CSM Deva

First years (1921–1970)

CSM Deva was established in 1921, under the name of Mureșul Deva and played at county level until 1943, when appeared as a member of the Heroes Cup, this time under the name of Corvinul Deva.

After World War II, Corvinul Deva was an active part of the third tier and regional leagues, but without obtaining any notable results for the next 20 years. Devenii appeared in the re-organized Divizia C during the 1964–65 season, under the name of Minerul Deva (The Miner), financially supported by the mining industry from Hunedoara County. In that season, Minerul (coached by Mircea Zeană and Mircea Miron) was ranked 2nd, with the same number of points as the leader (CFR Arad) and the third place (Metalul Hunedoara), but missed a spot in the second tier in the favor of the club based in Arad.

After this result, Minerul was ranked 5th in 1966, then in the summer of the same year changed again its name, now back in Mureșul Deva, name under which the team based in Deva would obtain its most important results. Until the end of the 1960s, Mureșul remained a constant team at the level of the third league, with rankings between 5th and 10th (out of 14).

Starting with the 1970–71 season, Mureșul changed its objectives and from a middle-table team became a candidate for the promotion in the Divizia B. At that time, heads of the club, D. Cepănaru and I. Anescu decided to make all the needed efforts to promote the team in the second tier. In the first season Mureșul missed again the promotion spot, one point behind Independența Sibiu, then in 1972, three points split "the team below Deva Citadel" from the leader, Vagonul Arad. The most important movements were made by the administrative staff in the summer of 1972, when as a manager was hired Ladislau Vlad, a coach that already had succeed to promote with his hometown club, Crișul Oradea, in 1971, from Divizia B to Divizia A.

Vlad has built a redoubtable team at Deva, then at the end of the 1972–73 season, the dream of Mureșul, a promotion to Divizia B, was achieved, finishing first, 6 points ahead UM Timișoara. The squad was composed of the following players: V. Rusu – Ceaușu I, Ceaușu II, T. Pop, Puia, Stanciu, Nenu, Iancu, Macovei, Gherga, Tarcu, Precup, Macavei, Achim, Stark, Haidu, Uilecan, Mircea Marian, Mihai Marian, Moț, Naghi, Sereș, Stoian, Covaciu, P. Grigore, I. Ardelean and Ș. Dubinciuc. After promotion, the squad received reinforcements, among them Árpád Szűcs, former player of FC Bihor Oradea and one of the most important player of Deva in the autumn of 1973. At the end of the season, Mureșul was ranked 4th (best ranking in the history of the club), but Ladislau Vlad left the team and went back to FC Bihor Oradea, to promote the team once again in the top-flight.

In the summer of 1974, Nicolae Oaidă (former great player of Progresul București) was hired as the new manager and important players such as Șchiopu, Gruber, Selymessy, Szilaghi, Cojocaru, Oncu or Buciuman were transferred. During the winter of 1975, Vlad returned to Mureșul Deva, leaving FC Bihor on the first place in its series of Divizia B. In the following period, some players left Oradea and came to Deva strengthening the squad even more, Mureșul was ranked 7th out of 18.

At the end of the 1975–76 season Mureșul Deva saved from relegation in the last minute, then followed a 10th place (1976–77 season) and a 5th place (1977–78 season). The ups and downs of the last seasons have materialized in a relegation at the end of the 1978–79 season, only the goal difference making the split between Mureșul and last saved team, Înfrățirea Oradea.

Back in the third division, Mureșul Deva was renamed again as Minerul Deva, with the mining industry of Hunedoara County as the main sponsor and Ion Ștefănescu as the new president. In this refreshed formula, Deva was ranked 2nd (9 points behind CFR Timișoara) and missed once again the promotion. This result was not well received and in the summer of 1980, Minerul Deva absorbed the other Divizia C side, Explorări Deva and the team was renamed as Explormin Deva. All the financial forces of the town were reunited under the Explormin umbrella, in the attempt to get back in the second tier.

In the following years it seemed that Deva was pursued by misfortune, finishing no less than three times in a row on the second place (1981, 1982 and 1983), at one, five and two points behind Strungul Arad, Metalurgistul Cugir, respectively Minerul Lupeni. During the 1982–83 season, the club evolved under the name Explorări Deva.

The best period (1970–1990)

In the summer of 1983, Explorări Deva was renamed again as Mureșul Deva and the luck came back on the side of the club from Hunedoara County, at the end of the 1983–84 edition the team winning its series and promoting in the second tier, to the detriment of the same rival in front of which it had promoted in 1973, UM Timișoara.

Mureșul remained in the second division until 1987, when it relegated again, after occupying the 16th place (out of 18). The relegation was followed by another 2nd place in the third tier (1988) then by another promotion in 1989, when Devenii dominated their series and promoted with an advanced of 10 points over the second place, Metalurgistul Cugir. This time the team based in Hunedoara County resist only one edition before relegating again in 1990. This relegation was the end of the most fruitful period in the history of the club from Deva.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Mureșul was also managed by Petre Dăscăliță, Adalbert Kassai, Traian Ivănescu, Constantin Ștefan, Dumitru Borcău, Teodor Pop, Gheorghe Țurlea or Carol Gal and were part of the squad, players such as: Balla, Naghi, Sava, Bucur, Fogoroși, Nicoară, Ștef, Vidican, Preda, Tirchineci, Mechimici, Dumitreasă, Olușuteanu, Vălășuteanu, Szabados, Mateescu, Văetuș, Varga or Rădos.