Shepshed Dynamo F.C.

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Shepshed Dynamo
Shepshed Dynamo Badge
Full name Shepshed Dynamo Football Club
Nickname(s) Dynamo
Founded 1879 (as Shepshed Albion) [1] 1994 (as Shepshed Dynamo)
Ground The Dovecote Stadium
Butthole Lane
Shepshed
Leicestershire
LE12 9BN
Ground Capacity 2,500 (500 seated)
Chairman Mick Sloan
Manager John Folwell[2]
League Midland League Premier Division
2014–15 Midland League Premier Division, 16th

Shepshed Dynamo F.C. is a football team based in the small town of Shepshed in the north west of Leicestershire, England. Founded as Shepshed Albion F.C. towards the end of the 19th Century, the club played for the majority of their early history in the Leicestershire Senior League before a series of league wins and promotions the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were known as Shepshed Charterhouse, took them within two promotions of The Football League. The club encountered financial difficulties in 1994 and reformed under the new name in recognition of the help provided by local side Loughborough Dynamo.[3] They currently play in the Midland League Premier Division at Step nine of the English football league system.

History

Early years

Football emerged in Shepshed in the late 19th century and records exist of a violent encounter between the Albion club and Loughborough Corinthians in 1899,[4] but it was not until 1907 that the club joined the Leicestershire Senior League (LSL).[5] Albion had almost immediate success, winning the League in 1911 and again in 1921. They remained in the Leicestershire Senior League for the next 60 years, being promoted and relegated between its two divisions numerous times.

1975-92: The Charterhouse Years

Having been taken over and given significant financial backing by Maurice Clayton (the founder and MD of Charterhouse Holdings PLC) the club changed their name to Shepshed Charterhouse in the summer of 1975.[6] The club won the LSL Second Division in 1977–78 following that immediately with three successive LSL First Division titles in 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81, and were admitted to the Midland League for the first time in 1981.[7]

Charterhouse won the Midland League title at the first attempt and when this league merged with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) in 1982, they were placed in the NCEL Premier Division. They won their sixth successive league title to earn promotion to the Southern Football League Midland Division for the 1983–84 season.[8] This season also gleaned success in cup competitions, with Charterhouse winning the NCEL Cup as well as successfully negotiating the Qualifying Rounds of the FA Cup to reach the First Round Proper, where they lost 5–1 to Preston North End at Deepdale on the 20 November 1982.[9]

Former Shepshed Manager Martin O'Neill

A fourth successive promotion was secured with a second-place finish in the Southern League Midland Division in 1983–84. It is often erroneously stated that Charterhouse gained seven successive promotions during this period,[10] due perhaps to the club achieving six successive first-place finishes, followed by a second place. However, the non-league pyramid was not as formalised at the time as it has subsequently become, and the club won the LSL Premier Division three seasons running.

Playing in the Southern League Premier Division for the first time, the club were able to secure four safe mid-table finishes, finishing as high as seventh in 1985–86. However, they struggled to replicate that form after being transferred to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 1988, despite appointing arguably their most famous manager, former Nottingham Forest player Martin O'Neill, in July 1989.[11] O'Neill would only be at the club for a few months before going on to forge a highly successful managerial career with Leicester City and Celtic amongst others.[12] Charterhouse however would find no such success, finishing bottom of the league in 1990–91 and 1991–92 resulting in relegation to the NPL Division One.

Decline and reformation

Following relegation, the club changed their name back to Shepshed Albion in 1992, but a year later they were relegated again, to the Midland Football Combination.[13] Despite their single season in the Combination being relatively successful, finishing fourth in the 22 team league, off field problems saw the future of the club in doubt. With help from local side Loughborough Dynamo the club were able to restructure and chose to signal a new era by adopting the name Shepshed Dynamo. The club were placed in the Midland Football Alliance for the 1994–95 season and performed strongly; finishing the season in fourth.

Brief resurgence

The 1995–96 season started with an impressive 23 game unbeaten start. The club went on to win the League by eight points and were promoted to the Southern League Division One Midland for the 1996–97 season.[14] Promotion brought its own difficulties and Shepshed were forced to seek financial help from Charnwood Borough Council to complete the necessary improvements to the clubs facilities to allow them to take their place in the Southern League. [15]

Their first season back in the Southern League resulted in a safe mid-table position, but it was in the FA Cup that they caused their fans the most excitement. Having seen off Stratford Town, Sandwell Borough, Solihull Borough, Knypersley Victoria and Bromsgrove Rovers, the club visited Carlisle United in the First Round Proper eventually going down 6–0 to the Football League Side. [16]

Back in decline

A re-organisation of the Southern League for the start of the 1999–2000 season saw Shepshed moved to Division One West. A poor season spent fighting relegation resulted in a final position of 18th. [17]

Shepshed finished bottom of the Southern League Division One West in 2003–04. However, due to the expansion of the English Football Conference to three divisions, and the subsequent reorganisation of the National League System Shepshed avoided demotion to a regional division and found themselves placed in the Northern Premier League Division One for the 2004–05 season, now at Step eight of the pyramid. Further reorganisation of the lower leagues in 2007 left the club in the new Northern Premier League Division One South.

