The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
A CATHOLIC priest has followed Dynamos since its formation in 1963 and claims to have watched almost all of the Glamour Boys’ home matches.
Father Paul Mayeresa, attached to Chishawasha Primary School, appreciates that DeMbare is a club that goes through phases. However, the 70-year old Mayeresa maintains he has never seen anything close to the dismal start his team has had to the 2018 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season. DeMbare have only won twice in 10 games this term.
“My heart bleeds for Dynamos, I have witnessed all the team’s highs and lows but this year is something else,” he said.
“In the past the team counted on its supporters to carry it through such difficult times but times have changed.
“More than half of the seven million supporters seem to be drifting away. Where has that old fashioned passion gone to?” asked the clergyman rhetorically.
Mayeresa then went down memory lane, explaining the genesis of his undying love for Dynamos. “Back then, Dynamos was viewed as a black people’s team. We identified with it during colonial times and we the passionate supporters would go to the extremes to protect the team’s image,” he narrated with a smile.
“Dynamos was the only team that had black players in the majority. There were only two coloured boys named Majid Danner and Charlie Jones.“They were the first non-black guys to join the team although later on one white guy, the late Roy Cock also came along”During those days, Mayeresa claimed, whenever Dynamos lost a game, the black masses found it difficult to report for work the following day.
“Some would walk from Mufakose, Highfield and other suburbs into town on foot when ‘Salisbury United’ buses were there just to express their disgust.
“So this system of supporters expressing bitterness whenever things turn ugly for the team, it’s a family tradition.
“These supporters that we have today are a third or fourth generation who inherited the culture from their forefathers,” he said. Dynamos’ training sessions and team selection until the early 90s is something the cleric ponders on as he seeks answers to why his favourite team has become so pathetic.“Those days the team used to train at Belgravia before they moved to Royals and as club members we would be present during the sessions.
“After training session the coach would sit with us and seek our opinions before selecting the team. They believed in consensus and with everyone pulling together Dynamos never went wrong,” said Mayeresa. The lifetime DeMbare fan reckons the country’s most supported team is suffering from a lack of blue blooded players.
“In the olden days the team never bought players, they had a vibrant junior policy team. We could see players graduating from the most junior team up to the first team. These players had a strong bond with the supporters.
“On the occasions they tried purchasing players things never worked out, the new arrivals always found it difficult to fit into the team.“We should consider revisiting the junior policy and have the club permanently based at Rufaro. To me Rufaro is the home of DeMbare and DeMbare is the home of football.”Mayeresa said poor administration and Dynamos are like Siamese Twins.“That has always been the case with our club. Right now we have fired Lloyd Mutasa but the guy is not the problem. “Poor administration is costing us on the field of play and until we change the way we run the club we will continue to sing the blues,” he said.
Of all the Dynamos matches Mayeresa has watched the abandoned 1973 Castle Cup match against Wankie stands out for special mention.“I will never forget that Castle Cup match. During those a cup final had to be decided in open play, there were no penalties. “The teams had already played to two stalemates and this was the third one, the team that would score first was going to be the winner.“That match was very tense, the entire stadium was edgy and emotions were running higher by each passing minute. At exactly 87 minutes, and with the scoreboard goalless, Wankie were awarded a penalty.“Chaos erupted, we invaded the pitch and the penalty was never taken, and there was no winner of Castle Cup. That was the true DeMbare spirit at play. The passion the players had on the pitch was replicated in the stands. Sadly those good old days are gone and may never return,” said Mayeresa.
