Is it possible to fall in love at first sight? Well I think it is, following my visit to the Adolf Jager Kampfbahn on the 28th November last year. Well ok, not quite 'first sight'. The last time I was in Hamburg, back in December 2005, I tried to see the ground, you were away that weekend, but the gates were locked, so I could only get a tantalising, teasing peek through the fence outside, as if I was having a naughty look through the doors of a Reeperbahn club! It got me excited...I wasn't in love yet, but my 'crush' had begun! I vowed to return to Hamburg one day, & catch a match here. Not just because of the beautiful old ground which just oozes history from every pore, but the clincher of the '93'!
For I am a lifelong fan of a small non-league club from London, called Dulwich Hamlet, & we too began in 1893! So I am naturally drawn toward that year. I have been to Germany a few times in the past, the first before some of you reading this were born, back for the European Championships in 1988. The opening England match was in Stuttgart, & they too are an '1893' club, so I have always thought of them as my 'German side'. I saw them a couple of times back in the late eighties/early nineties. I've always liked to travel & watch football, but sadly liked a drink a bit too much, & soon after stopped long distance football, as I craved beer too much, above everything else & needed all my 'spare' pennies for drinking. I eventually came to accept that I was an alcoholic, & finally stopped drinking in May 2002, & fortunately have been sober ever since. Although I still don't have much spare money, it does mean that I can now afford to pop over the Channel a few times a season, to various places, & I decided early last year that I trip to Hamburg was a must, & a long weekend was booked, with the 'main event' being an Altona game!
Most 'normal' folk, when they take a break somewhere, head for the nearest museums, galleries or spires. Well I don't mind a bit of culture, but for me... I go straight to the nearest football grounds, or ice hockey rinks, as that is my secondary sport. My plan was a full one. Friday night at Viktoria Hamburg. Another delightful old ground. I had heard that you Germans don't let the little matter of snow get in the way of a football game, but this was unreal! I had arrived at the start of some heavy early winter weather, & the pitch was covered white, with layers of snow settling in the second half. There was no way this game would have even started, never mind finish, back in London!
Saturday saw me at the Bundesliga clash between HSV & VfB Stuttgart. 4-2 to Hamburg, my ticket was a mid-range one, behind the goal, bought by a friend of mine via the internet, as he could understand some German. Was I rooting for VfB? Funnily enough, not really, I would have been happy enough if they'd won, but not too upset that they lost. I will always have an affection for them, & keep an eye for their results, but I do not really 'love' them. Didn't stop me buying some of their souvenirs though, which I kept in my bag!
What shocked me was the sectarianism on show. Being British I know all about the crazy goings on north of the border, up in Scotland, between Celtic & Rangers. Nominally brought up/brainwashed as a catholic, I have sided towards Celtic, & politically personally support the Republican cause, so have never had time for the bigots from Ibrox. I knew that Celtic had a fans link up with St Pauli, but naively had no idea that Hamburg were tied with Rangers. I was shocked to see sectarianism to exported to northern Germany! On the train back to the centre of town there were even some drunk racist Rangers fans singing in their broad Glaswegian accents "I'd rather be a paki than a Tim!" (Tim being a slang nickname for a Celtic fan). I sadly kept quiet, as a lone Englishman against six of them I wasn't going to risk them turning on me! Wrong, but also right, for my protection!
On the Sunday I was hoping to go to another ground, to see HSV Under 19s, but the gates were locked when I arrived at the venue, which was by the Stellingen 'open' ice rink, where I had seen the Altona hockey team the night before. It had been switched elsewhere at very short notice, as the result was in Kicker the next day, & I ended up watching a very minor game in the Kreissklasse 5 on an adjacent pitch, the home side being called AC Italia. then it was off to the 'main event', for my trip. Coming out of the station I following a couple of people wearing the red & black, & got to the ground about half an hour before kick off. Inside I was tingling, from the nervous excitement of my first visit to see a game here, & not just shivering from the freezing temperatures!
I wistfully walked past the beer stand, doing a good trade in the warm gluhwein. Boy oh boy, it was cold! I headed along the grass bank behind the goal & bought myself a scarf & hat from the club shop, on top of assorted other bits & pieces. Sadly I had only so much to spend, otherwise I would have bought one of everything!
The game itself was never going to be brilliant, being played out on a bone hard snow covered frozen pitch, but I got what I came for...which was a home win! In truth the game was anything but beautiful, not in a physical way. The visitors, Osteeinbeker SV, seemed as though they didn't want to be there at all, while Altona tried as well at they could in the conditions, & did what they had to do, ending up comfortable two nil winners. Believe me, it was brilliant to see a victory for my 'virgin' Altona game. In Belgium I follow a (now) 4th division level side UR Namur. Good friends (through football!) of mine, Danuta & Nicolas, are from there, & I am also Godparent to their beautiful new son Arthur, but that is another story! Anyway I have seen Namur SEVEN times, but have yet to see them win! So you can understand my joy at getting my first Altona victory under my belt straight away!
One of my hobbies is taking lots of photos of football grounds, so I tried to keep some warm blood moving round my frozen body by doing a circuit. In the first half a local came up to me, as I was behind the far goal, & spoke to me..I apologised, saying I was English. Fortunately he spoke it too, which is why you are reading this now. His name is Jan & he edits your fanzine! We chatted for a little while, & sold me a copy, which even had a couple of articles in English!
What really caught my eye in it though was the fact you have Supporters football! I couldn't understand a word of it, as that was one of the many majority German stories, but it put an idea into my head. You see I am part of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team! We are total rubbish, getting old, but playing totally for fun! We usually get beaten, but we have played, on & off, since May 1989; & since 2002 we have played tour matches abroad. We have been to Holland, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Belgium, Estonia, Finland & Scotland....but never Germany..yet!
I have asked Jan to arrange a game against the Altona fans toward the end of July 2012. We will visit Hamburg for the weekend of July 21st/22nd. The idea is to play a game somewhere, whether on grass or an artificial pitch it does not matter, against the Altona fans side, then watch the 'big boys' play, wherever you are, home or away, the same weekend. We don't take ourselves seriously, & would expect to lose, a lot of us are in our forties & fifties, our oldest player will have a 'cameo' appearance, he will be 62 next year & only has one eye! That is not a joke... ;-)
At the moment I have at least a dozen of us interested in making the trip, but hope to have a party of 15 or 16, by the next next summer comes around.
If we have enough players travelling we may try to get a second match against St. Pauli fans, but I have not approached them yet. Much as it will be great to play them too, with a fans attitude background that looks similar to yours & ours in outlook, for me personally it will be a dream to have an Altona weekend. No matter what though, I will arrange for us to go on a stadium tour at Millerntor! It won't be quite being able to see your own museum, but....
Jan has chatted to me by email, & is hopefull we can play, so it's over to you lot to agree!
I didn't buy the book on sale about your proud history. I was tempted, but it was a lot of money to 'waste'....'just' to look at the pictures. If it was in English I would have paid for it & read it cover to cover, without putting it down! We are very different as clubs, but there are also similarities. Our home is a modest stadium, built on the site of our our previous one, which was demolished at the start of the nineties. The heyday of Dulwich Hamlet was in the era between the two World Wars,when we were the greatest amateur side in England. The old Champion Hill Stadium, 1931 to 1991, could hold up to 30,000 people, nobody really knew the full capacity; & we regularly attracted gates of over ten thousand in the 1930's.
In the olden days it was traditional for many English sides to tour continental Europe at Easter time, & The Hamlet were regular 'Channel Hoppers' right up to the start of the '39 to '45 War. I've just put down our only club history, published way back in 1968, for our 75th anniversary, in total shock! I picked it up off of my dusty bookshelf to see how many times we had been to Germany in the past. Five times, in case you're wondering. But staring right at me, in black & white, is one of the results from the 1924/25 season:
Altona (1893) Hamburg won 4-0.
My gosh! Sadly I have no more details, but I shall check the archives of our local newspapers when I get a chance, to see if there were any mentions of the match. Silly as it sounds, I am so proud there is already a tenuous link between our two clubs & we have met before! That match, incidentally, was the only win of our three match trip well over eighty years ago. Our booklet informs me that we drew 1-1 with Gelsenkircken & lost by three goals to one at Dusseldorf.
I'm not one for 'soundbites'. In June 1963, a few years before I was born, the American President John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin & came out with his famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner!' statement. Laughed at for decades, as some claim it was translated as 'I am a jelly donut!' ( or 'jam doughnut' in proper English, as that is what a 'Berliner' from a cake shop is) I don't know how true that is, nor if I am a doughnut or not...one English meaning of it is to mean someone stupid, so I may well be 'a bit of doughnut' for falling head over heels for a small football club in Hamburg. One thing I can hold my head up high & say though, regardless of how it translates, is...
"Ich bin ein Altonaer!"
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
Ian Wright RIP
It's a sad fact of life, being a Dulwich Hamlet fan, that somebody you know will have passed away in the summer. One of the 'occupational hazards' so to speak, when you are part of an historic Club with a relatively old & loyal support base.
It doesn't make it any easier if someone is past their 'three score years and ten', but it is a heck of a lot harder when a person who is nowhere near that age goes 'before their time'.
As one of the founder members of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team it came as a huge shock to hear the news that one of our own, Ian Wright, had died, after collapsing at work, at the tender age of only 53.
The one thing you find when someone goes so suddenly is how little you really knew them, & how much you wished you should have got to know them better. I, personally, only knew Ian through football. He had been a part of the team for over fifteen years, I'm not entirely sure, we never really kept records. Without a doubt one of the naturally talented players we have ever had appear for us. He only started playing for 'The Rabblers' for fun, when he hung up his 'serious Saturday boots', after a long amateur career, where he was a stalwart for clubs such as Cobham & Colliers Wood United. He also turned out for Camberwell Evangelical Church, for he he laced up on a Saturday, & took a pew at on Sundays. Once the season is underway the Supporters' Team will take on the Church side in a friendly game at Belair Park, in Ian's memory, so we can pay our respects to him doing what he loved most...playing football!
Some might say Ian moaned too much on the pitch, but if you analysed that it was not malicious, but more borne out of frustration, having played at a much higher level than the rest of us. If you listened carefully he always encouraged, no matter how limited in ability you may have been, compared to him. And no mater if he never knew you, he always made a point of talking to new players to the Supporters' Team & putting them at ease.
For sure everyone who has played alongside him over the years will be sure to have a story or two about him, & he will be sadly missed. It was a privilege to have been at his recent funeral service along with a number of the Supporters' Team, & wonderfully uplifting for such a sad occasion to be almost a happy one too, as his life was celebrated.
As well as being a Dulwich Hamlet fan, his first visit to the old Champion Hill was in the sixties, & he could recall amateur internationals being played here, Ian was also a staunch Crystal Palace supporter, so it is truly fitting that he is remembered here this evening with the Eagles as our opposition, & we thank them for agreeing to respect his memory.
No doubt he will be looking down from the 'great football ground in the sky', while chewing the fat with the likes of Hamlet legends Edgar Kail & Tommy Jover, telling them how they should have played!
Among the floral tributes at his funeral were ones from Dulwich Hamlet Football Club & the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team; with the Football club itself being represented by Club Chairman, Mr. Jack Payne.
Rest In Peace, Wrightie.
Mishi D. Morath, team secretary, Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' FC.
It doesn't make it any easier if someone is past their 'three score years and ten', but it is a heck of a lot harder when a person who is nowhere near that age goes 'before their time'.
As one of the founder members of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team it came as a huge shock to hear the news that one of our own, Ian Wright, had died, after collapsing at work, at the tender age of only 53.
The one thing you find when someone goes so suddenly is how little you really knew them, & how much you wished you should have got to know them better. I, personally, only knew Ian through football. He had been a part of the team for over fifteen years, I'm not entirely sure, we never really kept records. Without a doubt one of the naturally talented players we have ever had appear for us. He only started playing for 'The Rabblers' for fun, when he hung up his 'serious Saturday boots', after a long amateur career, where he was a stalwart for clubs such as Cobham & Colliers Wood United. He also turned out for Camberwell Evangelical Church, for he he laced up on a Saturday, & took a pew at on Sundays. Once the season is underway the Supporters' Team will take on the Church side in a friendly game at Belair Park, in Ian's memory, so we can pay our respects to him doing what he loved most...playing football!
Some might say Ian moaned too much on the pitch, but if you analysed that it was not malicious, but more borne out of frustration, having played at a much higher level than the rest of us. If you listened carefully he always encouraged, no matter how limited in ability you may have been, compared to him. And no mater if he never knew you, he always made a point of talking to new players to the Supporters' Team & putting them at ease.
For sure everyone who has played alongside him over the years will be sure to have a story or two about him, & he will be sadly missed. It was a privilege to have been at his recent funeral service along with a number of the Supporters' Team, & wonderfully uplifting for such a sad occasion to be almost a happy one too, as his life was celebrated.
As well as being a Dulwich Hamlet fan, his first visit to the old Champion Hill was in the sixties, & he could recall amateur internationals being played here, Ian was also a staunch Crystal Palace supporter, so it is truly fitting that he is remembered here this evening with the Eagles as our opposition, & we thank them for agreeing to respect his memory.
No doubt he will be looking down from the 'great football ground in the sky', while chewing the fat with the likes of Hamlet legends Edgar Kail & Tommy Jover, telling them how they should have played!
Among the floral tributes at his funeral were ones from Dulwich Hamlet Football Club & the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team; with the Football club itself being represented by Club Chairman, Mr. Jack Payne.
Rest In Peace, Wrightie.
Mishi D. Morath, team secretary, Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' FC.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
The Belgian connection
There was a welcome visitor to Champion Hill recently, for the Erith Town pre-season match. Not that he will remember too much about for. For the person in question was Arthur Lucas, who was exactly eight months old that day!
He was brought to the game by his parents Nicolas & Danuta, who hail from the town of Namur, in Belgium; which is almost two hundred & seventy miles away, over the other side of the English Channel!
The question you may well be asking is how on earth did a Belgian family become fans of Dulwich Hamlet? Unsurprisingly it's a bit of a strange story...Which begins not too far from Namur, on the outskirts of Liege, back in May 2005.
Andy Tucker & Lawrence Marsh, who were running the Supporters' Team at the time, received an invite to compete in a tournament organised by the fans of RFC Liege, who are one of the oldest clubs in Belgium, & who history claims one of their early playing members was a Dulwich Hamlet man, whose name is sadly lost in the mists of time, if true. They consider our Club their 'founding cousins', & through the internet saw that we had a fans side, & we happily accepted their request. One of the other teams in the competition was a group of Anderlecht followers. Guesting for them was...Nicolas Lucas. Inbetween games he got into a conversation with Myles Quinn, the long time Hamlet fan, who had been going to Champion Hill since the early sixties. Probably the best thing Myles ever did! He doesn't watch the Hamlet nowadays, living down on the Kent coast, not returning in case he's chased up for money owed to quite a few Dulwich people before he left London. ( No doubt there will one or two reading this thinking he only owed them money!)
Anyway, it turned out that Nicolas is one the biggest Anglophiles the other side of Dover, & he regularly travels over to watch English football. His first love though is Paris Saint Germain, & for many years he has run their Belgian Supporters Club...the only branch they have outside of France. A few months after we met him he brought his PSG branch over to London, for a Supporters' game at Belair Park, followed by an afternoon at Champion Hill, where we were unfortunately well beaten by Tonbridge Angels.
Since then the anglo-Belgian link has gone from strength to strength. Which is probably a slight understatement. We played the Belgian PSG in Paris, the venue slightly more upmarket than what we could offer them at Belair. For we were honoured to run out at their actual training complex, with their bemused reserve teamers looking over from the next pitch! much beer, & coca cola for the non-drinkers, followed, then we saw the 'big boys' at Le Parc des Princes in the evening.
We finally made it to their home town of Namur in May 2006, when we entered two sides in a six a side competition ran by Nicolas & his PSG branch. After that, in 2007, PSG Belgium won a three team international tournament held at Champion Hill, ably run by Andy & Larry, where we sportingly came last, with the runners-up being JK Jalgpallihaigla, the supporters side of the Estonian national side, who we have visited twice.
In 2008 we returned to Namur, when we took on the fans of the town side, UR Namur, who Nicolas also takes an interest in, & turns out for their supporters side. They have since visited london & played us, as well as watching a match at Champion Hill. Dulwich fans have also 'guested' for Namur supporters when they played Oxford United supporters, who Nico also has a good friendship with.
Nicolas & Danuta, now with young Arthur too, try to watch a couple of Hamlet games, at least, a season. Such is the bond of friendship two Hamlet fans were both honoured & proud to become godparents to little Arthur, namely Lawrence Marsh & Mishi Morath. The Lucas family are, at least, 'luckier' with their support of The Hamlet than Mishi is, of UR Namur. For he has seen them no less than six times, & is yet to see a victory!
Everyone at Dulwich Hamlet look forward to welcoming our 'Belgian Branch' back in the not too distant future. Who knows, maybe one day their dream will come true & the Dulwich Hamlet First Team will play a friendly on their doorstep in Belgium!
He was brought to the game by his parents Nicolas & Danuta, who hail from the town of Namur, in Belgium; which is almost two hundred & seventy miles away, over the other side of the English Channel!
The question you may well be asking is how on earth did a Belgian family become fans of Dulwich Hamlet? Unsurprisingly it's a bit of a strange story...Which begins not too far from Namur, on the outskirts of Liege, back in May 2005.
Andy Tucker & Lawrence Marsh, who were running the Supporters' Team at the time, received an invite to compete in a tournament organised by the fans of RFC Liege, who are one of the oldest clubs in Belgium, & who history claims one of their early playing members was a Dulwich Hamlet man, whose name is sadly lost in the mists of time, if true. They consider our Club their 'founding cousins', & through the internet saw that we had a fans side, & we happily accepted their request. One of the other teams in the competition was a group of Anderlecht followers. Guesting for them was...Nicolas Lucas. Inbetween games he got into a conversation with Myles Quinn, the long time Hamlet fan, who had been going to Champion Hill since the early sixties. Probably the best thing Myles ever did! He doesn't watch the Hamlet nowadays, living down on the Kent coast, not returning in case he's chased up for money owed to quite a few Dulwich people before he left London. ( No doubt there will one or two reading this thinking he only owed them money!)
Anyway, it turned out that Nicolas is one the biggest Anglophiles the other side of Dover, & he regularly travels over to watch English football. His first love though is Paris Saint Germain, & for many years he has run their Belgian Supporters Club...the only branch they have outside of France. A few months after we met him he brought his PSG branch over to London, for a Supporters' game at Belair Park, followed by an afternoon at Champion Hill, where we were unfortunately well beaten by Tonbridge Angels.
Since then the anglo-Belgian link has gone from strength to strength. Which is probably a slight understatement. We played the Belgian PSG in Paris, the venue slightly more upmarket than what we could offer them at Belair. For we were honoured to run out at their actual training complex, with their bemused reserve teamers looking over from the next pitch! much beer, & coca cola for the non-drinkers, followed, then we saw the 'big boys' at Le Parc des Princes in the evening.
We finally made it to their home town of Namur in May 2006, when we entered two sides in a six a side competition ran by Nicolas & his PSG branch. After that, in 2007, PSG Belgium won a three team international tournament held at Champion Hill, ably run by Andy & Larry, where we sportingly came last, with the runners-up being JK Jalgpallihaigla, the supporters side of the Estonian national side, who we have visited twice.
In 2008 we returned to Namur, when we took on the fans of the town side, UR Namur, who Nicolas also takes an interest in, & turns out for their supporters side. They have since visited london & played us, as well as watching a match at Champion Hill. Dulwich fans have also 'guested' for Namur supporters when they played Oxford United supporters, who Nico also has a good friendship with.
Nicolas & Danuta, now with young Arthur too, try to watch a couple of Hamlet games, at least, a season. Such is the bond of friendship two Hamlet fans were both honoured & proud to become godparents to little Arthur, namely Lawrence Marsh & Mishi Morath. The Lucas family are, at least, 'luckier' with their support of The Hamlet than Mishi is, of UR Namur. For he has seen them no less than six times, & is yet to see a victory!
Everyone at Dulwich Hamlet look forward to welcoming our 'Belgian Branch' back in the not too distant future. Who knows, maybe one day their dream will come true & the Dulwich Hamlet First Team will play a friendly on their doorstep in Belgium!
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
All change in the Garden of England
Mishi Morath offers his two penn'orth on the new league being formed in Kent (his own personal opinions, and not those of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club)
Some Dulwich Hamlet fans could be forgiven for knowing little to nothing about some of our Kent League pre-season opponents, such as Holmesdale or Erith Town; nor much at all about the level of football they compete in, despite only being one rung below us in the non-league pyramid. After all there is nothing more important in life than our boys in Pink 'n' Blue, with the rest fading into insignifcance.
And back in the pre-professional days of the Isthmian League there were relatively few Kent sides we would encounter, as the Kent League tended to be openly proessional, rather than the majority 'Shamateur' Isthmians. Kent League sides, not being amateurs, tended to join the Southern League if they progressed upwards. That 'gateway' continued, with the official scrapping of amateur status in 1974, & over the next decade, as the Isthmian League expanded into four divisions on a non-geographic basis, there became a serious anomaly in the non-league pyramid. As Kent League champions an ambitious outfit could jump into the Southern League Premier Division, one below the Conference back then as that only consisted of one division, after only one promotion; whereas a Combined Counties side who started on the upward curve would have to go through three Isthmian promotions to achieve the same level.
Eventually divisions were 'equalised' & our Isthmian League now has two divisions of equal status, in Division One North, & south, which we compete in. Now the Kent League champions are promoted, & visit Champion Hill, rather than having to battle through two more divisions to do so.
The Kent League is understrength,numerically. For a number of reasons. As ground gradings kicked in over the last twenty years, with clubs needing floodlights & stands, teams dropped out, some well established, others newer members. Some off the top of my head, Snowdown Colliery Welfare; Metropolitan Police (Area Four); Darenth Heathside; Danson; Kent Police & Crockenhill....I'm sure there are more who have either fallen by the wayside or dropped down to lower leagues.
Then there was the problem of clubs moving upward, without the equivalent going the other way. Think of the Sussex County League. Some of their sides have gone back down, such as Horsham YMCA & Crowborough Athletic, but the Kent Leaguers have progressed onwards & upwards, think Maidstone United & Cray Wanderers; or gain a foothold in Ryman One South, like Whitstable Town; Faversham Town & Ramsgate.
Further to all this there is no relegation from the Kent League, as there was no 'step six' league to 'buffer' the huge gap between the county league & the much lower level Kent County League.
Unitil now! Mooted for many years, talked about over many a fuggy boardroom as chairmen chewed on cigars & knocked back tumblers of whiskey, for many moons. Under the 'gentle pressuring' of the Football Association, the new campaign will see the birth of the Kent Invicta League, to bridge the chasm between basic roped off 'parks' grounds to lit up stadia that can host FA Vase & Cup football in the Kent League.
The make-up of the new league is a strange one. Eminently sensible if you're a blazer from the County FA I'm sure, but how they came to the constitution of the sixteen team division is anyone's guess! You would expect the majority to have been lifted from the Premier Division of the KCL. Nine of them have. Our near neighbours Lewisham Borough are included, who play at the floodlit Ladywell Arena, despite not initially being included! They only got their invite after Cray Valley Papers Mills, who were in it, were parachuted over it (hmmm....can you actually be parachuted over something? I though parachutes floated down, but I digress!) & into the Kent League itself. The other Premier sides from the County League with them are Bearsted; Bly Spartans; Bridon Ropes; Hollands & Blair; Phoenix Sports; Rusthall; Sutton Athletic & Woodstock Park.
The others are a strange mix! Previous status has been ignored, & it's been a bit of a 'free for all' as clubs further down the County League divisions & even brand new senior clubs are accepted. I am guessing anyone who has expressed any sort of ambition to move upwards & establish themselves at Step Six could apply, regardless of how low down the pyramid they were.
Below the Premier Division the Kent County League had been split north & west in their divisions one & two. From the First former Kent Leaguers Crockenhill, who I mentioned earlier, are in. As are their near neighbours Orpington. The numbers are then made up from the two Second Divisions, with Lydd Town; Meridian; and Seven Acre & Sidcup. The latter will be based at the old Cray Wanderers ground in Sidcup, at Oxford Road. A former Kent league venue, which the Wands left as they were unable to get lights there. So what chance have this outfit got of erecting some?
