In April 2017, I decided I would organise my very own Sunday league football team. This idea started because myself and some of my mates were having to travel for half an hour to get to the home ground of the team we played for, meaning we were not playing for a local team. We enjoyed playing for the team but it just was not ours. So that’s where Thurmaston DPC FC was born.

The initial idea began with the idea to be a Thurmaston team, with most of us either living in Thurmaston or playing for Thurmaston Magpies when we were kids. The team name originated from the business; Thurmaston Design and Print Co. It felt like a natural thing to do as I was beginning to build the foundations of this company at the same time as building up a club. It was then time to recruit players to play for the team. We had the bare bones with the guys I had played with the season before and then we began to contact old friends and former teammates to pull a squad together. Before I knew it, I had 23 players stood infant of me wanting to play.

What a positive reaction!

As a designer, I like to make sure everything looks presentable as well as working well, and for the football club, it was no different. The team colours were decided to be white and black. This was for 3 reasons. As kids, a lot of us had played for Thurmaston Magpies, and the famous team colours for Thurmaston was always black and white. Secondly, it made sense to add a black colour with my company branding being white grey and gold. The final and most important reason for me was that my late Grandad; Ken, had ran his own football team for his work when he was young and his team colours were black and white. It just made sense. When I told Ken I was organising my own football team, he gave me so much encouragement to go and do it to the best of my ability. “If you are doing it, do it properly”. I think everybody who has been involved this year can agree I have stuck to those words he told me.

So with the team colours decided, the club badge had to be designed. We had a few designs and working on an emblem was decided. It began life as a Goat; as my pals all referred to me as a goat while I played football. I’d like to think it was because of my excitable nature and impressive leaping abilities for such a small being, but I presume it has more to do with the fact that I have a hairy chin. The badge was designed but with the plan to have a white home shirt, we looked like Derby County and NOBODY wants to look like Derby County! So I changed it and we have the badge we now hold on our chest. A fox to represent our Leicestershire roots with a grey/black backing, white ring and gold embellishments.

thurmaston-dpc-fc-logo

Our first ever kit was pearl white with black lining, black shorts and black and white hooped socks. Stanno. We looked smart as we went through our pre-season games and the forming of a team were unfolding infant of me. We got to the first game of our first ever season and we looked ready. Pre-season had been hard work on and off the pitch but with some help, I had managed to not only create a club, but the basis of a strong squad ready to compete in Sunday football.

 Our Season has continued and although we haven’t reached our full potential quite yet, we have been competing well in our league and are within the top 5 in the league.

“Treat them like professionals and they will act like it”

An away kit was added to the mix half way through the season.

During this whole season, we have played our home matches in Thurnby Lodge; not Thurmaston. This was due to there being no pitches available for the start of the season in Thurmaston. Our aim when we first set out was to be a local club, and as we have continued this season, we have gained more and more interest from local men who want to play football. There are currently no men’s football teams playing in Thurmaston and the only football you could see on a Sunday morning was from Thurmaston Magpies.

I met with the local Thurmaston Parish Council to find out what had to be done to get a pitch in Thurmaston for next year. We have formed a committee for our club and we looked at how our club will grow, with the hope of creating two teams by 2019. We knew we needed to be local to Thurmaston and I have worked hard with the Parish Council and Thurmaston Magpies to be able to bring mens football back into Thurmaston from the 2018/19 season. Something I am personally proud of.

Wednesday 4th April 2018 marked a special moment for our club. The first time Thurmaston DPC FC have ever played in Thurmaston. It was a cup game against Loughborough Stags. Wednesday evening under the lights and I was pleased to see an approximate 40 people come out to see their local men’s football team for the first time. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and made me realise how special this club is.

 

We are the only Men’s team playing Thurmaston and we are proud of that. The interest we have had from local people has been phenomenal, especially as the club began as a little team to let my mates be able to play football together. If it wasn’t for the squad, the people who have helped me behind the scenes, this club wouldn’t have been so successful as it has been this year, and there are too many people to mention but thank you to everybody.

Viva La Thurmo!

Photo credit to Betty Bay Design, Thurmaston Times & Dave Morris Photography