Dulwich Hamlet FC, the example of English football
The historic club in south-east London has recently seen Meadow, the company that ran the club and owns its stadium, expelled them from their home and even banned the use of their own name. However, the fight of its fans and the support of local politicians could unleash a government action focused on protecting clubs from their owners.
By
Juan Corellano | 02/04/2018
DULWICH HAMLET
Dulwich Hamlet FC, famous in the UK despite being a semi-professional and one of the oldest clubs in the country, celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. It should be a year dedicated to the celebration of the feat that involves completing a century and a quarter of history in a world as volatile as it is sometimes the football. However, it is rather a stage to forget. In this case, the team's sporting performance is the least important, because what is in suspense is the existence of this football club that until now had been tremendously long-lived. The Dulwich Hamlet is a club whose greatest value, for which it is known in the country, does not reside in its actions on the lawn, but in its involvement in charitable causes and community work.
It all started with the arrival of a new investor outside the club, something that sadly is usually a common denominator in similar cases of clubs taken to bankruptcy. This was the case of Meadow Partners, an American construction company that became the new owner of the grounds of the club's stadium, Champion Hill, and managed its finances in 2014. The arrival came about due to the severe financial problems Dulwich was at that time. The new owners landed with real estate plans for the acquired land outside the team and the promise to help the club with its debts and in the construction of a new stadium in the area caused that the initial support of the fans was won.
However, these plans were stopped by several urban problems. First, his proposal, which included the construction of 155 homes, did not meet the municipal requirement of having at least 35% of properties at an affordable price for people with lower incomes. In addition, the lands, qualified as Metropolitan Open Land, are the most technically protected in the London area. As a result of this, his proposal was rejected by the authorities. After this setback, the company decided to withdraw from the management of the team's finances, which were returned to the hands of fans, and went on to own only the field and its grounds. Due to a high rate of seasonal economic losses caused by poor management, Meadow left the club with a significant increase in debt as a legacy. This went from a relatively manageable figure of 150,000 pounds in 2014 before his arrival, to the 700,000 that the club owes today. This economic hole, in addition to having increased, in many cases is of unknown origin due to the opacity of Meadow's management. In short, the club was forced to face completely unaffordable payments for a team led by its fans through a commission of volunteers.
Even with everything, this was not the end of the penance of Dulwich Hamlet. Meadow decided last March 5 to evict without warning the team of the land that had been the home of the club for more than 75 years. Since then, the club plays temporarily their home games in the field of Tooting & Mitcham United FC, a local rival that has welcomed them in a disinterested manner. When it seemed impossible, the story took a new turn and Meadow decided to register the names of 'Dulwich Hamlet FC' and 'The Hamlet' and the initials 'DHFC', as well as prohibiting the club and its fans from using it. «
When they registered in name we just laughed. We have received legal advice and they have told us that they can not do that, the name is and has been ours for 125 years, they can not just register it now. It was really stupid on his part and, above all, on his legal team, "says Duncan Hart, former president of the Supporters Trust and member of the Save Dulwich Hamlet platform. The latter is an organization that recently emerged as a coalition of amateur groups whose goal is to bring together the efforts of these in the task that is most urgent at this time: save the team from the disappearance.
However dramatic and special the recent history of Dulwich Hamlet is, it is, however, much more common than it seems in the United Kingdom, as many clubs of different levels are facing situations close to disappearance for similar causes. The case of Dulwich has had special repercussion in the media, because it is a club that, despite not competing at a professional level, is well known both for its history and its activity outside the field. Many British clubs are rooted in the community to which they belong and contribute a social value that is often overlooked, such as helping people to integrate and feel part of that community, collecting money for different charitable causes, offering entertainment. for the younger ones, etc. In particular, Dulwich is known to be very active in this facet. «
We have organized food banks for the most needy, we were one of the first clubs that supported causes against homophobia, we have collected funds for the refugee crisis ... we have proven to be there, open to anyone who wants to come » Hart.
Precisely this work has made the influx of the public has grown from about 200 fans in 2010 to around 1500, the largest difference in the category.
"People come to us because of the things we do for the community. This is not just a few guys kicking a ball on a Saturday at three in the afternoon, it's much more and that's precisely why Dulwich Hamlet should survive, " says Hart.
"People come to us because of the things we do for the community. This is not just a few guys kicking a ball on a Saturday at three in the afternoon. "
This notoriety has led them to receive support from public figures and figures, such as the mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn or former Manchester United soccer player Rio Ferdinand. The latter is a creative partner of the Legacy Foundation that he owns with Mark Noble and Bobby Zamora, whose objective is to build affordable housing for people with low incomes. Precisely through this society they made an offer to Meadow to buy the land for 10 million pounds. The plans presented by this company are in the interest of the club, the fans and the community, as they would be more beneficial for all, however, the American company has not accepted the offer, so that its progress is still pending and the future of the club uncertain. «
The only thing I tell Meadow is that it's time to go. You have ten million on the table, you put seven so you can still make a profit, why do not you accept them and leave? You are no longer welcome in our club or London, "says Hart.
Within this support received, the representative of the Parliament of the Dulwich & West Norwood Helen Hayes region was especially important. On March 16, she brought this issue to the British Parliament affirming in her speech that "
the situation in Dulwich is not isolated, it is representative of a much broader problem in which the short-term financial benefit seeks to assert itself on an institution valued not only in pounds and pennies, but in people, friendship, aspiration and history» Hayes's argument was answered by the Government's appointment of a neutral intermediary to try to bring the Dulwich case to a satisfactory conclusion, as well as the commitment to review this type of situation and contact both the FA and the Ministry of Finance. Planning to study possible actions in order to protect clubs from possible embezzlement by the owners of the field.
Despite all this bizarre history and having been expelled from their own home, the fans of the fight are still struggling to keep the club of their loves alive. After all the support given to the community during all these years, now they are the ones looking to receive it back, because the club is being financed by donations that fans and supporters make through the
Save Dulwich Hamlet page .
This may be the story that serves as a trigger for the British Government to act and begin to protect the clubs, their social heritage and, above all, their fans of modern football governed by finances, economic benefits and short-termism. Meanwhile, the struggle of Dulwich Hamlet FC continues: an exemplary club and hopefully the example to follow for English football.
