Dulwich Hamlet 1-1 Hendon (4-3 pens), Monday 7th May 2018

Dulwich Hamlet 1-1 Hendon, AET (4-3 on pens) Bostik (Isthmian) League play-off final (att. 3,321)

‘You know it’s true, South London’s pink and blue’

Small queues...cos everyone's already in.

What a day, what an atmosphere. Dulwich Hamlet, spurred on by the heartbreak of missing out on top spot, and the anger of being locked out of their own stadium by merciless landlords, go on to rightfully gain a place in the National League South after a an energy-sapping slog in the extreme heat of the KNK Stadium, Mitcham. How the players (of both sides) managed in that heat, I’ll never know. I was getting a headache merely stood still and with my sunhat on, and a bottle of water to hand.

A packed home end.

Having visited Tooting and Mitcham FC via public transport the other week, I thought it so much easier to cycle there from Peckham, even if it would mean leaving my pink and blue scarf behind. It was quite a pleasant cycle ride too, courtesy of Google’s route finder for bikes. Once past Brixton, much of it seemed to be via parks and grassland full of half-naked members of both sexes. Something for everyone.

One lady's method of sun protection.

I timed it well too, getting to the ground with about 10 mins to kick off. The turnstiles were surprisingly not too busy, as everyone else got there early to ensure their space. Indeed, over 3,000 turned up, a stadium record the announcer told us later. I was probably quite lucky to get in, given the listed capacity is 3,500. The crowd was 200 and odd the other week for soon-to-be-relegated Tooting. What a difference.

While a gentleman whacks on the sun lotion.

I like Imperial Fields. There’s two decent sized terraces at either end, with cover in the middle of each. What Hamlet would do for two ends like this. What Hamlet would do for their own ground in present circumstances. Here’s a very brief summary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43307301 The Main Stand is cantilevered and tall , while the 4th side doesn’t really have a terrace, save for a couple of old railway sleepers.

Panorama from the Hendon end, 1st half.

The end nearest the turnstiles was chocker with Hamlet fans, a sea of pink and blue, with banners covering the home support as the teams came out. I walked around the perimeter for a decent view and ended up at the far end, in amongst the Hendon support. What I was really looking for was some shade, cos there was no way I could take this heat. I nearly got what I was looking for, but I was ideally placed to take advantage of the changing of ends at half time...

Hamlet fans pre-match.

Hendon took the lead after 36 minutes, Ashley Nathaniel-George cutting inside to bobble a 20 yarder under a complacent keeper. Were Dulwich heading for a 3rd successive play-off defeat, despite finishing 10 points ahead of Hendon in the league season actual? No worries, as it turns out, though the keeper made a tremendous save, low to his left, preventing 0-2. At the other end, Reise Allassani was a right handful, taking defenders on, getting shots off. The sweetest move of the match had Hamlet play the ball out left, then to the right, and returned for Allassani on the left to bring a smart save from the keeper.

The home end awaiting kick-off.

Half time came, and most fans changed ends. I used to love doing this at Feethams, home of the mighty Quakers, but in modern football I don’t think it happens beyond non-league. Still, due to the bottleneck of a two-step longside ‘terrace’, Hamlet fans took things into their own hands and simply walked down the pitch. That’s the spirit!

Half time and fans streak across the pitch (not literally).

Second half, I was worried the temperatures would hinder the Hamlet. Not a bit of it (the 1st 15, anyway) as the pink and blues took the game to the greens. One shot was cleared off the line, another crashed the bar, but Hamlet weren’t to be denied and a scramble brought the equaliser from Tomlin, forcing the ball in from close range. That 5 minute period could have seen Hamlet out of sight, but Hendon hung in there.

Hendon fans.

And that was about it, till extra time and penalties. In the latter 60 minutes (!), Dulwich hammered another off the bar, but otherwise, nought happened. Did I say how hot it was? I’ll give you a clue: players kicking the ball left a cloud of dust. Imperial Fields doesn’t appear to have undersoil sprinklers (yet).

Penalties, and I was really hoping they’d be at ‘our’ end. Does the ref ‘toss’ for things like this? I presume so, and a steward came running towards us, signalling (celebrating) that it was, indeed, to be at our end.

Penalties.  Come on you Pink and Blues!

Hendon went one up. Boooooo. Hamlet equalised, then Hendon missed two in a row. Easy life. Still, Hamlet tried to make it interesting, missing one of their own, before Akinyemi hit the winner. 4-3, and absolute mayhem. Having seen Stoke City and Barnsley get relegated in the last two days, it was great to see some genuine joy as fans invaded the pitch and jumped around with the players, before a convoluted winners’ presentation (‘can everyone please move back another 10 yards’). Well done Hendon, tremendous battle. Well done Hamlet, PROMOTED!!!!!!!!!!

See you in the Conference South. As one placard read ‘To Truro and beyond’. Now, if Hamlet can only return to Champion Hill….it’d knock 35 minutes off my cycle ride!