The last two sides are new outfits. One will be huge favourites for the title, playing at a stadium well known to Hamlet followers. Ashford United, based at Homelands, are the club that has finally arisen out of the ashes of Ashford Town, who folded prior to the start of last season. The other will be groundsharing at VCD Athletic, which is in Crayford. But their name is Erith & Dartford Town. Not playing in either, & both really seperate places in their own right, despite the Football Club being called 'Town',as in singular!
Most will be happy to establish themselves at this new level in the pyramid. A few others will be wanting to use this to 'test the water' & push on for Kent League status. Ashford United will clearly see this as their first step to consecutive promotions 'back' to the Isthmian League. the new side Erith & Dartford Town are expected to be the only ones to really challenge them, as they have a wealthy backer. It reamains to be seen if he will be in it for the long hual, or get bored 'boom & bust' style a year or two down the line. Of the others I would expect Bly Spartans; Hollands & Blair; Lewisham Borough & Phoenix Sports, at least, to have Kent League aspirations.
Where does this new league leave the 'old' Kent County? Well it's still going strong, despite losing a division. A brand new sponsor, Haart estate agents, the very same that we proudly wear on OUR shirts! And the 'Dulwich' connection doesn't end there! New, in Division Two West, is an outfit called Dulwich Village FC, based at Dulwich Sports Club in Turney Road. I know nothing about them, but believe they have grown from a junior organisation called Dulwich Magic FC. New kid on the block? Could they be our local rivals one day, if ever the current Hamlet go the same way as Ashford Town? I'm sure the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters Trust wouldn't complain, as they sit on their '100 Club' 'war chest', for such a scenario, instead of helping the Club today!
So how will this new level pan out? Only time will tell, I am no 'Mystic Mishi'! Other Isthmian feeders have had a Step Six for many years, as in the Sussex County League & Combined Counties Leagues first divisions. With the formation of the Invicta League the only part of the country now without a step six is the gap below the Essex Senior League. Hopefully this new level will make the jump up more manageable & easier, for clubs who want to progress slowly but surely, without breaking the bank. This can only be good news to 'kick start' & rejuvenate Kent grass roots football. Who knows, I hope not from our point of view, but it may not be too long before Lewisham Borough make the short journey on the 185 bus to Champion Hill for an Isthmian League match!
Some Dulwich Hamlet fans could be forgiven for knowing little to nothing about some of our Kent League pre-season opponents, such as Holmesdale or Erith Town; nor much at all about the level of football they compete in, despite only being one rung below us in the non-league pyramid. After all there is nothing more important in life than our boys in Pink 'n' Blue, with the rest fading into insignifcance.
And back in the pre-professional days of the Isthmian League there were relatively few Kent sides we would encounter, as the Kent League tended to be openly proessional, rather than the majority 'Shamateur' Isthmians. Kent League sides, not being amateurs, tended to join the Southern League if they progressed upwards. That 'gateway' continued, with the official scrapping of amateur status in 1974, & over the next decade, as the Isthmian League expanded into four divisions on a non-geographic basis, there became a serious anomaly in the non-league pyramid. As Kent League champions an ambitious outfit could jump into the Southern League Premier Division, one below the Conference back then as that only consisted of one division, after only one promotion; whereas a Combined Counties side who started on the upward curve would have to go through three Isthmian promotions to achieve the same level.
Eventually divisions were 'equalised' & our Isthmian League now has two divisions of equal status, in Division One North, & south, which we compete in. Now the Kent League champions are promoted, & visit Champion Hill, rather than having to battle through two more divisions to do so.
The Kent League is understrength,numerically. For a number of reasons. As ground gradings kicked in over the last twenty years, with clubs needing floodlights & stands, teams dropped out, some well established, others newer members. Some off the top of my head, Snowdown Colliery Welfare; Metropolitan Police (Area Four); Darenth Heathside; Danson; Kent Police & Crockenhill....I'm sure there are more who have either fallen by the wayside or dropped down to lower leagues.
Then there was the problem of clubs moving upward, without the equivalent going the other way. Think of the Sussex County League. Some of their sides have gone back down, such as Horsham YMCA & Crowborough Athletic, but the Kent Leaguers have progressed onwards & upwards, think Maidstone United & Cray Wanderers; or gain a foothold in Ryman One South, like Whitstable Town; Faversham Town & Ramsgate.
Further to all this there is no relegation from the Kent League, as there was no 'step six' league to 'buffer' the huge gap between the county league & the much lower level Kent County League.
Unitil now! Mooted for many years, talked about over many a fuggy boardroom as chairmen chewed on cigars & knocked back tumblers of whiskey, for many moons. Under the 'gentle pressuring' of the Football Association, the new campaign will see the birth of the Kent Invicta League, to bridge the chasm between basic roped off 'parks' grounds to lit up stadia that can host FA Vase & Cup football in the Kent League.
The make-up of the new league is a strange one. Eminently sensible if you're a blazer from the County FA I'm sure, but how they came to the constitution of the sixteen team division is anyone's guess! You would expect the majority to have been lifted from the Premier Division of the KCL. Nine of them have. Our near neighbours Lewisham Borough are included, who play at the floodlit Ladywell Arena, despite not initially being included! They only got their invite after Cray Valley Papers Mills, who were in it, were parachuted over it (hmmm....can you actually be parachuted over something? I though parachutes floated down, but I digress!) & into the Kent League itself. The other Premier sides from the County League with them are Bearsted; Bly Spartans; Bridon Ropes; Hollands & Blair; Phoenix Sports; Rusthall; Sutton Athletic & Woodstock Park.
The others are a strange mix! Previous status has been ignored, & it's been a bit of a 'free for all' as clubs further down the County League divisions & even brand new senior clubs are accepted. I am guessing anyone who has expressed any sort of ambition to move upwards & establish themselves at Step Six could apply, regardless of how low down the pyramid they were.
Below the Premier Division the Kent County League had been split north & west in their divisions one & two. From the First former Kent Leaguers Crockenhill, who I mentioned earlier, are in. As are their near neighbours Orpington. The numbers are then made up from the two Second Divisions, with Lydd Town; Meridian; and Seven Acre & Sidcup. The latter will be based at the old Cray Wanderers ground in Sidcup, at Oxford Road. A former Kent league venue, which the Wands left as they were unable to get lights there. So what chance have this outfit got of erecting some?
The last two sides are new outfits. One will be huge favourites for the title, playing at a stadium well known to Hamlet followers. Ashford United, based at Homelands, are the club that has finally arisen out of the ashes of Ashford Town, who folded prior to the start of last season. The other will be groundsharing at VCD Athletic, which is in Crayford. But their name is Erith & Dartford Town. Not playing in either, & both really seperate places in their own right, despite the Football Club being called 'Town',as in singular!
Most will be happy to establish themselves at this new level in the pyramid. A few others will be wanting to use this to 'test the water' & push on for Kent League status. Ashford United will clearly see this as their first step to consecutive promotions 'back' to the Isthmian League. the new side Erith & Dartford Town are expected to be the only ones to really challenge them, as they have a wealthy backer. It reamains to be seen if he will be in it for the long hual, or get bored 'boom & bust' style a year or two down the line. Of the others I would expect Bly Spartans; Hollands & Blair; Lewisham Borough & Phoenix Sports, at least, to have Kent League aspirations.
Where does this new league leave the 'old' Kent County? Well it's still going strong, despite losing a division. A brand new sponsor, Haart estate agents, the very same that we proudly wear on OUR shirts! And the 'Dulwich' connection doesn't end there! New, in Division Two West, is an outfit called Dulwich Village FC, based at Dulwich Sports Club in Turney Road. I know nothing about them, but believe they have grown from a junior organisation called Dulwich Magic FC. New kid on the block? Could they be our local rivals one day, if ever the current Hamlet go the same way as Ashford Town? I'm sure the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters Trust wouldn't complain, as they sit on their '100 Club' 'war chest', for such a scenario, instead of helping the Club today!
So how will this new level pan out? Only time will tell, I am no 'Mystic Mishi'! Other Isthmian feeders have had a Step Six for many years, as in the Sussex County League & Combined Counties Leagues first divisions. With the formation of the Invicta League the only part of the country now without a step six is the gap below the Essex Senior League. Hopefully this new level will make the jump up more manageable & easier, for clubs who want to progress slowly but surely, without breaking the bank. This can only be good news to 'kick start' & rejuvenate Kent grass roots football. Who knows, I hope not from our point of view, but it may not be too long before Lewisham Borough make the short journey on the 185 bus to Champion Hill for an Isthmian League match!
Monday, 25 April 2011
Crushing the Casuals
I am sat down at home cobbling together this article a few hours after a lone Gary Drewitt goal has put The Hamlet within touching distance of the end of season promotional play-offs. A win in our last match would ensure our participation in them at the start of May. A late surge has seen fans look at points that have been 'needlessly' thrown away, games that should have seen enough points in the bag to make the last match at Walton & Hersham academic.
Having lost fifteen Ryman League Division One South encounters over the 2010/11 campaign there are enough to choose from. One that sticks out like a sore thumb for me was a particularly woeful performance over at Tolworth back in November, when-despite dominating much of the match possession wise-ended up losing by three goals to one by perennial strugglers Corinthian-Casuals. A defeat that left a number of Hamlet followers bemonaing the fact that we 'always seem to struggle' against them.
A statement not borne out by the facts. In the sixteen league clashes between the two of us this century Dulwich have won eleven of them, drawing a further two, with 'only' five ending in defeats, only this 3-1 scoreline being by more than a single goal margin; though they did beat us by the same score,also at their ground, in 2004/05.
While still being a little down by our loss in November, by complete coincidence while looking for something else, I found the perfect Casuals 'pick-me-up' in the local newspaper archives a few days later. A comprehensive thrashing of not the boys from Tolworth, but Kennington Oval. For back in 1959 Corinthian-Casuals were using the home of Surrey County Cricket Club as their headquarters. The actual season was '59/60, & back then the Isthmian League only had one division, consisting of sixteen clubs. We were to finish in seventh spot, three points & two places behind the Casuals. So the Boxing Day game should have been a tight affair, but the scoreline of Corinthian-Casuals 1, Dulwich Hamlet 5 told us differently.
It was a weakened Hamlet side that took the field on a miserable day weather wise. One report told us that 'Dulwich Hamlet supporters who braved the elements on Boxing Day had full value for their money at the Oval'; whilst another informed us that 'the game had everything, including weather conditions that should have made football impossible.'
Football at The Oval was before I was born, so I have no idea how open to the elements followers were, but one person in attendance that day who I am sure was well wrapped up in the best seats in the house was the man who refereed at the first ever match at the old Champion Hill, back on 10th October 1931 against our local rivals Nunhead, none other than the then secretary of the Football Association, who went on to be the President of FIFA from 1961 until 1974, Sir Stanley Rous. (EDIT NOTE: NOT 100% OF THE REF v. NUNHEAD BIT, SO PLEASE EDIT THAT BIT OUT, IF INCORRECT, but from memory I am almost certain he was)
Jim Skipper & Kent were unavailable, due to ther commitments over the holiday period, so Frank Beard stepped up & played right-back & reportedly did a good job in holding off the Casuals Cambridge Blue & England Amateur International P. Neill; while Parsons made his senior debut for the club at centre-half, playing 'like a veteran'. Dicky Smallman was at right-half, so it was virtually a 'second string' defence, but one that didn't look out of place on the day. They did their job, feeding our hungry forwards with pass after pass, & Casuals could 'thank centre-half Reg Vowels that the score did not reach double figures'. Which, if they had would have smashed our record 8-1 consecutive victories against them, in the 1919/20 & '20/21 seasons.
Four decades after those 'Barnstoneworth' scores The Hamlet started off brightly, sweeping forward immediately, an early corner resulting in a Les Brown header being tipped over by their Danish goalkeeper Ahm. Our first goal came after only five minutes, also a header. Ron Crisp sent the ball over Ahm's head from a Norman Field cross., after he had taken the ball round the Casuals Martin Ries.
Five minutes later & it was two, this time the goal starting from a Corinthian-Casuals corner at the other end of the field! Crisp picked up the ball in the box from their failed corner & brought it right up the pitch, crossed it to Vail, whose centre was blocked by Ahm. But he could only patially clear it, the ball falling to Brown. He sent a through pass to Mike Clay, who went round the Casuals Vowels, 'escaping his shadow' a journalist noted, drawing Ahm out of position, before rounding him & pushing the ball into an empty net.
Following this two goal cushion The Hamlet continued to press for more. A Brown shot went just wide of the post, while another flew off the boot of Terry Vail was saved. Clay's attempt was punched away by Ahm; while another from Brown deflected off a defender for a corner.
Dulwich hit the inevitable third on eighteen minutes, thanks to a keeper's blunder, when Purser's successful effort went through Ahm's hand, & into the net. As one scribe put it,giving the impression that this was the moment any pluck the Casuals had was knocked out of them: "Everything could have been so different but for the huge blunder of Casuals' Danish-born goalkeeper Paul Ahm, in the 18th minute, which gave the Hamlet their third goal. He went down on one knee with Geoff Purser's shot well covered but it slipped between his hands and legs."
Just before the half-hour mark the Casuals had their brief spell. Following a free-kick with Darvill out of position, Reg Merritt was well placed on the goal-line to clear; but two minutes on Merritt slipped on the muddy surface to allow Trimble in to beat Dave Darvill.
Despite that it was the Hamlet who were the more confident & dominant, as was noted by reporter Peter Smith, in the 'South London Press'- "There was no doubt about it, Dulwich were always the better side, being that much quicker on the ball and having more ideas in front of goal than Casuals ever dreamed of. That was the mian difference between the teams. Hamlet were much stronger at inside-forward than Casuals and they had somebody who could lay on accurate passesto unmarked players to all parts of the pitch. When a Dulwich forward moved up with the ball he knew there were four other forwards up with him and more often than not, a half-back waiting to pounce on a poor clearance from Casuals defenders. With Casuals it was completely different. When a forward attacked he usually had to do it alone and this was virtually impossible with the rock-like Dulwich defence."
Three minutes prior to the break Dulwich had the chance to really put the game out of reach. Awarded a penalty when right-back Robertson handled a Vail header on the line, not even having the decency to admit his guilt, protesting that he had headed the ball! But Merritt hit weakly. Ahm guessed correctly, as he flung himself at the ball, knocked it down & then fell on it, as Merritt raced in for the rebound. It seems that the famous 'Corinthian spirit' was long dead, even over half a century ago!
After the interval the Casuals came out with more purpose, testing the Dulwich defence more, but we stood firm, soaking up their efforts. Our only chance of note during this flourish from the hosts was a crisp shot from Crisp, though Ahm nearly let this one slip in too. But tide was to turn, & Dulwich became more dominant, getting into their stride once more. Crisp had a powerful drive saved, & a header blocked. While Brown's header was low, but wide of the post.
The Hamlet faithful who had made the short trek along Camberwell New Road had to wait until the 79th minute for the fourth. A strike from Clay was headed round the post by a Casuals defender for a corner. The Vail in-swinger found the head of Crisp who nodded home.
The final goal came with five minutes left on the clock. A bit of a goalmouth scramble found the ball at the feet of Les Brown, who tapped a short pass to Mike Clay, who sent the ball into the empty net,leaving Ahm floundering in the heavy Oval mud. And while Ahm struggled in the conditions our own Dave Darvill at the other end earned the plaudits- "Darvill was superb in the air handling the greasy ball as if he had a magnet in his hand".
There was one victory for the Casuals though. their reserves beat our much weakened second string by four goals to nil at Champion Hill. A letdown for our 'A' side though, who found their game with Westminster College cancelled owing to a waterlogged pitch. Reported as a great disappointment to veterans Tommy Jover and John Hall, who had hoped to have a run out in this game.
Elsewhere there was a shock appearance in the south west London Isthmian League derby between Tooting & Mitcham United and Wimbledon. The Terrors, who went on to win the League, beat the Dons four one, despite going a goal behind to Eddie Reynolds, & starting with only ten men! This was due to the non-arrival of reserve inside-right Dave Grady. And a fromer player, now a committee member, by the name of Les Walters, stepped into the breach! The reason given allows us an insight as to how amateur football used to conduct itself, & how players were selected in the olden days:
Thousands of spectators who flocked to Sandy Lane must have wondered how Tooting & Mitcham United began their game against neighbours and rivals Wimbledon with only 10 men and had to be helped out by an official who last played for the club three seasons ago. It was a player crisis quite unprecidented for this annual derby clash, but the explanation is quite simple. The team selection cards posted to the players got delayed in the Christmas rush. Inside-right Dave Grady, who had been selected to deputise for Welsh international Dave Roberts, did not receive his card, and assumed he had not been picked. But the regular first team players, although in a similar predicament, turned up as usual, realising of course that something had gone wrong. But the emergency produced its hero-former centre-half & club captain Les Walters, a member of Tooting's selection committee, who answered the last-minute SOS for the eleventh player. Les had been playing for Streatham Old Grammarians in the morning.
We can only wonder if this has ever happened to The Hamlet too? If anyone knows please let the 'Hamlet Historian' know.
Having lost fifteen Ryman League Division One South encounters over the 2010/11 campaign there are enough to choose from. One that sticks out like a sore thumb for me was a particularly woeful performance over at Tolworth back in November, when-despite dominating much of the match possession wise-ended up losing by three goals to one by perennial strugglers Corinthian-Casuals. A defeat that left a number of Hamlet followers bemonaing the fact that we 'always seem to struggle' against them.
A statement not borne out by the facts. In the sixteen league clashes between the two of us this century Dulwich have won eleven of them, drawing a further two, with 'only' five ending in defeats, only this 3-1 scoreline being by more than a single goal margin; though they did beat us by the same score,also at their ground, in 2004/05.
While still being a little down by our loss in November, by complete coincidence while looking for something else, I found the perfect Casuals 'pick-me-up' in the local newspaper archives a few days later. A comprehensive thrashing of not the boys from Tolworth, but Kennington Oval. For back in 1959 Corinthian-Casuals were using the home of Surrey County Cricket Club as their headquarters. The actual season was '59/60, & back then the Isthmian League only had one division, consisting of sixteen clubs. We were to finish in seventh spot, three points & two places behind the Casuals. So the Boxing Day game should have been a tight affair, but the scoreline of Corinthian-Casuals 1, Dulwich Hamlet 5 told us differently.
It was a weakened Hamlet side that took the field on a miserable day weather wise. One report told us that 'Dulwich Hamlet supporters who braved the elements on Boxing Day had full value for their money at the Oval'; whilst another informed us that 'the game had everything, including weather conditions that should have made football impossible.'
Football at The Oval was before I was born, so I have no idea how open to the elements followers were, but one person in attendance that day who I am sure was well wrapped up in the best seats in the house was the man who refereed at the first ever match at the old Champion Hill, back on 10th October 1931 against our local rivals Nunhead, none other than the then secretary of the Football Association, who went on to be the President of FIFA from 1961 until 1974, Sir Stanley Rous. (EDIT NOTE: NOT 100% OF THE REF v. NUNHEAD BIT, SO PLEASE EDIT THAT BIT OUT, IF INCORRECT, but from memory I am almost certain he was)
Jim Skipper & Kent were unavailable, due to ther commitments over the holiday period, so Frank Beard stepped up & played right-back & reportedly did a good job in holding off the Casuals Cambridge Blue & England Amateur International P. Neill; while Parsons made his senior debut for the club at centre-half, playing 'like a veteran'. Dicky Smallman was at right-half, so it was virtually a 'second string' defence, but one that didn't look out of place on the day. They did their job, feeding our hungry forwards with pass after pass, & Casuals could 'thank centre-half Reg Vowels that the score did not reach double figures'. Which, if they had would have smashed our record 8-1 consecutive victories against them, in the 1919/20 & '20/21 seasons.
Four decades after those 'Barnstoneworth' scores The Hamlet started off brightly, sweeping forward immediately, an early corner resulting in a Les Brown header being tipped over by their Danish goalkeeper Ahm. Our first goal came after only five minutes, also a header. Ron Crisp sent the ball over Ahm's head from a Norman Field cross., after he had taken the ball round the Casuals Martin Ries.
Five minutes later & it was two, this time the goal starting from a Corinthian-Casuals corner at the other end of the field! Crisp picked up the ball in the box from their failed corner & brought it right up the pitch, crossed it to Vail, whose centre was blocked by Ahm. But he could only patially clear it, the ball falling to Brown. He sent a through pass to Mike Clay, who went round the Casuals Vowels, 'escaping his shadow' a journalist noted, drawing Ahm out of position, before rounding him & pushing the ball into an empty net.
Following this two goal cushion The Hamlet continued to press for more. A Brown shot went just wide of the post, while another flew off the boot of Terry Vail was saved. Clay's attempt was punched away by Ahm; while another from Brown deflected off a defender for a corner.
Dulwich hit the inevitable third on eighteen minutes, thanks to a keeper's blunder, when Purser's successful effort went through Ahm's hand, & into the net. As one scribe put it,giving the impression that this was the moment any pluck the Casuals had was knocked out of them: "Everything could have been so different but for the huge blunder of Casuals' Danish-born goalkeeper Paul Ahm, in the 18th minute, which gave the Hamlet their third goal. He went down on one knee with Geoff Purser's shot well covered but it slipped between his hands and legs."
Just before the half-hour mark the Casuals had their brief spell. Following a free-kick with Darvill out of position, Reg Merritt was well placed on the goal-line to clear; but two minutes on Merritt slipped on the muddy surface to allow Trimble in to beat Dave Darvill.
Despite that it was the Hamlet who were the more confident & dominant, as was noted by reporter Peter Smith, in the 'South London Press'- "There was no doubt about it, Dulwich were always the better side, being that much quicker on the ball and having more ideas in front of goal than Casuals ever dreamed of. That was the mian difference between the teams. Hamlet were much stronger at inside-forward than Casuals and they had somebody who could lay on accurate passesto unmarked players to all parts of the pitch. When a Dulwich forward moved up with the ball he knew there were four other forwards up with him and more often than not, a half-back waiting to pounce on a poor clearance from Casuals defenders. With Casuals it was completely different. When a forward attacked he usually had to do it alone and this was virtually impossible with the rock-like Dulwich defence."
Three minutes prior to the break Dulwich had the chance to really put the game out of reach. Awarded a penalty when right-back Robertson handled a Vail header on the line, not even having the decency to admit his guilt, protesting that he had headed the ball! But Merritt hit weakly. Ahm guessed correctly, as he flung himself at the ball, knocked it down & then fell on it, as Merritt raced in for the rebound. It seems that the famous 'Corinthian spirit' was long dead, even over half a century ago!
After the interval the Casuals came out with more purpose, testing the Dulwich defence more, but we stood firm, soaking up their efforts. Our only chance of note during this flourish from the hosts was a crisp shot from Crisp, though Ahm nearly let this one slip in too. But tide was to turn, & Dulwich became more dominant, getting into their stride once more. Crisp had a powerful drive saved, & a header blocked. While Brown's header was low, but wide of the post.
The Hamlet faithful who had made the short trek along Camberwell New Road had to wait until the 79th minute for the fourth. A strike from Clay was headed round the post by a Casuals defender for a corner. The Vail in-swinger found the head of Crisp who nodded home.
The final goal came with five minutes left on the clock. A bit of a goalmouth scramble found the ball at the feet of Les Brown, who tapped a short pass to Mike Clay, who sent the ball into the empty net,leaving Ahm floundering in the heavy Oval mud. And while Ahm struggled in the conditions our own Dave Darvill at the other end earned the plaudits- "Darvill was superb in the air handling the greasy ball as if he had a magnet in his hand".
There was one victory for the Casuals though. their reserves beat our much weakened second string by four goals to nil at Champion Hill. A letdown for our 'A' side though, who found their game with Westminster College cancelled owing to a waterlogged pitch. Reported as a great disappointment to veterans Tommy Jover and John Hall, who had hoped to have a run out in this game.
Elsewhere there was a shock appearance in the south west London Isthmian League derby between Tooting & Mitcham United and Wimbledon. The Terrors, who went on to win the League, beat the Dons four one, despite going a goal behind to Eddie Reynolds, & starting with only ten men! This was due to the non-arrival of reserve inside-right Dave Grady. And a fromer player, now a committee member, by the name of Les Walters, stepped into the breach! The reason given allows us an insight as to how amateur football used to conduct itself, & how players were selected in the olden days:
Thousands of spectators who flocked to Sandy Lane must have wondered how Tooting & Mitcham United began their game against neighbours and rivals Wimbledon with only 10 men and had to be helped out by an official who last played for the club three seasons ago. It was a player crisis quite unprecidented for this annual derby clash, but the explanation is quite simple. The team selection cards posted to the players got delayed in the Christmas rush. Inside-right Dave Grady, who had been selected to deputise for Welsh international Dave Roberts, did not receive his card, and assumed he had not been picked. But the regular first team players, although in a similar predicament, turned up as usual, realising of course that something had gone wrong. But the emergency produced its hero-former centre-half & club captain Les Walters, a member of Tooting's selection committee, who answered the last-minute SOS for the eleventh player. Les had been playing for Streatham Old Grammarians in the morning.