The 2010–11 season finished with Shepshed in the relegation places. However, they were reprieved from relegation to the Midland Football Alliance at the end of the 2010–11 season due to Rushden and Diamonds being expelled from the Football Conference.[18]

The previous seasons reprieve from relegation did not last long, with the club finishing bottom of the Northern Premier League Division One South in 2012 and therefore being relegated to the United Counties League at Step nine of the English football league system, the lowest level of football Shepshed has played at since the Non-League System was first formalised in 1979. Following one season in the United Counties, the club was moved into the Midland Football Alliance. In 2014, the Midland Football Alliance and the Midland Football Combination merged to form the new Midland Football League and Shepshed were placed in the Premier Division of the new league.

League History

From Football Club History Database[19][20][21]

L7 = L6 = Level 6 of the football pyramid; Level 7 of the football pyramid; L8 = Level 8 of the football pyramid; L9 = Level 9 of the football pyramid.

  • Seasons spent at Level 6 of the football pyramid: 8
  • Seasons spent at Level 7 of the football pyramid: 10
  • Seasons spent at Level 8 of the football pyramid: 12
  • Seasons spent at Level 9 of the football pyramid: 4

n.b. The Non-league system was first formalised in 1979 with the creation of the Alliance Premier League and the recognition of the Northern Premier League, Southern Football League and Isthmian League as direct feeder divisions to the Alliance. It was not until 1982 that these divisions had their own recognised "feeder leagues". Therefore, until entering the Northern Counties East Premier Division in 1982, Shepshed had not been part of the pyramid.

Ground

A view of the Home Fans Stand

The club have played their games at the Dovecote, situated on Butthole Lane on the north side of the town, since 1891. The ground is allegedly referenced in the Doomsday Book as a sporting facility for the village.[22] It is possible, due to the nature of the name Butthole Lane, that the ground itself was used for the village archery practice.[23] The ground is still owned by the family of former Charterhouse Chairman Maurice Clayton.[24]

Colours and crest

File:Shepshed Albion FC Crest.png
Crest used by Shepshed Albion until 1994

The current first team strip consists of black and white stripes, with black shorts and black socks, and their away colours are yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. The club's crest features a stylised "D" inherited from local side Loughborough Dynamo who were central in their reformation in 1994. Loughborough had in turn taken the name "Dynamo" and the "D" logo from Dynamo Moscow, who had toured the UK in 1945. Previously, the club crest featured a representation of a dove on a field of Black and White. During Maurice Clayton's time in charge, the club were 're-branded' with the nickname 'The Raiders' complete with a crest resembling the Los Angeles Raiders, probably inspired by Charterhouse Holdings lucrative contract to produce merchandise for the NFL.[25]

Notable Players/Managers

Below is a list of Players/Managers who have appeared for teams in the English Football League

References

  1. ↑ Poolstats - Shepshed Dynamo
  2. ↑ http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/shepsheddynamo/news/stocking-steps-down-1508035.html
  3. ↑ The Groundhog: Shepshed Dynamo
  4. ↑ Football violence in history - SIRC
  5. ↑ Information - Shepshed Dynamo
  6. ↑ Shepshed Charterhouse's Maurice Clayton dies aged 78
  7. ↑ Football Club History Database - Shepshed Charterhouse
  8. ↑ Northern Counties East Football League - Shepshed Charterhouse 1982/83
  9. ↑ Football Database - FA Cup: Preston v Shepshed 1982
  10. ↑ Loughborough Echo: About - Shepshed Dynamo
  11. ↑ Martin O'Neill: The Biography - Google Books
  12. ↑ LMA: Martin O'Neill
  13. ↑ Football Club History Database - Shepshed Albion
  14. ↑ http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Local-football-New-Dynamo-boss-sets-sights-return/story-12989205-detail/story.html
  15. ↑ http://www.mossleyweb.com/ClubsShepshedDyn.htm
  16. ↑ http://www.worldfootball.net/teams/shepshed-dynamo-fc/carlisle-united/11/
  17. ↑ http://www.bromsgroverovers.org.uk/stats/opponent.php?opp=186
  18. ↑ Shepshed Dynamo have been given a reprieve to relegation from the Evo-Stik League First Division South
  19. ↑ [http://www.fchd.info/SHEPSHEA.HTM Complete records of Shepshed Albion's league positions
  20. ↑ Complete records of Shepshed Charterhouse's league positions
  21. ↑ Complete records of Shepshed Dynamo's league positions
  22. ↑ Graham Spencer - Charterhouse Memories
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Tributes paid to founder of Charterhouse Holdings
  25. ↑ Shepshed Memories: Dovecote Days
  26. ↑ Jeff Blockley - Arsenal.com
  27. ↑ Bentley's Roof - Lenny Glover
  28. ↑ The Linnets- Match Report - Shepshed Charterhouse
  29. ↑ Jon McCarthy: My Time In Football
  30. ↑ England Football Online - David Nish
  31. ↑ Wignall's broken leg ends World Cup bid

External links

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