The Damage: £10 ent

The Tunes: 
Song For Alpha (Daniel Avery)
Mixmag Jan '08 (Simian Mobile Disco)

The winning penalty and celebration:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8wCIUpcqM

Pitch invasion awaiting the medal ceremony.

Panorama upon entry.

Panorama from the halfway line.

The players pre-match meet 'n' greet.

The Main Stand...no room at the inn.

Hendon's green and white St. George.

Indeed.

Don't be confused, the fans are Hendon's.

Hamlet strike a penalty home.

Some supporters find some shade after the match.

Players and fans celebrate promotion.

Terrace detritus.

Promotion secured, smoke bombs are lit.

Tooting and Mitcham United 1-4 Leatherhead, Monday 2nd April 2018

Tooting and Mitcham United 1-4 Leatherhead (att. c200), Isthmian League, Premier Division

Say no more...

A week or so ago, I decided I’d give Barnsley FC a miss on Easter Monday. It’s bad enough losing every week, but the new manager appears tactically devoid, and the train fares were ridiculous. In the end, it was a good job: Forest away was postponed, rained off. Plan B was go and see my local team, Dulwich Hamlet, at Kingstonian (who play at Leatherhead). This would be some irony, going to watch The Hamlet (freshly kicked out of their ground) play away at Kingstonian (kicked out of their ground when AFC Wimbledon sold their stadium to Chelsea). On a whim, I checked the game was on before I left the house. ‘Pitch inspection at 11:30’ I was told. Never a good sign, game was called off due to waterlogging.

Back of the Main Stand...in T&M's black and white stripes.

Thus, it was Plan C – go to see Kingstonian’s landlords, Leatherhead, play at Dulwich’s new landlords, Tooting and Mitcham. Are you keeping up? Anyway, at least a chance to scout out the route, ready for when I go see Hamlet there. And good job I did too, as it took me 2 bloody hours from Peckham! No news on National Rail of the trains being called off from Streatham, the rail replacement bus left without announcement, I caught another bus to somewhere in Tooting (or Mitcham – I don’t know the area), to get a connecting bus to Mitcham Junction, which was walkable to the ground. Only it wasn’t (the way I went). Expecting a pleasant walk through open heath, I got sucked into an industrial estate before wandering alongside the River Wandle, with no prospect of a crossing to the ground on the other side.

The Fens, Mitcham.

At least I could hear the tannoy through the trees, so carried on till I hit the main road and a bridge. (I’d return this way, a bus to Tooting Broadway, then hitting the Northern Line. Way easier, 1 hour 20 the way back, tho this kills my theory that everywhere in London takes an hour to get to. But is Mitcham ‘London’?) I’d missed kick off by a couple of minutes, but it was easy in, through what looked like the only turnstile open. I guess 2nd off bottom Tooting weren’t expecting a big crowd, and they were right…about 200, with a good quarter coming from Leatherhead.

The turnstiles.

I can see why Dulwich would choose to come here too. There’s two large terraces behind each goal (certainly larger than the ones at Champion Hill), both with cover, and a decent cantilever main stand. However, the roofs are all too high, and the stands behind the goals have no backing, meaning the wind howls through them. So if it rains, the rain would still blow in. These stands would be better off in hotter climes, protecting fans from the sun. Luckily, the rain had eased off, though there was a breeze.

Behind the goal with the 'head.

I stood behind the goal at the end I’d entered, with the throng of Leatherhead fans. The pitch was extremely heavy, the ball barely rolled, and players found themselves unable to pass a ball 20 yards without resorting to the hoof. The enormous Tooting centre half was particularly adept at the launching of a clearance to nobody in particular. Still, Tooting broke, and a long range shot from wide cannoned off the far post. At this point, I didn’t realise Tooting had lost 7 (seven) in a row and were 2nd off bottom – they looked the better team.

Leatherhead fans (and their pints).

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. In a scramble (a corner?) a T&M player cannoned into the back of an opponent, who collapsed spectacularly. Penalty, 0-1. Then, Leatherhead had a corner, which was poorly played to the front (right hand) post. The left back, inexplicably on the post for the RIGHT footer, messed up the clearance with his left, another corner. The ball was put into the SAME spot, only the left back this time swung and missed (did the opposition know how inept he was?) and the ball hit a Leatherhead player, before he had the wits about him to turn and poke it home. ‘Leather Leather Leather Leather Leather-head’ sang the away support.

The penalty is despatched.

Half time came and a chance to have a walk around the stadium. The 4th side has a couple of steps and a corrugated metal back, to prevent anyone watching the game for free from the fields behind. They could do with some of this at the back of those open ends. There’s a couple of steps, more than enough for the dozen or so watching from this side in the 1st half.

I’d also seen people with beer, but I never did locate where they were acquired; it mattered not, it wasn’t the weather for one for me. I walked around to the Main Stand and grabbed a tea and a Snickers. £1.80. Professional clubs take note.

The Far Side.

2nd half was another gruelling effort on the stodge of a pitch. T&M were holding their own, till Leatherhead scored two from rebounds, the keeper’s excellent saves not matched by any of his defenders following up to clear. With a few of the home support drifting off, there was finally something for the homers to cheer, with a late deflected long range effort. There were a few claps, but the biggest response was from the clearly disappointed Leatherhead keeper; no clean sheet today.