We can only wonder if this has ever happened to The Hamlet too? If anyone knows please let the 'Hamlet Historian' know.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Under the covers...
Admittedly I work in a library, but despite one of the stereotypes, I don't spend all day with my nose in a book. I do, however, like to read, & am quite a collector of football related books, among other things. A number are individual club histories, a number of which include The Hamlet as opposition down the generations. You can also get a Dulwich namecheck from biographies of former wearers of our famous Pink 'n' blue shirts who have gone onwards & upwards to the full professional ranks.
But for the purposes of this article, possibly the first of a series, I'm not going down that road.
You can find Dulwich Hamlet in the most unexpected places…
Where our Club pops out of a page and hits you when you least expect it. I don’t have too many to offer of these, and would be most interested if others have discovered Dulwich Hamlet mentioned in either fiction or non-fiction titles that you may have read.
The few I bring to you are certainly would not form a definitive list, nor an attempt to be one. But the idea to loosely knit a few bits and bobs together for a piece for the ‘Hamlet Historian’ hit when I was reading a biography of Hattie Jacques recently! The actress, most famed for her parts as Matron in the 'Carry On!' series of bwady (for that era) films of the sixties & seventies. I kid you not, she does have a tenuous Hamlet link. For her father, Robin Jaques (she added the ‘c’ for theatrical reasons) was a keen amateur footballer. Born in 1897, he received an army commission on leaving school, & served in the Army Education Corps in Germany . On returning to Great Britain he left the army & enlisted for the Royal Air Force. He played for forces teams, and also – here comes the Dulwich Hamlet connection- West Norwood , who were one of our local rivals ninety to a hundred years ago.
The book states: “In the early 1920s, RR Jacques played for West Norwood in the Isthmian League and there are various accounts (as well as various versions of his surname) recording his prowess as a centre forward. Under the headline ‘Victory of West Norwood’ on 14 November 1921, there is a report in ‘The Times’ by ‘Our special correspondent’ which enthused, ‘West Norwood beat Dulwich Hamlet in a match in the Isthmian League at Herne Hill on Saturday by two goals to one…West Norwood never quite settled down to any combined work …but R Jacques at centre forward played well. After the interval the attack improved and R Jacques with a clever single handed effort went through several opponents and scored his side’s first goal with a low shot.’ He also played four times as an amateur for Clapton Orient in the Second Division, & signed for Fulham, from the same division as the O’s, in July 1923. Sadly he was killed in a training accident while flying on 8th August that same year.
Moving on to a football book that was published in 1999 & called "London Fields", subtitled 'a journey through Football's Metroland'. Written by South London born Charlie Connelly, who now resides over the Irish Sea, in Dublin. It is a dip into all aspects of football in the capital at the time, not just your Arsenals & your Chelseas; but various chapters cutting right through the layers of the game. From the likes of Clapton, Grays Athletic, Hendon, & our old rivals Tooting & Mitcham United, in the non league echelons. Moving through the professional ranks with pieces about Leyton Orient, Wimbledon & Arsenal. As well as the FA Cup final between the Uniteds of Manchester & Newcastle, that made a once quiet country suburb called Wembley famous all over the world. Articles are in there too on some of the 'movers & shakers' in our metropolis, such as the London Football Association; referee David Elleray & the players' union rep from the PFA, Gary Nelson.
There are numerous Hamlet related mentions, though you'd have to be a serious Dulwich devotee to spot some of them. Take the Leyton Pennant chapter. In the potted history of them, to give you a flavour of their past glories, it mentions their glory years, as Leyton FC, with their halcyon periods of the 1920's onwards & then the fifties, but we get no specific namecheck for our two Amateur Cup victories over them. The game featured is at Wadham Lodge, after they had left Lea Bridge Road, & merged with Walthamstow Pennant. It is in an FA Cup tie against wembley FC, on the road to Wembley. Charlie picks up on a wonderful observation in the matchday programme which looks ahead to the game with the realisation that 'we are only 1,080 minutes away from the Wembley final'. The closest the Hamlet have ever got to the former twin towers was the 1956 amateur Cup semi, when we lost to Corinthian-Casuals, in front of over 27,000 at Stamford Bridge. Though we did play at Wembley in 1979 & '80, for the Berger Isthmian League five-a-side competition, staged at the adjacent Wembley Arena. The genuine Hamlet connection for his visit was the man between the sticks for Leyton,namely Clark Wells. He made two First Team appearances for Dulwich, in 1996/97. One of which was a 2-1 home defeat against none other than Leyton Pennant, in the London Challenge Cup; the other being a 1-1 draw at Heybridge Swifts. He went on to make around fifty Isthmian League appearances, not just for Leyton Pennant, but also Clapton, Aveley & Hertford Town.
Next up to be featured was one of those outfits, Clapton: "If visiting Leyton Pennant is like calling on an energetic nephew, then a trip to the Old Spotted Dog ground in Forest Gate, home of Clapton Footbal Club,is like visiting an elderly aunt who has let herself go a little. Whilst not actually smelling of wee, the club has a ramshackle atmosphere,and the ground, where The Tons have played since 1879,give no hint that Clapton were one of the great pioneers of amateur & indeed, international football." They were the first English club to venture over to the continent, playing A belgian Select XI in Antwerp, in 1890.
Anyone who has ever been to that ground can surely relate to that. He then compares the place to the great amateur grounds of yesteryear, including our own old Champion Hill: "At some of the fine old amateur clubs (Hendon and Bromley, for example) you can tell that large crowds once gathered.Dulwich Hamlet's old ground, a stone's throw away from the current modern stadium, was the best example-a cavernous ground capable of accomodating many thousands of spectators. By the late eighties Hamlet were struggling on crowds of around 200 in a stadium once capable of 30,000. The club did the sensible thing and sold the ground to a supermarket, who,as part of the deal, constructed them a new, smaller stadium a free-kick away from the old site."
Sadly, whilst amost true, factually incorrect, which-once in print-is taken as 'gospel' & the untruth spreads. We did NOT own our ground. We had sold it in the early seventies to Office Cleaning Services, who were then family run by the Goodliffe family, who played in some of our Amateur Cup winning sides. That company in turn offloaded it to Kings College London, who then sold it to the supermarket chain. We simply signed away the remainder of our lease, & in return our current ground was built, to lease back from them. The truth is if we had not done some the old ground was in such a state of disrepair the ground would soon have been condemned & there simply would not be a Dulwich Hamlet today.
Welling United versus Whyteleafe, in an FA Cup tie, was covered. It mentions the humble beginnings of Welling: "Welling United, were formed in 1963, by the Hobbins brothers Barrie & Graham." So far, so good. But more errors about grounds crept in when he stated that they shared facilities at Park View Road with the now defunct Bexley United & after switching from Sunday football, have movedfrom the Eltham & District League under 15s to Conference National. I don't know what their original league was, but they certainly never groundshared with Bexley United, but taking advantage of their demise in 1976 to secure the tenure of Park View Road then. Back to the current, at least the 'current' of the book. In goal for the Wings was Glenn Knight, known to Hamlet fans who recall him as 'Knight-mare', after two halves in our colours, both pre-season matches, where he conceded three goals in each half, at home to Sittingbourne & away to Whyteleafe. Unsurprisingly we never signed him. Perhaps more suprprisingly to our followers he went on to have a long non-league career, turning out against us for Welling, Boreham Wood & Cray Wanderers, to name but three. Also in the Welling line up was Tony Dolby, who is related to Harry dolby, who currently appears in Ian Neal's Kent Youth League North Division side. Tony also started out with the Junior Section of Dulwich Hamlet, before being signed by Millwall.
Connelly also featured the most successful womens' team in English footballing history, & again there is a tenuous Hamlet connection. For their long serving manager at the time was Vic Akers, whose son Lee was a such a great stalwart for our club, albeit in five spells! Interestingly he informs us that the Gooner girls were started by Vic in 1987, when Aylesbury Ladies were brought under the Highbury umbrella. So it wasn't just the men who are a 'franchise' outfit!
Hendon versus Notts County was also covered. This was a few weeks after the Hamlet played there in a league match & part of the pitch perimeter wall collapsed at our end. Luckily nobody was hurt, apart from slight shock.
The author mentions that Hendon one of the great names of amateur football & then notes that their fanzine is called 'The Sleeping Giant'. The editor of this, through the late nineties, had a vindictive bee in his bonnet about his perceived thuggishness of the Hamlet team under Dave Garland, and took every possible opportunity to use his rag to continue his vendetta, while not having bottle to sign his articles. Nowadays I'm sure he's a happy 'keyboard warrior' hiding behind his computer screen somewhere! We played at Claremont Road one midweek night & spent a fair amount of half time, & the beginning of the second half happily ripping up all of their copies, old & new, that were on sale. the bloke behind the jump asked me what on earth I was up to, & in no uncertain terms I explained it was a protest against their cowardly fanzine editor. I don't know if he was responsible or not, but he let me carry on!
Charlie bemoaned the media concentrating on part-time players occupations, which is also a bugbear of mine, where they are described as "postmen,lorry drivers & teachers... a motley crew or ragtag assortment of a milkman or postman to deliver the goods, a teacher to chalk up the goals, or a window cleaner doing the rounds of the opposition defence". He used the comparision to mention his brief 'flirt with fame' at an un-named Isthmian reserve side, but reading between the lines my guess would be Bromley-"as a nimble 18-year old I turned out a couple of times for the reserve side of a club in what is now the Ryman Premier Division.Now I would never make any claims to possess football ability, but I was way out of my depth. The speed of reaction, the pace of the game and the level of technique was far beyond that of even a good-standard Sunday team,and this was regarded as one of the poorest reserve teams the club had produced in many years(which, coupled with an injury crisis and a number of internal ructions at the club was the reason I found myself pulling on a shirt for a couple of weeks)The standard was deemed so poor that the manager of the first team rarely allowed his players to turn out for the 'stiffs' Yet it was miles abve anything I had ever experienced in my admittedly limited & brief football career." Oh how I could relate to that! Not the actual playing-I'm happy just to lace up my boots for a few minutes for the Supporters' side! But in that if I could have a pound for every time I've stood next to someone in a pub & they've told me, pint glass in one hand, cigarette in the other, that they 'once played for Dulwich', on recognising my shirt, but on my gntle probing it turned out that they had a trial for the Reserves in the dim & distant past, but were clearly not good enough, in their eyes 'not given a fair chance' not realising the high standard of even senior non-league reserve sides. Trust me, if ever you want a laugh go along to watch any pre-season open trial training session organised by the Club..it is difficult to keep a straight face at the incompetence on show!
One man in the Hendon side in that Cup tie was given a cheeky occupation check,as might printed by one of the nationals: "It was 'banker Paul Whitmarsh' who therefore posed the biggest threat to Notts County's cup hope on this Sunday afternoon; & hopes to 'open his account' in the competition proper." He indignantly continued: "What he does when not turning out for the Ryman Premier side at the weekend is of no concern.He is a Hendon footballer & today that's all we need to know. Are we told, for example, that he is up against the 'golfers, video game enthusiasts, card players & nightclubbers' of Notts County?"
Whitmarsh himself was the mainstay of the Hamlet forward line during the exciting times under Frank Murphy in the mid nineties. Whits made 155 appreances for The Hamlet between 1994 & '97; finding the back of the net 74 times. He went on to play for Sutton United & Welling United, before marrying an Irish woman, & emigrated over there, where he played for a number of clubs, including his 'first one' at Cobh Ramblers where apparently he walked out in a strop after a match in which he was an unused sub and didn't even bother to collect his kitbag from the dressing room! He later played for Belgrove and UCD.
Another chapter was about the Supporters Club during the rise of Charlton Athletic, in discussion with Pete Varney, who was the Chief Executive in at the Valley.
Varney helped oversee the rise of Charlton athletic from (in old money) second division also rans to the heights of the Premiership in 6 years, which was an amazing achievement, considering over the previous decade they were homeless, with the fans leading them in a massive campaign to get back to The Valley Varney didn't want all the hard work to be undone, so he talked of planning ahead, for promotion having a business plan and a long term stategy to turn the club around. He explained the need for a businesss plan,so that the late run, then winning at Wembley didn't catch them by surprise.
To prove how prepared & determined they were, he recalled the club offloading a forward, against most fans opinions: "In February we sold Carl Leaburn, to Wimbledon. As a result of this I went round all the branch meetings getting savaged because we were selling a forward, which meant we wouldn't go up ,had no ambition, that sort of thing,. I couldn't tell them what was actually going to happen, so I just defended the club's position, telling them I was still confident that we'd reach the play offs & they shouldn't write us off yet. At the end of the season, when we'd beaten Sunderland & gone up, I was invited to what was decribed as an 'evening of wine & humble pie' , which was basically the supporters saying okay, you got it completely right and we'll keep our mouths shut from now on." his comments there illustrate exactly why those in a boardroom treat lifelong fans with contempt, always believing those in the boardroom know best...
But that's not the flimsy Dulwich link here, well not the main one! that comes from the mention of Carl Leaburn, who also played for the Junior Section of Dulwich Hamlet, back in their Southwark Sports days. His brother Glen turned out for The Hamlet in the years 1992 to '94, scoring nine goals in 48 appearances; having previously played for Catford Wanderers, Dorking & Croydon.
Varney mentioned that Wembley play-off battle with Sunderland & how it was just the start: "Having reached the promised land, however, the real hard work began. No sooner had Sasa Ilic smothered Michael Gray's spot kick then the world was already damning Charlton's prospects in the top flight." And you know waht? They were right, as immediate relegation followed! Perhaps supporters' are a bit more knowledgable than the man give us all credit for! Charlton Athletic currently languish in Football League One, which is the third division in 'old money'. The hero of that play-off shoot-out Sasa Ilic played against the Hamlet in a foggy 2-1 FA Trophy defeat on the Sussex coast, down at Hastings, against the now defunct St. Leonards Stamcroft. This denied us a trip to north Wales, as the winners were drawn away to Colwyn Bay. This defeat led to the end of manager Frank Murphy's reign at Champion Hill, as he was denied money to strengthen the side by the powers that be. Ilic had joined them not long before from the (then) Yugoslavian side FC Radnicki Nis, now languishing in the Serbian third division. Not long after he appeared against us he was signed by Charlton.
As a footnote, remembering those in power know better than mere fans,perhaps it's just as well that the stadium plan that barmy Varney dreamed of in the book never quite came to fruition: "I look around The Valley and think that if it held 40,000 people we could fill it."
The last professional port of call for Connelly on his cockney crawl was the Crazy Gang of the old Wimbledon FC, then at Plough Lane, now at faraway Milton Keynes. He mentions an oddity of their programme, with regard to featured player profile of the day: "A curious aspect is the fact that when the editor sends the players their profile forms, he actually reproduces them, handwriting and all. Today, Carl Cort's random mixture of upper- and lower-case letters revealed he would spend his last tenner on KFC." Presumably he meant the finger lickin' good chicken, rather than investing in Kingstonian Football Club. Whichwould have been a bit ironic if he had, as more than a decade later when the moral high grounders of the fans club AFC Wimbledon started up at Kingstonian, they DID invest in Kingstonian. Well, their asset stripping owner anyway. Who pocketed a high six figure profit, by not just selling Kingsmeadow to the new Dons, but also loaning them the money to do so, acting as an 'unofficial' loan shark for them! So much for morals, as long as you benefit eh? But that's another story! Back to player profiles...just to say I do miss them in programmes, they are fascinating social snapshots both of your own players and of the period generally. i think it's a shame that they no longer appear in our programmes. Cort isn't asked if there any Dulwich Hamlet connections, but he does have two, again like many mentioned in this article, his siblings. One brother Leon started out in our Youth Team, managed by our current First Team manager Gavin Rose, in his first spell in charge of our youngsters, in 1997/98. he moved on to Millwall, but didn't make any first team appearances there, instead making his professional debut at his next club Southend United, where he played 137 times. he has now reached well over three hundred Football League appearances, at Hull City, Crystal Palace, Stoke City & Burnley. He is currently on loan to Preston North End, whose supporters presented one of his shirts to our Club on the pitch at half time, during our recent 6-0 massacre of Fleet town; after they had beaten our Supporters' Team 9-4 at Belair Park in the quarter finals of the IFA British (supporters) Cup. One of their other brothers, Wayne, also played for Dulwich Hamlet. He appeared briefly in the 2002 pre-seasons, disappearing after it was announced in the local press that he had signed for us! Three campaigns later he did play around half a season for us, before leaving once more, for more money elsewhere.
Going back to that hand-written player profile one thing spotted by Charlie tickled me.He pondered that under the 'boyhood footballing hero' ? he had written 'never really had one'. And noted: "However the 'never' had cleary been written heavily over the name 'Ian'. Which Ian was this? Surely not Wallace? Botham, maybe? Lavender, from Dad's Army? What made him change his mind?" We shall never know!
There was also a chapter on Tooting & Mitcham United toward the end. And a large chunk was in discussion with their chairman John Buffoni, who was overseeing their last moments at Sandy Lane, before their move to their current Imperial Fields home.
It starts off by a descriptive of the inner sanctum of the place: "The Tooting & Mitcham boardroom is as grand as any you'll find at Ryman League second division level. Sandy Lane is like an elderly comatose patient on a life support system." not a bad description, but 'rumour' has it that their boardroom was once much grander, & that during the promotional season of 2001/02 when we groundshared there in exile, a number of their artifacts went missing from those boardroom walls by pilfering, cheeky Hamlet followers. As I say, only 'rumours'!
For the benefit of younger Hamlet fans, back then there was four divisions in the Isthmian League. Premier, One, Two & Three. With the latter two being lower than the current division One south, clubs in those two entering the lower standard FA Vase, for minor non-league outfits; as Tooting did. Dulwich Hamlet have NEVER fallen low enough to play in that competition.
In this chapter Connelly repeats his mistakes with regard to selling Champion Hill to Sainsburys, & also alludes to poor management of the Club, in terms of us still struggling: "The realisation that football is now big business has taken a little longer to filter down through the semi-professional leagues. Many clubs are still run by committees of former players & enthusiasts. Many committee members are purely there for the kudos they perceive they earn. A number of big old clubs Kingstonian, Dulwich Hamlet & so on have tried to move with the times, with varying degrees of success. Whilst Ks are in the Conference & scooped the FAT at Wembley in 1999, Dulwich are struggling on & off the field despite having had the foresight to sell their vast Champion Hill stadium to Sainsbury's & have them build a new stadium a stones throw away as part of the deal. Champion Hill was another famous old ground left to decay by blinkered administration as crowds plummetted from the early '60s. By the late '80s the ground was decrepit, even if it did have an imposing bearing. The club crest was set in marble at the main entrance, and the walls were covered with reminders of the great Dulwich teams of the past. Now they occupy a compact if characterless stadium, but are still struggling to make ends meet."
In actual fact the club crest wasn't set in marble at all. It was a very good quality marble linoleum impression of marble with the badge printied onto it, but it looked the part! This was 'discovered' when the old ground was being demolished at atrempts were made to 'save' the marble! As for the reminders of great Dulwich teams of the past, well like the current ground, they were all hidden away in the boardroom, so 'ordinary' fans will never get to see them. Some things never change...
I hope you haven't been too bored by this slightly strange article. Let me know if you have, otherwise you will have to suffer more of the same in the next issue of the 'Hamlet Historian'!
But for the purposes of this article, possibly the first of a series, I'm not going down that road.
You can find Dulwich Hamlet in the most unexpected places…
Where our Club pops out of a page and hits you when you least expect it. I don’t have too many to offer of these, and would be most interested if others have discovered Dulwich Hamlet mentioned in either fiction or non-fiction titles that you may have read.
The few I bring to you are certainly would not form a definitive list, nor an attempt to be one. But the idea to loosely knit a few bits and bobs together for a piece for the ‘Hamlet Historian’ hit when I was reading a biography of Hattie Jacques recently! The actress, most famed for her parts as Matron in the 'Carry On!' series of bwady (for that era) films of the sixties & seventies. I kid you not, she does have a tenuous Hamlet link. For her father, Robin Jaques (she added the ‘c’ for theatrical reasons) was a keen amateur footballer. Born in 1897, he received an army commission on leaving school, & served in the Army Education Corps in Germany . On returning to Great Britain he left the army & enlisted for the Royal Air Force. He played for forces teams, and also – here comes the Dulwich Hamlet connection- West Norwood , who were one of our local rivals ninety to a hundred years ago.
The book states: “In the early 1920s, RR Jacques played for West Norwood in the Isthmian League and there are various accounts (as well as various versions of his surname) recording his prowess as a centre forward. Under the headline ‘Victory of West Norwood’ on 14 November 1921, there is a report in ‘The Times’ by ‘Our special correspondent’ which enthused, ‘West Norwood beat Dulwich Hamlet in a match in the Isthmian League at Herne Hill on Saturday by two goals to one…West Norwood never quite settled down to any combined work …but R Jacques at centre forward played well. After the interval the attack improved and R Jacques with a clever single handed effort went through several opponents and scored his side’s first goal with a low shot.’ He also played four times as an amateur for Clapton Orient in the Second Division, & signed for Fulham, from the same division as the O’s, in July 1923. Sadly he was killed in a training accident while flying on 8th August that same year.
Moving on to a football book that was published in 1999 & called "London Fields", subtitled 'a journey through Football's Metroland'. Written by South London born Charlie Connelly, who now resides over the Irish Sea, in Dublin. It is a dip into all aspects of football in the capital at the time, not just your Arsenals & your Chelseas; but various chapters cutting right through the layers of the game. From the likes of Clapton, Grays Athletic, Hendon, & our old rivals Tooting & Mitcham United, in the non league echelons. Moving through the professional ranks with pieces about Leyton Orient, Wimbledon & Arsenal. As well as the FA Cup final between the Uniteds of Manchester & Newcastle, that made a once quiet country suburb called Wembley famous all over the world. Articles are in there too on some of the 'movers & shakers' in our metropolis, such as the London Football Association; referee David Elleray & the players' union rep from the PFA, Gary Nelson.
There are numerous Hamlet related mentions, though you'd have to be a serious Dulwich devotee to spot some of them. Take the Leyton Pennant chapter. In the potted history of them, to give you a flavour of their past glories, it mentions their glory years, as Leyton FC, with their halcyon periods of the 1920's onwards & then the fifties, but we get no specific namecheck for our two Amateur Cup victories over them. The game featured is at Wadham Lodge, after they had left Lea Bridge Road, & merged with Walthamstow Pennant. It is in an FA Cup tie against wembley FC, on the road to Wembley. Charlie picks up on a wonderful observation in the matchday programme which looks ahead to the game with the realisation that 'we are only 1,080 minutes away from the Wembley final'. The closest the Hamlet have ever got to the former twin towers was the 1956 amateur Cup semi, when we lost to Corinthian-Casuals, in front of over 27,000 at Stamford Bridge. Though we did play at Wembley in 1979 & '80, for the Berger Isthmian League five-a-side competition, staged at the adjacent Wembley Arena. The genuine Hamlet connection for his visit was the man between the sticks for Leyton,namely Clark Wells. He made two First Team appearances for Dulwich, in 1996/97. One of which was a 2-1 home defeat against none other than Leyton Pennant, in the London Challenge Cup; the other being a 1-1 draw at Heybridge Swifts. He went on to make around fifty Isthmian League appearances, not just for Leyton Pennant, but also Clapton, Aveley & Hertford Town.
Next up to be featured was one of those outfits, Clapton: "If visiting Leyton Pennant is like calling on an energetic nephew, then a trip to the Old Spotted Dog ground in Forest Gate, home of Clapton Footbal Club,is like visiting an elderly aunt who has let herself go a little. Whilst not actually smelling of wee, the club has a ramshackle atmosphere,and the ground, where The Tons have played since 1879,give no hint that Clapton were one of the great pioneers of amateur & indeed, international football." They were the first English club to venture over to the continent, playing A belgian Select XI in Antwerp, in 1890.
