Founded in 1893, London club Dulwich Hamlet were at one time a leading amateur club. They are still in the Isthmian League but the club has had financial difficulties and Hadley Property Group were officially unveiled on Saturday as the new owners of Champion Hill Stadium and Dulwich Hamlet FC Ltd.
Founded in 1893, London club Dulwich Hamlet were at one time a leading amateur club. They are still in the Isthmian League but the club has had financial difficulties and Hadley Property Group were officially unveiled on Saturday as the new owners of Champion Hill Stadium and Dulwich Hamlet FC Ltd.
The club moved to Champion Hill in 1931. The stadium was used for amateur international matches, including the 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1991 the stadium was demolished as a new Sainsbury’s was built on the site. A new, smaller stadium was built over the former adjacent training pitch, which opened in 1993. In September 2013 it became the first football ground in Greater London to be listed as an Asset of Community Value.
The club website recounts what happened when over 200 fans came to a meeting after Saturday’s game: ‘The majority were shocked to hear from Football Club chairman Jack Payne how the Football Club Committee had been kept in the dark by the powers that be who ran Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Limited regarding the swathe of debts that almost wiped out our proud Club.
‘Peter Bennison, Chief Executive Officer of Hadley Property Group made a welcome and positive statement in announcing that his company had cleared all outstanding debts, to the tune of over £100,000, and were working to ensure that the Football Club Limited will be able to sustain itself in the future. He also stated that the Club’s long term future would continue to be in East Dulwich, though didn’t offer any details of potential redevelopment plans for the site.
‘The Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Committee welcome the input so far from all at Hadley. There is no doubt that without their financial assistance in sorting out the monetary mire that occurred under the last Limited Company administration, the very existence of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club would have been threatened.
‘All at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club realise that supporters still have concerns about the future and ask for their continued patience and understanding. There will be further meetings and everyone hopes this will herald a new era that will bring a bright future for the Club off the pitch to match the one we are enjoying on it.’