Online Reporter
TODAY, our main story is about Dynamos.
The Glamour Boys to some, DeMbare to others — a football club which used to represent the best there is when it comes to Zimbabwean football.
For years, they were the flag bearers of our football, they always set the benchmark in terms of success and they were the glamour club of our top-flight league.
DeMbare were the home of some of our finest football stars — George Shaya, Moses Chunga, Sunday Chidzambwa, David Mandigora, Oliver Kateya, Shepherd Murape, Kenneth Jere, Japhet M’parutsa, Memory Mucherahowa, Tauya Murewa, Edward Katsevere, to name but just a few.
They used to have the biggest number of fans and it was normal for Dynamos to attract 30,000 at Rufaro and during their adventure in the CAF Champions League in 1998, when they reached the final, the Glamour Boys had 55,000 fans at the National Sports Stadium.
But, all that is gone now and what remains is a shell.
Dynamos are fighting relegation and they have already fired two of the coaches who guided them this season — Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe and Saul Chaminuka.
They have brought in Zambian gaffer Kelvin Kaindu and his responsibility is to try and save the DeMbare ship.
While the coaches have been changed, the results have not improved and, after 23 games, Dynamos have only won twice and find themselves with just 16 points while the leaders in the championship race have already passed the 40-point mark.
The Glamour Boys have won just twice this season and both wins were at Rufaro.
They are winless away from Rufaro and yesterday they suffered a 0-3 humiliation at the hands of Chicken Inn, who also have been struggling badly this season.
Frustrated DeMbare fans left their seats at the Mpilo End of Barbourfields and went to the VIP Enclosure where they wanted to get an explanation from their officials as to what was really happening at the club.
One fan had a placard which reminded Bernard Marriot that the time had come for him to return the franchise to the club’s real owners — its supporters.
Marriot should shoulder most of the blame for the way Dynamos have been reduced into such a punching bag.
From the moment he decided to give himself a 51 percent shareholding in the company, which he says runs the club, DeMbare have been on a free-fall and the old man appears to have run out of ideas.
He has fired the coaches but the results are not improving.
In fact, the results are even getting worse.
Since he became chairman of the so-called Dynamos board of directors, he has fired many coaches but the success, which the club used to enjoy, has eluded them.
With only 11 games to go for Dynamos, the signs are not looking good.
It’s not helping their cause that the other clubs in the relegation zone like Triangle are beginning to secure points and move away from trouble.
