the club achieving six successive first-place finishes, followed by a second place. However, the non-league pyramid was not as formalised at the time as it has subsequently become, and the club won the LSL Premier Division three seasons running. Playing in the Southern League Premier Division for the first time, the club were able to secure four safe mid-table finishes, finishing as high as seventh in 1985–86. However, they struggled to replicate that form after being transferred to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 1988, despite appointing arguably their most famous manager, former Nottingham Forest player Martin O'Neill, in July 1989. O'Neill would only be at the club for a few months before going on to forge a highly successful managerial career with Leicester City and Celtic amongst others. Charterhouse however would find no such success, finishing bottom of the league in 1990–91 and 1991–92 resulting in relegation to the NPL Division One. Decline and reformation Following relegation, the club changed their name back to Shepshed Albion in 1992, but a year later they were relegated again, to the Midland Football Combination. Despite their single season in the Combination being relatively successful, finishing fourth in the 22 team league, off-field problems saw the future of the club in doubt. With help from local side Loughborough Dynamo the club were able to restructure and chose to signal a new era by adopting the name Shepshed Dynamo. The club were placed in the Midland Football Alliance for the 1994–95 season and performed strongly; finishing the season in fourth. Brief resurgence The 1995–96 season started with an impressive 23 game unbeaten start. The club went on to win the league by eight points and were promoted to the Southern League Division One Midland for the 1996–97 season. Promotion brought its own difficulties and Shepshed were forced to seek financial help from Charnwood Borough Council to complete the necessary improvements to the club's facilities to allow them to take their place in the Southern League. Their first season back in the Southern League resulted in a safe mid-table position, but it was in the FA Cup that they caused their fans the most excitement. Having seen off Stratford Town, Sandwell Borough, Solihull Borough, Knypersley Victoria and Bromsgrove Rovers, the club visited Carlisle United in the First Round Proper eventually going down 6–0 to the Football League side. Back in decline A re-organisation of