happiness Chikwanha
Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER missing a chance to mark their Golden Jubilee in style, Dynamos have put in motion plans to celebrate the club’s 60th anniversary in 2023.
The Glamour Boys, the country’s most popular and successful club, paid dearly for their lack of planning in 2013 when their Golden Jubilee passed without the glitz which should be associated with such an anniversary.
But, the Harare giants appear determined to make amends, with the support from their principal sponsors Gold Leaf Tobacco.
The club’s leadership confirmed the plans to The Herald.
Although football has been paralysed by the coronavirus lockdown, the DeMbare bosses have taken the opportunity to look into the future.
“With, or without football this year, the club should make progress towards the milestone so that by 2023 everything will be in place,” said a club official.
“There is work in progress on the website and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
“These platforms should be up in the coming weeks and then we begin our fan registration exercise.
“As a club, we are looking to celebrate the 60th anniversary in style so we have to build the momentum by chronicling and profiling the club’s history, statistics and records.
“You will also see that the idea behind the website, and the social media platforms, is about enhancing our brand as the country’s biggest and most successful club.
“We aim to have a channel providing the club, and its supporters, 24/7 coverage of what is happening at the club.
“It is also about giving our partners an opportunity to advertise their products and to be visible on the market so that they get value for their association with the club.
“We believe we can use the platforms to grow our fan base, which has been shrinking, as evidenced by the number of people coming to our games.
“There are many factors that may hinder match attendance, but we believe we have to continuously engage our fans so that loyalty is cultivated.”
Dynamos were formed in 1963, after a group of black players came together to challenge the racial discrimination they had experienced, during the colonial era.
The club owe a lot to their founding fathers who include Obadiah “Wasu” Sarupinda, Patrick “Amato” Dzvene, Ephraim Mpariwa, Richard Chiminya, Nathan Maziti, Josiah Akende, Jairos Banda, Danny Bricks, Alois Mesikano, Sam Dauya and Bernard Marriot.
Marriot is the current board chairman.
Most of the founders are now late.
Over the years, DeMbare have won a record 21 league titles, and several other local trophies.
They have also been the country’s flag bearers on the continent.
The Glamour Boys have a CAF Champions League silver medal, from the 1998 final, which they lost in controversial circumstances to Cote d’Ivoire side, Asec Mimosas.
They have groomed, and produced legends, including the country’s most successful football coach, Sunday Chidzambwa, Callisto Pasuwa and David Mandigora.
Success appears to have evaded them in the last few years, with their last league title coming in 2014 under Pasuwa.
They missed a very important milestone in 2013, after plans to commemorate the Golden Jubilee failed to materialise.
The club, then under the leadership of Kenny Mubaiwa, unveiled a marketing committee to spearhead the commemorations.
But, the four-man committee, led by former chairman Ignatius Pamire, never delivered.
However, incumbent chairman, Isaiah Mupfurutsa, confirmed the club have revived the grand plans.
“This is a big project and it needs more time. Maybe, we can talk about it some other time since it is still in its infancy,” said Mupfurutsa.
The Glamour Boys will turn 60 just three years before their biggest rivals, Highlanders, celebrate a century of existence.
Bosso were established in 1926.
The Bulawayo giants are the second most successful football club in the country, with seven league titles, all of them won after Independence.
Within that period, Dynamos have won 16 league championships.
Both giants have enjoyed a period of dominance, when they won four straight league championships, in the past 40 years.
DeMbare have done it twice, winning four league titles on the bounce between 1980 and 1983.
They repeated the magic when Pasuwa guided them to four straight league titles between 2011 and 2014.
Bosso won four straight league championships at the turn of the millennium.
While the Glamour Boys have ruled, on the domestic front, it’s Bosso who have had more players who have gone on to play in the major leagues of Europe.
These players include legendary goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool), former Warriors skipper, Peter Ndlovu (Coventry City and Sheffield United) and Benjani Mwaruwari (Portsmouth and Manchester City).
Warriors midfielder, Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa), also had a stint at Bosso, as he emerged through the junior ranks.
The same is also true about Turkey-based defender, Teenage Hadebe.
Online Reporter