Supporters and Rivalries
Dynamos are by far the most popular club in Zimbabwe; indeed, if the club's estimated fan-base of "seven million support" is accurate, the team is favoured by over half of the country's population.
The side's main rivals are Harare-based CAPS United and Bulawayo's Highlanders. Dynamos history with Caps united shows Dynamos to be the weaker side. On the other hand Dynamos have had the better days while facing highlanders. In both these rivalries, these teams need no motivation. Because of the bragging rights at stake (far more important than the price money to the supporters) Both players and fans give their best. Cursing out the opposition, breaking off into fights. Several people have died at these matches, yet millions still come to root for their team.
The news papers of the country the Herald and the Chronicle, spice up this rivalry by giving colorful names to the derbies. the game caps (known as the battle for the cities) and highlanders (battle for Zimbabwe). Caps united fans and highlanders fans are united in their hatred of Dynamos, calling them dembudzi (a corruption of dembare comparing them to goats). A typical Caps or Highlanders fan will rather support a foreign team they do not know than root for Dynamos. Dynamos fans also return the favor when these teams play other opponents.
Dynamos ironically would rather favor highlanders than Caps United. This shows that the hatred between these clubs is deep. While both are based in Harare they can not stomach each other. These are like brothers vowed to hate each other to death.
Highlanders fans on the other hand, only view everything Dembare as evil. They can embrace Caps easily when such a thing is convenient, but Dynamos is an unpalatable thought to their minds. This is worsened by the strong tribal overtones in these teams. Dynamos has often beefed up its squad by poaching highlanders players, like Lovemore Ncube, Makwinji Soma-Phiri, Washington Arubi and recently tried to purchase old horse Peter Ndlovu but the deal fell through at the last minute. Highlanders have also bought some players from Dynamos, The most recent being Givemore Manuela, but his star quickly faded. Violence has especially erupted in Bulawayo where the Highlanders fans do not accept defeat to Dynamos. They will blame the referee, blame their coach anything but the thought that maybe Dynamos will always be better than them. Conspiracy theories abound among the Bosso and Caps faithfuls that Dynamos is protected by politicians. When Dynamos is facing elimination from the top flight there is always a change of rules to accommodate them or support their bid to survive relegation.
Dynamos fans look forward to matches with Caps and Highlanders, believing that their team will lend a victory everytime. When Dynamos are on song, their fans will sing about wanting to play Higlanders "Tika tambe tambe tode Highlander ah he tode highlander" meaning everytime we play we want it to be highlanders. the implication being we are not afraid of them, we will play them anytime. So far History is on Dynamos' side.
Read more about this topic: Dynamos F.C.
Famous quotes containing the word supporters:
“His [O.J. Simpson’s] supporters lined the freeway to cheer him on Friday and commentators talked about his tragedy. Did those people see the photographs of the crime scene and the great blackening pools of blood seeping into the sidewalk? Did battered women watch all this on television and realize more vividly than ever before that their lives were cheap and their pain inconsequential?”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)