Anyone who has ever been to that ground can surely relate to that. He then compares the place to the great amateur grounds of yesteryear, including our own old Champion Hill: "At some of the fine old amateur clubs (Hendon and Bromley, for example) you can tell that large crowds once gathered.Dulwich Hamlet's old ground, a stone's throw away from the current modern stadium, was the best example-a cavernous ground capable of accomodating many thousands of spectators. By the late eighties Hamlet were struggling on crowds of around 200 in a stadium once capable of 30,000. The club did the sensible thing and sold the ground to a supermarket, who,as part of the deal, constructed them a new, smaller stadium a free-kick away from the old site."
Sadly, whilst amost true, factually incorrect, which-once in print-is taken as 'gospel' & the untruth spreads. We did NOT own our ground. We had sold it in the early seventies to Office Cleaning Services, who were then family run by the Goodliffe family, who played in some of our Amateur Cup winning sides. That company in turn offloaded it to Kings College London, who then sold it to the supermarket chain. We simply signed away the remainder of our lease, & in return our current ground was built, to lease back from them. The truth is if we had not done some the old ground was in such a state of disrepair the ground would soon have been condemned & there simply would not be a Dulwich Hamlet today.
Welling United versus Whyteleafe, in an FA Cup tie, was covered. It mentions the humble beginnings of Welling: "Welling United, were formed in 1963, by the Hobbins brothers Barrie & Graham." So far, so good. But more errors about grounds crept in when he stated that they shared facilities at Park View Road with the now defunct Bexley United & after switching from Sunday football, have movedfrom the Eltham & District League under 15s to Conference National. I don't know what their original league was, but they certainly never groundshared with Bexley United, but taking advantage of their demise in 1976 to secure the tenure of Park View Road then. Back to the current, at least the 'current' of the book. In goal for the Wings was Glenn Knight, known to Hamlet fans who recall him as 'Knight-mare', after two halves in our colours, both pre-season matches, where he conceded three goals in each half, at home to Sittingbourne & away to Whyteleafe. Unsurprisingly we never signed him. Perhaps more suprprisingly to our followers he went on to have a long non-league career, turning out against us for Welling, Boreham Wood & Cray Wanderers, to name but three. Also in the Welling line up was Tony Dolby, who is related to Harry dolby, who currently appears in Ian Neal's Kent Youth League North Division side. Tony also started out with the Junior Section of Dulwich Hamlet, before being signed by Millwall.
Connelly also featured the most successful womens' team in English footballing history, & again there is a tenuous Hamlet connection. For their long serving manager at the time was Vic Akers, whose son Lee was a such a great stalwart for our club, albeit in five spells! Interestingly he informs us that the Gooner girls were started by Vic in 1987, when Aylesbury Ladies were brought under the Highbury umbrella. So it wasn't just the men who are a 'franchise' outfit!
Hendon versus Notts County was also covered. This was a few weeks after the Hamlet played there in a league match & part of the pitch perimeter wall collapsed at our end. Luckily nobody was hurt, apart from slight shock.
The author mentions that Hendon one of the great names of amateur football & then notes that their fanzine is called 'The Sleeping Giant'. The editor of this, through the late nineties, had a vindictive bee in his bonnet about his perceived thuggishness of the Hamlet team under Dave Garland, and took every possible opportunity to use his rag to continue his vendetta, while not having bottle to sign his articles. Nowadays I'm sure he's a happy 'keyboard warrior' hiding behind his computer screen somewhere! We played at Claremont Road one midweek night & spent a fair amount of half time, & the beginning of the second half happily ripping up all of their copies, old & new, that were on sale. the bloke behind the jump asked me what on earth I was up to, & in no uncertain terms I explained it was a protest against their cowardly fanzine editor. I don't know if he was responsible or not, but he let me carry on!
Charlie bemoaned the media concentrating on part-time players occupations, which is also a bugbear of mine, where they are described as "postmen,lorry drivers & teachers... a motley crew or ragtag assortment of a milkman or postman to deliver the goods, a teacher to chalk up the goals, or a window cleaner doing the rounds of the opposition defence". He used the comparision to mention his brief 'flirt with fame' at an un-named Isthmian reserve side, but reading between the lines my guess would be Bromley-"as a nimble 18-year old I turned out a couple of times for the reserve side of a club in what is now the Ryman Premier Division.Now I would never make any claims to possess football ability, but I was way out of my depth. The speed of reaction, the pace of the game and the level of technique was far beyond that of even a good-standard Sunday team,and this was regarded as one of the poorest reserve teams the club had produced in many years(which, coupled with an injury crisis and a number of internal ructions at the club was the reason I found myself pulling on a shirt for a couple of weeks)The standard was deemed so poor that the manager of the first team rarely allowed his players to turn out for the 'stiffs' Yet it was miles abve anything I had ever experienced in my admittedly limited & brief football career." Oh how I could relate to that! Not the actual playing-I'm happy just to lace up my boots for a few minutes for the Supporters' side! But in that if I could have a pound for every time I've stood next to someone in a pub & they've told me, pint glass in one hand, cigarette in the other, that they 'once played for Dulwich', on recognising my shirt, but on my gntle probing it turned out that they had a trial for the Reserves in the dim & distant past, but were clearly not good enough, in their eyes 'not given a fair chance' not realising the high standard of even senior non-league reserve sides. Trust me, if ever you want a laugh go along to watch any pre-season open trial training session organised by the Club..it is difficult to keep a straight face at the incompetence on show!
One man in the Hendon side in that Cup tie was given a cheeky occupation check,as might printed by one of the nationals: "It was 'banker Paul Whitmarsh' who therefore posed the biggest threat to Notts County's cup hope on this Sunday afternoon; & hopes to 'open his account' in the competition proper." He indignantly continued: "What he does when not turning out for the Ryman Premier side at the weekend is of no concern.He is a Hendon footballer & today that's all we need to know. Are we told, for example, that he is up against the 'golfers, video game enthusiasts, card players & nightclubbers' of Notts County?"
Whitmarsh himself was the mainstay of the Hamlet forward line during the exciting times under Frank Murphy in the mid nineties. Whits made 155 appreances for The Hamlet between 1994 & '97; finding the back of the net 74 times. He went on to play for Sutton United & Welling United, before marrying an Irish woman, & emigrated over there, where he played for a number of clubs, including his 'first one' at Cobh Ramblers where apparently he walked out in a strop after a match in which he was an unused sub and didn't even bother to collect his kitbag from the dressing room! He later played for Belgrove and UCD.
Another chapter was about the Supporters Club during the rise of Charlton Athletic, in discussion with Pete Varney, who was the Chief Executive in at the Valley.
Varney helped oversee the rise of Charlton athletic from (in old money) second division also rans to the heights of the Premiership in 6 years, which was an amazing achievement, considering over the previous decade they were homeless, with the fans leading them in a massive campaign to get back to The Valley Varney didn't want all the hard work to be undone, so he talked of planning ahead, for promotion having a business plan and a long term stategy to turn the club around. He explained the need for a businesss plan,so that the late run, then winning at Wembley didn't catch them by surprise.
To prove how prepared & determined they were, he recalled the club offloading a forward, against most fans opinions: "In February we sold Carl Leaburn, to Wimbledon. As a result of this I went round all the branch meetings getting savaged because we were selling a forward, which meant we wouldn't go up ,had no ambition, that sort of thing,. I couldn't tell them what was actually going to happen, so I just defended the club's position, telling them I was still confident that we'd reach the play offs & they shouldn't write us off yet. At the end of the season, when we'd beaten Sunderland & gone up, I was invited to what was decribed as an 'evening of wine & humble pie' , which was basically the supporters saying okay, you got it completely right and we'll keep our mouths shut from now on." his comments there illustrate exactly why those in a boardroom treat lifelong fans with contempt, always believing those in the boardroom know best...
But that's not the flimsy Dulwich link here, well not the main one! that comes from the mention of Carl Leaburn, who also played for the Junior Section of Dulwich Hamlet, back in their Southwark Sports days. His brother Glen turned out for The Hamlet in the years 1992 to '94, scoring nine goals in 48 appearances; having previously played for Catford Wanderers, Dorking & Croydon.
Varney mentioned that Wembley play-off battle with Sunderland & how it was just the start: "Having reached the promised land, however, the real hard work began. No sooner had Sasa Ilic smothered Michael Gray's spot kick then the world was already damning Charlton's prospects in the top flight." And you know waht? They were right, as immediate relegation followed! Perhaps supporters' are a bit more knowledgable than the man give us all credit for! Charlton Athletic currently languish in Football League One, which is the third division in 'old money'. The hero of that play-off shoot-out Sasa Ilic played against the Hamlet in a foggy 2-1 FA Trophy defeat on the Sussex coast, down at Hastings, against the now defunct St. Leonards Stamcroft. This denied us a trip to north Wales, as the winners were drawn away to Colwyn Bay. This defeat led to the end of manager Frank Murphy's reign at Champion Hill, as he was denied money to strengthen the side by the powers that be. Ilic had joined them not long before from the (then) Yugoslavian side FC Radnicki Nis, now languishing in the Serbian third division. Not long after he appeared against us he was signed by Charlton.
As a footnote, remembering those in power know better than mere fans,perhaps it's just as well that the stadium plan that barmy Varney dreamed of in the book never quite came to fruition: "I look around The Valley and think that if it held 40,000 people we could fill it."
The last professional port of call for Connelly on his cockney crawl was the Crazy Gang of the old Wimbledon FC, then at Plough Lane, now at faraway Milton Keynes. He mentions an oddity of their programme, with regard to featured player profile of the day: "A curious aspect is the fact that when the editor sends the players their profile forms, he actually reproduces them, handwriting and all. Today, Carl Cort's random mixture of upper- and lower-case letters revealed he would spend his last tenner on KFC." Presumably he meant the finger lickin' good chicken, rather than investing in Kingstonian Football Club. Whichwould have been a bit ironic if he had, as more than a decade later when the moral high grounders of the fans club AFC Wimbledon started up at Kingstonian, they DID invest in Kingstonian. Well, their asset stripping owner anyway. Who pocketed a high six figure profit, by not just selling Kingsmeadow to the new Dons, but also loaning them the money to do so, acting as an 'unofficial' loan shark for them! So much for morals, as long as you benefit eh? But that's another story! Back to player profiles...just to say I do miss them in programmes, they are fascinating social snapshots both of your own players and of the period generally. i think it's a shame that they no longer appear in our programmes. Cort isn't asked if there any Dulwich Hamlet connections, but he does have two, again like many mentioned in this article, his siblings. One brother Leon started out in our Youth Team, managed by our current First Team manager Gavin Rose, in his first spell in charge of our youngsters, in 1997/98. he moved on to Millwall, but didn't make any first team appearances there, instead making his professional debut at his next club Southend United, where he played 137 times. he has now reached well over three hundred Football League appearances, at Hull City, Crystal Palace, Stoke City & Burnley. He is currently on loan to Preston North End, whose supporters presented one of his shirts to our Club on the pitch at half time, during our recent 6-0 massacre of Fleet town; after they had beaten our Supporters' Team 9-4 at Belair Park in the quarter finals of the IFA British (supporters) Cup. One of their other brothers, Wayne, also played for Dulwich Hamlet. He appeared briefly in the 2002 pre-seasons, disappearing after it was announced in the local press that he had signed for us! Three campaigns later he did play around half a season for us, before leaving once more, for more money elsewhere.
Going back to that hand-written player profile one thing spotted by Charlie tickled me.He pondered that under the 'boyhood footballing hero' ? he had written 'never really had one'. And noted: "However the 'never' had cleary been written heavily over the name 'Ian'. Which Ian was this? Surely not Wallace? Botham, maybe? Lavender, from Dad's Army? What made him change his mind?" We shall never know!
There was also a chapter on Tooting & Mitcham United toward the end. And a large chunk was in discussion with their chairman John Buffoni, who was overseeing their last moments at Sandy Lane, before their move to their current Imperial Fields home.
It starts off by a descriptive of the inner sanctum of the place: "The Tooting & Mitcham boardroom is as grand as any you'll find at Ryman League second division level. Sandy Lane is like an elderly comatose patient on a life support system." not a bad description, but 'rumour' has it that their boardroom was once much grander, & that during the promotional season of 2001/02 when we groundshared there in exile, a number of their artifacts went missing from those boardroom walls by pilfering, cheeky Hamlet followers. As I say, only 'rumours'!
For the benefit of younger Hamlet fans, back then there was four divisions in the Isthmian League. Premier, One, Two & Three. With the latter two being lower than the current division One south, clubs in those two entering the lower standard FA Vase, for minor non-league outfits; as Tooting did. Dulwich Hamlet have NEVER fallen low enough to play in that competition.
In this chapter Connelly repeats his mistakes with regard to selling Champion Hill to Sainsburys, & also alludes to poor management of the Club, in terms of us still struggling: "The realisation that football is now big business has taken a little longer to filter down through the semi-professional leagues. Many clubs are still run by committees of former players & enthusiasts. Many committee members are purely there for the kudos they perceive they earn. A number of big old clubs Kingstonian, Dulwich Hamlet & so on have tried to move with the times, with varying degrees of success. Whilst Ks are in the Conference & scooped the FAT at Wembley in 1999, Dulwich are struggling on & off the field despite having had the foresight to sell their vast Champion Hill stadium to Sainsbury's & have them build a new stadium a stones throw away as part of the deal. Champion Hill was another famous old ground left to decay by blinkered administration as crowds plummetted from the early '60s. By the late '80s the ground was decrepit, even if it did have an imposing bearing. The club crest was set in marble at the main entrance, and the walls were covered with reminders of the great Dulwich teams of the past. Now they occupy a compact if characterless stadium, but are still struggling to make ends meet."
In actual fact the club crest wasn't set in marble at all. It was a very good quality marble linoleum impression of marble with the badge printied onto it, but it looked the part! This was 'discovered' when the old ground was being demolished at atrempts were made to 'save' the marble! As for the reminders of great Dulwich teams of the past, well like the current ground, they were all hidden away in the boardroom, so 'ordinary' fans will never get to see them. Some things never change...
I hope you haven't been too bored by this slightly strange article. Let me know if you have, otherwise you will have to suffer more of the same in the next issue of the 'Hamlet Historian'!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Gone but not forgotten....
Is the title for a long running series of booklets, published by Dave Twydell, of Yore Publications, which looks back at past grounds & old histories of venues long lost. One of which was Champion Hill, which featured a number of years ago now. As someone who unashamedly like to visit grounds I haven't been to before, but being a Hamlet fan you don't always get the opportunity to, cup draws & pre-season matches are a great opportunity to 'tick' a venue that you may not have visited before.
Sadly, from this perspective, our pre-seasons, aren't the most exciting, & whilst I can't speak for my fellow supporters, I'd say it's a fair bet that a number of us would prefer a trip away to a coastal side that we don't usually have the opportunity to play, rather than local venues like Thamesmead Town or Erith Town, that hardly inspire. (Though having said that, we hadn't played at Erith Town before, I just so happened to have been a match there last season, when we had a postponement & I saw out tenants Fisher lose there 4-2).
Sods law the FA Cup draw this season is tantalisingly teasing, which is most annoying, as-if I were the hand clasping type-I'd be praying for a Tunbridge Wells victory. Strange really, as I've been there on a number of occasions, the most recent being just over a fortnight ago, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, when they lost by the odd goal in three to Kent County League neighbours Rusthall, in the local newspaper sponsored charity George Piper Courier Cup. The other 'either/or' potential opposition for us is Mile Oak, who have just been relegated to the Sussex County League second division, & who are the 'underdogs' for the extra-preliminary round clash. Now usually I would want them to come out on top, as I have not been there, & even though it is my Saturday 'on' at work ( I work alternate Saturdays, which is why you don't always spot me behind the goal) & I took the 'gamble' of booking that day off out of my annual leave allocation, but that was then scuppered by receiving an invite to wedding of exiled Dulwich supporter Alex Bushell, now based in Canada! No, I'm not going to the actual wedding, which is on Saturday 21st, over the pond; but the following week am one of the guests at the 'blessing' at St. Stephens, West Dulwich, followed by the reception for all his English family & friends who could not cross the Atlantic. So, somewhat selfishly, if I can't 'tick off' Mile Oak as a 'new ground' I don't want anyone else to!
Nowadays pre-seasons, as I've already mentioned, aren't as exciting as they could be. And they also start earlier & earlier, with a lot less meaning & commitment to them. By that I mean some have turned into glorified training sessions with so many substitutions & triallists thatbyou don't really know who, or wha, you are watching, even though you recognise the Pink 'n' Blue shirts. Fortunately this season there has been a bit of stability player wise, under Gavin Rose. And also, in the games I've seen so far, there has been none of this 'game of three halves nonsense', though I have seen entire teams changed at half time, & the multiple substitutions toward the end, which make games peter out, but are a 'neccessary evil' of pre-seasons, as managers can afford the luxury of various permutations, without worrying about the loss of valuable league points or impending cup glory. most of the matches I've seen thus far, & tonight against Fulham will be my sixteenth match of the current campaign, have been watchable enough, the only 'dross' was a Sunday match at Winchester City, versus Kingstonian, in the sun, but made worthwhile chatting to old K's fans I know, & an excellent club shop.
Winchester is one of a-by my standards-extremely prolific pre-season, for squeezing in grounds I've not been to before. Now for my own clarifcation I take the start of the season to be the old UEFA benchmark of the first of July as accepted date for the commencing of a campaign. For 2010/11 I moved that back, to Sunday 20th July, when I was fortunate enough, thanks to the 'detective work' of our Belgian supporter Nicolas Lucas, who unearthed a match at Belgian fourth division level side KFC Katelijne, who were hosting their local top flight neighbours KV Mechelen, from that nearby city.
One thing countries like Belgium are good at, neighbouring ones like Germany, are their footballing 'social responsibility' to smaller non-league clubs, who are still the lifeblood of football in any country. And while I'm obviously pleased that we are hosting both Fulham & Crystal Palace XI's this summer, they are a rarity, rather than the a common occurance. There are enough professional Football League & Premiership organisations in the capital, that no local lower level side should be without a prestige visit from one or two of them each July or August.
The game itself had a healthy crowd, of around eight hundred or so, at my 'guestimate', the majority of them from the visitors, with a noticable absence from the Mechelen fans who were at the UR Namur fans tournament where the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team have competed in & played against them, the previous day. A good day out, but marred a little by also being a bit of a 'hooligan fest/love in' with a fight before it had all even got underway, with Mechelen, ably supported by Antwerp, ensuring that the FC Bruges fans' left a bit sharpish & took no part! Certainly the strangest 'supporters tournament' I've ever been at! Though that was clear as soon as we arrived with the amount of Stone Island & Burberry on display. I did like, and buy one of the 'moody' Stone Island Namur Elite scarves mind.
Back in England,as well as the aforementioned Winchester, I've been to two grounds which are due to disappear, in the not too distant future, hence my raison d'etre for visiting. Bavk on the 20th of last month I had the day off work, sadly to attend the funeral of a decent old Hamlet fan Bill Andrews. Which put a smile on my face, as I don't think I've come out of a service happier than that lunchtime. The choice of tune to'play him out' was 'Football Crazy'...with lyrics about a 'terrible football club'! Can't think of which one hi family were thinking of! Though to be fair to tonights opponents it could have been their lot from Craven Cottage, as one of his family sometimes took him there for games, though it was a poor imitation of a 'football fix' for his visits to Champion Hill!
In the evening I took the opportunity of being off work to visit Cambridge City, who were at home to a Luton Town squad side.
The other new venue I went to on Saturday just gone, was a long distance trip for me, as I saw Evesham United 'host' Worcester City, where they groundshare, while their own new stadium is being built. St. Georges Lane is a wonderful old fashioned venue, wooden stand down one side, & plenty of terracing. In the not too distant future to be flattened for housing. Progress they call it.
At least I've recorded it for posterity. And it will soon be featuring on my grounds photoblog at http://www.hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/ I would like to tell you more about these soon to be gone grounds, but time prevents me, as I'm way past my deadline for our 'pre-season' editor Griff!
Maybe one day he'll do a feature on some of the grounds he goes to on his foreign soujourns...though he does prefer to watch them on the telly in his hotel room! Not for me...I can't go anywhere without getting to a match of some sort!
Mishi D. Morath
Sadly, from this perspective, our pre-seasons, aren't the most exciting, & whilst I can't speak for my fellow supporters, I'd say it's a fair bet that a number of us would prefer a trip away to a coastal side that we don't usually have the opportunity to play, rather than local venues like Thamesmead Town or Erith Town, that hardly inspire. (Though having said that, we hadn't played at Erith Town before, I just so happened to have been a match there last season, when we had a postponement & I saw out tenants Fisher lose there 4-2).
Sods law the FA Cup draw this season is tantalisingly teasing, which is most annoying, as-if I were the hand clasping type-I'd be praying for a Tunbridge Wells victory. Strange really, as I've been there on a number of occasions, the most recent being just over a fortnight ago, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, when they lost by the odd goal in three to Kent County League neighbours Rusthall, in the local newspaper sponsored charity George Piper Courier Cup. The other 'either/or' potential opposition for us is Mile Oak, who have just been relegated to the Sussex County League second division, & who are the 'underdogs' for the extra-preliminary round clash. Now usually I would want them to come out on top, as I have not been there, & even though it is my Saturday 'on' at work ( I work alternate Saturdays, which is why you don't always spot me behind the goal) & I took the 'gamble' of booking that day off out of my annual leave allocation, but that was then scuppered by receiving an invite to wedding of exiled Dulwich supporter Alex Bushell, now based in Canada! No, I'm not going to the actual wedding, which is on Saturday 21st, over the pond; but the following week am one of the guests at the 'blessing' at St. Stephens, West Dulwich, followed by the reception for all his English family & friends who could not cross the Atlantic. So, somewhat selfishly, if I can't 'tick off' Mile Oak as a 'new ground' I don't want anyone else to!
Nowadays pre-seasons, as I've already mentioned, aren't as exciting as they could be. And they also start earlier & earlier, with a lot less meaning & commitment to them. By that I mean some have turned into glorified training sessions with so many substitutions & triallists thatbyou don't really know who, or wha, you are watching, even though you recognise the Pink 'n' Blue shirts. Fortunately this season there has been a bit of stability player wise, under Gavin Rose. And also, in the games I've seen so far, there has been none of this 'game of three halves nonsense', though I have seen entire teams changed at half time, & the multiple substitutions toward the end, which make games peter out, but are a 'neccessary evil' of pre-seasons, as managers can afford the luxury of various permutations, without worrying about the loss of valuable league points or impending cup glory. most of the matches I've seen thus far, & tonight against Fulham will be my sixteenth match of the current campaign, have been watchable enough, the only 'dross' was a Sunday match at Winchester City, versus Kingstonian, in the sun, but made worthwhile chatting to old K's fans I know, & an excellent club shop.
Winchester is one of a-by my standards-extremely prolific pre-season, for squeezing in grounds I've not been to before. Now for my own clarifcation I take the start of the season to be the old UEFA benchmark of the first of July as accepted date for the commencing of a campaign. For 2010/11 I moved that back, to Sunday 20th July, when I was fortunate enough, thanks to the 'detective work' of our Belgian supporter Nicolas Lucas, who unearthed a match at Belgian fourth division level side KFC Katelijne, who were hosting their local top flight neighbours KV Mechelen, from that nearby city.
One thing countries like Belgium are good at, neighbouring ones like Germany, are their footballing 'social responsibility' to smaller non-league clubs, who are still the lifeblood of football in any country. And while I'm obviously pleased that we are hosting both Fulham & Crystal Palace XI's this summer, they are a rarity, rather than the a common occurance. There are enough professional Football League & Premiership organisations in the capital, that no local lower level side should be without a prestige visit from one or two of them each July or August.
The game itself had a healthy crowd, of around eight hundred or so, at my 'guestimate', the majority of them from the visitors, with a noticable absence from the Mechelen fans who were at the UR Namur fans tournament where the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team have competed in & played against them, the previous day. A good day out, but marred a little by also being a bit of a 'hooligan fest/love in' with a fight before it had all even got underway, with Mechelen, ably supported by Antwerp, ensuring that the FC Bruges fans' left a bit sharpish & took no part! Certainly the strangest 'supporters tournament' I've ever been at! Though that was clear as soon as we arrived with the amount of Stone Island & Burberry on display. I did like, and buy one of the 'moody' Stone Island Namur Elite scarves mind.
Back in England,as well as the aforementioned Winchester, I've been to two grounds which are due to disappear, in the not too distant future, hence my raison d'etre for visiting. Bavk on the 20th of last month I had the day off work, sadly to attend the funeral of a decent old Hamlet fan Bill Andrews. Which put a smile on my face, as I don't think I've come out of a service happier than that lunchtime. The choice of tune to'play him out' was 'Football Crazy'...with lyrics about a 'terrible football club'! Can't think of which one hi family were thinking of! Though to be fair to tonights opponents it could have been their lot from Craven Cottage, as one of his family sometimes took him there for games, though it was a poor imitation of a 'football fix' for his visits to Champion Hill!
