The arrival of Andrei Coubiș has brought another Romanian player to Lincoln City, almost 18 years after the first made one of the most unusual entrances in the club’s history.
Coubiș arrives at Sincil Bank with a very different background. The defender developed in the AC Milan academy, captained their Primavera side and reached senior international level before making his move to England.
Lincoln’s first Romanian import did not arrive with the same pedigree or profile. In fact, Adrian Patulea did not initially arrive with an invitation at all. His route into the club involved a rejected request for a trial, several weeks of training, contractual complications and, most famously, running around a training ground with his wife on his back.
With Coubiș beginning his own chapter in red and white, this feels like the perfect moment to look back at the Romanian who came before him.
An Unforgettable Introduction
Some Lincoln City players are remembered because they stayed for years, made hundreds of appearances or helped the club win promotion. Others need only a few months to ensure their name is never forgotten. Adrian Patulea falls firmly into the latter category.
The striker played just 33 times in all competitions for the Imps, but almost everything about his time at Sincil Bank was extraordinary. From the manner in which he earned his trial to the goals he scored and the disagreement which surrounded his departure, Patulea’s Lincoln City story rarely felt conventional.
It began during the summer of 2008, when Patulea arrived in England searching for an opportunity. He had previously trained with Burgess Hill Town, but problems surrounding his international clearance prevented that move from progressing. He also appeared in a pre-season friendly for Boston United before heading to Lincoln and attempting to persuade Peter Jackson to give him a chance. Jackson was initially reluctant, but Patulea was not prepared to accept no for an answer.
In one of the most unusual trial stories in the club’s history, Patulea was spotted running around the training ground with his wife on his back. Jackson later embellished the tale by claiming she had been naked, although that particular detail has never been substantiated. Whatever his wife was wearing, the stunt worked. Patulea was allowed to train with the first-team squad and spent around six weeks attempting to earn a contract. His decisive contribution came during a pre-season friendly against Lincoln United, when he scored a second-half hat-trick.
Supporters immediately warmed to him. Overseas signings were still relatively unusual at Sincil Bank, particularly strikers who arrived with such a remarkable story attached to them. Interest grew on message boards and the early forms of social media, while Patulea’s goals against the Whites only increased the calls for City to sign him.
Registration Problems
Completing the deal was not straightforward. Petrolul Ploieşti still held the player’s registration and demanded a fee before allowing him to leave. It was the same issue which had prevented Patulea from joining Burgess Hill earlier that year.
For several weeks, he continued training with City without knowing whether a permanent move would be possible. Throughout the uncertainty, Patulea spoke enthusiastically about Lincoln and appeared determined to earn his opportunity.
City eventually reached an agreement with Petrolul, and Patulea officially signed on 29 August 2008. His international clearance did not arrive in time for him to face Grimsby Town, but he was soon making an impact. Patulea came off the bench during a 2-0 victory over Barnet and scored City’s second goal. After another substitute appearance against Bury, he was handed his first start away at Brentford. It took him only 30 minutes to score, earning the Imps a 1-1 draw.
Further goals followed against Chester and Chesterfield. Patulea was raw and unpredictable, but that was part of his appeal. He chased lost causes, worked relentlessly and rarely appeared interested in taking an extra touch when there was an opportunity to shoot.
He was not necessarily a natural fit for a rigid tactical structure, but Lincoln were hardly operating within one at the time. Patulea brought energy and aggression to the attack, giving supporters something to get behind during what would otherwise become a largely forgettable mid-table season.
The Accrington Turning Point
His early scoring form eventually faded. Patulea went six appearances without finding the net and missed the damaging FA Cup replay defeat against Kettering Town through injury. The defining performance of his Lincoln career arrived against Accrington Stanley in December.
City trailed 1-0 following a poor opening 49 minutes, with Jackson initially opting for David Graham at the head of a three-man attack. Fans chanted for a change of formation and the introduction of their cult hero. Patulea was introduced from the bench as the Imps changed shape, and the contest was transformed. He scored twice and contributed to two more goals as Lincoln recovered to win 5-1. Peter Jackson claimed a tactical masterclass.
Patulea played with determination, urgency and perhaps a little anger, as though he were attempting to make a point to his manager. The supporters certainly received the message: he scored the winner against Notts County later that month, but his position remained uncertain. Patulea was dropped after a goalless draw at Bradford City before coming off the bench to score in a 3-2 defeat against Luton Town.
That goal did little to improve his prospects. Jackson added Geoff Horsfield and Anthony Elding to his squad, leaving Patulea increasingly isolated from the starting XI. The decision frustrated supporters, particularly as the Romanian remained City’s most reliable source of goals. Horsfield, Elding and David Graham all struggled to provide the same attacking threat, yet Patulea could not secure a regular place in the side.
Patulea Versus Jackson
Rumours of a disagreement between Patulea and Jackson circulated, although the precise details were never publicly established. What was clear was that the striker’s relationship with his manager had deteriorated. There was also a sense that Patulea’s popularity with supporters had created an uncomfortable dynamic. He had become one of the most discussed members of the squad despite spending much of the winter on the bench.
Patulea eventually returned to favour in March, scoring away at Barnet almost three months after his previous league start. He began six more matches and scored three times, including the winner against Macclesfield Town and City’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Chesterfield. An injury suffered shortly after that Chesterfield game ended his season prematurely.
Despite starting only 17 league matches, Patulea finished as City’s leading scorer with 11 goals from 31 League Two appearances. His average of 0.35 goals per league appearance later earned him a place in our prolific strikers countdown.
It was an impressive return for someone who had been unable to establish himself as an automatic starter.
The Contract Dispute
The argument surrounding his future continued after the season ended. Patulea repeatedly indicated that he wanted to remain at Sincil Bank, but claimed he had not received a written contract offer. Jackson insisted a deal had been presented and suggested the striker was considering opportunities elsewhere. There appeared to be no middle ground.
On 23 June 2009, Patulea’s departure was confirmed. He rejected the opportunity to remain with the Imps and accepted a two-year contract with League One side Leyton Orient. His exit was greeted with disappointment. City had already lost Dany N’Guessan, Lee Beevers and Sam Mullarkey after they rejected new deals, while Patulea’s departure removed the club’s leading scorer from an attack which had struggled throughout the previous season.
Jackson brought in Chris Fagan and Jamie Clarke as part of his attempt to rebuild the forward line, but the manager would not last much longer himself. He was dismissed in the opening months of the following campaign.
Life After Lincoln
The step up to League One did not go as Patulea might have hoped. He scored on his Leyton Orient debut in a League Cup victory against Colchester United, but managed only one league goal during his time with the club.
A loan spell with Hayes and Yeading United followed before he joined Hereford United. Patulea could not reproduce his Lincoln form during either spell and returned to Romania in 2011.
Coubiș will now hope to write a longer and more successful Romanian story at Sincil Bank. However, his Lincoln City career develops, he will have to go some way to match the sheer chaos surrounding the man who came before him.
Some players need years to become cult heroes. Adrian Patulea managed it in a single, extraordinary season.
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