Full-time and a comfortable win for the ‘head. (I know they’re ‘The Head’ cos therir fans kept singing as such.) It was good to see a new ground. The Tooting and Mitcham experience lacks for the atmosphere of, say, Dulwich, or the sociability of Carshalton, but with three tallish stands and very few supporters, you get a decent view. Shame about the football.

The Damage:
£10 ent
£2 programme

The Tunes:
Lazaretto (Jack White)
Art of the State (Pressure of Speech)
Return to the Source (Various)

Tooting panorama from the Main Stand.

Tooting panorama from behind the goal.

Match action.

Imperial Fields, AKA the 'KNK Stadium'

The Main Stand.

The Far Side faithful.

Isolated flooding.

Surely there's an 'and' missing?

Main Stand.

No doubting the substitution.

The view from the Main Stand.

Built like a rugby player...and covered in mud like one too.

Still no 'and'.

The away end, 2nd half.

The Main Event.

Dulwich Hamlet 2-0 Needham Market, Saturday 7th October 2017

Dulwich Hamlet 2-0 Needham Market, att. 2,419

‘Some cats are eaters, not lovers.’

Welcome to ...

Brilliant.  A month back into my new season and a second international break. Still, the chance of a rest from watching my team (Barnsley) and as it’s ‘non-league day’ I’m off to my local side, Dulwich Hamlet.  And actually, it was my girlfriend’s idea, but, after lunch at Miss Tapas (the finest eaterie in Peckham), she chickened out.  The inconsistent weather had given her the perfect excuse.

These people aren't walking...it's the queue!

I cycled the 10 mins to the Champion Hill ground and parked up by Sainsbury (it has its uses).  The queue for the stadium stretched around the corner and over a zebra crossing, but Hamlet had opened another turnstyle further around the ground and the queue shrunk fast.  Dulwich enjoy healthy crowds, average well over 1,000, but today was a bumper 2,419.  I don’t know what constitutes ‘profits’ but I hope Dulwich reap some of what they sow and ‘charidee’ doesn’t milk all of it, as advertised.  DHFC are too nice by half.

I didn't have any change...so a tenner they got.

Once in, programme bought, it was time for a beer.  The main stand, on the right, has a great social club, with views of the pitch.  The bar was 7 or 8 deep and the temperature was tropic.  I was off to the other bar, in the corner of the stadium.  No-one will even know about it.  I was wrong.  I joined a queue which stretched beyond the goal.  Still, I was able to chat to a Swedish female, who’d adopted Hamlet as her local team and wondered how long I’d supported them.  ‘Errr…..’

The view from the beer queue.

It took me 40 minutes to get to the front of the beer queue.  At least I could still see snippets of the action, but my theory was Hamlet were waiting for me to get my beer before scoring.  As I reached the beer hut, the cheer went up.  1-0.  With the teams at opposite ends of the Bostick Premier, I feared that would signal a deluge.  And yet, as I exited the beer hut with 2 cans of IPA in my bag, I looked up in time to see the Hamlet keeper make a diving save at the far end and the crowd at this end celebrate like mad, presumably a pen missed.

The club shop.

I leave the crowd behind the goal to join the terrace opposite the Main Stand, under cover.  It was emptier than most areas earlier, but now it’s heaving, or as heaving as 3 steps can be.  To think, this stadium once held 20,000 (albeit under a different footprint).  What I’d give for a bigger terrace, I thought, as I viewed the match from behind two lines of people at pitch level.  Still, I was able to see the Dulwich centre forward race onto a throughball to slip it under the keeper.  2-0 and half time.  

(A Barnsley supporting friend later pointed out that the goalscorer was previously one of ours; Barnsley junior to the 7th tier in one fell swoop - about right.  We haven't developed a decent centre forward since David Hirst, 30 odd years ago).

A busy crowd at Champions Hill.

Much of the home support behind the goal moved to the opposite (Dog Kennel Hill) end, and as others re-located, I was able to pinch a spot at the top of the terrace, somewhere near the halfway line.  Perfect.  Shame then that the less said about the second half, the better.  In summary, Hamlet put the ‘dul’ into ‘Dulwich’ by kicking it backwards and square, while Needham were happy to get men behind the ball and limit the damage.  At least I had another can of Fruit Box to drink, and a pee at Sainsbury’s to enjoy.  It has its uses.

The Rabble - a packed Dog Kennel Hill end.

Drink du jour: Fruit box ‘citrus IPA’.

Away: no idea.  Never saw any that could be identified. 

The Damage:
£10 ent (‘pay what you want’)
£2 prog
£10 scarf
£4.20 beer (x2)
= £26.20

Dulwich Hamlet v Needham Market panorama.

No room at the inn: the Main Stand.

Welcome to (II)....

Behind the goal, 1st half.

The best view (not) in the ground.

Welcome to the Hamlet!

The full time wind down.

Gratuitous photo of the author's cat ('Redfearn'), when I got home.