In the evening I took the opportunity of being off work to visit Cambridge City, who were at home to a Luton Town squad side.
The other new venue I went to on Saturday just gone, was a long distance trip for me, as I saw Evesham United 'host' Worcester City, where they groundshare, while their own new stadium is being built. St. Georges Lane is a wonderful old fashioned venue, wooden stand down one side, & plenty of terracing. In the not too distant future to be flattened for housing. Progress they call it.
At least I've recorded it for posterity. And it will soon be featuring on my grounds photoblog at http://www.hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/ I would like to tell you more about these soon to be gone grounds, but time prevents me, as I'm way past my deadline for our 'pre-season' editor Griff!
Maybe one day he'll do a feature on some of the grounds he goes to on his foreign soujourns...though he does prefer to watch them on the telly in his hotel room! Not for me...I can't go anywhere without getting to a match of some sort!
Mishi D. Morath
Monday, 26 July 2010
Ten years on....
Ten years on what? Surely you need to be on something to be a Hamlet fan!
Well Paul Griffin asked for contributions for the pre-season programmes, & who am I to turn down my moment for 'fifteen minutes of fame'? The bonus for you lot reading this is that although it may be a total load of twaddle, you won't need to swallow the Oxford Concise Dictionary to be able to work out what it's all about. That's the advantage of a Peckham comprehensive education, with only one English Language 'O' Level to my name; rather than the editor's somewhat more privileged elitist public schooldays down in distant Truro.
They say a week can be a long time in politics, well that is nothing compared to the fact that we are now entering our tenth year at our current level, since our last relegation,back in 2001. Hand on heart, is there anyone who believed we would be stuck in Division One for a whole decade? Certainly not me. Our first relegation was back in 1977 & we bounced straight back up as champions, with Alan Smith at the helm.
Down again in 1990, this time it took two campaigns to regain our spot in the top division . For those of us of a certain age, as it was quite a few years ago now, who can possibly forget that mad last game of the season at Hitchin Town, when John Egan scored in the third minute, to claim the last promotion place, on the back of a seven match winning run? Nowadays of course that would only have been enough to clinch us a spot in the play-offs. So when we succumbed once more in 2001, silly, superstitious me reckoned it would take us three years to regain our 'rightful' spot in the Premier Division of the Isthmian League. It's the sequence...one year..two years..& then three years. How wrong I was!
As we all know it hasn't quite worked out like that, & although our bitter rivals Tooting & Mitcham United are a division above us, we can take a crumb of comfort from the fact that when they were relegated at the end of the 1988/89 season it them EIGHTEEN YEARS to earn back their Premier Division position-dropping down even further & having to enter the FA Vase, not being good enough for the Trophy!
All this ten years lark got me thinking. Have we stagnated? Are we a failure? Or should we proud of living within our means & accept we are at the right level for us? To consider this I thought it would be interesting to see where the Premier Division "class of 2000/01'" are now as we get ready to move onto the next decade of the 21st century...
Champions were Farnborough Town. Back then there was no Conference North & South, so the three feeder league champions went direct into the (only) national Conference division. They stayed there until 2005, when they dropped into the South Division. There they stayed for two seasons, & then folded, having totally overstretched themselves financially. They re-formed, technically as a new club, Farnborough FC, but to all intents & purposes, the same club. They started again as a 'new entity' two levels down the pyramid, in the Southern League Division One South & West, & last season won clinched the Southern League Premier Division championship, to get back into the Connie South, where the Town club disappeared from. All above board, but from where I'm sitting it stinks of 'boom & bust' football, where you can then go bust, & back to 'boom' without settling with your creditors. There are strong rumours of more financial problems down in that part of Hampshire...watch this space, as they say.
Tho other Hampshire sides back in our division a decade ago, who finished third & fourth, are both at a higher level now. One more so than the other. Aldershot Town, were always 'just passing through' non-league football, having started out in Isthmian Three back in 1992, & they won the Isthmian League in 2003, taking another five years to win promotion to the Football League. By contrast Basingstoke Town seem to have settled in the South Division of the Conference, which they have been members of since it was inaugriated in 2004/05. They just missed out on 'making the cut', but took advantage of Hendon being the only club to take the financially astute & brave decision of taking their spot in the new set up.
Hendon themselves have had a torrid time in the last decade. In 2006 they were saved the igmony of relegation by having a better points ratio than other demoted outfits in the pyramid, due to other clubs collapsing & merging. Worse was to come when they were forced out of their Claremont Road home in September 2008, & currently groundshare at the Vale Farm home of Wembley FC. Still one rung above us, their future must still be classed as uncertain.
Another of our old opponents Grays Athletic have 'reached for the sky', lifted the FA Trophy, & almost attained the giddy heights of the Football League, losing in the semi final of the play-offs to Halifax town, in 2006. From such heights, they haven't gone out of existence a la Farnborough, (& Halifax, now you mention it), but continue, having had the money men disappear, being bottom of the Blue Square National last season, then declining a spot in the South division. This was as a result of losing their ground, & after all the summer shenanagins will be desperately trying to stay afloat in the Ryman One north this season, at East Thurrock United.
Other clubs to have tasted top flight non-league football over the last ten years from our rivals back then are Gravesend & Northfleet, who changed their name to Ebbsfleet United, & gone through their bizarre internet fan ownership scheme, with the wheels slowly starting to fall off, having got relegated to Conference South last season. I wish them well, not for the way they conduct themselves with the ludicrous MyFootballClub scheme, & the prostitution of ther historical name, but simply because they have a wonderful old ground!
Another side who grabbed out for the 'holy grail' of the Conference, and overstretched once they got there, are Canvey Island, who spent two years up there, before the moneybelts were tightened, & they asked for voluntary demotion to Ryman One North, where they have since re-organised themselves, & are back in the Premier. At the weekend they successfully staged a pre-season prestige match with the Dutch champions F.C. Twente!
The last side to move up to the top on the semi-pro pyramid were St. Albans City. A lone miserable season travelling the length & breadth of the land in 2006/07, before returning back to the South division, where they seem to have settled. It is the Conference South where I, personally, believe we could & should be able to survive & flourish in at our 'natural' level, if we were a club run to our full potential. Other sides who we broke bread with a decade ago who are comfortably settled in that manufactured second rung are Hampton & Richmond Borough; Purfleet (who successfully 'rebranded' themselves as Thurrock FC in 2003); & Maidenhead United.
Sutton United have also been up there with them, but were relegated back to the Isthmian in 2008. Last season they finished runners-up, but lost in the play-offs, & are the bookies favourites for the title this term.
Some of our other old opposition are now ensconced in the Zamaretto League, or the Southern League in 'old money' due to the geographical reorganisations. Two former 'traditional' Isthmian clubs now plying their trade on the 'dark side' are Chesham United & Hitchin Town. Which is a great shame from a fans' point of view, & both were regular opponents & good friends of our Supporters' Team!
Heybridge Swifts remained in the Premier Division, until relegation to Ryman One North in 2009. Three years prior to that they finished runners-up to champions Braintree Town, only to lose in the play-offs to another side who lived way beyond their means in the cloud cuckoo land of 'boom & bust' football, that were our tenants Fisher Athletic.
Some sides I've not mentioned yet have had huge contrasting fortunes. Croydon being one. Plummeting ever since their former supremo Ken Jarvie stood down, having improperly part-funded the club with money diverted from the nearby golf driving range, which he ran for the local council. 'Dirveting money' seems to be a recurring theme with clubs named Croydon! The original ones, The Trams, were relegated the following year, and continued on a downward spiral. They currently reside in the Combined Counties League, having also had a few years in the Kent League, before switching across.
The fate of Enfield has been the most dramatic, without a doubt. From being the strongest non-league club in the country in the eighties the last couple of decades have seen them lose their traditional Southbury Road home; the main bulk of supporters' breakaway to form their own club, Enfield Town FC, & the remainder of the club continue to struggle along, homeless, at a number of grounds, before collapsing in 2007, re-forming as Enfield(1983) FC. Currently languishing in the Essex Senior League, most football fans see the Town side as the genuine heirs to the ghosts from Southbury Road.
The other two relegated clubs a decade ago who went down with us were Carshalton Athletic & Slough Town. The Robins were Division One South champions in 2003, & went on to Conference South, when it was formed, but were relegated after only two seasons, & have been in the Isthmian Premier since. Wheras the Rebels have been another club to lose their ground, currently sharing at Beaconsfield SYCOB. They were forced out of their Wexham Park home, which is stilly lying unused & derelict, in 2003. To their credit they have a loyal support base, & are still strongly lobbying their local council to return to their home town. Slough regained their Premier status in 2004, only to let it slip again in 2007 They were then switched over to the Southern League, where they now compete in the newly name Division One Central division.
The remaining clubs have moved neither up nor down, some flirting with promotion via play-off heartbreak. Others saved the ignomy of relegation by reprieves. Hendon we have already mentioned. The other 'stagnant' teams being Billericay Town & Harrow Borough.
So there you have it. And the purpose of this article? I'm not entirely sure. A trip down memory lane, recalling old friends, as well as foes, perhaps? But maybe an opportunity to pause for thought, & realise that although things could be better, they could also be a lot worse. We may be entering our tenth season outside the Premier, things could be a lot worse. We have never plummeted down into the feeder leagues, gone bankrupt, or lost our ground, even if we have come close on some of them perhaps, depending on which rumours you've listened to over the years.
Perhaps this coming season will be the turning point. The Club has shown faith in us, the fans, by reducing admission prices. If we return that by getting behind the team in full voice, & all try to bring along another punter or two through the turnstiles for a few games...who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we could be back in the Premier Division this time next year!
(Article by Mishi D. Morath)
Well Paul Griffin asked for contributions for the pre-season programmes, & who am I to turn down my moment for 'fifteen minutes of fame'? The bonus for you lot reading this is that although it may be a total load of twaddle, you won't need to swallow the Oxford Concise Dictionary to be able to work out what it's all about. That's the advantage of a Peckham comprehensive education, with only one English Language 'O' Level to my name; rather than the editor's somewhat more privileged elitist public schooldays down in distant Truro.
They say a week can be a long time in politics, well that is nothing compared to the fact that we are now entering our tenth year at our current level, since our last relegation,back in 2001. Hand on heart, is there anyone who believed we would be stuck in Division One for a whole decade? Certainly not me. Our first relegation was back in 1977 & we bounced straight back up as champions, with Alan Smith at the helm.
Down again in 1990, this time it took two campaigns to regain our spot in the top division . For those of us of a certain age, as it was quite a few years ago now, who can possibly forget that mad last game of the season at Hitchin Town, when John Egan scored in the third minute, to claim the last promotion place, on the back of a seven match winning run? Nowadays of course that would only have been enough to clinch us a spot in the play-offs. So when we succumbed once more in 2001, silly, superstitious me reckoned it would take us three years to regain our 'rightful' spot in the Premier Division of the Isthmian League. It's the sequence...one year..two years..& then three years. How wrong I was!
As we all know it hasn't quite worked out like that, & although our bitter rivals Tooting & Mitcham United are a division above us, we can take a crumb of comfort from the fact that when they were relegated at the end of the 1988/89 season it them EIGHTEEN YEARS to earn back their Premier Division position-dropping down even further & having to enter the FA Vase, not being good enough for the Trophy!
All this ten years lark got me thinking. Have we stagnated? Are we a failure? Or should we proud of living within our means & accept we are at the right level for us? To consider this I thought it would be interesting to see where the Premier Division "class of 2000/01'" are now as we get ready to move onto the next decade of the 21st century...
Champions were Farnborough Town. Back then there was no Conference North & South, so the three feeder league champions went direct into the (only) national Conference division. They stayed there until 2005, when they dropped into the South Division. There they stayed for two seasons, & then folded, having totally overstretched themselves financially. They re-formed, technically as a new club, Farnborough FC, but to all intents & purposes, the same club. They started again as a 'new entity' two levels down the pyramid, in the Southern League Division One South & West, & last season won clinched the Southern League Premier Division championship, to get back into the Connie South, where the Town club disappeared from. All above board, but from where I'm sitting it stinks of 'boom & bust' football, where you can then go bust, & back to 'boom' without settling with your creditors. There are strong rumours of more financial problems down in that part of Hampshire...watch this space, as they say.
Tho other Hampshire sides back in our division a decade ago, who finished third & fourth, are both at a higher level now. One more so than the other. Aldershot Town, were always 'just passing through' non-league football, having started out in Isthmian Three back in 1992, & they won the Isthmian League in 2003, taking another five years to win promotion to the Football League. By contrast Basingstoke Town seem to have settled in the South Division of the Conference, which they have been members of since it was inaugriated in 2004/05. They just missed out on 'making the cut', but took advantage of Hendon being the only club to take the financially astute & brave decision of taking their spot in the new set up.
Hendon themselves have had a torrid time in the last decade. In 2006 they were saved the igmony of relegation by having a better points ratio than other demoted outfits in the pyramid, due to other clubs collapsing & merging. Worse was to come when they were forced out of their Claremont Road home in September 2008, & currently groundshare at the Vale Farm home of Wembley FC. Still one rung above us, their future must still be classed as uncertain.
Another of our old opponents Grays Athletic have 'reached for the sky', lifted the FA Trophy, & almost attained the giddy heights of the Football League, losing in the semi final of the play-offs to Halifax town, in 2006. From such heights, they haven't gone out of existence a la Farnborough, (& Halifax, now you mention it), but continue, having had the money men disappear, being bottom of the Blue Square National last season, then declining a spot in the South division. This was as a result of losing their ground, & after all the summer shenanagins will be desperately trying to stay afloat in the Ryman One north this season, at East Thurrock United.
Other clubs to have tasted top flight non-league football over the last ten years from our rivals back then are Gravesend & Northfleet, who changed their name to Ebbsfleet United, & gone through their bizarre internet fan ownership scheme, with the wheels slowly starting to fall off, having got relegated to Conference South last season. I wish them well, not for the way they conduct themselves with the ludicrous MyFootballClub scheme, & the prostitution of ther historical name, but simply because they have a wonderful old ground!
Another side who grabbed out for the 'holy grail' of the Conference, and overstretched once they got there, are Canvey Island, who spent two years up there, before the moneybelts were tightened, & they asked for voluntary demotion to Ryman One North, where they have since re-organised themselves, & are back in the Premier. At the weekend they successfully staged a pre-season prestige match with the Dutch champions F.C. Twente!
The last side to move up to the top on the semi-pro pyramid were St. Albans City. A lone miserable season travelling the length & breadth of the land in 2006/07, before returning back to the South division, where they seem to have settled. It is the Conference South where I, personally, believe we could & should be able to survive & flourish in at our 'natural' level, if we were a club run to our full potential. Other sides who we broke bread with a decade ago who are comfortably settled in that manufactured second rung are Hampton & Richmond Borough; Purfleet (who successfully 'rebranded' themselves as Thurrock FC in 2003); & Maidenhead United.
Sutton United have also been up there with them, but were relegated back to the Isthmian in 2008. Last season they finished runners-up, but lost in the play-offs, & are the bookies favourites for the title this term.
Some of our other old opposition are now ensconced in the Zamaretto League, or the Southern League in 'old money' due to the geographical reorganisations. Two former 'traditional' Isthmian clubs now plying their trade on the 'dark side' are Chesham United & Hitchin Town. Which is a great shame from a fans' point of view, & both were regular opponents & good friends of our Supporters' Team!
Heybridge Swifts remained in the Premier Division, until relegation to Ryman One North in 2009. Three years prior to that they finished runners-up to champions Braintree Town, only to lose in the play-offs to another side who lived way beyond their means in the cloud cuckoo land of 'boom & bust' football, that were our tenants Fisher Athletic.
Some sides I've not mentioned yet have had huge contrasting fortunes. Croydon being one. Plummeting ever since their former supremo Ken Jarvie stood down, having improperly part-funded the club with money diverted from the nearby golf driving range, which he ran for the local council. 'Dirveting money' seems to be a recurring theme with clubs named Croydon! The original ones, The Trams, were relegated the following year, and continued on a downward spiral. They currently reside in the Combined Counties League, having also had a few years in the Kent League, before switching across.
The fate of Enfield has been the most dramatic, without a doubt. From being the strongest non-league club in the country in the eighties the last couple of decades have seen them lose their traditional Southbury Road home; the main bulk of supporters' breakaway to form their own club, Enfield Town FC, & the remainder of the club continue to struggle along, homeless, at a number of grounds, before collapsing in 2007, re-forming as Enfield(1983) FC. Currently languishing in the Essex Senior League, most football fans see the Town side as the genuine heirs to the ghosts from Southbury Road.
The other two relegated clubs a decade ago who went down with us were Carshalton Athletic & Slough Town. The Robins were Division One South champions in 2003, & went on to Conference South, when it was formed, but were relegated after only two seasons, & have been in the Isthmian Premier since. Wheras the Rebels have been another club to lose their ground, currently sharing at Beaconsfield SYCOB. They were forced out of their Wexham Park home, which is stilly lying unused & derelict, in 2003. To their credit they have a loyal support base, & are still strongly lobbying their local council to return to their home town. Slough regained their Premier status in 2004, only to let it slip again in 2007 They were then switched over to the Southern League, where they now compete in the newly name Division One Central division.
The remaining clubs have moved neither up nor down, some flirting with promotion via play-off heartbreak. Others saved the ignomy of relegation by reprieves. Hendon we have already mentioned. The other 'stagnant' teams being Billericay Town & Harrow Borough.
So there you have it. And the purpose of this article? I'm not entirely sure. A trip down memory lane, recalling old friends, as well as foes, perhaps? But maybe an opportunity to pause for thought, & realise that although things could be better, they could also be a lot worse. We may be entering our tenth season outside the Premier, things could be a lot worse. We have never plummeted down into the feeder leagues, gone bankrupt, or lost our ground, even if we have come close on some of them perhaps, depending on which rumours you've listened to over the years.
Perhaps this coming season will be the turning point. The Club has shown faith in us, the fans, by reducing admission prices. If we return that by getting behind the team in full voice, & all try to bring along another punter or two through the turnstiles for a few games...who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we could be back in the Premier Division this time next year!
(Article by Mishi D. Morath)
Monday, 3 May 2010
Southwark Blue Plaques-who am I?
1. The finest ever cricketer to come from Southwark, born in Rotherhithe, known as The Guvnor, played at the highest level for Surrey & England.
Bobby Abel.
2. Born in Walworth, he is known as the 'Father of Computing', his Analytical Engine of 1856 is recognised as the foundation of today's computers.
Charles Babbage.
3. Writer, journalist & social reformer. His first succesful novel was the Pickwick Papers.
Charles Dickens.
4. Famed for her childrens' books, including Little Noddy.
Enid Blyton.
5. His real name is Maurice Micklewhite...not a lot of people know that!
Michael Caine.
6. A famous American actor & director, who was the driving force & inspiration behind the current Globe Theatre, on the South Bank of the Thames.
Sam Wanamaker.
7. A local singer, who topped the charts in the fifties, & later went on to star in hit musicals such as Half A Sixpence & Finian's Rainbow in the sixties.
Tommy Steele.
8. A famous actor of the silent era, whose best loved character was 'The Tramp'.
Charlie Chaplin.
9. This woman created the London A to Z, walking over 3,000 miles in the process.
Phyllis Persall.
10. A policeman who was based at Carter Street, who wrote a number of books about his career, after he retired, who also had a column in the 'South London Press'.
Harry Cole.
11. This woman was a social housing reformer, & also founder of the National Trust.
Octavia Hill.
12. A war time forces favourite, born in Camberwell. She also sang with Glenn Miller & Bing Crosby.
Anne Shelton.
13. This man was the principal benefactor of an American university bearing his name, & also has a Southwark Library named after him.
John Harvard.
14. This man came to England on the Empire Windrush from Jamaica in 1948, having served in the RAF during the war. He became the first black mayor of Southwark in 1983.
Sam King.
15. A playright & essayist in eighteenth century Britain, who has a primary school in Peckham named after him.
Oliver Goldsmith.
Bobby Abel.
2. Born in Walworth, he is known as the 'Father of Computing', his Analytical Engine of 1856 is recognised as the foundation of today's computers.
Charles Babbage.
3. Writer, journalist & social reformer. His first succesful novel was the Pickwick Papers.
Charles Dickens.
4. Famed for her childrens' books, including Little Noddy.
Enid Blyton.
5. His real name is Maurice Micklewhite...not a lot of people know that!
Michael Caine.
6. A famous American actor & director, who was the driving force & inspiration behind the current Globe Theatre, on the South Bank of the Thames.
Sam Wanamaker.
7. A local singer, who topped the charts in the fifties, & later went on to star in hit musicals such as Half A Sixpence & Finian's Rainbow in the sixties.
Tommy Steele.
8. A famous actor of the silent era, whose best loved character was 'The Tramp'.
Charlie Chaplin.
9. This woman created the London A to Z, walking over 3,000 miles in the process.
Phyllis Persall.
10. A policeman who was based at Carter Street, who wrote a number of books about his career, after he retired, who also had a column in the 'South London Press'.
Harry Cole.
11. This woman was a social housing reformer, & also founder of the National Trust.
Octavia Hill.
12. A war time forces favourite, born in Camberwell. She also sang with Glenn Miller & Bing Crosby.
Anne Shelton.
13. This man was the principal benefactor of an American university bearing his name, & also has a Southwark Library named after him.
John Harvard.
14. This man came to England on the Empire Windrush from Jamaica in 1948, having served in the RAF during the war. He became the first black mayor of Southwark in 1983.
Sam King.
15. A playright & essayist in eighteenth century Britain, who has a primary school in Peckham named after him.
Oliver Goldsmith.
London
1. Name the three road bridges between Tower & Waterloo bridges.
Blackfriars; Southwark; London (3)
2. In which park is Queen Mary's Rose Garden?
Regents Park. (1)
3. Which London Borough stetches furthest south?
Croydon. (1)
4. Which is the only tube station to share the same name with one on the Paris Metro?
Temple. (1)
5. Two famous explorers have statues at the Royal Geographical Society, at Kensington. Who are they?
David Livingstone; Ernest Shackleton. (2)
6. Which archictect designed City Hall, home of the Greater London Authority & the Mayor of London?
Norman Foster. (1)
7. Which London football ground shares its name with a village in Yorkshire, the site of a famous battle in 1066 between the English Army & an invading Norwegian force?
Stamford Bridge. (1)
8. From what does Fleet Street get its name?
The River Fleet. (1)
9. On which different underground lines will you find Greenford; Upney; & Southgate?
Central; District; Picadilly. (3)
10. What is the London connection with Lake Havasu City, Arizona?
It is the where the old London Bridge was re-built in 1971. (1)
Blackfriars; Southwark; London (3)
2. In which park is Queen Mary's Rose Garden?
Regents Park. (1)
3. Which London Borough stetches furthest south?
Croydon. (1)
4. Which is the only tube station to share the same name with one on the Paris Metro?
Temple. (1)
5. Two famous explorers have statues at the Royal Geographical Society, at Kensington. Who are they?
David Livingstone; Ernest Shackleton. (2)
6. Which archictect designed City Hall, home of the Greater London Authority & the Mayor of London?
Norman Foster. (1)
7. Which London football ground shares its name with a village in Yorkshire, the site of a famous battle in 1066 between the English Army & an invading Norwegian force?
Stamford Bridge. (1)
8. From what does Fleet Street get its name?
The River Fleet. (1)
9. On which different underground lines will you find Greenford; Upney; & Southgate?
Central; District; Picadilly. (3)
10. What is the London connection with Lake Havasu City, Arizona?
It is the where the old London Bridge was re-built in 1971. (1)
Sport
1. Who were the mother & daughter who won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971 & 2006?
Princess Anne; Zara Phillips. (2)
2. Virginia Wade was the last British lady to win at Wimbledon, in 1977. Which Dutchwoman did she beat in the final?
Betty Stove. (1)
3. In 1956 the Queen Mother almost won the Grand National, but her horse suddenly collapsed less than fifty yards from the finish line. Can you name the horse & jockey?
Devon Loch; Dick Francis. (2)
4. In 1954 Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4 minute mile barrier, running 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. At which Oxford racetrack was this at?
Iffley Road. (1)
5. In which North American sport is the Stanley Cup competed for?
Ice hockey. (1)
6. This season the European Champions' League Cup Final is between Bayern Munich & Inter Milan. Last year which Spanish side beat which English club in the final?
