This was the season that Logica Football Club came of age. Having shambled along in the West End League, playing friendly yet amateur-ish Sunday afternoon kick-abouts in Regents Park for a number of seasons, the board felt it was time to shatter the IT consultant stereotype of computer-chained geek who produced a note from his mother at the slightest prospect of anything sporty. Consequently the club applied for elevation to Sunday morning status, where they could sample the aesthetic pleasures of facing some genuine ale-house sides on a weekly basis.

When their application to the West End League (Sunday A.M.) Division Three was accepted, many pundits of the time began to roll out the usual clichés. They predicted that Logica would be in for a rude awakening in the physically competitive world of Sunday morning football. The fledgling side would take time to adjust to the pace of the game at this higher level. would surely struggle to find the net against defenders who could play the offside trap. In short, Logica should be happy if they managed to finish as much as one place above the relegation zone.

But they had reckoned without . Instead of settling for a season of adjustment and mid-table mediocrity, went out and claimed a remarkable League and Cup Double at the first time of asking.

Whilst press conference talk of scaling the pyramid to achieve league status was perhaps a little premature, the club's targets were genuinely high. A less-publicised but more specific objective to reach the West End First Division inside two seasons was achieved with minimal fuss courtesy of two successive Championships. It was not all plain-sailing however. For example, Logica's dream of building and owning their own Stadium faded when global construction partner Sidaway Property Enterprises failed to live up to their own publicity, and disappeared quickly as the mood of post-Yuppie realism took hold.

The board's ambition was reflected in their choice of Supremo. was a supreme example of the modern footballer: a cultured player, mobile, skilful, ruthless, fashion conscious; a man who played with his brain first and his feet second. But most importantly was a thinker. He understood the game and he understood men. He had revolutionary ideas, led with authority, and knew where he was going. The frequent contemporary comparisons to Herbert Chapman were more than justified, although the club's bid to have Surrey Quays tube station renamed 'Logica Central' were short-sightedly rebuffed by some faceless bureaucrats in grey suits.

knew what was required at a higher level, and moved quickly to recruit the personnel who could turn his vision into reality. He knew that the likes of , , , , , and could make the step up, and gambled that 's pride would not let him fail. But he also made changes, selflessly and most notably terminating his own career as a striker to concentrate on pulling strings from the back. And most significantly 's charisma was able to attract real quality to Third Division football, and this season introduced Logica fans to stars like , , and .

It is a real tragedy for football historians and modern-day Web publishing barons that the hacks of the time were not able to comprehend the Dick revolution. Many matches during this famous season saw the Sothwark Park Astrodome's TV gantries and press-boxes unpopulated, and as a result there is no footage and few first-hand match reports extant. The absence of journalistic flair was a tad ironic given the 's previous significant contribution to such celebrated publications as Illogical, but we can at least be thankful that, as the trophies honed into view, a bright-eyed young whipper-snapper called realised the import of what was about to pass, and literally but pen to paper to record Logica's Double Triumph in a pair of hand-written 'Noticeboard Supplements' now preserved in the British Library.

's carefully crafted team wasted no time in setting their stall out as a side who played both to win and to entertain. In a season comprising a (at least by today's standards) mammoth 24 league and Cup games, Logica bulged the onion bag no fewer than 105 times. And it was a certain who simultaneously proved the sceptics wrong and reinforced the reputation of as a visionary beyond the comprehensiuon of mortals, by bagging a humungous 31 goals during the campaign, a record that still stands today [2004].

was ably supported by young starlet , who slotted, curled and lobbed his way to 21 goals in just 13 appearances, and by old hand who netted 18 times. These three would establish themselves as a goalscoring triumvirate that would strike fear and goals into domestic and international defences for decades, nay millennia, to come.

But it was the all-round power and quality of 's side that made it stand out. His midfield were not only creative and terrier-like in the tackle, they too could bang in the goals like there was no tomorrow. Between them, (11), (8), (7) and (5) contributed over 30 goals during the campaign. A modern-day Supremo would be ecstatic if his strikers bagged that many, let alone his midfielders.

And whilst we are talking of fear, the Logica rearguard were not exactly generous. Gentlemen off the field, there were not too many opposing forwards who enjoyed coming up against the likes of , or indeed himself. Logica were billed as a team of namby-pamby IT consultants at the outset, but as well as only conceding 27 league goals all season, they did not shirk the post-match dressing room battles that were regularly sparked by well-beaten opponents. And, as someone legendarily pointed out during one such scuffle in a Hackney shed, "at least we all had jobs to go to on Monday morning." Oh, how times change.

