Here are the two most recent 'Commercial Columns' from our official matchday programme, as promised in our previous article

Saturday 24th September v. Carshalton Athletic

Good afternoon,
Thank you for coming along to support The Hamlet on this Bank Holiday weekend.

We are pleased to have a match ball sponsor for the match, a gesture from one of our loyal fans, who wishes to remain anonymous. It is sponsored under the title of “MARK ‘EM UP DULWICH”, which is a tribute to the late Pat Mitchell, or ‘Pat the Rattle’, as she was affectionately known, by most Hamlet fans down the years.

Sometimes when supporters are called ‘legendary’ it a word overused, but in her case she was. In later years frailer health meant she wasn’t able to get to Champion Hill, but she always kept in touch with how things were going, through other supporters. Quite simply, rain or shine, home and away she was at every game getting behind the team, alongside her husband Ron, who throughout the seventies and eighties and supporters coaches to EVERY SINGLE Hamlet away game, regardless of whether it was league, cup or friendly!

Ron, and their son John, also served for many years on the Club Committee. And when Pat passed away just after we had clinched the Division One South title, almost as if she could slip away to be reunited with Ron, content in her heart that her boys in Pink ‘n’ Blue were back where they belong, it was left to John to arrange the farewell to his mother. Tragedy struck his family, when the day after Pat’s funeral he felt unwell, and he himself died suddenly, in hospital the day after that.

Such a shock to his family, and I am sure all Hamlet fans who knew them will have fond memories of the whole Mitchell clan. Me personally…as a little boy, who grew up on the East Dulwich Estate, I am will always be in debt to them for their coaches, as a young boy still at primary school, as it enabled me to get to away games that I would never have been able to see otherwise, and cement a true love for me of our great club.

No matter where you go in life, someone will stop you if you’re wearing the colours, and reminisce about their trips to the old Champion Hill, whether a lapsed fan of ours or an away supporter. The common denominator in all of these conversations were invariably ‘I always remember an old lady with a rattle!’ and I took great pleasure in telling them that she was still about and as passionate as ever, even though she couldn’t get to games anymore. Sadly, now gone to the great ‘football ground in the sky’ I shall miss the occasional chats on the old dog & bone with her. To her family, I offer my deepest personal sympathies in their losses over the close season.

One thing that Ron, Pat & John were instrumental in was the old, defunct Dulwich Hamlet Supporters Club, under whose banner the coaches were run. That was back in the day when you knew if you actually raised money for the Football Club the money would actually go to help the Football Club, unlike modern supporters organisations we have nowadays, where the majority of money raised seems to sit stagnant in bank accounts.

But the ‘spirit’ of traditional fundraising lives on, in the form of the independent fan run “12th Man” scheme, which was set up last season by fans Neil Cole & Shaun Dooley, to boost the budget of Gavin Rose, when needed, above that agreed and funded by our Club owner, Mr Nick McCormack. The magnificent work they have done was recognised by the Club Committee at the end of the season when they were jointly awarded the Club Person of The Year Award, which if it had existed back in the day would have been deserved by all of the Mitchell family who supported the Club too.

Talking of the “12th Man”, they are running a prediction competition, where you have a go at saying who wins what in the various professional competitions, as well as some non-league. It costs a fiver to enter, and 50% of money raised is given back out at the end of the season in prize money, the other half into the “12th Man” fund. The entries must be handed in by early September, so ask at their table today, for more details.

The “12th Man” fundraising is not the only way where you can give money toward the Club and be sure that every penny counts. There is also the “1893 Club”, ably organised and publicised by Paul Griffin, where for a minimum of a mere pound a month you are entered into a draw, which the percentage of money raised split between the winners & the Club. There is an advert elsewhere in this programme advertising the “1893 Club”, if you are not already a member, or speak to Paul in person. If you don’t know him…he’s the chap on the turnstile at every home game!

Thank you all for your support this afternoon, see you all next Saturday, when we are at home to AFC Hornchurch.

Saturday 31st August v. AFC Hornchurch

Good afternoon,
Back at Champion Hill for the match against AFC Hornchurch. As you are reading this, it goes without saying, thank you again for your support from the terraces and the stand.

However we need your help to 'step things up a gear', and not just by your excellent vocal backing. You may notice that we do not have a match sponsor for the game today. It would be great if Dulwich Hamlet fans, committee members, players..anyone in fact, could spread the word about this excellent opportunity to help our Club continue to cement our position back in the Premier Division.

A Match package costs a mere £99, and for that you get four Match-day Guests for the boardroom, pre & post match, as well as prime seats in the directors box. Complimentary matchday programmes, with your sponsorship name included in it, as well as numerous mentions over the tannoy. Plus the usual boardroom hospitality for your party.

On top of this your group shall present the Supreme Engraving & Awards Man of the Match in the club bar after the match to the player chosen by the fans.

Please have a look down the list elsewhere in the programme to see which match best suits you, your friends, or your company. We hope you get in touch, either speak to Liam Hickey, up by the tannoy box, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The indivdual Match Ball sponsorship packages are filling up nicely, priced at £30, you received TWO VIP Boardroom packages for this, as well as the plugs in the programme and over the tannoy. If you would like to fill the gaps on this then, again,speak to Liam, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Some fans like to help out, but prefer to remain anonymous. One such chap is todays Match Ball sponsor, who only 'identifies' himself under the title 'Bournemouth Gasworks FC 8th March 1930'.He has been a stalwart fan of our Club for many years, and a regular matchball sponsor. We thank him for his kind gesture.

Many of you will be aware of a Prediction Competition which is being organised by the "12th Man" scheme. The idea is you pick the names of clubs you think will will various cups and leagues, as well as listing a few who will come bottom! It's great fun, and only costs £5 to enter, with half of the money being saved for the prize money at the end of the season, and the rest going DIRECTLY to the "12th Man" coffers. You can pick up a form from the "12th Man" table today, or stop Mishi Morath & ask him for one as he walks round the ground with them. We have decided to EXTEND the final date of entries to Saturday 14th September, which is our next home match after this afternoon, so there is NO EXCUSE not to take part! If you can't make this you can play by post, with the address on the entry forms.

Finally, for today, another appeal for your help.

Over the next few weeks, with schools & colleges returning after the summer holidays, we are looking to expand one of our community initiaitives, where we distribute free tickets, for targetted matches, in a bid to boost the number of new people who have not seen The Hamlet before, as a way of attracting new supporters. This offer will also be open to workplaces, church groups, mosques, trad unions and so on. There is NO CATCH! If you supply us with the contacts we will approach them with free tickets to watch a Dulwich Hamlet game of our choice, sometime over the coming season. So if you know of anyone who will want to take advantage of this offer please get in touch, by dropping us a email, marked 'ticket promotion'.

In the meantime, enjoy the match, & we look forward to seeing you back at Champion Hill for the FA Cup game in two weeks time.