Who are Corstorphine Dynamo? Rapid rise of community football club and what it is planning next

Formed in 2015 by a group of friends “who just wanted to play football together as a team”, Corstorphine Dynamo are one of Edinburgh’s sports success stories.

Today the club run five adult and six youth teams plus a “Goliaths” for over-weight individuals trying to be fitter and a children’s section known as the “Dinkys”. In total 250 members. There is also walking football on Wednesdays, while the hub pavilion, which forms part of the club’s Gyle Park headquarters and is overseen by the Dynamo committee, is also a base for dance and play groups, personal training and Muslim prayer meetings.

But it doesn’t end there. Aaron Moffat is a player in his early 30s who has been president since the club’s formation and continues to be heavily involved despite relocating to Airdrie six years ago. He explains: “We started out as a group of Corstorphine lads mostly from Craigmount School and If our target remains simply to provide footballing opportunities – nobody ever gets turned away regardless of ability – then there is still much to focus on off the pitch.

“Top of our agenda is to fill a current gap which is the lack of a women’s team. We do have five girls at the club who play in the boys group, but that isn’t ideal and as soon as we can attract a coach we will be going all out to start a female side. The good news is I have a meeting lined-up with someone who might be able to take on coaching duties.

Corstorphine Dynamos have come a long way in less than eight years.

“There is also our first fund-raising dinner lined-up for July when it would be ideal to sell out all 260 available tickets so that we don’t have to pass on costs such as pitch hire to players.”

If there is a Corinthian element to these Dynamos then the smell of success can be sweet, too, with the under-17s, coached by Kenny Wood and Paul Mutch, riding high in the South East Regional Youth Football League. Currently they lie second in the table and a source of real pride lies in reaching the final of the Colin Campbell Sports Cup after a 6-1 win over Currie Star Colts last weekend though it could be some time before final opponents emerge from the other half of the draw.

“We did have a trophy-winning team a couple of years ago, but they weren’t a right fit for us and left soon after” says Moffat, adding: “The under-17s represent our best chance of going one better than a Sunday side we had who reached two finals – and lost both on penalties. Kenny and Paul put in a power of work and looking ahead it is particularly important for them to be creating this pathway into senior football too.”

Such achievements don’t come cheap, but help has been forthcoming in the form of SFA funding, the Arnold Clark Automobiles and City of Edinburgh Council who have helped with the hub project. Kenny Wood adds: “We have come far but might even be a couple of years behind target due to Covid. What we want to do though is reach a wider community and provide affordable football for kids.”

For more info on Corstorphine Dynamo and the July 1 dinner in the Leonardo Murrayfield Hotel visit www.corstorphinedynamo.co.uk