Shepshed Dynamo F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Shepshed Dynamo


fullname = Shepshed Dynamo Football Club
nickname = Dynamo
founded = 1994
ground = The Dovecote, Shepshed
capacity = 2,500 (500 seated)
chairman = Shaun Taylor
manager =
league = Northern Premier League
Division One South
season = 2007-08
position = Northern Premier League
Division One South, 15th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_blackstripes|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=000000|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=000000|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFF00|body2=FFFF00|rightarm2=FFFF00|shorts2=00000|socks2=FFFF00

Shepshed Dynamo F.C. are a football team based in the small town of Shepshed in the North West of Leicestershire, England.

Their home ground is called The Dovecote, which is situated on Butthole Lane. Football has been played on this ground for over 100 years. Previous Shepshed clubs include Shepshed Albion and Shepshed Charterhouse.

Formed in 1994, Shepshed Dynamo originally played in the Midland Football Alliance and were champions in season 1995/96. They were therefore promoted to the Southern League, and took their place in the Western Division. In 1996 they reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup, losing 6-0 away to Carlisle United.

They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One South and are managed by former Mansfield and Halifax player Lee Wilson, who was appointed on 20th November 2007.

History

The town of Shepshed, adjacent to Junction 23 of the M1 motorway in North West Leicestershire, has had football teams associated with it since 1879. Whilst many of these teams achieved local recognition over the years, it was with the formation of the Charterhouse club in the mid-1970’s, that the name of Shepshed became known nationally.

Between 1978 and 1984, the club rose from the lower reaches of the Leicestershire Senior League to the summit of the Southern League Premier Division, winning seven consecutive promotions (including six successive championship titles) on the way. During this period, they also reached both the semi-final and quarter-final of the FA Vase, as well as the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. Unfortunately the Charterhouse club, then known by its original name of Shepshed Albion, closed down in 1994. The current Dynamo club was formed in the summer of that year in an attempt to resurrect the town’s former glories on the football field.

Initially playing in the newly formed Midland Alliance, the club enjoyed a successful first season, finishing 4th. The following season, under Manager Mark O’Kane, the club won the title by eight points. The season included a remarkable 23 game unbeaten start, which stretched into March.

After a hectic summer of improvement works, the club took up their place in the Southern Football League for the 1996/97 campaign.

Whilst league success proved harder to come by in their debut Southern League season, the club more than made up for this in the FA Cup by emulating their famous predecessors and reaching the First Round Proper. Despite a heavy away defeat at the hands of Carlisle United, the memory of the day will live long with all that were there.

The second season in the Southern League proved less successful, and with the team struggling near to the bottom of the league, Manager Mark O’Kane was replaced in February 1998, by John Hanna. The change of leadership had the desired effect with the club climbing to a creditable 16th place by the end of the campaign.

1998/99 saw the best league season to date. Shepshed were in the top six of the league for most of the season, but slipped to a final placing of 10th, after a poor run-in that was not helped by player availability problems.

1999/2000, the Centenary year for the club’s ground ‘The Dovecote’, saw a season-long battle against relegation, a final placing of 18th and the resignation of Hanna in July 2000. His assistant, Dave Williams, was immediately appointed as Manager.

Williams’ first season in charge saw a creditable 15th place finish. The next two seasons saw the financial purse strings tightened, however whilst Shepshed flirted with relegation, a 16th place position was comfortably achieved in both seasons.

The summer of 2003 saw a change in the constitution of the football club that led to it becoming a private limited company whereby shareholders elect the board of directors. However, in footballing terms, the season can be fairly described as disastrous, as it saw two changes in management after Williams was sacked in October and his successor Dave Clay resigned in January. Pete McGurk then took charge of first team matters but despite improved results and performances, he had insufficient time to prevent Shepshed from finishing bottom of the Southern League Western Division.

However, the restructuring that took place during the summer of 2004 reprieved Dynamo from relegation and so saw them start their 10th anniversary season as new members of the UniBond League. McGurk led the team to a respectable 15th place finish in a season that also saw them win the Loughborough Charity Cup and Coalville Charity Cup double.

Season 2005/06 culminated in a fine 10th place finish and saw the club receive the UniBond League Club Of The Month Award, Fair Play Award and Goalscorers Award for April 2006. Dynamo also reached the finals of both the Loughborough Charity Cup and the Coalville Charity Cup.

Manager Peter McGurk resigned on 20 December 2006, with the club in 15th place, and he was replaced by his assistant Adam Stevens who was appointed for the remainder of the season. Stevens himself resigned on 14 April 2007 after a 1-6 defeat at second-bottom Chorley left Dynamo in 20th place (5th bottom). It was announced that Dave Wheatley would take charge of First Team affairs for the final three games of the season. Ex Borrowash Victoria, Belper Town and Mickleover Sports manager Martin Rowe was appointed to the Dovecote hotseat at the beginning of May 2007. However his reign was to last only until November, after Rowe was relieved of his duties after a dismal start to the season.

Former Sutton Town and Gedling Town manager Lee Wilson was appointed as Rowe's replacement, 10 days after Rowe's dismissal. Fortunes soon turned around and any fears of relegation were averted in the New Year, as Dynamo ultimately finished in a comfortably safe 15th position. The 2007/08 season finished with silverware in the trophy cabinet, after Shepshed lifted the Loughborough Charity Cup with a 3-1 victory over near-neighbours Loughborough Dynamo.

Colours and crest

Shepshed's traditional colours are black and white stripes, with black shorts and black socks, and their away colours are yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. The black and white stripes represent the colours worn by Shepshed Albion, the original team to play football on The Dovecote.

The club's crest features a stylised D worn by the FC Dynamo Moscow side that toured England in the 1950's.

Shepshed Dynamo announced new sponsors Shepshed Building Society in June 2008.

quad

Notable past players

* Ibrahim Bah
* Dale Belford
* Richard Dryden

External links

* [http://www.shepsheddynamo.co.uk Shepshed Dynamo Official Website]
* [http://www.shepshed-bwa.co.uk Shepshed Dynamo Unofficial Messageboard]
* [http://www.fchd.info/SHEPSHED.HTM Complete Records of Shepshed Dynamo's League Positions]