Barcelona; Manchester United. (2)
7. England have won the last two home series of 'The Ashes' in cricket, against Australia. And what ground did they clinch their victories both times in the fifth & final test?
The Oval. (1)
8. Two sporting venues in the London Borough of Southwark were used as venues in the 1948 Summer Olympic games. Can you name them?
Champion Hill, Dulwich Hamlet FC; Herne Hill. (2)
9. The 1953 FA Cup Final is known as the Matthews Final, after the famous footballer Stanley Matthews, who was on the winning side against Bolton Wanderers, in a 4-3 thriller against Bolton Wanderers. Who did he play for, & which other famous footballing Stanley got a hat trick for his side?
Blackpool; Stan Mortensen. (2)
10. England famously won the World Cup in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2; Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick. But who scored the other goal?
Martin Peters (1)
Princess Anne; Zara Phillips. (2)
2. Virginia Wade was the last British lady to win at Wimbledon, in 1977. Which Dutchwoman did she beat in the final?
Betty Stove. (1)
3. In 1956 the Queen Mother almost won the Grand National, but her horse suddenly collapsed less than fifty yards from the finish line. Can you name the horse & jockey?
Devon Loch; Dick Francis. (2)
4. In 1954 Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4 minute mile barrier, running 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. At which Oxford racetrack was this at?
Iffley Road. (1)
5. In which North American sport is the Stanley Cup competed for?
Ice hockey. (1)
6. This season the European Champions' League Cup Final is between Bayern Munich & Inter Milan. Last year which Spanish side beat which English club in the final?
Barcelona; Manchester United. (2)
7. England have won the last two home series of 'The Ashes' in cricket, against Australia. And what ground did they clinch their victories both times in the fifth & final test?
The Oval. (1)
8. Two sporting venues in the London Borough of Southwark were used as venues in the 1948 Summer Olympic games. Can you name them?
Champion Hill, Dulwich Hamlet FC; Herne Hill. (2)
9. The 1953 FA Cup Final is known as the Matthews Final, after the famous footballer Stanley Matthews, who was on the winning side against Bolton Wanderers, in a 4-3 thriller against Bolton Wanderers. Who did he play for, & which other famous footballing Stanley got a hat trick for his side?
Blackpool; Stan Mortensen. (2)
10. England famously won the World Cup in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2; Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick. But who scored the other goal?
Martin Peters (1)
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Och eye the noo!
I know a number of ideas have been floated about, & that the Saturday is really ‘sorted’ with the football events against Queens Park, but for those of you who haven’t been to Glasgow before may I suggest a few things that might interest you...
The one thing I can't promise is good weather! But we're fortunate in that Hampden Park is unlikely to be off, being such a fine venue, and Lesser Hampden, where we play, is an all-weather surface. To check in advance. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/6 )
I can't pretend to be an 'expert' on Glasgow, as I've only ever been there twice, back in 1999 for a pre-season match between Celtic & Leeds United, with my brother & Phil Doyle. And last June, which is where I met Iain from Queens Park supporters', being part of the tour party with the PSG Belgium Supporters' Team, who played in their six-a-side tournament. This year it is on the last Saturday in May, which is the Bank Holiday weekend, & it would be brilliant if we could raise a side for it, either for the main competition or the veterans one. Or both! I'm sure, once you've all experienced the Glasgow hospitality you'll want to come back. I certainly did, which is why I put Mick in touch with Queens Park!
On the Friday, during the day, I know Mick has arranged to visit both Celtic & Rangers, for their stadium tours.
I went on both of these last year, and they are well worth the money, with Rangers being the more impressive. And I say that as someone who has always preferred the hoops!
Celtic: http://www.celticfc.net/home/about/visitorCentre.aspx
& from my trip last year (look away if you don't want my 'spoiler'): http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/07/celtic.html
Rangers: http://www.rangers.co.uk/staticFiles/72/11/0,,5~4466,00.pdf
& my trip: http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/07/rangers.html
On Saturday, at noon, we are all meeting up prior to the main game, at Hampden Park, to visit the Scottish Football Museum. I simply cannot reccomend this enough. It is excellent!
Museum: http://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/
My trip: http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/queens-park-hampden-park.html
Queens Park: http://www.queensparkfc.co.uk/
Queens Park Supporters Team: http://queensparksupportersfc.webs.com/
& Lesser Hampden, where we play our game:
http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/queens-park-lesser-hampden.html
I think Saturday will be taken up by football all day, plus the evening socialising. But, if up early enough, there is a chance to see the sights, or even take in another game!
There are a couple of local amateur leagues that play Saturday mornings.
They are the Glasgow Saturday Morning League. ( http://www.gdsml.co.uk/ )
And the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League: ( http://www.sportfocus.com/webpro/ssmfl/index.cfm )
I have no idea of the standard, but I would guess around Kent County or Middlesex County League levels.
For other sporting venues may I also suggest for greyhound racing on Friday night, if you don't fancy getting too mashed at the team piss up, which is at The State Bar, from 7.00pm. ( http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/17/17541/State_Bar/Glasgow )
The dog racing is at Shawfield, the old home of Clyde FC. ( http://www.shawfieldgreyhounds.com/ )
And two unusual venues to look at are the West of Scotland Cricket Club, venue for the first ever Scotland v. England international ( http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/west-of-scotland-cc-glasgow.html )
& Caithkin Park, not far from the current Hampden Park, it was actually Hampden Park the second, & former home of Third Lanark FC , who disappeared in 1967. My snaps from last year are her, but if you are already planning to go I would suggest you don't look at them, so the surprise isn't spoilt.( http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/third-lanark-athletic.html )
If you don't fancy the Friday stadium tours, or have time to look around on the Sunday, before going home, I will suggest a few places.
But before I do this site will tell you all you need to know about tourism in Glasgow: http://www.seeglasgow.com/
And use this one for transport details, which should include detals for one day travelcards, & the like: http://www.spt.co.uk/
Anyway, in no particular order here are some places you should consider...
Museum wise there are some excellent ones.
For a real history of Glasgow then the People's Palace museum ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=9 ) is a must. This sits in the pleasant & historic Glasgow Green Park. ( http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/glasgowgreen.htm )
If you like churches then Glasgow Cathedral ( http://www.glasgowcathedral.org.uk/ ) is one to see. Next to this is the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art. ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=13 )
And by those are the Glasgow Necropolis,( http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/ ) probably one of the finest museums in the whole of Britain, simply for it's magnificent hilltop location. But more importantly, as you walk up the slight hill to the Catherdral from the centre, a small railway station on the right, continue ahead, & on the left is a parade of shops. One of them is a chip shop that does the 'holy grail' of junk food...the deep fried mars bar! I found it last year, & they are delicious! I thoroughly reccomend you try them & combine it with a walk to the Necropolis, to enjoy the panorama over the city.
Another religious building worth seeing is the St Vincent Street Free Church of Scotland, ( http://www.greekthomsonchurch.com/ ) which has been described as 'one of Scotland's finest temples to God'
Shopping wise there are the main streets in the centre of town, but if you like rummaging then there is The Barras market, ( http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/market/barras.htm ) on both Saturday & Sunday, which is reputed to be one of the biggest markets in Europe!
In the centre George Square is worth a look, statues & monuments there, as well as the Glasgow Tourist Office. Adjacent is the Queen Street Railway Station, the oldest station in Glasgow, of from where you will get the train toward Hampden Park on the Saturday.
Not far from here is the Gallery of Modern Art, ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=3 ) not to everyone's taste, but if you like this sort of stuff it's well worth a visit.
If you like libraries, as I do working in one, the Mitchell Library ( http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/ ) is one to dip into, and it actually has the largest reference library in Europe.
For Ian there is the Glasgow Police Museum ( http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/ )
If you like 'oldie worldy' slum type dwellings then you could do a lot worse than go to the Tenement House (http://www.gnws.co.uk/glasgow/galleries/tenementhouse.htm )
I'm not 100% sure, but the biggest museum in the city is probably the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=4 ) It really has a bit of everything, and you will need a at least a couple of hours just to whizz round all of it! Across the road from here is Kelvin Hall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin_Hall#External_links ), a famous sport venue, with the latter part of it round the back housing the Scottish Transport Museum ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/visiting_us.cfm?venueid=7 )
I haven't looked around the university area of the city, but here there is another attraction, the Hunterian Museum; & the Hunterian Gallery, ( http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/ ) which includes the Mackintosh House. ( http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/collections/art_gallery/mac_house/machouse_index.shtml )
There's also a small regimental museum, which may catch Hutty's eye. ( http://rhf.org.uk/rhf/ )
There are plenty of pubs in Glasgow, as you have probably guessed from the city that brought you Rab C. Nesbitt! ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/rabcnesbitt/ ) I'm not going to list them, except to mention 'The Horseshoe' ( http://www.horseshoebar.co.uk/ ) as it's reputed to have the longest bar in Britain! You don't need to guess what shape it is from the name! It does get croweded in here, but it is worth stopping ofr one or two if you haven't been there before. The only other 'advice' I have is take care if you're out & about on the Friday & Saturday night. While the majority of Jocks are ok, especially the Queens Park lot who really are diamond geezers, there will always be a few who will want to have a pop at you in front of their mates just because you're English, so be aware if around the Sauchiehall Street area. For decent pubs check out the local CAMRA branch ( http://www.glasgowcamra.org.uk/ )
There is plenty more to see & do in Glasgow,but I think I've listed more than enough to give you a 'flavour' for the weekend. Hopefully enough of a flavour so that we can return in May for the six-a-side tournament!
See you all up in Glasgow!
Mishi
The one thing I can't promise is good weather! But we're fortunate in that Hampden Park is unlikely to be off, being such a fine venue, and Lesser Hampden, where we play, is an all-weather surface. To check in advance. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/6 )
I can't pretend to be an 'expert' on Glasgow, as I've only ever been there twice, back in 1999 for a pre-season match between Celtic & Leeds United, with my brother & Phil Doyle. And last June, which is where I met Iain from Queens Park supporters', being part of the tour party with the PSG Belgium Supporters' Team, who played in their six-a-side tournament. This year it is on the last Saturday in May, which is the Bank Holiday weekend, & it would be brilliant if we could raise a side for it, either for the main competition or the veterans one. Or both! I'm sure, once you've all experienced the Glasgow hospitality you'll want to come back. I certainly did, which is why I put Mick in touch with Queens Park!
On the Friday, during the day, I know Mick has arranged to visit both Celtic & Rangers, for their stadium tours.
I went on both of these last year, and they are well worth the money, with Rangers being the more impressive. And I say that as someone who has always preferred the hoops!
Celtic: http://www.celticfc.net/home/about/visitorCentre.aspx
& from my trip last year (look away if you don't want my 'spoiler'): http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/07/celtic.html
Rangers: http://www.rangers.co.uk/staticFiles/72/11/0,,5~4466,00.pdf
& my trip: http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/07/rangers.html
On Saturday, at noon, we are all meeting up prior to the main game, at Hampden Park, to visit the Scottish Football Museum. I simply cannot reccomend this enough. It is excellent!
Museum: http://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/
My trip: http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/queens-park-hampden-park.html
Queens Park: http://www.queensparkfc.co.uk/
Queens Park Supporters Team: http://queensparksupportersfc.webs.com/
& Lesser Hampden, where we play our game:
http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/queens-park-lesser-hampden.html
I think Saturday will be taken up by football all day, plus the evening socialising. But, if up early enough, there is a chance to see the sights, or even take in another game!
There are a couple of local amateur leagues that play Saturday mornings.
They are the Glasgow Saturday Morning League. ( http://www.gdsml.co.uk/ )
And the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League: ( http://www.sportfocus.com/webpro/ssmfl/index.cfm )
I have no idea of the standard, but I would guess around Kent County or Middlesex County League levels.
For other sporting venues may I also suggest for greyhound racing on Friday night, if you don't fancy getting too mashed at the team piss up, which is at The State Bar, from 7.00pm. ( http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/17/17541/State_Bar/Glasgow )
The dog racing is at Shawfield, the old home of Clyde FC. ( http://www.shawfieldgreyhounds.com/ )
And two unusual venues to look at are the West of Scotland Cricket Club, venue for the first ever Scotland v. England international ( http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/west-of-scotland-cc-glasgow.html )
& Caithkin Park, not far from the current Hampden Park, it was actually Hampden Park the second, & former home of Third Lanark FC , who disappeared in 1967. My snaps from last year are her, but if you are already planning to go I would suggest you don't look at them, so the surprise isn't spoilt.( http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/2009/06/third-lanark-athletic.html )
If you don't fancy the Friday stadium tours, or have time to look around on the Sunday, before going home, I will suggest a few places.
But before I do this site will tell you all you need to know about tourism in Glasgow: http://www.seeglasgow.com/
And use this one for transport details, which should include detals for one day travelcards, & the like: http://www.spt.co.uk/
Anyway, in no particular order here are some places you should consider...
Museum wise there are some excellent ones.
For a real history of Glasgow then the People's Palace museum ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=9 ) is a must. This sits in the pleasant & historic Glasgow Green Park. ( http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/glasgowgreen.htm )
If you like churches then Glasgow Cathedral ( http://www.glasgowcathedral.org.uk/ ) is one to see. Next to this is the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art. ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=13 )
And by those are the Glasgow Necropolis,( http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/ ) probably one of the finest museums in the whole of Britain, simply for it's magnificent hilltop location. But more importantly, as you walk up the slight hill to the Catherdral from the centre, a small railway station on the right, continue ahead, & on the left is a parade of shops. One of them is a chip shop that does the 'holy grail' of junk food...the deep fried mars bar! I found it last year, & they are delicious! I thoroughly reccomend you try them & combine it with a walk to the Necropolis, to enjoy the panorama over the city.
Another religious building worth seeing is the St Vincent Street Free Church of Scotland, ( http://www.greekthomsonchurch.com/ ) which has been described as 'one of Scotland's finest temples to God'
Shopping wise there are the main streets in the centre of town, but if you like rummaging then there is The Barras market, ( http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/market/barras.htm ) on both Saturday & Sunday, which is reputed to be one of the biggest markets in Europe!
In the centre George Square is worth a look, statues & monuments there, as well as the Glasgow Tourist Office. Adjacent is the Queen Street Railway Station, the oldest station in Glasgow, of from where you will get the train toward Hampden Park on the Saturday.
Not far from here is the Gallery of Modern Art, ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=3 ) not to everyone's taste, but if you like this sort of stuff it's well worth a visit.
If you like libraries, as I do working in one, the Mitchell Library ( http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/ ) is one to dip into, and it actually has the largest reference library in Europe.
For Ian there is the Glasgow Police Museum ( http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/ )
If you like 'oldie worldy' slum type dwellings then you could do a lot worse than go to the Tenement House (http://www.gnws.co.uk/glasgow/galleries/tenementhouse.htm )
I'm not 100% sure, but the biggest museum in the city is probably the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=4 ) It really has a bit of everything, and you will need a at least a couple of hours just to whizz round all of it! Across the road from here is Kelvin Hall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin_Hall#External_links ), a famous sport venue, with the latter part of it round the back housing the Scottish Transport Museum ( http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/visiting_us.cfm?venueid=7 )
I haven't looked around the university area of the city, but here there is another attraction, the Hunterian Museum; & the Hunterian Gallery, ( http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/ ) which includes the Mackintosh House. ( http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/collections/art_gallery/mac_house/machouse_index.shtml )
There's also a small regimental museum, which may catch Hutty's eye. ( http://rhf.org.uk/rhf/ )
There are plenty of pubs in Glasgow, as you have probably guessed from the city that brought you Rab C. Nesbitt! ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/rabcnesbitt/ ) I'm not going to list them, except to mention 'The Horseshoe' ( http://www.horseshoebar.co.uk/ ) as it's reputed to have the longest bar in Britain! You don't need to guess what shape it is from the name! It does get croweded in here, but it is worth stopping ofr one or two if you haven't been there before. The only other 'advice' I have is take care if you're out & about on the Friday & Saturday night. While the majority of Jocks are ok, especially the Queens Park lot who really are diamond geezers, there will always be a few who will want to have a pop at you in front of their mates just because you're English, so be aware if around the Sauchiehall Street area. For decent pubs check out the local CAMRA branch ( http://www.glasgowcamra.org.uk/ )
There is plenty more to see & do in Glasgow,but I think I've listed more than enough to give you a 'flavour' for the weekend. Hopefully enough of a flavour so that we can return in May for the six-a-side tournament!
See you all up in Glasgow!
Mishi
Monday, 1 February 2010
Relegation 1977
They say you never forget your first time. I wish that were true. It was a long time ago...and I was only ten years old! It's not what you're thinking....I'm talking about relegation!
In the grim years of the nineteen sixties Dulwich Hamlet were invariably shoulder to shoulder with the traditionalists of Corinthian-Casuals, standing firm, or should that be stubbornly, against the mass encroachment of 'Shamateurism' that had overrun the Isthmian League. Back in those days amateur football was completely separate from the professional game & never the twain shall meet. Illegal 'boot money' was rife, but it was a case of 'out of sight, out of mind.' Everbody knew it occured, and could not be stamped out. Times were changing, and there was no will from the powers that be at the old Lancaster Gate headquarters of the Football Association, to stamp out the common practice.
In truth, for the Hamlet, after the War was over, & our last Isthmian League championship success in 1948/49, the next couple of decades were an uphill struggle, with rare 'blips' being the '55/6 campaign, when despite ourselves finishing fourteenth out of sixteen, we still managed to reach the semi final of the FA Amateur Cup. Which was the closest we ever got to playing at Wembley Stadium, after the final was switched there eight years previous. It was Corinthian-Casuals who defeated us in the penultimate round at Stamford Bridge, home of the then reigning Football League champions Chelsea, after their first ever title win in 1955. We went down by three goals to one, in front of a crowd of over 27,000; with a reputed fifty supporters' coaches making the trip across South London from Champion Hill! The following two seasons we finished third from bottom, before an unturn in 1959, when we were runners-up. A spot we have been unable to achieve again.
For a couple of years there was a bit of respectability about the boys in Pink and Blue once more, slipping to seventh the following year, but rising up to fourth the next. Then the really bad years kicked in. Down to eleventh, & then second from bottom, with only Corinthian-Casuals below us. Come May 1964 & it was once again second from bottom, Clapton propping us up this time, with the Casuals just ahead of us. The end of the '64/65 campaign was an improvement of sorts. 'Only' third off the bottom! Clapton once more, & Woking the real dross of the Isthmian that year. The ignomy & humiliation of being rock bottom for the first time in our history was suffered in the summer of 1966. With the entire country on a huge high with England going on to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy at the end of July, it was only the long suffering Hamlet fans who wore glum faces. There was no riding the crest of the wave following on from that defeat of West Germany, with another bottom spot for us in 1967.
Thankfully back then there was no relegation, & the Isthmian League only consisted of one division. Below that was the Athenian League. But an 'old pals act' kept the Hamlet on board, being voted back into the League was a mere formality. One can only wonder what might have happened if there had been automatic ups & downs between leagues, as is accepted practice nowadays, & how far we would have plummetted, or even survived!
The latter part of the sixties saw the Hamlet rise to the -by those standards- 'heady heights' of the top half of the bottom half of the league! But 'normal service' was resumed at the beginning of the seventies, with a lowly second from bottom in 1971/72; with once again who else but only Corinthian-Casuals underneath.
Clearly whatever remnants of real amateurism that was left at Champion Hill wasn't working, & a new manager was appointed in the summer of '72. Jimmy Rose came in, having been at nearby Croydon 'anything but' Amateurs, in the Athenian League, where he had achieved succesive promotions to take the Blues (now the Trams) to the Premier Division of that competition for the first time in their history. Without him at the helm the following year they struggled, finishing thirteenth out of sixteen clubs.
Rose made a number of new signings to the Club, and although we were officially still amateur, to my mind there is simply no way that experienced campaigners like Trevor Bladon, who had been an England amateur international, as was Ken Jelly; plus a host of former Croydon Amateurs in Geoff Parsons, Ray Major, Peter Gaydon, David Burke, Phil Davidson, Ken Baker & Graham Smith would have all suddenely appeared on the doorstep at Champion Hill if all they were getting in their boots was a nice comfy pair of socks! Perhaps it was the increase in admission charges that season that made all the difference...it was now 20p to enter the ground, with a higher 30p charge for the main stand. Prices halved for juniors. Not that any of that extra lolly would have officially gone into players pockets anyway, of course!
It took a while for the Rose team to gell, and it was a mere twelveth place finish, in a 22 team division, but that was still the highest league campaign for over a decade. An almost forgotten about for a generation title challenge came over the next three seasons. Not quite there, but for the first time in living memory for many supporters the Hamlet were a team that was hard to beat, with highly respectable placings of a fourth spot, followed by two fifths. As well as two Surrey Senior Cup wins.
With much of those squads still in place for the 1976/77 season it came a shock to most when the Hamlet struggled, after a seemingly reasonable opening week at the end of August. A one one draw on the opening day of the season away to Hayes was followed up with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Ilford. Alec Jackson headed the first early on, from a Harry Falconer free-kick; with the second coming from the boot of Errol Rhoden. It was a match between the two sides that were relegated at the end of the season, but after taking four points from their first six I doubt there were many, if any, Hamlet fans at Champion Hill that night who could have forseen that eventuality.
In actual fact this was to be the last Isthmian League victory for the Hamlet in our SE22 heartland until the 16th of April the following year against Bishops' Stortford! Further points were picked up in draws against Barking, Tilbury & Sutton United, before another three points were earned at Fetcham Grove, overcoming Leatherhead by the odd goal in three, our scorers being Alec Jackson & Kevin Walsh.
This match was the start of a run of away games in both the league & cup competitions that was to stretch to six clashes on the road, two victories, one in the FA Cup at Letchworth Garden City, a rare Rodney Brookes goal being enough to win the tie 0ne nil. I recall being on the 'noisy' supporters' coach to this game. Back then we often had two buses going to away matches, organised so well for many years by Ron Mitchell. Our one actually conked out at the top of Dog Kennel Hill! But spluttered on to Hertfordshire, suffering two more 'breakdowns' en route. The last being in the town itself, and slap bang in front of a wedding party coming out of a church! I wonder if they could ever forget their big day with a coach by the side of the kerb on the road with several dozen blokes chanting out of the windows: "You mug, you mug!" to the groom! Despite all the setbacks we just got to the ground in time for kick off, though the programmes were sold out. My brother Ferenc managed to purchase one by offering a home fan double the cover price for his copy...paying a whole ten pence instead of five!
The week after we travelled to Dagenham, where we surprisingly upset the form book to run out 3-1 winners in the London Senior Cup, which back then was a competition that was taken seriously, unlike latterday humiliations against Hanwell Town & South Kilburn! Walsh was a scorer once more, with the others coming from local Camberwell boy Charlie Pooley, now in his fifth year at Champion Hill, & the St. Thomas the Apostle PE teacher Dave Barker, who had returned for a second spell at the Club. He is a player who will be well remembered by one of his former pupils Mick O'Shaughnessy. Mr. Barker is the reason that he became a Hamlet fan! Mick intially popped down out of curiousity as a schoolboy, to barrack his teacher, but slowly but surely got hooked, and is today one of our most loyal fans, being a regular both home & away! The coach journey home was particularly boistrous, & not only because I remember it as my first ever trip on the Woolwich Free Ferry, but for a passenger on it who still sticks in the mind. A rather rotund chap (to say the least!) on a moped, which he seemed to smother, had to endure a coachload making jibes and chanting at him & his likeness to a popular TV detective of the era, called Frank Cannon! Being stuck for ten minutes on an open deck of a boat there was nowhere for him to hide!
By the time the Hamlet next took to the field at Champion Hill, on 23rd October against Wealdstone in the FA Cup, the only topic was much more serious. The departure of Jimmy Rose, who had tendered his resignation & moved across South London to become deputy Chairman of the top Southern League side Wimbledon, lured no doubt by their constant successes. this campaign would be their third consecutive Southern League title, & at the end they finally broke that 'old pals act' to get elected to the Football League, replacing the far flung Cumbrians Workington; who ironically knocked out the new Dons club AFC Wimbledon, formed in 2002, in this season's FA Trophy recently. The old Wimbledon club, now a former shadow of themselves based in Milton Keynes, actually played their last ever match as a non league side at the old Champion Hill. On Tuesday 17th May they defeated Staines Town 0ne nil in the London Senior Cup final replay, with the scorer being a former Dulwich Hamlet man in John Leslie, who they had signed from us the previous season.
