DHFC Women's Team

[Roger D]

I think academy grounds should be banned at this level, should be a proper stadium

Don't agree. Whether we like it or not the future of women's football at the top three or four tiers revolves around monied clubs, who can find the sort of whole club infrastructure - at all age groups - to develop future players. Ordering them to play all matches at a hugely expensive ground would be a retrograde decision. They should certainly be encouraged to develop gates, with a view to ultimately moving all home matches to the main stadium. As Arsenal are well down the road to doing.

Big stadia may be nice for fans but, to boost the long term strength of women's football, if anyone is to be acted against there would be a stronger argument to target teams without a girls / development infrastructure behind them.

 

[Alex W]

I think they played twice at Carrow Road last season. Both games well in the thousands. (I think 8k for the last game of the season)
But The Nest is a lovely facility, very modern but in the middle of nowhere. Nothing nearby and the public transport around that area isn't great either. Hoping for a Carrow Road away day though.

We'll certainly bang the drum for a Carrow Road game on the Pepper Army social channels. Fulham Lillies (their women's fan group) were kind enough to formally ask Fulham to move our cup game at Motspur Park to Craven Cottage, but were denied.

We'd certainly bring more to Norwich than anyone else in the league, which is an argument in our favour.

Realistically though, I imagine the key factor will be whether Norwich's men's team have a home game on a similar date.

 

[DHFC_Programmes]

Round up of all the clubs in our league.

Meet our Women's National League Opponents

The official website of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Official Website | Isthmian Premier League | Women's National League Division 1 South East

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

 

[Pink Panther]

Round up of all the clubs in our league.

Meet our Women's National League Opponents

The official website of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Official Website | Isthmian Premier League | Women's National League Division 1 South East

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

Chatham no longer play at Priestfield Stadium, they were playing at Chatham Town FC last season. (One of their pre-season matches against Watford is at Rochester United, so maybe they use that for some league games too?)

London Bees play most if not all their games on the auxiliary 3G pitch at The Hive, not in the 6,500 capacity Stadium with a grass pitch. I've never been, but it looks to be a very basic 3G cage with an uncovered terrace along the length of one side with some basic catering facilities. The men's team also uses it for county cup matches, much to the annoyance of many away supporters. Doesn't look a great venue for supporters, sadly:

GALLERY | LONDON BEES 3-6 CHELTENHAM TOWN – London BEES

londonbeesfc.com

 

[DHFC_Programmes]

Thanks will update that

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

Don't agree. Whether we like it or not the future of women's football at the top three or four tiers revolves around monied clubs.

I didn't mean they should have to use the main stadium, I just meant they should be playing in some sort of purpose built ground with turnstiles and catering and various vantage points around the pitch.

Fulham for example are hugely wealthy and could easily find a ground to rent but choose to hide their women on a training complex where tickets can't be bought on the day.

 

[Paula_G]

Round up of all the clubs in our league.

Meet our Women's National League Opponents

The official website of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Official Website | Isthmian Premier League | Women's National League Division 1 South East

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

Already mentioned this on Facebook but there’s no way on earth Rectory Park has a capacity of 4k! Played there with Clapton CFC at the start of last season and it’s a very basic though adequate sports centre complex with two artificial pitches. The pitch Actonians were using had two small stands and I believd there is only hard standing on one side and behind one goal. There’s a basic tea bar outside though not sure there is anywhere to get anything stronger in the complex. Might be BYOB if supporters need refreshment.

 

[Cat Daisy]

Already mentioned this on Facebook but there’s no way on earth Rectory Park has a capacity of 4k! Played there with Clapton CFC at the start of last season and it’s a very basic though adequate sports centre complex with two artificial pitches. The pitch Actonians were using had two small stands and I believd there is only hard standing on one side and behind one goal. There’s a basic tea bar outside though not sure there is anywhere to get anything stronger in the complex. Might be BYOB if supporters need refreshment.

There was a bar indoors but pretty minimal. Yes two covered sections along the only side open to fans when I went to a Middx League match there. Could maybe hold 1000 tops?

 

[Paula_G]

Could maybe hold 1000 tops?

Sounds like a few nightclubs I could mention!!

 

[Roger D]

No direct Hamlet impact but things are changing out Dartford / Bromley way. Serious money is being spent to find a standalone women's side not linked to a Premier ,/ EFL side

London City Lionesses start new era with Asllani signing

US businesswoman Michele Kang has ambitious plans for Women’s Championship side, starting with Sweden’s captain and PSG’s manager

www.theguardian.com

 

[darryl]

No direct Hamlet impact but things are changing out Dartford / Bromley way. Serious money is being spent to find a standalone women's side not linked to a Premier ,/ EFL side

London City Lionesses start new era with Asllani signing

US businesswoman Michele Kang has ambitious plans for Women’s Championship side, starting with Sweden’s captain and PSG’s manager

www.theguardian.com

With Dartford City (damn, can't use that joke anymore) London City Lionesses moving to Bromley it'll hopefully mean Dartford taking their own women's set-up a bit more seriously - they were decent last season.

