every home match. The first great performance was obtained at the end of the 1972–73 season, when the team was ranked first and promoted to Divizia C, for the first time in its short history. This squad was coached by Dumitru Condurache and Cucu Oancea and included the following players: Pavlov, Tiorok, Virgil Mazilu, Nicu Marian, Dumitru Bujder, Ștefan Hondru Cosug, Ilie Olaru, Ticu Pătrașcu, Costică Zota, Mihai Titi, Florin Zane, Valentin Romilă, Sterică Popa, Străoanu, Gheorghe Sasu, Adrian Mirciu, Viorel Moraru, Gheorghe Morariu and Ioan Iacob.
This squad of Hușana and its style of football captivated the residents of Huși in the 1970s. After promotion, the squad from Vaslui County made a great first impression and despite its limited funding managed to achieve a deserved 8th place, at the end of the 1973–74 Divizia C season. In the following two seasons, the club managed to avoid relegation and was ranked 8th and 9th out of 16. Hușana relegated back in the fourth tier at the end of the 1976–77 season, when it was ranked only 15th out of 16th. After a single season spent in the Vaslui County League, Hușana promoted again, being distributed in the second series, alongside teams such as Energia Onești, Letea Bacău, Partizanul Bacău, CSM Borzești, Cimentul Bicaz, Rulmentul Bârlad or Cetatea Târgu Neamț, among others. Hușana spent, this time, only two seasons and a half in the Divizia C, opting to withdrew at the half of the 1980–81 season, due to financial problems.

Steaua Mecanica, the local pride (1981–2000)

In the summer of 1981, Metalul factory bought the football club and changed its name from Hușana to Metalul, receiving surprisingly a place in the Divizia C, but succumbing again after half of the season, due to financial shortcomings. In the next three years Metalul do not managed to promote again and at Huși a new management was proposed. Metalul Huși was renamed as Steaua Mecanic Huși, in 1984 and after only one season it managed to promote in the Divizia C. After promotion, Steaua Mecanica managed to remain at this level for six seasons, period considered as the most fruitful in the history of the football from Huși. In this period, the club registered its best performances, was the second most important team of the county and in the town there were already aspirations for a future debut in the Divizia B. Steaua Mecanica was ranked: 5th, 4th and 3rd.
The apogee of Steaua Mecanica golden generation was reached during the 1988–89 season, when besides a third consecutive ranking on the 3rd place, hușenii reached the Romanian Cup's round of 32, when they were eliminated by Divizia A side Flacăra Moreni, ranked 4th at that time. Until the round of 32, Steaua Mecanica won over Mecanica Vaslui, Viitorul Vaslui, FEPA '74 Bârlad Progresul Braila and Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț. In this period, Steaua Mecanica Huși was coached by Haralambie Eftimie, who was assisted by Alexandru Grigorescu and in the squad appeared players such as Iulian Smădu, Adrian State, Gheorghe Lupu, Ioan Iacob, Ioan Tugulan, Ioan Tibulca, Nicu Marian, Ivan, Stanciu, Tătaru, Botu, Bălan, Ungureanu, Răut, Matei, Cosma, Scărlătescu, Ursu and Ciobanu.
After 1990 Romanian Revolution, Steaua Mecanica spent only two more seasons at this level, then relegating at the end of the 1991–92 season, despite a rank in the middle of the table, 9th of 16. In this season was made a re-organization of the Romanian football league system, thus relegating more teams than in a normal season. After relegation, the club was renamed again, this time as Mecanica Huși and promoted back in the third tier at the end of 1995–96 season, but only to relegate a year later after a weak ranking, 18th of 18.

Troubled times (2000–present)

In the early 2000s, the club, financially supported by the Municipality of Huși and local businessmen, pass through a rebranding process and changed its name from Mecanica Huși to FCM Huși. FCM Huși bought the place of Mobila Iași, in the Divizia C, at the beginning of the 2003–04 season, then remained at this level for three seasons, but with no important results. In this period, the entire town was gathered around the team, and the supporters were constantly going to the stadium, as if going to church, it was already a tradition. FCM relegated again in 2006, basically due to financial problems and promoted again only in 2012, but withdrew in the first part of the season and was dissolved.
In the following years, the football legacy was continued by Pajura Huși, a private football club without any official connection with the old one. Pajura won Liga IV – Vaslui County at the end of the 2015–16 season, but missed the promotion, after losing, 2-7 on aggregate, the play-off disputed against Galați County champions, Avântul Valea Mărului. In the summer of 2016, the old club, Hușana Huși was re-founded, but only at youth level.
Next season Pajura was ranked only 4th and during the summer of 2017, the senior team was disbanded by the owner Mădălin Căciulă, who opted to continue the club's activity only at youth level.
In the same summer, Hușana, financially supported by the municipality, enrolled in the Liga IV and started a collaboration with Pajura, club which entered the business with its youth academy. After a 4th place, obtained at the end of the 2017–18 season, "the Team Between the Vineyards" won the league next season, when in the final it disposed of the more successful FC Vaslui and promoted in the Liga III, after 7 years of absence.

Ground

Hușana Huși plays its home matches on Municipal Stadium, located in Huși, Vaslui County. The stadium was opened in the 1950s by the demolition of some vineyards belonging to a priest. Initially the arena had only a wood stand, but in time it suffered upgrades and renovations, the most recent was in the summer of 2019, after the promotion of the team in the Liga III.
Municipal Stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people and 1,500 on seats. The seats were fitted during the 2019 renovation, when the locker rooms were also renovated, as well as the front of the stadium and the spaces that exist under the stands.

Support

Hușana has many supporters in Huși and especially in Vaslui County. The residents of Huși are well known for their dedication to the team and for the warm atmosphere created almost every time. The ultras group of Hușana are known as Ultras Huși.

Rivalries

The most important rivalry for Hușana Huși is the one against FC Vaslui, the most successful team in the county. The city of Vaslui had many teams over time, in the 1970s and 1980s, Viitorul Vaslui was also in the position of the bitter rival of Hușana. Another important rivalry is the one against Atletic Bârlad.

Honours

First team squad

Club officials

Board of directors

RoleName
Owner Huși Municipality
President Daniel Dobrea
Sporting Director Cătălin Nicolau
Delegate Costel Baicu

Current technical staff

RoleName
Manager Florin Croitoru
Assistant Manager Cristian Dumitru

League history

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2019–203Liga III 12th
2018–194Liga IV 1st '
2012–133Liga III 13th '
2011–124Liga IV 1st '
2010–114Liga IV 1st
2005–063Divizia C 11th '
2004–053Divizia C 13th

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2003–043Divizia C 8th
1996–973Divizia C 18th '
1995–964Divizia D 1st '
1991–923Divizia C 9th Round of 32
1990–913Divizia C 8th
1989–903Divizia C 3rd

Notable former players