Invicta Dynamos are celebrating 25 years as a club with a new head coach who has been part of their most successful campaigns to date.

Karl Lennon enjoyed southern and national title success, having made the step up from the club’s junior ranks, and was in the thick of it during a glorious decade playing for the club, including trophy-winning stints as captain.

He took time out with his family after his retirement in 2011 before playing another 20-plus games last season.

When the chance to take over as head coach arose at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, the club legend jumped at it.

The Chatham-born skater, who was known for his tremendous work ethic as a battling forward, has spent the summer putting together a side which he hopes can better last season’s sixth place and start to put the club back on a path which could see them winning trophies again.

Lennon said: “I was quite lucky to be part of an extraordinary part of the club’s history. We are trying to take a lot of learning from that. We had a lot of local players in the past, we have now got 12 signed, last year was five or six.

“The bulk [of the players last season] came from Essex and played here, but for me it is about making that reconnection with the local team, the local fans.”

Lennon has been busy recruiting - not just young and local talent - but some more familiar names, too, including the league’s top-scoring import Stanislav Lascek.

Lascek scored 34 times and assisted another 38 last term. He had a brief but successful stint with the Mos before joining the Chelmsford Chieftains.

It’s not just player recruitment that has kept Lennon busy, the club have also been making sure their facilities are up to scratch.

Lennon said: “We have had a big project in renovating our changing rooms, it’s probably been 20 years in the making! But we want to provide the facilities this year for the players to have a really positive environment to want to show up and play and want to be part of it.

“Instead of going away on holidays I spent the summer painting and decorating. But for me, what I don’t want to do is leave any stone unturned come the start of the season.

"I want everything to be prepared and ready. I was willing to sacrifice my summer in order for the team to have a good start.

“It has been tough but enjoyable, exciting, and what has been great is a lot of the boys have bought into what we are doing. There is a buzz around here, from the players to the fans, who have had a tough couple of years where the team has not played that well.

“It is a really big year for the club, we have 25th anniversary merchandise, there is a real buzz and excitement around the celebrations as well.”

The Dynamos were established in 1997, a relaunch of the Medway Bears. Their highs included being crowned National champions, League champions, play-off champions and cup champions, winning an impressive 19 trophies - 14 of those during Lennon’s playing career.

“It was a rich period for the club,” Lennon said, as he explained how the head coach’s job came about.

“I grew up playing junior hockey at Medway, then Invicta. I stepped away from the game, mainly for personal reasons - work and family - for 10 years, then came out of retirement last year to help the team out when they were struggling with injuries. I ended up playing 25 games!

“At the end of the season I sat down with the owners, Kevin and Sarah Parrish, and basically put myself forward to do the role. I was adamant it should be a local person that did it.

“I understand the unique place we have here in the south east, quite detached from the other hockey clubs.

“It was important we had a local person who knew the local people, that is how I got the job. I have grown up with this club, it has been a huge part of my life.”

Invicta’s season gets under way on Saturday with a trip to Streatham in the NIHL Southern Cup. The following day they return to Planet Ice, Gillingham, to host Junior Raiders in their first NIHL Southern Division 1 fixture (5.15pm).