 

[Pink Panther]

With Dartford City (damn, can't use that joke anymore) London City Lionesses moving to Bromley it'll hopefully mean Dartford taking their own women's set-up a bit more seriously - they were decent last season.

Conversely, what does it mean for Bromley's own women's set-up? They play at the same level as Hamlet reserves (in the other regional division) but missed out on the sole promotion place to Newhaven despite winning all but 3 of their games, mostly by huge margins, and finishing about 20 points clear of 3rd place. It's now a Football League club, so you'd expect their women's team to have more prominence than Level 6 of the women's pyramid. Their attendances seemed to range from 150+ to under 100 at Hayes Lane, but presumably this arrangement with London City will squeeze them out, especially as the pitch will have been switched from 3G to grass. Would we want a separate women' club of that stature sharing Champion Hill, and what consequences would that have for our own women's teams?

There seems to be something of a conflict between a standalone women's club relying on an established men's club hosting its games. The linked article mentions an extensive development of a 23 acres training facility, which sounds great, but what about an actual match venue for a club aiming for the Superleague? I've no idea what sort of attendances they get, as I've been unable to track down any statistics.

 

[Paula_G]

Must admit I was surprised to see LCC go to Bromley. Didn’t play against them last season with Clapton CFC but may do this as they have been switched to the North Division One of LSEWFL where DHFC Reserves also play. Feedback I got from others around is that they were far & away the best footballing side in that division. Should be very interesting the battle for D1N next season especially now that Brentford are going as close to full time as possible, apparently training 3 times a week. Much as I fear that as a player it’s pretty positive given the things happening throughout the game.

 

[Paula_G]

They play at the same level as Hamlet reserves (in the other regional division)

Switched to D1N in the summer allocations.

 

[Paula_G]

I've no idea what sort of attendances they get, as I've been unable to track down any statistics.

They don’t seem to have published their attendances apart from one, the Vitality Cup 4th Round tie with Moneyfields at Princes Park which drew 2381. Can’t see any reason for that to be excessively high so maybe they are better attended than one might believe.

 

[Pink Panther]

They don’t seem to have published their attendances apart from one, the Vitality Cup 4th Round tie with Moneyfields at Princes Park which drew 2381. Can’t see any reason for that to be excessively high so maybe they are better attended than one might believe.

Possibly, although the article linked earlier refers to "typical images" of "sparsely populated" Princes Park, whereas 60% capacity in an entirely covered and mostly terraced stadium ought to look pretty full. I'm sure someone told me they were playing there while our women's team played Dartford on the 3G next door last season, and there seemed to be "a few hundred" in the ground. By way of comparison, I saw an average figure of around 800 for Lewes women in the same division a few days ago.

 

[Roger D]

The lead pictures on the match reports on their website suggests sparse attendances. I looked at the last few matches last season, the only one with a good crowd showing in the background is a cup match versus Arsenal.

Obviously it's possible the other photos all avoid a full stand but most clubs are aware of how that looks and will try to find a flattering lead photo.

 

[ftg6]

Women's 24/25 fixtures announced:

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club - Women's Fixtures & Tickets

Dulwich Hamlet FC Women's team fixtures and tickets

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

Looks like QPR and Norwich not bothering to play us at Loftus/Carrow road which is a shame.

Abbey Stadium for Cambridge probably the biggest ground from a quick scan through?

 

[Pink Panther]

Women's 24/25 fixtures announced:

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club - Women's Fixtures & Tickets

Dulwich Hamlet FC Women's team fixtures and tickets

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

Looks like QPR and Norwich not bothering to play us at Loftus/Carrow road which is a shame.

Abbey Stadium for Cambridge probably the biggest ground from a quick scan through?

The FA Full Time website has all QPR fixtures at Hanwell Town FC, all Norwich fixtures at The Nest (training ground) and all Cambridge United fixtures at St Neots Town FC, including ours. The QPR and Cambridge websites aren't displaying their own fixtures yet, and Norwich's lists all fixtures at The Nest. Maybe Cambridge have already confirmed Abbey Stadium for our visit, but I reckon it's possible these clubs haven't yet decided which (if any) fixtures will be staged at their main stadium.

