On Saturday afternoon I tried to kill two birds with one stone having planned in a game without really checking the play off dates. In my defence Barnet FC have spent a majority of time since November in 3rd place meaning a Sunday fixture but events transpired the other way, that you can read this week on ‘So I don’t believe what happened at Barnet FC’.
Dulwich Hamlet vs Cray Wanderers, the hosts with a ground and set up I was intrigued to visit for a variety of reasons. The game was a dead rubber but having looked to see for weeks if I could fit in both sides around other games was impossible.
So, a first half trip it was to see what it’s all about there meeting up with long time friend Fiona Rubio who has connections to the area and the club. A long and slow journey up through Croydon from the Sussex coast, a sell out crowd expected with online sales all taken up by midweek.
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In a lot of cases people want to see what Hamlet do, they pull in big crowds week after week regardless what level they’re playing at. The season had petered out a couple of weeks ago to spend a second season in the Isthmian Premier Division.
The ground is a very good size and set between a Sainsburys and a small housing estate. The queue for tickets on the gate was long, and people were funnelling in right up to and beyond kick off time.
Having been met by Fiona’s friend Mel Hughes we were given a verbal map of where everything was and no word of a lie it was impressive. A merchandise container was you walk into the ground, laden with blue and pink hats, scarves, shirts etc, a roaring trade was going on.
Two large terraces behind the goals, a main stand that like a lot of these clubs have from years of old but full. Food stands were bristling with smells and waiting punters, a long area of a bar and places to sit the other side of the main stand, toilets all around and the food was extremely varied from souvlaki to chips and sausage rolls, busy and bringing in the money.
I don’t think you could ask for much more around the ground, a good mix and no moaning at queues nor of the choice.
On the pitch as mentioned it has been maybe a rebuild year after relegation from the National League South. Many would say a club of their size and stature should be higher, but of course it’s what you do on the grass.
Having to leave just before half time, we had seen two goals, but both going to their opponents, Anthony Cook with a cooly taken penalty and Gary Lockyer with a smart finish, Hamlet did reply a couple of minutes after we left.
However, the 2nd half belonged to Cray with Lockyer notching another three and the Wands running out 6-2 winners, a result I hadn’t seen coming when informed later upon arriving at The Hive.
A damp squib of an ending for the home side, a few things struck me however both good and bad at Champion Hill.
The crowd of 3,334 was exceptional for this level, some clubs in League Two and the National League top division would love that every week, the pricing isn’t much different to those in the same league but they have got the eye.
Everywhere you looked in groups of people every other person had a piece of merchandise at least, they’ve done that part of the market really well and imagine that during the course of the season for your club and that much being seen around the local area and further afield.
Of course that many people brings about increased monies through the concession stands too, it all helps to build a club up and keeping it running, but also on sustainable levels. All clubs carry some kind of debt throughout the years and seasons, it’s keeping it manageable.
The only thing that struck me they could improve on was the atmosphere. That many people in the stadium of all different demographics and culture and no chanting or singing. I appreciate it being a dead rubber, but nothing to encourage or drive the players on, it’s the only thing I could see that needs changing.
Certainly next season it will be a longer visit, parking is pretty easy around by the ground if you are there early enough. I had hoped to meet up with a couple of people, and managed it with one. Pete Fitzgerald I hadn’t seen for close on 35 years, maybe more, the one time goalkeeper for Otford Utd as I was growing and where my later father tended the pitches, I watched a game every weekend at a young age.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Sam Warman, a great supporter of this blog and one of the podcasts I’m involved in, that’s on the list for the next season.
So, that’s the regular season ticked off, the play offs have already begun for some and in two weeks’ time at Wembley my year concludes, but there is always plenty happening and going on in non-league football so you won’t be short of content.
What I would ask is if you enjoy what you read then share it with a friend, double the readership even if they take just a free subscription, in a time where the ‘sneaky 6’ are trying to dictate all manner within the game, get them down to our levels and enjoy the football far more, over to you….
