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Continued from last week .
Highlanders FC was a winning team from day one, raking in some of the most coveted trophies in the land in its first three decades of existence.
In the 1950s, the team was outstanding. Perhaps the David Livingstone Memorial trophy of 1955 is worth mentioning.
Three teams which include Highlanders would every year travel to Livingstone, Zambia to take part in the Livingstone Memorial Trophy in the 1950s.
Former player and club official Mackenzie Sibanda said the club won the trophy thrice in 1955, 1961 and 1962. (Interview Lovemore Dube-Chronicle and M. Sibanda 12 April 2006)
As good as things looked, there were major shake-ups that threatened the teama��s survival. The first was in 1963 and the second in 1976. However, the club survived.
In 1963 at the birth of organised national semi-professional football, some members, feeling that the players had come of age and needed to compete with their peers, resolved to team up as the big three to form The Big Three.
This team was to compete in the national league with the likes of Salisbury Callies and Dynamos. The Big Three comprised Matabeleland Highlanders, Mashonaland FC and Northern Rhodesia.
For some time, these teams did not exist as players had bought into the idea of playing national football under the Cobras banner. Some players naturally would not fit into the team as it meant only 11 could be chosen at a time when there was another set of 22 who were left out. Mackenzie Sibanda later backtracked on the idea and went back to link up with the likes of Edward Dlamini then working as a manager at Sales House clothing store and also a part time footballer.
One of the big buys by the club in the 1960s was Andrew a�?Scrupataa�� Jele from Wankie FC, now Hwange.
He went on to be a useful player for the club on its rebuilding process and in its campaign in national football years later.
With most senior players sticking out with Cobras, the re-assembled and building Highlanders went on to recruit schoolboys who included Lawrence Phiri, Barry Daka and Billy Sibanda. The birth of the Highlanders junior policy came on board in 1965 and has come in handy providing the club with stars year in and year out.
This had saved the club from spending a fortune in buying players from other clubs and all successful Highlanders teams have been powered by the cluba��s own products from the junior policy.
(Source Mackenzie Sibanda, Hoseah Khumalo, Edward Dlamini).
Online Reporter