From fun gatherings of friends playing on the asphalt, black top at Northlands School’s playground back in the 1970s, to a place among local football’s elite clubs, Dandy Town Hornets’ journey has been a wonder to behold.

This year has been another spectacular season for the Hornets, who have already captured the Charity Cup and Friendship Trophy. Although their bid for a first-ever triple crown ended with a defeat to North Village in the FA Cup, they remain atop the Premier Division with a game to play and on course a triple haul of silverware.

Many individuals have played critical roles in the formation and rise of the St John’s Road Club,  none more than Wayne [Jim] Baxter, the man perhaps most responsible for the club’s rise to prominence.

Baxter’s foresight and intuitive nature were a godsend that stimulated success, the former prison officer a firm fixture from the 1980s, establishing what became known as “Youth Explosion”, and lasting beyond the turn of the century as Town established themselves as a true force to be reckoned with and respected.

Compelled by outcome more than likeability or standard methodology, Baxter’s personality can be described as one of stark contrast, brilliant in its ability to attract, yet often of caustic repulsion.

At once a nurturer, the next moment a ruthless taskmaster and even to the severing of ties, some were heard to liken his fluctuations to those of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Perhaps drawing from the proverb, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Baxter made both allies and adversaries, committed to developing winners through his unique vision. That led to the development and introduction of a sublime yet fearlessly aggressive, attractive style of play.

Above average as a player for both Dandy Town and PHC, Baxter performed his best work as coach during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Unafraid to step outside traditional boxes, Baxter ignored convention, recruiting talent from Somerset to St George’s and using his footballing insight and understanding of youthful rebellion to blend disparate companies into cohesive divisional units to challenge inherent norms.

Proving particularly vulnerable to Baxter’s tactics were Somerset Trojans, who in frequent instalments saw several of their best junior players venture eastward, among them Victor Herbert, Kenny Thompson, Kevin “Black Man” Simmons, Brian “Pumkin” Simons, Kenny Basden, and Gary Raynor.

“Wayne Baxter was a master recruiter of other people’s talent,” said a former youth player for the Trojans, who experienced first-hand Baxter’s cruel magnetism. “One year, after seizing all the trophies on offer for Bantams, we lost half our team to Town.

“Baxter created a vibe of roots, culture, and perhaps a little rebellion that was attractive to many of us teenagers, who wanted more freedom, fewer rules, and room to spread our wings.

“Dandy Town seemed to offer a relaxed atmosphere that differed from the highly structured traditional workmen’s clubs.”

Among other recruits were a young Neil Paynter (St George’s) and current club president Devarr Boyles (Wolves).

Adding these to resident players Troy “Tortoise” Durham, Wayne Campbell, Walter Musson, Lloyd Christopher, Gino Phipps, Paul “Rip” Cann, Voorhees Astwood and Martin brothers Kent, Kurt and Kris, placed Town among the upper echelon of youth football and would eventually spillover into the senior ranks, facilitating an inevitable rise to a place among the game’s elite.

“We came out in the 1973-74 season as part of the then Second Division and after having spent ten years in the Second Division, in the early 80s we got relegated to the Third Division along with Centaurs,” explained Baxter, nicknamed Jim after Scottish international maestro Jim Baxter.

“We came right back with back-to-back promotions to the Second, and in the 82-83 season we were promoted into the Premier Division, and we’ve been there ever since.

“Technically we’re in our 43rd year and in that span we’ve won a total of 43 trophies so far, which is incredible.

“We came up and challenged the big boys, the PHCs, the Devonshire Colts, the Somerset Trojans, the North Villages and, in a manner of speaking, we’ve actually surpassed them or at least equalled them.

“We have been probably the most consistent in recent history and if we win the league this year, it would be our tenth. Compared to some clubs that have ten — Somerset and North Village — we have won ours in a much shorter time span compared with others who have been there much longer than we have.

“Going back to the days of the Youth explosion, we actually built something, and we built it to last, which is evident today.”

While Baxter lit the fuse that ignited Town, it was Luther Wilkin who installed the wick.

Wilkin largely started the youth programme before Town officially joined with Western Stars Sports Club. He coached a group called the Busby Babies, which was part of a larger and somewhat uncoordinated youth organisation.

“There were a lot of people involved in starting and forming — our junior programme, and they were called the Colgate Kids,” Baxter said.

“When I saw that Mr Wilkin was basically doing it by himself, I volunteered my services and got involved. Back in those days, I had a hand in every youth team and I recognised them all to be of quality, from the Minors, Bantams, to Juniors.

“The young ones began to come of age at the same time we were relegated to the Third Division and we made the decision that with them all being old enough and eligible to play, we would just let them play, and we reaped the benefits of that. After the consecutive promotions, we never looked back.”

Yet Baxter’s efforts did not cease with Town having earned a place in the top flight as Town found themselves in need of an experienced teacher if they were to be more than a mere flash in the pan.

For this task, Baxter recruited former PHC team-mate Danvers Seymour Sr, a prime motivator and disciplinarian possessed of a brilliant mind and even larger appetite for winning success.

A master innovator in his own right, Baxter proved the ideal complement to Seymour.

Still, early returns were ignominious for upstarts striving for success in a land of footballing giants. Town lost their first five matches, precipitating a switch to a five-man defence, with Seymour inserted into its heart as libero, similar to the role West German great Franz Beckenbauer successfully performed while captaining the 1974 Fifa World Cup champions.

“The year we got promoted, I was still partially involved with the coaching aspect,” said Baxter. “But I recognised that a little more experience in terms of leadership was needed to be able to compete in the top division.

“Danny had great knowledge of the game and vast experience. We lost our first five games by the odd goal, so we had zero points after five games. Danny decided to make changes, bringing into the team players with more experience.

“We drew our sixth game against Devonshire Colts and from there we went on a run where we didn’t lose until the last game of the season and by then we were safe as far as relegation was concerned.

“From 18 games, we ended up with 18 points. Our record was six wins, six draws and six losses.”

It was only a matter of time before the Hornets truly started buzzing, winning the FA Cup by beating PHC in a replay in 1987. The following year, they captured both the league title and the Martonmere Cup.

In the years since Town has won nine league championships, five FA Cups and six Friendship Trophys.

Yet despite their achievements, Baxter asserts Town cannot befully  considered elite as they have never achieved the Triple Crown, the collection of league, FA Cup and Friendship Trophy in the same season.

“I’m not totally excited yet because we’ve never won the Triple Crown, so we can’t be called elite,” explained Baxter. “Friendship has always been the one that has eluded us. We won it last year and then we imploded. This year we’ve won it again and so far we are in a good position.”

These days, Baxter is content to stand back and watch, acting in an emeritus position, with perhaps the only item missing being a statue erected at the facility for a man who truly gave his all to the institution.