Football:A new start for Northern Dynamo |06 February 2014

Fans of world football have become accustomed to seeing European clubs being taken over by wealthy investors and looking to establish themselves as the new football powerhouses within their respective leagues.

Chelsea and Manchester City in the Premier League, Paris Saint Germain and AS Monaco in France, Malaga in Spain have all been taken over by billionaires who have pumped billions into the teams to buy quality players in the bid to become the best.

The phenomenon seems to be gripping Seychelles as first division side Northern Dynamo have this year started on a new phase in the team’s existence.

The team who last year managed their highest ever finish – fourth – in the Barclays league division one have now embarked on a new and exciting venture after the club was taken over by Pure Entertainment Ltd chairman Ahmed Mahir Didi, a Maldivian.

Northern Dynamo now have Mr Didi as the club chairman with Filip Petre appointed as the club chief executive. Mr Petre has been tasked with the responsibility of developing and restructuring the club, with team manager Clive Delorie responsible for overseeing the needs of the club and making sure they play in the best possible environment. Cliff Nolin will stay on as head coach and he will be responsible for the technical department of the club.

Mr Didi’s decision to take over the Northern Dynamo Football Club is due to him being a resident of north Mahé and therefore taking on this project will enable him to contribute towards the community.

“With the new leadership given by Mr Didi the club can be more ambitious and set higher targets,” said Mr Petre during a press conference held at the Glacis community centre, yesterday morning.

“Northern Dynamo have many plans and initiatives that will take shape over the next few months and it’s all part of a plan to make the club one the most well organised in Seychelles.”

Second division side SMB have also been taken over but have now merged with Northern Mahé with the best players from both teams added to the side.

New team logo unveiled

As part of Northern Dynamo’s revamp, the team will bear a new logo for the foreseeable future.

“To have a fresh start, Northern Dynamo turns a new leaf in its history by launching its new logo. The new logo will help launch the club with a new image as one of the leaders within Seychelles football,” Mr Petre said.

The new circle shaped logo is according to the club part of a plan to make the club more marketable and help the club reach a larger audience.

“The design of the logo is based on the shape of a compass pointing north. The tropic birds in the centre are a symbol of the country and Northern Dynamo is proud to carry Seychelles in the logo as it tries to represent the country abroad,” Mr Petre said.

Youth development a key part of the project

Northern Dynamo have recently restarted their youth development programme. With the help of Georges Toussaint as youth manager and the experienced Jeris Cesar as youth team coach, the club will be hoping to develop some of the best players for the future.

“The club will emphasise on youth training and development and in the future if everything goes according to plan, the club hope to open a youth academy to nurture young talents,” added club CEO Petre.

Northern Dynamo will also be aiming to contribute towards the community and therefore in the near future hope to establish a clubhouse, where the club can house administrative work, arrange club activities and events for the community.

“Helping the community is something very important to the club. In the future, Northern Dynamo hope to start initiatives to keep the youths off the streets and get interested in football,” said Mr Petre.

Northern Dynamo on the web

“As part of the club’s plan to become more professional, a new website is in production. The website will help fans and supporters follow the team’s progress. It is a tool to be used by the club to keep fans and supporters informed about news and club development,” Mr Petre said.

The club also launched their new facebook page yesterday, where fans can follow the team. Team photos and team news will be updated on this page. To view the Northern Dynamo facebook page, fans can go to the link: www.facebook.com/northerndynamo.

Mr Petre also talked about the club’s fans saying: “For every club it is important to have a fan club. Northern Dynamo will be starting a fan club in the near future. We know that this will not be easy, but it is necessary to have one for the club to be successful.”

New season preparations

Head coach Cliff Nolin will be taking a group of the club’s best players on a pre-season tour in the Maldives on February 8. The team will play two matches against Maldives first division runners-up Mazyia SC on February 9 and league champions New Radiant SC on February 11.

Both matches are expected to be shown at the Glacis community centre where all football fans are invited to attend.

Northern Dynamo have also recruited several young players as well as some from the SMB squad, but they are also looking to bring in two offensive-minded Maldivian players to bolster the team for the season.

Coach Nolin said: “We are not going to rush the club into immediate success. This is a long-term project and as such we are working towards building a team for the future. Local fans should therefore not expect us to go on a recruiting spree to get the best players available as we are aiming to develop our own players and challenge for honours in the future.”

The club also announced that they are working towards having all players signed contracts with the team, meaning Northern Dynamo will be operating at semi-professional level for the moment, but the long-term goal is to turn it into a professional club in the future.

This could be a very important development in Seychelles football as football fans and players alike have often raised concerns over the lack of investment in football locally.

The hope is that this development can push other businesses into investing into football clubs for the betterment of the sport locally as a whole.

S. N.