The story starts for Dynamos in 1994 with Andrew Ottaway and a dads desire to teach football skills to his sons; and to do so in the way he knew was best. From a love of football, experience of coaching, refereeing and a few years (or more) of playing he knew that these football skills, learnt early in a young players life, could be the basis of a lifetime of enjoyable playing. Andrew also believed in sport for all, and everyone was welcomed to training.

The Heights School in Downley (a school for 4 - 7 year olds) agreed and on Saturday mornings at the school the few kids that started grew in number to become a small club that would often play friendly games against young teams from more established football clubs. Around this time the FA was reviewing how young people could best learn the beautiful game and looked around the world at successful nations and took the best ideas and started the mini-soccer initiatives. These ideas gelled with and were embraced at the Heights with more youngsters joining the training. As the numbers grew training moved to the greater space afforded by the Wycombe West senior school, now the site of the new Downley School. Growing numbers meant help was needed and another 'senior player', Greg Butler, joined in the coaching, his sons already being part of the club.

As the older players moved on from the Heights to Downley Middle School the number of players and age groups continued to grow. Andrew wanted to continue with the younger players at the Heights, so in 1997 a group of parents took up Andrew's challenge and over the course of a hazy Sunday afternoon at the le de Spencer Arms in Downley a new club for the older (Under 9 age group) was formed.

The beer was good, and once the basis of the club was agreed quite quickly, until it came to names for the club. Many different names were suggested some outrageous, some boring, some... well a lot of beer had been drunk. Finally Dynamo Downley was agreed, as it suggested energy, vigour, and the obvious link to Downley. A review of the name followed later in the week, but without the benefit of beer, so Dynamo Downley became Downley Dynamos but not before the bank account had been opened. So if you look at the club bank account and cheques you will see the original club name.

Downley Dynamos formally registered with the FA with Dynamos putting an under 9 team into Mini Soccer for the first time. Dynamos also unofficially registered the le de Spencer as the club committee rooms, centre of fund raising, and of course where many of the parents would go to review the matches, either in celebration, or to discuss why poor refereeing and bad pitches had led to that weeks mishap.

Over the next couple of years Heights and Dynamos continued to thrive, then with the amalgamation of the Heights with Downley Middle School (and the closure of the Wycombe West School) the amalgamation of the Heights and Dynamos took place. Parents went on FA training and emergency aid courses. All the training now took place at the Downley School, School Close site. The next year Dynamos had teams playing in two age groups, the following year three age groups, the oldest entering 11 a side at Under 11 for the first time - quite a new experience!

Growth in numbers and the year on year intake of new players led to capacity at School Close being reached and senior training moving to the Desborough Recreation ground at Fryers Lane. A bad and very wet winter in 2000 led to all training moving for half the season to Desborough for both the younger and older players. At this time Dynamos had teams at U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12 and a good reputation as a club. Dynamos reputation meant that other players from out of the Downley area wanted to join and these players were welcomed in.

In 2001 adult football (not Dynamos incidentally) stopped at Desborough rec due to the loss of changing facilities, but this meant Dynamos had first call on pitches and with the support and encouragement of Wycombe Council the U11, U12 and U13 teams moved all their training and home matches to the rec. A smaller adult pitch was provided for the younger age groups. Mini soccer was also played at Desborough rec when the School Close site was too wet or in danger of being overplayed.

Dynamos welcomed all standards of players, is very proud of winning the fair play awards, of having teams across all divisions, and is keen to continue it's multi-gender, multi-cultural ethos (this means boys and girls and all colours, creeds and religions are welcome). One of the reasons we are such a friendly and successful club.

Another of Downley Dynamos strengths is good organisation and communication, although on some Saturday mornings you may have to look a little harder for this!

That brings us up to date and the 2002/03 season. We have had to arrange temporary training and playing facilities due to the closure of the Heights and Downley Middle School sites and the move to the new site at Faulkner Way. The school site has been landscaped and a little work is left to be completed before the school, and therefore Dynamos, can use their more extensive playing fields. With good luck we may start training at the school in September 2003, although some more cautious on the committee and thinking January 2004. The seniors look set to continue at Desborough due to the good playing conditions and space available.

There are too many people to thanks and mention that have put an awful lot of work, pride and passion into the setting up and running of Dynamos. We have to thanks the mums and hard working wives who did so much, especially in the early years, the coaches who still plot, plan and pinch the best ideas for training and give up their Saturday mornings and match days as well . The committee who work behind the scenes to ensure the myriad tasks are kept under control.

We really should thank the youngsters. We have a great bunch of players, some brilliant footballers, some with two left feet - but we are working on that. But they turn out and we try (we really do) to make sure they have interesting and rewarding training sessions.

THE SCRIVENER.

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Some cameo moments from Dynamos history:

Choosing the club name, as previously mentioned was difficult but in the end a good choice. Choosing club colours took another long evening in the 'committee rooms' with a dozen committee members pouring over catalogues and holding discussions over what was easiest to keep clean and did not show mud and grass stains and still looked good after 100 washes! In the end the Downley School blue was chosen, a supplier found (very good discount offered) and three of us proudly went over to Aylesbury to order the kit. The shop told us that our choice was "Not in stock with the manufacturer"! 30 seconds later green and white hoops with white shorts were chosen and ordered. The mums (kit washers) were furious but eventually agreed that Dynamos looked good and the more difficult task of kit washing was a small price to pay.

A Scottish family moved to the area, their son joined Dynamos and tragedy! At the first match as the first-born son was given his football shirt for the first time at the match. What should have been the swelling pride of the dad was turned into an emotional impasse as the lifelong Glasgow Rangers supporter's first son donned Celtic colours! Oops.

One of the club sponsors had their name emblazoned across the training tops. We slowly realised why the 12 year old boys preferred not to wear them and would warm up before the matches (in quite cold weather) with just their football shirts. But our thanks still go out to 'Sweet Violets'.

Dynamo dads were formed from the motley crew of parents and a couple of 'friends of Dynamos'. A fancy dress match sponsored match by Pat of the le de Spencer followed. Narrowly won by the Dynamo Dads, thanks to help from Peter Pan and the rear end of a horse.

Dynamo Dads also recruited the heavier (but not necessarily stronger) dads and a friend or two to win the village tug of war for two years in succession.

We thought we understood junior football in our friendly, home counties sort of way until we went to our first ever football weekend at Pontins, Camber Sands, in Kent . We met some of the London teams and even at under 10 realised the passion and strength of feeling that some parents had. Refereeing a Millwall match helped us to realise why it has 'a bit of a reputation'.

In the early days enthusiasm for all things football meant even arranging a fun weekends in the Forest of Dean with parents ad players enjoying a fun weekend. The kids got on really well playing non-stop football in the campsite using jumpers for goalposts. The adults got on even better long walks to the pub at Symonds Yat, drinking into the evening and forgetting how far inebriated voices travelled until at one in the morning a voice boomed out from the other side of the site "for god's sake SHUTUP"! Seconds later it was lights out, quick trip to the shower block and a sound night sleep.