A POSH EVENING IN STORE AT THE HAMLET AS THE WIZARD OF ÖZ RETURNS

Pre season kicks off today with the visit of Peterborough United (and Erhun Oztumer) to Champion Hill.

Of course we’re used to a short summer on English shores but barely nine weeks after the disappointment of losing out in the playoffs, the preseason preamble gets started with the first of four games here at Champion Hill in just ten days! Hopefully the disappointment of that agonising semi in Margate has deflated and with the season proper exactly a month hence it is time to focus on the future not dwell on the past.

This evening we bid welcome to Peterborough United, a game arranged as part of the agreement that took Erhun Öztümer to London Road and the Posh installed as 10-1 second favourites in the race for the League One title we can expect a tough contest tonight. Given that Posh boss Dave Robertson is a former Royal Marine it would churlish to expect less! However it has been strange times at London Road for the Posh fans. Under previous manager Darren (son of Sir Alex) Ferguson, Peterborough had often been praised in some quarters for the quality of their football, slated in others for a brittleness that often saw them yoyo between triumph and adversity, the Perils of Posh I suppose. When Ferguson departed in March this year dim fears of relegation haunted London Road, four games, three wins and the incoming Robertson had not only secured the club’s safety but also a three year contract for himself.

For those Dulwich Hamlet fans that need a reminder of the exquisite skills of the player the Posh fans have nicknamed the “Turkish Messi”, Erhun scored over 60 goals from midfield in our team that won the Isthmian League Division One south title in 2013. To say some of goals were sublime would be an understatement! Though injury kept him out of the Peterborough team until December, Erhun marked his debut with a goal in a win away to Leyton Orient and will be raring to make his mark this term.

Erhun is not the only player with goals in his boots at London Road, after Peterborough made a bold move to bring Cliftonville’s record breaker goal scorer Joe Gormley into the Posh fold during the summer. Last season Gormley bagged 40 goals, including five hat tricks to smash the club’s records for goals in a season. Elsewhere on the field the Posh have made another key signing with Wales and West Ham United midfielder Jack Collison bringing him back to the club where he started his career in the academy.

Hopefully last season’s Peterborough club captain has not made his anticipated move back to his Kentish homelands ahead of this evening’s encounter if only for the looks of bemusement when Jack Payne is announced in the opposition line-up.

Of course if our venerable chair were to take the field it would of course be in the Pink and Blue. However in all Gavin Rose’s summer wheeler-dealing he has eschewed the latent footballing talents of the boardroom and ventured farther afield for his new recruits. In defence Dulwich welcome Mitchell Nelson from Magnate and Steve Sutherland of the Met Police. Midfield sees the coup of former Bromley skipper and Bermondsey boy, Danny Waldren whilst up front there seems sure to be plenty of competition with the prodigious Charlie Penny arriving from Welling and the much-travelled Jacob Erskine from Maidenhead United.

This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45 pm at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD.

The turnstiles will be open from approximately 5.30 pm with refreshment facilities available in the ground for early arrivals. As a very healthy crowd is expected, why not avoid the late rush and relax. Before the game enjoy a drink or snack in our cosy clubhouse with live sport on the big screens, conveniently situated just a short walk from the turnstiles?

ADMISSION PRICES

• £10 for Adults
• £4 for Concessions (Seniors - 60+, Under 18s, Unemployed (UB40, Full Time Students and Members of the Armed Forces and Blue Light Services. PLEASE present valid ID)
• 12 year olds and under FREE accompanied by a paying adult.

Correct change would be appreciated in order to speed admission. Many thanks!

Programmes: £2.00