IN HAMLET WE TRUST
Fans united for ‘homeless’ Dulwich
THE Non-League community are rallying round in support of Dulwich Hamlet, who are standing defiant in their bitter row with stadium landlords Meadow Residential.
The Bostik Premier outfit have been locked out of their Champion Hill home and told they could no longer use their famous 125-yearold name. On Monday, Hamlet were slapped with a £121,000 bill for back rent that Meadow claim they owe and were told their licence to use Champion Hill had been terminated with immediate effect.
The following day, they received a letter from solicitors stating that trademarks for ‘Dulwich Hamlet’, ‘The Hamlet’, and ‘DHFC’ had been registered in October 2017, and requesting they desist from using them on printed literature and online.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined the rally in support of the club, while neighbours Tooting & Mitcham have agreed to host their remaining games this season if the situation can’t be resolved.
DULWICH Hamlet are refusing to be bullied by stadium owners Meadow Residential after they were locked out of their Champion Hill home and told they could no longer use their 125-year-old name.
The Bostik Premier club feel they are being used as leverage in a row that started out between the property developers and Southwark Council.
On Monday, Hamlet were slapped with a £121,000 bill for back rent Meadow now claim they owe and were told their licence to use Champion Hill had been terminated with immediate effect.
The following day the club received a letter from solicitors Blake Morgan representing a subsidiary of Meadow – Greendales IP LLC – stating trademarks for ‘Dulwich Hamlet’, ‘The Hamlet’, and ‘DHFC’ had been registered in October 2017, and requesting they desist from using them on printed literature and online, including on twitter. The request was met with defiance by the club and fans.
Amid all the turmoil a game of football broke out last Tuesday night as they travelled to Billericay Town, where they won 3-1 to leapfrog their hosts and move to the top of the table.
It’s been a complicated, and ever-changing, saga. Until recently, Meadow helped fund Dulwich as they looked to get the green light for a residential development that would have included a new stadium for the club.
Purchase
But when Southwark Council turned the plans down – part was on protected land and didn’t include enough affordable housing – Meadow withdrew their funding. In December, former England defender Rio Ferdinand – a close friend of Dulwich boss Gavin Rose – submitted a £10million bid to Meadow for the site through the affordable housing company, Legacy, he owns with Bobby Zamora and Mark Noble, but it was rejected out of hand.
Southwark council leader Peter John and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have written to Meadow Partners LLC in New York urging them to sell to Southwark, who are considering a compulsory purchase order for Champion Hill.
The letter read: “The present situation is threatening the very existence of DHFC; it does nothing to secure the delivery of the vision for the site of a retained and improved stadium for the football club alongside the delivery of new homes, including affordable homes, and it is damaging to Meadow itself and in particular its reputation for successfully delivering residential development in London. Therefore, we urge you to reconsider Meadow’s ongoing involvement in the site.”
The news has been met with a strong backlash throughout football, with former Dulwich Hamlet player Peter Crouch and ex-England star Gary Lineker among those tweeting their support, along with Championship club Millwall.
Local MP Helen Hayes has secured a debate in the House of Commons this coming Friday and a number of legal firms have offered assistance. Meadow released a statement saying they have no dispute
with the playing staff, fans and community, and mapped out a way forward, which included a call for Southwark Council to agree to “approach any future planning applications respecting planning law, policy and accepted due process”. They said they would transfer the trademarks across at no cost and also urged the council to withdraw a £300,000 legal costs claim against DHFC Ltd – something The NLP understands isn’t actually being pursued. Their words have been met with scepticism with Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust saying: “It now seems clear to us that there can be no future for any development involving Meadow at Champion Hill. There is only one honourable and responsible course for them now to take: to withdraw the statutory demand, reassign the trademark registrations, withdraw the termination of the licence and arrange the sale of Champion Hill at fair market value to Southwark Council or another party on terms that address any historic debt issues affecting the club.
Helping Hand
“Adversity has demonstrated the value of this club to our community. It is not too late for (company directors) Andrew McDaniel and Peter Bennison to step back from the brink and resolve this matter with honour. We call on them to accept that Meadow’s involvement at Champion Hill must now end, and to enter into good faith negotiations with interested parties for the rapid sale of Champion Hill on terms that give absolute priority to its long-term sustainability.”
Dulwich have been exploring groundshare options for their final six home games of the season, starting with Worthing on Saturday, and will move in with Tooting & Mitcham United. They have been unable to get into Champion Hill to retrieve kit and equipment.
Meanwhile, fellow Bostik Premier side Lowestoft Town have revealed they are facing a financial crisis. The Suffolk club, who spent two seasons in the National League North between 2014-16, say the situation is near critical and confirmed players and coaching staff are unpaid for January and February.
A statement said: “We recognise and understand this will be a cause of great concern to supporters and there are questions that will need to be answered.
“In light of this the club will release details of a supporter meeting in due course to lay out fully what situation we find ourselves in.”