And so today we all say goodbye to Mishi Dulwich Morath – and I’ll join old pals in the football club bar around 5.30.
Our farewell will be to a bloke who knew what it was like to love, for Mishi unerringly and without a hint of ever wavering, loved Dulwich Hamlet Football Club.
In an age of analysis of football – assist, VAR, who the next sensation is – Mishi transcended that. I used to badger him that I was never convinced he knew that much about the game. Mishi wasn’t one for discussing the press, or False 9s. That’s because Mishi LOVED football.
He loved the camaraderie. He loved his mates down the club and the huge number he met when “not” groundhopping. He wrote fanzines, often outrageous and usually arguably scandalous. Which, of course, made the read all the better.
The Hamlet is a very inclusive space now. But back in the late 80s, early 90s it was more of an oasis for the left-behind, the slightly odd and the eccentric. Which is probably why I landed there, and would be meeting the likes of Shaun Dooley, Richard Watts and others at silly early times at Liverpool Street Station to get to darkest Essex and weird places a 17-year-old had not heard of – Grays Athletic, Aveley FC. Madness really.
All these meetups, these can of lager opened at 8am bonding sessions, were organised by Mishi. And my god he was fearful character and my god did you make sure you were there on the dot. If not, he’d bellow at you for being a fair-weather supporter – or in my case a Scouse Bastard due to my lifelong love of the Reds.
You went these places and you sung: “Come on Dulwich, Come on Dulwich” and “Edgar Kail in My Heart”. Often, I’d then end up with sixth form school mates around 9pm after a full day “on it” ready to then go Venue. I think to this day my local mates were probably astounded/amazed/dumfounded that I could be out all day at the Hamlet and then all-night dancing.
The sense of justice, of doing the right thing, made Mishi a Force of Nature. Unswervingly honest to the point of occasional coming to blows. But that was Mishi, we probably all wish we had even half of his Truth. Say what you think, no buttering up from Mishi.
I’ll leave others to talk of his amazing turnaround from alcohol to a sobriety life and achieving truly great things in the community and beyond. They are well-documented elsewhere and it is why the football club will be heaving tonight.
Burt the Squirt he used call me.
Mishi, you were a great friend, on occasion we had proper verbal too.
A one off and a Legend.
Love you fella and I’ll raise a glass tonight of lager with the boys, even if Pepsi Max became your drink of choice.
Burty x