In 1931, the UDR surprisingly won the national title. Future internationals from Timișoara, such as Deheleanu and Lakatos II, played for the Reșițeni. UDR had been founded just five years earlier (in 1926) and was named after the city’s famous steel and metallurgical plant.

After the war, in 1954, UDR’s football successor, Metalul Reșița, brought the Romanian Cup to the capital of Banat Montan. It was the first time in history that the trophy was won by a division B team. 2-0 in the final against Dinamo, through Szeles’ “double”. Metal’s coach was Mihai Zsizsik. Dinamo had famous names in Romania in the 50s, like Băcuț I, Călinoiu, Bartha, Nicușor, Ene I, Ozon and Suru, and the coach was Angelo Niculescu!

In the 1970s, FCM Reșița, the new name of the club, was back in the elite of Romanian football. Those were the times of Dudu Georgescu, Beldeanu, Florea and Atodiresei.

A period followed in the 90s. Reșița was living its last peak years.

Then the city on the Bârzava fell dramatically. The club disbanded in 2004 and, one by one, FCMR, CSM Școlar, AFCM 2012 and CS Metalul (the precursor of today’s Sportul Snagov), “clones” of UDR/Metalul/CSMR, appeared.

After the disbanding of the classic CSMR (in 2004), its first “clone”, FCMR (FC Municipal), was founded in 2005. It lasted only three years, disbanding in 2008. The second “clone” (there’s nothing pejorative in this categorization, we just want to point out that it didn’t have the track record of the old UDR/Metal/FCMR/CSMR), FC Școlar, appeared in 2009 and became CSM Școlar in 2010, and had no senior team between 2012-2014. In 2012 the third “clone”, AFCM 2012, appears, by changing the name of Gloria Reșița (it will disappear in 2014). In 2013 the fourth “clone”, CS Metalul, is born, enrolled directly in the second league, by taking over the place of Damila Măciuca.

CSMR was re-established, practically, in the summer of 2019, when CSM Școlar, newly promoted to D2, received the palmares of the “classic” team. (Technically, it can be considered that CSMR absorbed CSM Școlar).

In the last 40 years, Caras-Severin county has produced players such as Stefan Iovan (CSMR), Miodrag Belodedici (Moldova Noua), Iosif Rotariu (Prigor), Ion Timofte II (Anina), Dorinel Munteanu (Grădinari), Basarab Panduru (CSMR), Florin Bătrânu (Oravița), Dan Potocianu (CSMR), Cristian Chivu (CSMR), Dan Alexa (Caransebeș), Cosmin Moți (CSMR) or Iasmin Latovlevici (Moldova Nouă)! !!

In 1997, when Mircea Lucescu’s Rapid was giving 6 to the team coached by Ioan Sdrobiș and played by M. Bătrânu, Doană, Ciucur, Ciocoi and… Cristi Chivu, on the beautiful stadium in Valea Domanului, with the second tribune dug into the wooded hill, there was no place to throw a needle.

This season, CSMR is in the 8th series of the 3rd League.

Article written by Octavian Stăncioiu, Politehnica Timisoara spokesman.