11 things that happened to Dulwich Hamlet this week

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Image: Duncan Palmer Photography

Ben Sibley gives a recap of a memorable week for Dulwich Hamlet…

Tuesday – Meadow terminate DHFC’s licence to play at Champion Hill for “repeated breaches of the licence by the Club, together with unwarranted personal attacks on the company, which has funded the Club for a number of years and without which the Club would not have survived as long as it has”. Dulwich Hamlet are homeless.

Tuesday – On behalf of Meadow, UK law firm Blake Morgan contact Dulwich Hamlet claiming that ‘Dulwich Hamlet Football Club’, ‘The Hamlet’ and ‘DHFC’ had been registered as trademarks on 17 October 2017 and demanded that they no longer be used by the club.

Tuesday – Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn and leader of Southwark council Peter John issue a joint statement urging Meadow to walk away and sell the ground to Southwark Council at market value.

Sadiq Khan

Tuesday – DHFC representatives visit Westminster to meet MPs and Lords, lobbying their support for the club.

Tuesday – Club legend Nyren Clunis rolls the ball into an empty net having torn through the Billericay Town defence in the final minute of a 3-1 victory in Essex. It’s his 98th goal for Dulwich. The team with no home and no name leapfrog their title rivals into top spot as BTFC suffer their fourth successive league defeat.

Tuesday- American sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann pledges his support for DHFC with a selfie taken outside Meadow’s New York headquarters. Copa 90 hero and New York Cosmos superfan Patrick Infurna also gets involved.

keith

Wednesday – DHST release statement describing Meadow’s actions as a “clear and unconsciousable attempt to force the club into liquidation.” It also states that there is “no future for any development involving Meadow at Champion Hill.”

Wednesday – Meadow offer peace by way of offering to return DHFC trademark, and allowing the club to return to Champion Hill. They claim that Tuesday’s actions were the result of the club criticising them on social media and in public.

Thursday – Labour representative for Dulwich and West Norwood Helen Hayes secures a debate in parliament on DHFC’s current plight on Friday 16 March.

Thursday – Incredibly, a 90th minute free-kick from on-loan Hamlet goalkeeper Corey Addai finds the net and gives DHFC a 1-0 win over Brentwood Town and passage into the semi-finals of the Velocity Cup. The unlucky opposite goalkeeper? Corey’s cousin.

Thursday – Benji Lanyado, founder and CEO of Dulwich Hamlet headline sponsor Picfair, joins James Horncastle, Julien Laurens, David Preece and James Richardson for the latest episode of The Totally Football Show podcast. After Benji gives the lowdown on the situation at the club, former Gazzetta Italia host Richardson labels this season’s Hamlet home shirt to be among the “nicest in world football”, donning it for a quick photo in support of the Save Dulwich Hamlet campaign.

jimbo

 

Follow Ben on Twitter – @vicar_of_sibley

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