Date: Saturday 17th November 2018
Venue: Watermead Lane, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TN
Kick Off: 3pm
Competition: Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One East
Highlights: Highwaymen TV
On Saturday, the Highwaymen make the long trip to Leicestershire to face Loughborough Dynamo.
History
The club was formed in 1955, when a group of boys from Loughborough Grammar School rebelled against the school’s ‘rugby only’ policy and secretly formed a football team. At the time the suitably sinister Moscow Dynamo visited England to play Wolverhampton Wanderers, so they took the name Dynamo from Moscow and the colours from Wolves. At first the club played friendlies before joining the Loughborough Alliance League (now the North Leicestershire League) for the 1957-58 season.
Dynamo progressed slowly but surely through the Leagues (and occasionally back down again) being housed at various grounds before settling at the current site at Nanpantan Sports Ground. The club currently runs a Saturday team and has a thriving Youth set up, from under 10 to under 18, which is possibly the largest in the Leicestershire.
The team finished bottom of the Senior League in 2000-01, but Harborough Town had resigned earlier in the season, thus saving Dynamo from relegation. Something had to be done and the Committee decided to actively target new management and develop a five-year plan to make the club a local force.
James Ellis was appointed first team manager for the start of the 2001-02 season and success was instant. The Everards Brewery Senior League First Division Championship was secured. Season 2002-03 saw the club finish fourth in the Everards Brewery Senior League Premier Division and become the first Loughborough side in living memory to win the Jelson Homes Senior Cup. Off the field a new floodlit stadium was developed and developments continue to the ground, thus ensuring Dynamo can continue to progress up the Football League pyramid.
Season 2003-04 was one of phenomenal success for Dynamo, becoming the first Loughborough club in sixty-three years to win the Everards Brewery Senior League Premier Championship. Whilst in the cup competitions they retained the Jelson Homes Senior Cup and secured the Beacon Bitter League Cup, thus becoming the first Leicestershire club to do the ‘Senior Treble’. In addition they also won the Loughborough Charity Cup and the County FA Presidents Cup whilst the Reserves also secured their Championship.
The Senior League Championship, along with a tremendous amount of ‘off the field’ effort ensured Dynamo’s promotion to the Midland Football Alliance for season 2004-05. During the next three seasons Dynamo establish themselves in the MFA, bettering their position each season finishing in ninth position in 2006-07.
Season 2007-08 heralded the start for a new management team, with Adam Beazeley taking over the helm, assisted by John Folwell and Simon Tebbutt – and who could have imagined the incredible year ahead, with the team playing some exhilarating football. A tremendous battle with, remarkably, three teams in with a chance of the Championship on the final day of the season, which ended with Atherstone Town pipping Dynamo to the league title by a solitary point. However due to the continuing re-organization of the Leagues runners-up was enough for Dynamo to achieve promotion to the UniBond league, a level of football not seen in the town since the heady days of Loughborough United back in the 1960’s and early 70’s.
Dynamo held their own in their first season in the UniBond League, finishing fourteenth in the table. However due to work commitments Adam Beazeley resigned as manager and was replaced by John Folwell, who appointed Mike McLarnon as his assistant.
In season 2009-10 Ian Blyth and Scott Clamp took over the managerial helm, maintaining Dynamo’s position within the Unibond League and steering the club to victory in the County’s senior cup competition, the Westerby Challenge Cup.
Scott Clamp took over the reigns after Ian Blyth’s resignation at the end of the season, bringing in Scott Machin and Dave Clay as his assistants, Dynamo once again finishing mid-table, and adding the Loughborough Charity Cup to the trophy cabinet.
2011-12 saw the management team unchanged, and Dynamo finished in 8th spot in the league – their highest ever league position. They also overcame Hinckley Utd at Leicester City’s Kingpower Stadium to once more bring the Westerby Cup back to the NSG.
Last Match
Loughborough made the trip to the seaside to face Cleethorpes Town and left with a point following a highly entertaining 3-3 draw. Luke Thorogood put Dynamo ahead in the first half; Danny North restored parity before Dynamo went 3-1 up through Josh Riley and Reuben Asamoah. Scott Vernon and Oli Donald grabbed a point in stoppage time.
On Saturday, the Highwaymen were forced to play for almost an hour with 10 men following Sam Hodgson’s red card. Morpeth had already raced into a 2 goal lead against Stocksbridge Park Steels thanks to strikes from David Carson and Jeff Henderson. Luke Manghan grabbed a late consolation but Steels never looked like grabbing an underserved equaliser.
Manager
Lee Attenborough: Appointed in May 2018 following a season serving as assistant manager to Peter Ward as part of a long term succession plan. Prior to arriving at Dynamo, Attenborough had been charge at Sileby Town and Ashby Ivanhoe.