The programme for that Wealdstone programme began it's notes with the departure of Rose, and you are left to wonder how popular he really was among the old Club members & committee men, who hankered back for the old amateur days when managers knew their place: "Much water has flowed under the bridge since your scribe last put pen to paper. The resignation of Jimmy Rose is history now, of course, but we would like to place on record our sincere thanks for his efforts on behalf of the Club during the last four years. As a flamboyant manager in the mould of a Clough or an Allinson, Jimmy certainly had his critics but no one can deny that his drive and enthusiasm was mainly responsible for putting Dulwich Hamlet back on the footballing map." Why Rose left we will never know, but it was said that he walked out after the Club hierarchy refused to sanction the purchase of a new set of socks for the First Team, and the set they were using were too worn & tatty! Whether this is true or not doesn't particularly matter, as it makes a superb 'footballing urban myth' as an anecdote!
His replacement is seen by some Hamlet fans as worst manager in the Club history, to this day. The Committee promoted the 36 year old Reserve Team manager George Rocknean, who in fairness, he had served an excellent apprenticeship in the hotseat. Fred Pudney, a long serving Hamlet regular throughout the seventies, became his coach. If it were possible results went from bad to worse under their charge. Apart from one win at second division Hertford Town on 27th October in a new competition, the league cup for which entry was compulsory for the first time, we only had two draws throughout the whole month of November. A 1-1 draw at Walthamstow Avenue. We come from behind after one of our former players Dean Mooney had given the Avenue the lead. Our equaliser came from the penalty spot, the ever dependable Steve Rodgers, with every much as hot a shot as the famous Leeds United striker of the time Peter Lorrimer, blasting the back of the net after Alec Jackson had been fouled. A defeat at Dagenham followed, a reverse of the score from our London Senior win there. And then an extremely rare Champion Hill point, honours shared in a 2-2 draw with Woking. We had fallen behind after our keeper Alan Thomas fumbled over his own line from a corner, & a minute into the second half the Cards doulbed their lead. But we fought back for a share of the spoils with two goals in a minute! First Alec Jackson, then moments later Dave Barker sidestepped his marker to rifle home from the edge of the penalty area. Despite the point we slipped into one of the two relegation spots, after Kingstonian ran out 3-0 victors over Southall & Ealing Borough.
The following game saw a 4-2 defeat against bitter rivals Tooting & Mitcham United, memorable not for the result, but for being played on a traditional Champion Hill quagmire of a pitch & earning the distinction of being the only game taking place within a hundred mile radius of London! On the night they were fortunate that we were reduced to ten men in very sapping conditions after Kevin Walsh was sent off in the second half, the score being an even one apiece at half time.
December brought a rare three points, when we travelled down to Surrey, returning from Kingfield with a two nil success at Woking, with a goal apiece from Jackson & Barker. Rocknean tried to shake things up on the park, signing two forwards. Peter Lavers arrived from Leatherhead, where-to be fair- he was a proven scorer; & Benny Odeje re-signed for the Hamlet, having been at Clapton. Neither were a success, making a mere nine & six appearances respectively. Neither managed to get on the scoresheet.
The first two months of the new year were a total disaster. Hampered by bad weather there were a number of postponements, only five league matches being played. All lost, and only one goal to our credit, in a 3-1 loss at home to Leatherhead, having taken the lead through Dave Barker. There was a lone Surrey Senior Cup victory to lighten the mood, Barker again the scorer in a one nil goal victory at Kingstonian, at their old Richmond Road ground, following a no score draw in on a heavy Champion Hill pitch.
Enough was enough & with relegation seeming inevitable the Club Committee went for one last throw of the dice. Rocknean was finally sacked, his spell in charge of the First Team being an unmitagated disaster. Fred Pudney was relieved of his coaching duties at the same time. Jimmy Langley was appointed as coach until the end of the season. A former professional with Leeds United, Brighton & Hove Albion,Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, where he won a Football League Cup winners medal in 1967. This was the first ever Wembley final in that competition, and the then third division QPR shocked everyone in beating top flight West Bromwich Albion. He was also a former full England international, having earned three caps in 1958, just under thirty years after our own Edgar Kail earned his trio. Langley returned to Wembley as player-mamager of Hillingdon Borough in the 1971 FA Trophy final. His footballing pedigree could not be brought into question. The dire situation was extremely serious, but the Club hierarchy hoped he would pull things round as the programme notes of Saturday 12th March told:
" Most of you will have learned by now that, following a Committee Meeting last week, Team Manager George Rocknean and Coach Fred Pudney have been relieved of their duties. Our results in recent months have been so terribly disappointing that the Officers and Committee felt that a chance was neccessary in the best interests of the Club. Accordingly former England player Jim Langley has been appointed coach for the rest of the season and we wish him every possible success. Our position at the foot of the league table may well appear desperate but, with three points for a win, we can still under Jim's guidance, avoid the drop to Division Two. In conclusion, may we thank George and Fred for their efforts on behalf of the team. We hope they will both stay with the club in some capacity."
Not a hope shared by the long suffering supporters on the terraces, who were glad to see the back of a clearly out of his depth Rocknean.
A morale boosting gigantic 6-0 victory against second division outfit Ware followed, in the League Cup. Admittedly they were rock bottom in their table, but you cannot underestimate how much of a fillip this tie must have been. Ossie Bayram opened the scoring, but the star of the show was second half substitute Charlie Pooley, who came on for Errol Rhoden, & hit a hat-trick! The other two being headers from Chris Lewington & Eric Allinson.
Despite being into the later stages of the season there were still fourteen league games remaining, thanks to previous postponements in inclement weather. It was a tall order to avoid the drop, but there were still forty two points to play for.
A 3-0 reverse at home to Hendon followed, always a strong side, who were to finish fourth. The League Cup run continued, which proved a timely pick-up, as another Second Division side, Harlow Town, were beaten. By the time this game was played Langley had already been promoted to manager, which he combined with his coaching duties. The Owls may have been from the league below but we were almost scalped by them. Two down with only six minutes left on the clock, our longest serving player & captain Peter Smith pulled one back with a snap volley. Then as the match went into injury time Dave Barker laid on a simple goal for Alec Jackson. With the clock ticked down to almost nothing roles were reversed for the last attack of the night. Jackson took on and beat two defenders before crossing for Barker to head in the winner at the near post!
Now the question was could this good cup form against lesser opposition be repeated in league matches? The answer was yes! A home point followed against Walthamstow Avenue, a late Alan Hart goal cancelling out their first half penalty. The following Tuesday we celebrated our first league victory for three months with a 2-0 win at Sutton United. Steve Rogers made no mistake from the spot just over halfway through the first period, after a blatant handball; with Charlie Pooley clinching the points in the 82nd minute, latching onto a poor back pass, & dribbling round the hapless keeper.
The hard work was undone with a home defeat against FA Trophy semi finalists Slough Town, & then a narrow loss by the odd goal in five at Sandy Lane. But the battle was not yet lost. The games were coming thick and fast, with three games a week for the rest of the season! Tiredness may defeat us, but the will to win was still there! A repeat of our Surrey Cup tie score saw another lone goal victory at Kingstonian, another Steve Rogers penalty securing the full points. Despite this win the programme for the next match, at home to Bishops' Stortford, said the result only 'kept alive our flickering hopes of relegation'. If they were only flickering after the Stortford encounter the candle of hope was positively burning! We didn't just win our first home Isthmian League game since way back in August, but won it in style, scoring five! Earning our only 'bonus' of the season. A bonus was a £40 prize awarded by the Isthmian League sponsors, Rothmans, for each game won by a clear three goal margin. A first half Ossie Bayram goal was all we had to show for the opening 45 minutes, but after the break the goals flowed! Just before the hour mark Fred Pudney-free from the 'pressures' of coaching- made it two, for his first goal of the season. And than a minute later Charlie Pooley pounced on a goalkeeping error to walk the ball into an empty net. Stortford reduced the arrears, but moments after Bayram restored our lead with a superb solo effort. It was fitting when Ossie clinched his hat-trick just before time, with a left-foot volley, from a low Steve Rogers cross. Such was his performance that the 'South London Press' said that Bayram had 'set Champion Hill alight' with his superb show!
Next up at Champion Hill were Kingstonian, & just like the Surrey Cup it was a draw. The young wizard that was Ossie equalising in the second half. A run of four away matches following in quick succession. The first had no bearing on the league position, thankfully, but was a game not needed in an already congested fixture list. The Hamlet went down 3-1 that Thursday night, but it was a game long remembered for what happened OFF the pitch, rather than on it. Despite the presence of the local police Dulwich fans were attacked by locals, and had to dash round into the stand for safety. The supposed upholders of the law actually turned a blind eye, with the lame excuse that '"they were changing shifts at nine!" As a result of their total inaction a window was smashed on the Supporters' team coach. When we next played at Victoria Road two seasons later, it was the first time in living memory that there was no Supporters' coach to an away game, as Ron Mitchell was concerned he could guarantee the safety of Hamlet followers, who were even advised not to travel! Thankfully the April '77 incident was a 'one off', put down to 'hangers on', as the Daggers were on their way to Wembley, becoming the first ever Isthmian League side to reach the FA Trophy Final, though they lost to Scarborough by three goals to one, despite being cheered on by a coachload of Dulwich Hamlet supporters. This was actually my first ever visit to the venerable grand old home of English football. In truth a bit of a dump, & not worthy of the mystique that surrounded the Twin Towers.
Less than 48 hours later it was back to the relegation scrap, and a journey over to North London.
Hendon, who were to finish fourth, were the opposition. Under Rocknean we would undoubtedly have rolled over, but Langley was a different proposition. The only goal came just after half time, when Charlie Pooley pounced on a rebound after a low Ossie Bayram shot was palmed away. Midway through the half there was a massive downpour & the referee called the players off the pitch during a huge hailstorm. The massed Dulwich ranks dashed under the large covered terrace along the side & gave a constant rendition of "We shall not, we shall not be moved!....just like a team that's going to stay up!" I was a happy boy that day going home on the bus back to Champion Hill...not the Supporters' Club one, but good old London Transport! I went to the match with my brother, using what were travelcards of their day, called 'Red Bus Rovers'. Walking down to Camberwell Green we took a number 12 bus to Oxford Circus, & from there a 113, which seemed to take hours wending its way down the Finchley Road, & then toward Brent Cross. unsurprisingly that was the only time I ever went there & back by bus!
By now, despite it being a tall order, the Hamlet faithful were starting to believe the unbelievable & were genuinely convinced that we could beat the drop! Tuesday night saw an awkward trip through London & up north to Bishops' Stortford, who proved to be a tougher proposition than their recent capitulation in SE22. It wasn't until twenty minutes to go when Ossie Bayram gave Dulwich the lead with a fierce volley, adding another five minutes later. Which made for a nerve-wracking last minute & stoppage time, after Stortford hit what proved to be a mere consolation with 89 minutes on the referee's watch.
Two nights later proved to be one Thursday night journey too many. Dulwich dominated at Slough Town, hitting the woodwork no less than four times before the 'Rebels' bagged the points with two goals in the last fifteen minutes.
Despite that setback the Hamlet rolled up their sleeves & somehow recharged their batteries for our last Saturday home game, versus Hitchin Town. We bounced back in style, scoring four goals in the league for only the second time that season. Early goals from Charlie Pooley & Alec Jackson put Dulwich in the driving seat. We then had 'lady luck' on our side at the 'Canaries' were not on song, missing a penalty, though they did pull one back, to make it 2-1 at half time. After the interval we dominated but with no further goals until the final ten minutes, when Pooley plundered two more, for his hat-trick. We were only denied our second £40 bonus when Hitchin pulled one back in a late rally.
In our penultimate match of the season it was the first ever Isthmian League visit to Champion Hill, for fellow south-east Londoners Croydon, who had effectively risen four divisions in a decade, to now being on an even footing with the Hamlet. When Jimmy Rose first took over them in the late sixties nobody could have envisaged they would be playing at a higher level than the Hamlet ten years later! But for tonight it was our boys in Pink and Blue who were still the 'top dogs' locally, a defeat would have sent us down, but a goal apiece from Dave Barker, Ossie Bayram & Fred Pudney in a 3-1 victory meant the 'great escape' was still on!
And so to 'D-Day'! D for destiny. Nothing less than a victory would suffice. For both sides! At Wycombe Wanderers. We needed maximum points to have a chance of beating the drop, while Wycombe needed to win, & hope Enfield dropped points to clinch the title for themselves! To say this was a bit of a tall order for the Hamlet was a bit of an understatement, to say the least. For Loakes Park, & it's infamous slope, was not a happy hunting ground. True the previous season a lone Trevor Bladon goal had secured all three points, but this was our first victory at their ground in the Isthmian League since the 1951/52 season! There was a price to pay for this, as a brick was thrown through the back window of the Supporters' Club coach as it left the ground. But the culprit was apprehended, and was later fined by the local Buckinghamshire magistrates.
Expectations were still high though, & with so many footballing miracles under Langley since he had arrived two months previous, left most fans genuinely believing there was one more still to come. But it was not to be.
At this point I must confess that I wasn't at the game myself. The Supporters' Club coaches were due to leave the bottom of the hill at 12.30pm that lunchtime. But, for some reason, myself & my brother Ferenc were cutting it fine. Too fine in fact. And as we were running through the short cut by the adventure playground at the back of our flats we saw them driving up Dog Kennel Hill. I was distraught, & promptly burst into tears! I wasn't to cry again at a Hamlet match until that FA Cup 4th qualifying round tie twenty one years later, when we beat Newport (Isle of Wight), to reach the First Round Proper for the first time in fifty years. But they were grown up tears of joy. Back on the 7th May 1977 I was a little ten year old boy bawling his eyes out! Big bruv calmed me down by offering to take me to a big professional game, Crystal Palace at home to Lincoln City, in the old Third Division. The Eagles were pushing for promotion, & this was their last home game, where every point counted. It was sandwiched in between two games against Wrexham. On the previous Tuesday they had won by the odd goal in three, so this match was huge. And Lincoln were brushed aside, four one. I don't remember too much about the game, except we were in the huge unsegregated 'away terrace' at the Holmesdale End. My brother was there with the late Peter O'Shaughnessy, who also followed the Hamlet from the nineties, until his death in December 2002. I do recall my brother telling me to 'stay where I was' and he dashed off in a huge charge across the terrace toward the Lincoln fans as I saw football holliganism 'live' for the first time in my young life! Other than that my mind was at Loakes Park....
Crystal Palace, incidentally, DID clinch that third promotion spot, winning 4-2 in Wales on the Wednesday night, in front of a huge Racecourse Ground crowd of 18, 451; which no doubt included several thousand suburbanites from Selhurst Park.
But back to the town of High Wycombe, a few days previous. The inevitable happened, and after a game Dulwich first half performance where there was no score, we succumbed to the Wanderers after the break. Wycombe took the lead in the 46th minute through Ian Pearson, but Alec Jackson reignited our hopes, by quickly heading an equaliser. We dominated for a while, but Pearson dashed the Dulwich dreams by adding two more for his hat trick. So we went down, on 41 points, which was by far the highest total for any relegated side since promotion & relegation was introduced over the previous three seasons. Harlow Town went down with the same total in 1982; as should have Tooting & Mitcham United in '84, but were extremely fortunate to have been reprieved when mid-table Staines Town were demoted instead, on controversial ground grading infringements. It only postponed the inevitable for them though, as Tooting did go down fair & square five years later-despite ourselves 'gifting' them four points out of a possible six! The day they actually got relegated in 1989 coincided with the Dulwich Hamlet end of season bash at the 'Twilights' nighspot, in Sydenham. The disc jockey's turntable was constantly hijacked by fans requesting the Status Quo song ' Down', with the lyrics being drunkenly reworded: 'Down, down! Tooting are down!"
The last day victory for Wycombe counted for nothing from their point of view, as Enfield defeated Slough Town to take the title, the second of a hat-trick of consecutive championships for the E's. Pearson, who got all the goals for Wycombe, went on trial at Millwall in the summer, as did our own Ossie Bayram. In the end the Lions only signed the Wanderers striker, & Ossie returned to Champion Hill, scoring 33 goals for us the next season, as we bounced back as champions at the first attempt, which was their loss not ours!
But Jimmy Langley would not be in charge for that magnificent campaign. He left once the season was over. Some South London non-league managers were safe in their jobs. The local press reported, after the close of the season, that "Tooting & Mitcham manager Jack Payne has agreed to stay at Sandy Lane after another successful season." Jack Payne? Whatever happened to him? I doubt any Hamlet fans back then could ever have envisaged that the gaffer of the arch enemy would end around three decades later as our Chairman!
There was just one more game to play, at home to Redhill, in the first round of a one off Surrey Centenary Cup competition, which was organised by the Surrey Football Association to commemorate their one hundred years of existence. It was an invitational competion for eight of the county's oldest clubs-and not eight of the oldest " country's " clubs, which our programme inadvertently stated! It was to contine over the latter months of the year, during the next season. This match must have been a bit like 'after the Lord Mayors Show', and similar to how fans felt many years later, in May 2004, when we lost to Wealdstone in a penalty shoot-out to miss out on a last promotion spot. I mentioned earlier how I cried after I missed the coaches to Wycombe, as a ten year old. I was also in tears after that Wealdstone play-off, when I was a little older, aged thirty seven! We defeated arch rivals Tooting & Mitcham United two days later in the London Senior Cup Final 2-0 at Hendon, through two Omari Coleman goals. Back in '77 it was a closer 3-2 winning margin that signed off the 'nearly miracle man' reign of Jimmy Langley. Ossie Bayram bagged two more before his short sojourn down The Den, before Redhill hit back, with Charlie Pooley snatched the winner with ten minutes to go in a very disappointing season. There was a statistical consolation of note at that Redhill game, as stalwart defender Rodney Brookes made his 56th appearance of the season, to become the first Dulwich Hamlet player to be ever present, since Reg Merritt, way back in 1959/60!
Over thirty years since that relegation season second generation Hamlet fan Liam Hickey, whose young son Joe has followed in his footsteps in the finest family tradition of supporting Dulwich, recalled: "On paper we should have been in the top five with the players we had at our disposal, but football isn't played on paper! We really should have been a shoe-in for one of the top spots. But in lots of the games I'm sure we dominated, but just didn't score, losing to late goals. There was one player we had, I can't recall his name off the top of my head all these years later. He was a long haired elegant midfielder, I think signed from a professional club. Probably far too classy for us, but he wasn't prepared to roll up his sleeves and get dirty in a relegation dogfight team. One silly thing that sticks in my mind about Jim Langley was at an away game at Hendon. I had got there early enough to listen to him ranting outside the changing rooms shocked at how small they were! He was sayig they weren't even big enough for a five-a-side team. Many years later, helping the Club with the kit, I found out exactly what he meant! The old Claremont Road must have had the smallest changing rooms anywhere! With regard to Langley himself I am pretty sure that if he had been appointed three or four weks earlier we would have stayed up."
Another lifelong Dulwich fan, Malcolm Meredith, who regularly travels to home games nowadays from Harlow, in Essex, & has been a Hamlet follower since the early sixties, tries to remember:
"It's all a bit in the dim and distant past now, but we often appeared to lose in the last five minutes after dominating for the previous 85! We seemed to lack a bit of fitness too. My own abiding memory of the run in when we nearly beat the drop was the home game against Croydon. Fred Pudney I will never forget scored with a flying header, for only his second goal of the season. I was so surprised that I actually slipped & fell down the terraces I was laughing so much! Even going into the last game, despite it being Wycombe, I was totally convinced we were going to stay up. There was a great atmosphere, in front of a big crowd, and we must have had several hundred fans there. But the slope at Wycombe is always worth a goal or two for them, and that was too much for us. If it would have been on a flat pitch it would have been a draw."
Just one week after the final Redhill game the 'South London Press' headline read:
DULWICH AXE LANGLEY.
Would he have wanted to stay? Who knows? He certainly wasn't that old, being 48 when our manager, but never returned to the hot seat anywhere. Was he disillusioned by the 'axe'? We will never know. We can only go on this press report which told us the following:
"The decision not to re-engage Langley was taken at a Committee meeting on Thursday night. "Jim was only appointed for the rest of the season in March", said Club official John Lawrence. "And although he did a good job with the team he does live in West Drayton which is a long haul from Dulwich. He would have found it difficult to training and matches and we decided it was not really on. We are now looking for a track suit manager who will also do the coaching. "
One of the favourites for the job was Ted Murphy, who had previously coached at Champion Hill under Jimmy Rose. But the post went later in the close season to an unknown young man from Wimbledon FC called Alan Smith... but his reign in charge is for another day in the 'Hamlet Historian'!
In the grim years of the nineteen sixties Dulwich Hamlet were invariably shoulder to shoulder with the traditionalists of Corinthian-Casuals, standing firm, or should that be stubbornly, against the mass encroachment of 'Shamateurism' that had overrun the Isthmian League. Back in those days amateur football was completely separate from the professional game & never the twain shall meet. Illegal 'boot money' was rife, but it was a case of 'out of sight, out of mind.' Everbody knew it occured, and could not be stamped out. Times were changing, and there was no will from the powers that be at the old Lancaster Gate headquarters of the Football Association, to stamp out the common practice.
In truth, for the Hamlet, after the War was over, & our last Isthmian League championship success in 1948/49, the next couple of decades were an uphill struggle, with rare 'blips' being the '55/6 campaign, when despite ourselves finishing fourteenth out of sixteen, we still managed to reach the semi final of the FA Amateur Cup. Which was the closest we ever got to playing at Wembley Stadium, after the final was switched there eight years previous. It was Corinthian-Casuals who defeated us in the penultimate round at Stamford Bridge, home of the then reigning Football League champions Chelsea, after their first ever title win in 1955. We went down by three goals to one, in front of a crowd of over 27,000; with a reputed fifty supporters' coaches making the trip across South London from Champion Hill! The following two seasons we finished third from bottom, before an unturn in 1959, when we were runners-up. A spot we have been unable to achieve again.
For a couple of years there was a bit of respectability about the boys in Pink and Blue once more, slipping to seventh the following year, but rising up to fourth the next. Then the really bad years kicked in. Down to eleventh, & then second from bottom, with only Corinthian-Casuals below us. Come May 1964 & it was once again second from bottom, Clapton propping us up this time, with the Casuals just ahead of us. The end of the '64/65 campaign was an improvement of sorts. 'Only' third off the bottom! Clapton once more, & Woking the real dross of the Isthmian that year. The ignomy & humiliation of being rock bottom for the first time in our history was suffered in the summer of 1966. With the entire country on a huge high with England going on to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy at the end of July, it was only the long suffering Hamlet fans who wore glum faces. There was no riding the crest of the wave following on from that defeat of West Germany, with another bottom spot for us in 1967.
Thankfully back then there was no relegation, & the Isthmian League only consisted of one division. Below that was the Athenian League. But an 'old pals act' kept the Hamlet on board, being voted back into the League was a mere formality. One can only wonder what might have happened if there had been automatic ups & downs between leagues, as is accepted practice nowadays, & how far we would have plummetted, or even survived!
The latter part of the sixties saw the Hamlet rise to the -by those standards- 'heady heights' of the top half of the bottom half of the league! But 'normal service' was resumed at the beginning of the seventies, with a lowly second from bottom in 1971/72; with once again who else but only Corinthian-Casuals underneath.
Clearly whatever remnants of real amateurism that was left at Champion Hill wasn't working, & a new manager was appointed in the summer of '72. Jimmy Rose came in, having been at nearby Croydon 'anything but' Amateurs, in the Athenian League, where he had achieved succesive promotions to take the Blues (now the Trams) to the Premier Division of that competition for the first time in their history. Without him at the helm the following year they struggled, finishing thirteenth out of sixteen clubs.
Rose made a number of new signings to the Club, and although we were officially still amateur, to my mind there is simply no way that experienced campaigners like Trevor Bladon, who had been an England amateur international, as was Ken Jelly; plus a host of former Croydon Amateurs in Geoff Parsons, Ray Major, Peter Gaydon, David Burke, Phil Davidson, Ken Baker & Graham Smith would have all suddenely appeared on the doorstep at Champion Hill if all they were getting in their boots was a nice comfy pair of socks! Perhaps it was the increase in admission charges that season that made all the difference...it was now 20p to enter the ground, with a higher 30p charge for the main stand. Prices halved for juniors. Not that any of that extra lolly would have officially gone into players pockets anyway, of course!