By the time the business end of the season approached at the end of January, a couple of perfunctory victories over Old Coffee House (4-1) and software rivals Cap UK (5-1) left Logica sitting pretty atop the table with games in hand. But with glory in sight, it seemed that the novices were beginning to stall. A bad tempered defeat to second placed Sarkpoint gave both the critics the ammunition they needed to question Logica's bottle, and much fuel to an intense rivalry with our Hackney foes that would span the next few years.

With another tough game the following week against our other Championship challengers Old Coffee House, it was a test of character as much as footballing ability. It turned out to be one of the most famous games in the club's history, and many Logica players grew up that wet February morning. Logica appeared to be making a mockery of the doubters as goals from and saw the home side race into a 2-0 lead. But unaccountably, Logica then collapsed horribly as they conceded 4 goals in a nightmare 15-minute spell to leave them trailing by the same margin. Half time found needing to both assert leadership and deliver inspiration, and that is just what the great man did. The players responded by showing great character and no little application, and a brilliant second half fight-back produced three more goals from and to secure a famous 5-4 win.

The questions had been answered, and Logica would not countenance failure in their penultimate league game as they destroyed Selfridges by 5 goals to 1, with claiming four goals to add to his Old Coffee House hat-trick. The title was all but theirs, although remarkably Logica would have to wait almost three months before they played their final league fixture.

The gap was due to the West End League's strategy of squeezing the majority of Cup games into the last two month's of the season. Whilst Logica wasted little time with the Divisional Cup, they were far more interested in the prestigious War Memorial Shield competition that saw 16 elite sides from all divisions invited to do battle against one another. Teams were drawn in four groups, with the group-winners clashing in two semi-finals. With the title all but in the bag, Logica oozed confidence and had little trouble in cruising through to the Final.

And as if to emphasise their achievement in winning the title, Logica found themselves up against fellow Division Three side Sarkpoint in the Final at Hurlingham Park Stadium on 7th May. It was a blisteringly hot day, and the old main stand provided welcome shade for the tens of fans who had journeyed to see this anticipated encounter. It was a tough and close game. Logica edged the first half with a fine strike by , but Sarkpoint battled back to level as they dominated the second period. Indeed it was only some important saves from the ever-brilliant in goal that kept the scores level, and as the sun beat down both sides faced the unwelcome prospect of extra time.

Logica again showed their mettle as they pulled some reserves of strength from somewhere to take the game to the Hackney side in the extra half an hour. Finally the break-through came as wove his way past three defenders before unleashing an unstoppable drive low into the corner for the winner. As the final whistle went, jubilation overtook exhaustion as lifted the first serious silverware in the club's nine year history, but the young team finally showed its naivety by celebrating with a cup of coffee at a nearby café.

In fact, such unlikely sobriety was in part due to the fact that the job was only half done. Four nights later Logica overcame a stubborn promotion-chasing Dynamo Landor side to claim the club's second trophy and a quite astounding League and Cup Double. Some bitter pundits incredibly put this down to beginner's luck, but Logica quickly disabused such fanciful notions by strolling off with the Second Division Championship the following season in majestic fashion.

Amidst all the goals and glory, it was defender who unanimously walked off with the Players' Player of the Season award. The Official Club Annals summed up the esteem in which the popular Irishman was held by his team-mates. "By an overwhelming margin, the members of the club voted as the Players' Player of the Season. Denis has made the No.3 shirt his own over the past year with tireless running, fearless defending and tenacious tackling. It is expected that Denis will also win the vote from the Football Writers."

But it was who must surely have been most satisfied with his year's work. As well as fashioning a Double-winning side from practically nothing in less than twelve months, he had also converted himself into an elegant and cultured libero who led authoritatively from the back. But having continually proved the critics wrong all season, he had one last turn-up tucked up his sleeve. With Double success almost within his grasp, announced his retirement as Supremo at the end of the season. The footballing world was stunned. But, as well as staying on in a playing capacity (and indeed appearing in every game the following season), had one last piece of visionary perception to proffer to a grateful football club. He announced his successor.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Most Appearances: (23 out of 24 games max)
Golden Boot: (31 goals in 20 games)
Players' Player of the Year:
Goal of the Season: 's screamer against unidentified opposition.
Biggest Victory: Unknown
Heaviest Defeat: Unknown
Number of Players used: 25
Goals Scored: 105 goals in 24 games (average 4.38 per game)
League Goals Conceded: 27 goals in 16 games (average 1.69 per game)
Clean Sheets: Unknown