Real Bedford home and away on Wednesday evenings isn't ideal for either club. You'd think they might have paired clubs with a more local opponent for the only scheduled midweek rounds.

I think all the London Bees games will be on the 3G pitch next door, so it'll be rather like the one at Dartford. London Seaward is a nice easy journey first up, right next to Barkingside Underground Station. Chesham is a classic old fashioned non-league ground in a lovely setting, only 10 minutes walk from the Underground station at the far end of the Metropolitan Line.

 

[scousedom]

First glance that’s a nice set of aways at the right times. I had my eye on Cambridge, Norwich and Sudbury as enjoyable places to spend a day if the weather was nice - and September, August and April gives as good a chance as any.

 

[Pink Panther]

First glance that’s a nice set of aways at the right times. I had my eye on Cambridge, Norwich and Sudbury as enjoyable places to spend a day if the weather was nice - and September, August and April gives as good a chance as any.

Norwich away is December, we're playing them at home in August.

 

[scousedom]

Norwich away is December, we're playing them at home in August.

Ah balls.
Okay then. Norwich Christmas Markets it is.

 

[Paula_G]

Women's 24/25 fixtures announced:

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club - Women's Fixtures & Tickets

Dulwich Hamlet FC Women's team fixtures and tickets

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

Looks like QPR and Norwich not bothering to play us at Loftus/Carrow road which is a shame.

Abbey Stadium for Cambridge probably the biggest ground from a quick scan through?

Some of these teams (whose male teams play in the football league) have used international breaks to play games on their “main” pitch. Believe Norwich used Carrow Road last season and in L&SEWFL D1N Brentford played Ashmount Leigh at the Gtech. Rather disappointing as they could have played Clapton CFC or DHFC Reserves for some travelling support. Looking at the fixtures though every planned international break sees Dulwich at home.

 

[Paula_G]

The midweek match ups sort of make sense but if you think the trip to Real Bedford is a bit of a push I’d look at Cambridge and Chatham being paired.

 

[Pink Panther]

The midweek match ups sort of make sense but if you think the trip to Real Bedford is a bit of a push I’d look at Cambridge and Chatham being paired.

Bedford/Cambridge and Chatham/Dulwich would surely have been more logical. The fact the other 4 pairings give each team one of their most local opponents just makes these two look more stupid.

 

[DHFC_Programmes]

The FA Full Time website has all QPR fixtures at Hanwell Town FC, all Norwich fixtures at The Nest (training ground) and all Cambridge United fixtures at St Neots Town FC, including ours. The QPR and Cambridge websites aren't displaying their own fixtures yet, and Norwich's lists all fixtures at The Nest. Maybe Cambridge have already confirmed Abbey Stadium for our visit, but I reckon it's possible these clubs haven't yet decided which (if any) fixtures will be staged at their main stadium.

Real Bedford home and away on Wednesday evenings isn't ideal for either club. You'd think they might have paired clubs with a more local opponent for the only scheduled midweek rounds.

I think all the London Bees games will be on the 3G pitch next door, so it'll be rather like the one at Dartford. London Seaward is a nice easy journey first up, right next to Barkingside Underground Station. Chesham is a classic old fashioned non-league ground in a lovely setting, only 10 minutes walk from the Underground station at the far end of the Metropolitan Line.

Hi, I put up the fixtures on the website based on where they usually play. We did not get venues when they sent us the fixtures so I suspect a lot of venues are still not decided

 

[Paula_G]

The grounds on FA full time are the most reliable and you’re unlikely to see many changes from that at this level.

 

[Pink Panther]

The grounds on FA full time are the most reliable and you’re unlikely to see many changes from that at this level.

Nevertheless the fixtures have literally just been released, so the likes of Cambridge and Norwich clearly haven't selected any matches for the big grounds yet. We may get lucky with one of them, although I realise these are most likely to coincide with the international weekends.

QPR seem to have Hanwell Town as their default venue, which is a nice non-league ground 10 minutes walk from Perivale underground station, but a lot of men's games were postponed on that pitch last season and they ended up playing regularly at their training facility near Heathrow,

 

[darryl]

Bedford/Cambridge and Chatham/Dulwich would surely have been more logical. The fact the other 4 pairings give each team one of their most local opponents just makes these two look more stupid.

Is there anything stopping the clubs rearranging these matches themselves? (Apart from venue availability...)

 

[Pink Panther]

Is there anything stopping the clubs rearranging these matches themselves? (Apart from venue availability...)

Venue availability is irrelevant, as each of these 4 clubs has one midweek home game. Everyone can keep the same home dates, it's just a question of swapping the away teams. (Obviously other games may end up in midweek due to cup runs or postponements due to the weather.)