The Post

Dynamos: proudly made in Chatsworth

THERE’S a football renaissance taking place in Chatsworth at the moment and I can’t help but share my enthusiasm with readers.

The 2021/2022 season has been a successful and epoch-making one in the history of Summerfield Dynamos FC, who won the ABC Motsepe League for the second time in three years.

They made history by becoming the first KwaZulu-Natal team from the ABC Motsepe League and the first team ever from Chatsworth to reach the quarter-finals of the prestigious and lucrative Nedbank Cup.

Someone once said: “I have so much bad luck that if I bought a cemetery tomorrow, people will stop dying!”

That’s how Collin Naidoo, owner and chairman of Dynamos, must feel after being bundled off in the play-offs yet again, despite being close to being promoted to the PSL First Division and being just one tier away from professional status.

If the promotion voodoo persists like a poisoned chalice, the Dynamos boss will have to look at a backstairs entry by bidding to buy a First Division franchise which would be a costly exercise.

But with a patriot’s zeal, Naidoo’s nascent crusade of bringing professional football to Chatsworth has been renewed with vigour and resolve. Unaccustomed to expression, he is an introverted man who projects an intense seriousness of intent.

Clinton Larsen is the head coach of Summerfield Dynamos – having been summoned and mandated by Naidoo to bring back the glory days to Chatsworth.

Larsen played for Manning Rangers under coach Gordon Ingesund when they won the inaugural PSL League title. He went on to coach two PSL teams in the paid professional ranks.

A Wentworth prodigy and mentored by the Mighty Mauler’s Don Mudaly, he knows Chatsworth like no other – the psychological markers, demographics and culture of fans and societal demands.

His powers of perceptional strategy, creativity and footballing intelligence are on par for the course and together with passion and commitment from a resilient squad, Dynamos will continue pawing at the door.

Are we seeing the emergence of a new generation of football supporters? Can we relive the footballing heydays of Currie’s Fountain in the ’70s, when the likes of Berea, Manning Rangers, Blue Bells United, Tongaat Crusaders and Maritzburg United graced our pitches? Will we cultivate a never-say-die intricate fervency?

It’s a long shot but the boisterous camaraderie and support are there as Summerfield Dynamos and their achievements have become the talk of the town. While the dynamics and demographics of the stoic supporter have changed in an ever-evolving society – with ideological interpellation not lost – Dynamos remain symbolic of the brand, Made In Chatsworth.

The lobbying for a stadium in Chatsworth was the lifelong imperative of the late Amichand Rajbansi and the building of the Chatsworth Stadium was the culmination of that dream – a goal for which he never ceased labouring.

Who can forget the weekday soccer nights at Chatsworth Stadium when Rangers hosted giants like Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates, with the stadium virtually bursting at capacity?

Higginson Highway used to be snaking with traffic as a carnival-like atmosphere took over the freeway stretch and all roads led to Chatsworth. Such was the magnitude of multi-throated roars on derby nights, that passing motorists felt their vehicles vibrate.

It was good business for the locals too, with late-night bars and food joints keeping the lights on.

Two other local amateur teams in the fourth-tier SAB League also have their sights on an upward trajectory – Manning Rangers FC (Pastor Sanjay Balaram) and Chatsworth Rangers FC (Clive Naidoo) and are run by dedicated personnel who are committed to the promotion of soccer at the township level.

Rather than being sideline critics, they have got the ball rolling and will be remembered in club history. Despite the odds, its champagne football on lemonade budgets and local businesses are urged to become part of this footballing revolution.

While well-known security company ProSecure has come on board with Rangers, it is heartening to note the contribution of a local businessman, Roy Harper, who owns the BP Garage in Richmond Road. He donated R10 000 to Westcliff City FC for their junior ranks. Such financial injections bode well for the future of the game.

Larsen is tasked with probing this citadel of talent. The modus operandi of development soccer is to uncover rough diamonds, nurture them and facilitate their polishing, and when they glitter, unleash them back into the market and watch their value appreciate.

Collin Naidoo’s contribution to the sport should not go unnoticed as it requires a lot of vision, commitment, time and money.

A drive along Havenside Drive and you see Dynamos’ training ground – a perennial carpet finish topping, complete with floodlights, change rooms, designated parking and plenty of space for keen observers.

Finally, for all at Summerfield Dynamos FC, the deserved gravitas and victories will eventually come with the continued unflinching belief and perseverance and support from a community who are crazy about football.

KEVIN GOVENDER

Shallcross

Opinion

en-za

2022-06-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepostza.pressreader.com/article/281659668729217

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