It took a while for the Rose team to gell, and it was a mere twelveth place finish, in a 22 team division, but that was still the highest league campaign for over a decade. An almost forgotten about for a generation title challenge came over the next three seasons. Not quite there, but for the first time in living memory for many supporters the Hamlet were a team that was hard to beat, with highly respectable placings of a fourth spot, followed by two fifths. As well as two Surrey Senior Cup wins.
With much of those squads still in place for the 1976/77 season it came a shock to most when the Hamlet struggled, after a seemingly reasonable opening week at the end of August. A one one draw on the opening day of the season away to Hayes was followed up with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Ilford. Alec Jackson headed the first early on, from a Harry Falconer free-kick; with the second coming from the boot of Errol Rhoden. It was a match between the two sides that were relegated at the end of the season, but after taking four points from their first six I doubt there were many, if any, Hamlet fans at Champion Hill that night who could have forseen that eventuality.
In actual fact this was to be the last Isthmian League victory for the Hamlet in our SE22 heartland until the 16th of April the following year against Bishops' Stortford! Further points were picked up in draws against Barking, Tilbury & Sutton United, before another three points were earned at Fetcham Grove, overcoming Leatherhead by the odd goal in three, our scorers being Alec Jackson & Kevin Walsh.
This match was the start of a run of away games in both the league & cup competitions that was to stretch to six clashes on the road, two victories, one in the FA Cup at Letchworth Garden City, a rare Rodney Brookes goal being enough to win the tie 0ne nil. I recall being on the 'noisy' supporters' coach to this game. Back then we often had two buses going to away matches, organised so well for many years by Ron Mitchell. Our one actually conked out at the top of Dog Kennel Hill! But spluttered on to Hertfordshire, suffering two more 'breakdowns' en route. The last being in the town itself, and slap bang in front of a wedding party coming out of a church! I wonder if they could ever forget their big day with a coach by the side of the kerb on the road with several dozen blokes chanting out of the windows: "You mug, you mug!" to the groom! Despite all the setbacks we just got to the ground in time for kick off, though the programmes were sold out. My brother Ferenc managed to purchase one by offering a home fan double the cover price for his copy...paying a whole ten pence instead of five!
The week after we travelled to Dagenham, where we surprisingly upset the form book to run out 3-1 winners in the London Senior Cup, which back then was a competition that was taken seriously, unlike latterday humiliations against Hanwell Town & South Kilburn! Walsh was a scorer once more, with the others coming from local Camberwell boy Charlie Pooley, now in his fifth year at Champion Hill, & the St. Thomas the Apostle PE teacher Dave Barker, who had returned for a second spell at the Club. He is a player who will be well remembered by one of his former pupils Mick O'Shaughnessy. Mr. Barker is the reason that he became a Hamlet fan! Mick intially popped down out of curiousity as a schoolboy, to barrack his teacher, but slowly but surely got hooked, and is today one of our most loyal fans, being a regular both home & away! The coach journey home was particularly boistrous, & not only because I remember it as my first ever trip on the Woolwich Free Ferry, but for a passenger on it who still sticks in the mind. A rather rotund chap (to say the least!) on a moped, which he seemed to smother, had to endure a coachload making jibes and chanting at him & his likeness to a popular TV detective of the era, called Frank Cannon! Being stuck for ten minutes on an open deck of a boat there was nowhere for him to hide!
By the time the Hamlet next took to the field at Champion Hill, on 23rd October against Wealdstone in the FA Cup, the only topic was much more serious. The departure of Jimmy Rose, who had tendered his resignation & moved across South London to become deputy Chairman of the top Southern League side Wimbledon, lured no doubt by their constant successes. this campaign would be their third consecutive Southern League title, & at the end they finally broke that 'old pals act' to get elected to the Football League, replacing the far flung Cumbrians Workington; who ironically knocked out the new Dons club AFC Wimbledon, formed in 2002, in this season's FA Trophy recently. The old Wimbledon club, now a former shadow of themselves based in Milton Keynes, actually played their last ever match as a non league side at the old Champion Hill. On Tuesday 17th May they defeated Staines Town 0ne nil in the London Senior Cup final replay, with the scorer being a former Dulwich Hamlet man in John Leslie, who they had signed from us the previous season.
The programme for that Wealdstone programme began it's notes with the departure of Rose, and you are left to wonder how popular he really was among the old Club members & committee men, who hankered back for the old amateur days when managers knew their place: "Much water has flowed under the bridge since your scribe last put pen to paper. The resignation of Jimmy Rose is history now, of course, but we would like to place on record our sincere thanks for his efforts on behalf of the Club during the last four years. As a flamboyant manager in the mould of a Clough or an Allinson, Jimmy certainly had his critics but no one can deny that his drive and enthusiasm was mainly responsible for putting Dulwich Hamlet back on the footballing map." Why Rose left we will never know, but it was said that he walked out after the Club hierarchy refused to sanction the purchase of a new set of socks for the First Team, and the set they were using were too worn & tatty! Whether this is true or not doesn't particularly matter, as it makes a superb 'footballing urban myth' as an anecdote!
His replacement is seen by some Hamlet fans as worst manager in the Club history, to this day. The Committee promoted the 36 year old Reserve Team manager George Rocknean, who in fairness, he had served an excellent apprenticeship in the hotseat. Fred Pudney, a long serving Hamlet regular throughout the seventies, became his coach. If it were possible results went from bad to worse under their charge. Apart from one win at second division Hertford Town on 27th October in a new competition, the league cup for which entry was compulsory for the first time, we only had two draws throughout the whole month of November. A 1-1 draw at Walthamstow Avenue. We come from behind after one of our former players Dean Mooney had given the Avenue the lead. Our equaliser came from the penalty spot, the ever dependable Steve Rodgers, with every much as hot a shot as the famous Leeds United striker of the time Peter Lorrimer, blasting the back of the net after Alec Jackson had been fouled. A defeat at Dagenham followed, a reverse of the score from our London Senior win there. And then an extremely rare Champion Hill point, honours shared in a 2-2 draw with Woking. We had fallen behind after our keeper Alan Thomas fumbled over his own line from a corner, & a minute into the second half the Cards doulbed their lead. But we fought back for a share of the spoils with two goals in a minute! First Alec Jackson, then moments later Dave Barker sidestepped his marker to rifle home from the edge of the penalty area. Despite the point we slipped into one of the two relegation spots, after Kingstonian ran out 3-0 victors over Southall & Ealing Borough.
The following game saw a 4-2 defeat against bitter rivals Tooting & Mitcham United, memorable not for the result, but for being played on a traditional Champion Hill quagmire of a pitch & earning the distinction of being the only game taking place within a hundred mile radius of London! On the night they were fortunate that we were reduced to ten men in very sapping conditions after Kevin Walsh was sent off in the second half, the score being an even one apiece at half time.
December brought a rare three points, when we travelled down to Surrey, returning from Kingfield with a two nil success at Woking, with a goal apiece from Jackson & Barker. Rocknean tried to shake things up on the park, signing two forwards. Peter Lavers arrived from Leatherhead, where-to be fair- he was a proven scorer; & Benny Odeje re-signed for the Hamlet, having been at Clapton. Neither were a success, making a mere nine & six appearances respectively. Neither managed to get on the scoresheet.
The first two months of the new year were a total disaster. Hampered by bad weather there were a number of postponements, only five league matches being played. All lost, and only one goal to our credit, in a 3-1 loss at home to Leatherhead, having taken the lead through Dave Barker. There was a lone Surrey Senior Cup victory to lighten the mood, Barker again the scorer in a one nil goal victory at Kingstonian, at their old Richmond Road ground, following a no score draw in on a heavy Champion Hill pitch.
Enough was enough & with relegation seeming inevitable the Club Committee went for one last throw of the dice. Rocknean was finally sacked, his spell in charge of the First Team being an unmitagated disaster. Fred Pudney was relieved of his coaching duties at the same time. Jimmy Langley was appointed as coach until the end of the season. A former professional with Leeds United, Brighton & Hove Albion,Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, where he won a Football League Cup winners medal in 1967. This was the first ever Wembley final in that competition, and the then third division QPR shocked everyone in beating top flight West Bromwich Albion. He was also a former full England international, having earned three caps in 1958, just under thirty years after our own Edgar Kail earned his trio. Langley returned to Wembley as player-mamager of Hillingdon Borough in the 1971 FA Trophy final. His footballing pedigree could not be brought into question. The dire situation was extremely serious, but the Club hierarchy hoped he would pull things round as the programme notes of Saturday 12th March told:
" Most of you will have learned by now that, following a Committee Meeting last week, Team Manager George Rocknean and Coach Fred Pudney have been relieved of their duties. Our results in recent months have been so terribly disappointing that the Officers and Committee felt that a chance was neccessary in the best interests of the Club. Accordingly former England player Jim Langley has been appointed coach for the rest of the season and we wish him every possible success. Our position at the foot of the league table may well appear desperate but, with three points for a win, we can still under Jim's guidance, avoid the drop to Division Two. In conclusion, may we thank George and Fred for their efforts on behalf of the team. We hope they will both stay with the club in some capacity."
Not a hope shared by the long suffering supporters on the terraces, who were glad to see the back of a clearly out of his depth Rocknean.
A morale boosting gigantic 6-0 victory against second division outfit Ware followed, in the League Cup. Admittedly they were rock bottom in their table, but you cannot underestimate how much of a fillip this tie must have been. Ossie Bayram opened the scoring, but the star of the show was second half substitute Charlie Pooley, who came on for Errol Rhoden, & hit a hat-trick! The other two being headers from Chris Lewington & Eric Allinson.
Despite being into the later stages of the season there were still fourteen league games remaining, thanks to previous postponements in inclement weather. It was a tall order to avoid the drop, but there were still forty two points to play for.
A 3-0 reverse at home to Hendon followed, always a strong side, who were to finish fourth. The League Cup run continued, which proved a timely pick-up, as another Second Division side, Harlow Town, were beaten. By the time this game was played Langley had already been promoted to manager, which he combined with his coaching duties. The Owls may have been from the league below but we were almost scalped by them. Two down with only six minutes left on the clock, our longest serving player & captain Peter Smith pulled one back with a snap volley. Then as the match went into injury time Dave Barker laid on a simple goal for Alec Jackson. With the clock ticked down to almost nothing roles were reversed for the last attack of the night. Jackson took on and beat two defenders before crossing for Barker to head in the winner at the near post!
Now the question was could this good cup form against lesser opposition be repeated in league matches? The answer was yes! A home point followed against Walthamstow Avenue, a late Alan Hart goal cancelling out their first half penalty. The following Tuesday we celebrated our first league victory for three months with a 2-0 win at Sutton United. Steve Rogers made no mistake from the spot just over halfway through the first period, after a blatant handball; with Charlie Pooley clinching the points in the 82nd minute, latching onto a poor back pass, & dribbling round the hapless keeper.
The hard work was undone with a home defeat against FA Trophy semi finalists Slough Town, & then a narrow loss by the odd goal in five at Sandy Lane. But the battle was not yet lost. The games were coming thick and fast, with three games a week for the rest of the season! Tiredness may defeat us, but the will to win was still there! A repeat of our Surrey Cup tie score saw another lone goal victory at Kingstonian, another Steve Rogers penalty securing the full points. Despite this win the programme for the next match, at home to Bishops' Stortford, said the result only 'kept alive our flickering hopes of relegation'. If they were only flickering after the Stortford encounter the candle of hope was positively burning! We didn't just win our first home Isthmian League game since way back in August, but won it in style, scoring five! Earning our only 'bonus' of the season. A bonus was a £40 prize awarded by the Isthmian League sponsors, Rothmans, for each game won by a clear three goal margin. A first half Ossie Bayram goal was all we had to show for the opening 45 minutes, but after the break the goals flowed! Just before the hour mark Fred Pudney-free from the 'pressures' of coaching- made it two, for his first goal of the season. And than a minute later Charlie Pooley pounced on a goalkeeping error to walk the ball into an empty net. Stortford reduced the arrears, but moments after Bayram restored our lead with a superb solo effort. It was fitting when Ossie clinched his hat-trick just before time, with a left-foot volley, from a low Steve Rogers cross. Such was his performance that the 'South London Press' said that Bayram had 'set Champion Hill alight' with his superb show!
Next up at Champion Hill were Kingstonian, & just like the Surrey Cup it was a draw. The young wizard that was Ossie equalising in the second half. A run of four away matches following in quick succession. The first had no bearing on the league position, thankfully, but was a game not needed in an already congested fixture list. The Hamlet went down 3-1 that Thursday night, but it was a game long remembered for what happened OFF the pitch, rather than on it. Despite the presence of the local police Dulwich fans were attacked by locals, and had to dash round into the stand for safety. The supposed upholders of the law actually turned a blind eye, with the lame excuse that '"they were changing shifts at nine!" As a result of their total inaction a window was smashed on the Supporters' team coach. When we next played at Victoria Road two seasons later, it was the first time in living memory that there was no Supporters' coach to an away game, as Ron Mitchell was concerned he could guarantee the safety of Hamlet followers, who were even advised not to travel! Thankfully the April '77 incident was a 'one off', put down to 'hangers on', as the Daggers were on their way to Wembley, becoming the first ever Isthmian League side to reach the FA Trophy Final, though they lost to Scarborough by three goals to one, despite being cheered on by a coachload of Dulwich Hamlet supporters. This was actually my first ever visit to the venerable grand old home of English football. In truth a bit of a dump, & not worthy of the mystique that surrounded the Twin Towers.
Less than 48 hours later it was back to the relegation scrap, and a journey over to North London.
Hendon, who were to finish fourth, were the opposition. Under Rocknean we would undoubtedly have rolled over, but Langley was a different proposition. The only goal came just after half time, when Charlie Pooley pounced on a rebound after a low Ossie Bayram shot was palmed away. Midway through the half there was a massive downpour & the referee called the players off the pitch during a huge hailstorm. The massed Dulwich ranks dashed under the large covered terrace along the side & gave a constant rendition of "We shall not, we shall not be moved!....just like a team that's going to stay up!" I was a happy boy that day going home on the bus back to Champion Hill...not the Supporters' Club one, but good old London Transport! I went to the match with my brother, using what were travelcards of their day, called 'Red Bus Rovers'. Walking down to Camberwell Green we took a number 12 bus to Oxford Circus, & from there a 113, which seemed to take hours wending its way down the Finchley Road, & then toward Brent Cross. unsurprisingly that was the only time I ever went there & back by bus!
By now, despite it being a tall order, the Hamlet faithful were starting to believe the unbelievable & were genuinely convinced that we could beat the drop! Tuesday night saw an awkward trip through London & up north to Bishops' Stortford, who proved to be a tougher proposition than their recent capitulation in SE22. It wasn't until twenty minutes to go when Ossie Bayram gave Dulwich the lead with a fierce volley, adding another five minutes later. Which made for a nerve-wracking last minute & stoppage time, after Stortford hit what proved to be a mere consolation with 89 minutes on the referee's watch.
Two nights later proved to be one Thursday night journey too many. Dulwich dominated at Slough Town, hitting the woodwork no less than four times before the 'Rebels' bagged the points with two goals in the last fifteen minutes.
Despite that setback the Hamlet rolled up their sleeves & somehow recharged their batteries for our last Saturday home game, versus Hitchin Town. We bounced back in style, scoring four goals in the league for only the second time that season. Early goals from Charlie Pooley & Alec Jackson put Dulwich in the driving seat. We then had 'lady luck' on our side at the 'Canaries' were not on song, missing a penalty, though they did pull one back, to make it 2-1 at half time. After the interval we dominated but with no further goals until the final ten minutes, when Pooley plundered two more, for his hat-trick. We were only denied our second £40 bonus when Hitchin pulled one back in a late rally.
In our penultimate match of the season it was the first ever Isthmian League visit to Champion Hill, for fellow south-east Londoners Croydon, who had effectively risen four divisions in a decade, to now being on an even footing with the Hamlet. When Jimmy Rose first took over them in the late sixties nobody could have envisaged they would be playing at a higher level than the Hamlet ten years later! But for tonight it was our boys in Pink and Blue who were still the 'top dogs' locally, a defeat would have sent us down, but a goal apiece from Dave Barker, Ossie Bayram & Fred Pudney in a 3-1 victory meant the 'great escape' was still on!
And so to 'D-Day'! D for destiny. Nothing less than a victory would suffice. For both sides! At Wycombe Wanderers. We needed maximum points to have a chance of beating the drop, while Wycombe needed to win, & hope Enfield dropped points to clinch the title for themselves! To say this was a bit of a tall order for the Hamlet was a bit of an understatement, to say the least. For Loakes Park, & it's infamous slope, was not a happy hunting ground. True the previous season a lone Trevor Bladon goal had secured all three points, but this was our first victory at their ground in the Isthmian League since the 1951/52 season! There was a price to pay for this, as a brick was thrown through the back window of the Supporters' Club coach as it left the ground. But the culprit was apprehended, and was later fined by the local Buckinghamshire magistrates.
Expectations were still high though, & with so many footballing miracles under Langley since he had arrived two months previous, left most fans genuinely believing there was one more still to come. But it was not to be.
At this point I must confess that I wasn't at the game myself. The Supporters' Club coaches were due to leave the bottom of the hill at 12.30pm that lunchtime. But, for some reason, myself & my brother Ferenc were cutting it fine. Too fine in fact. And as we were running through the short cut by the adventure playground at the back of our flats we saw them driving up Dog Kennel Hill. I was distraught, & promptly burst into tears! I wasn't to cry again at a Hamlet match until that FA Cup 4th qualifying round tie twenty one years later, when we beat Newport (Isle of Wight), to reach the First Round Proper for the first time in fifty years. But they were grown up tears of joy. Back on the 7th May 1977 I was a little ten year old boy bawling his eyes out! Big bruv calmed me down by offering to take me to a big professional game, Crystal Palace at home to Lincoln City, in the old Third Division. The Eagles were pushing for promotion, & this was their last home game, where every point counted. It was sandwiched in between two games against Wrexham. On the previous Tuesday they had won by the odd goal in three, so this match was huge. And Lincoln were brushed aside, four one. I don't remember too much about the game, except we were in the huge unsegregated 'away terrace' at the Holmesdale End. My brother was there with the late Peter O'Shaughnessy, who also followed the Hamlet from the nineties, until his death in December 2002. I do recall my brother telling me to 'stay where I was' and he dashed off in a huge charge across the terrace toward the Lincoln fans as I saw football holliganism 'live' for the first time in my young life! Other than that my mind was at Loakes Park....
Crystal Palace, incidentally, DID clinch that third promotion spot, winning 4-2 in Wales on the Wednesday night, in front of a huge Racecourse Ground crowd of 18, 451; which no doubt included several thousand suburbanites from Selhurst Park.
But back to the town of High Wycombe, a few days previous. The inevitable happened, and after a game Dulwich first half performance where there was no score, we succumbed to the Wanderers after the break. Wycombe took the lead in the 46th minute through Ian Pearson, but Alec Jackson reignited our hopes, by quickly heading an equaliser. We dominated for a while, but Pearson dashed the Dulwich dreams by adding two more for his hat trick. So we went down, on 41 points, which was by far the highest total for any relegated side since promotion & relegation was introduced over the previous three seasons. Harlow Town went down with the same total in 1982; as should have Tooting & Mitcham United in '84, but were extremely fortunate to have been reprieved when mid-table Staines Town were demoted instead, on controversial ground grading infringements. It only postponed the inevitable for them though, as Tooting did go down fair & square five years later-despite ourselves 'gifting' them four points out of a possible six! The day they actually got relegated in 1989 coincided with the Dulwich Hamlet end of season bash at the 'Twilights' nighspot, in Sydenham. The disc jockey's turntable was constantly hijacked by fans requesting the Status Quo song ' Down', with the lyrics being drunkenly reworded: 'Down, down! Tooting are down!"
The last day victory for Wycombe counted for nothing from their point of view, as Enfield defeated Slough Town to take the title, the second of a hat-trick of consecutive championships for the E's. Pearson, who got all the goals for Wycombe, went on trial at Millwall in the summer, as did our own Ossie Bayram. In the end the Lions only signed the Wanderers striker, & Ossie returned to Champion Hill, scoring 33 goals for us the next season, as we bounced back as champions at the first attempt, which was their loss not ours!
But Jimmy Langley would not be in charge for that magnificent campaign. He left once the season was over. Some South London non-league managers were safe in their jobs. The local press reported, after the close of the season, that "Tooting & Mitcham manager Jack Payne has agreed to stay at Sandy Lane after another successful season." Jack Payne? Whatever happened to him? I doubt any Hamlet fans back then could ever have envisaged that the gaffer of the arch enemy would end around three decades later as our Chairman!
There was just one more game to play, at home to Redhill, in the first round of a one off Surrey Centenary Cup competition, which was organised by the Surrey Football Association to commemorate their one hundred years of existence. It was an invitational competion for eight of the county's oldest clubs-and not eight of the oldest " country's " clubs, which our programme inadvertently stated! It was to contine over the latter months of the year, during the next season. This match must have been a bit like 'after the Lord Mayors Show', and similar to how fans felt many years later, in May 2004, when we lost to Wealdstone in a penalty shoot-out to miss out on a last promotion spot. I mentioned earlier how I cried after I missed the coaches to Wycombe, as a ten year old. I was also in tears after that Wealdstone play-off, when I was a little older, aged thirty seven! We defeated arch rivals Tooting & Mitcham United two days later in the London Senior Cup Final 2-0 at Hendon, through two Omari Coleman goals. Back in '77 it was a closer 3-2 winning margin that signed off the 'nearly miracle man' reign of Jimmy Langley. Ossie Bayram bagged two more before his short sojourn down The Den, before Redhill hit back, with Charlie Pooley snatched the winner with ten minutes to go in a very disappointing season. There was a statistical consolation of note at that Redhill game, as stalwart defender Rodney Brookes made his 56th appearance of the season, to become the first Dulwich Hamlet player to be ever present, since Reg Merritt, way back in 1959/60!
Over thirty years since that relegation season second generation Hamlet fan Liam Hickey, whose young son Joe has followed in his footsteps in the finest family tradition of supporting Dulwich, recalled: "On paper we should have been in the top five with the players we had at our disposal, but football isn't played on paper! We really should have been a shoe-in for one of the top spots. But in lots of the games I'm sure we dominated, but just didn't score, losing to late goals. There was one player we had, I can't recall his name off the top of my head all these years later. He was a long haired elegant midfielder, I think signed from a professional club. Probably far too classy for us, but he wasn't prepared to roll up his sleeves and get dirty in a relegation dogfight team. One silly thing that sticks in my mind about Jim Langley was at an away game at Hendon. I had got there early enough to listen to him ranting outside the changing rooms shocked at how small they were! He was sayig they weren't even big enough for a five-a-side team. Many years later, helping the Club with the kit, I found out exactly what he meant! The old Claremont Road must have had the smallest changing rooms anywhere! With regard to Langley himself I am pretty sure that if he had been appointed three or four weks earlier we would have stayed up."
Another lifelong Dulwich fan, Malcolm Meredith, who regularly travels to home games nowadays from Harlow, in Essex, & has been a Hamlet follower since the early sixties, tries to remember:
"It's all a bit in the dim and distant past now, but we often appeared to lose in the last five minutes after dominating for the previous 85! We seemed to lack a bit of fitness too. My own abiding memory of the run in when we nearly beat the drop was the home game against Croydon. Fred Pudney I will never forget scored with a flying header, for only his second goal of the season. I was so surprised that I actually slipped & fell down the terraces I was laughing so much! Even going into the last game, despite it being Wycombe, I was totally convinced we were going to stay up. There was a great atmosphere, in front of a big crowd, and we must have had several hundred fans there. But the slope at Wycombe is always worth a goal or two for them, and that was too much for us. If it would have been on a flat pitch it would have been a draw."
Just one week after the final Redhill game the 'South London Press' headline read:
DULWICH AXE LANGLEY.
Would he have wanted to stay? Who knows? He certainly wasn't that old, being 48 when our manager, but never returned to the hot seat anywhere. Was he disillusioned by the 'axe'? We will never know. We can only go on this press report which told us the following:
"The decision not to re-engage Langley was taken at a Committee meeting on Thursday night. "Jim was only appointed for the rest of the season in March", said Club official John Lawrence. "And although he did a good job with the team he does live in West Drayton which is a long haul from Dulwich. He would have found it difficult to training and matches and we decided it was not really on. We are now looking for a track suit manager who will also do the coaching. "
One of the favourites for the job was Ted Murphy, who had previously coached at Champion Hill under Jimmy Rose. But the post went later in the close season to an unknown young man from Wimbledon FC called Alan Smith... but his reign in charge is for another day in the 'Hamlet Historian'!
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