In many Eastern European countries, teams have been subjected to frequent name changes in the communist days, but surely having the name changed for five consecutive seasons and then being moved to another city must constitute something of a record.
Juventus Bucuresti, Romanian champions in 1930, entered the national league (initiated in 1932) in 1934, survived the war and still competed under their name of old in the 1947/48 Romanian championship. For the 1948 winter-spring season, their name was changed to Distributia. In 1948/49, they played as Petrolul Bucuresti. During the transitional fall cup of 1949, they were disguised as Competrol. In the 1950 season, they were known as Partizanul. In 1951, they received their sixth name in five years: Flacara Bucuresti.
But still it wasn't enough. For the 1952 season the team was moved to the oil town of Ploiesti, not far north of Bucuresti, keeping the name Flacara. They were relegated at the end of the season, and as a reward finally could keep their name. They responded by winning promotion back to "Divizia A" in 1953, and played there as Flacara up to and including the 1956 season before changing again, to Energia Ploiesti, and, one year later, to Petrolul Ploiesti.
In their first season under that name, 1957/58, they won the championship, which they defended successfully in 1958/59 and won again in 1965/66.
They haven't had another name since, apart from the year 1992 when they were temporarily known as FC Ploiesti. In 2003 they merged with cross-town rivals Astra, but that merger was dissolved again after just two seasons.
Perhaps a schematical overview to summarize the changes is in order:
up to and including 1947/48: Juventus Bucuresti
1948 : Distributia Bucuresti
1948/49: Petrolul Bucuresti
1949 : Competrol Pucuresti
1950 : Partizanul Bucuresti
1951 : Flacara Bucuresti
1952 : Flacara Ploiesti
1956 : Energia Ploiesti
from 1957/58 onwards: Petrolul Ploiesti
(1992: FC Ploiesti; 2003 merger with Astra Ploiesti)
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 17 Oct 2006
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