Business as' normal'...

Community wise at least...as Football Committee member Mishi Morath explained in last night's sold out programme:

Good evening, and thank you for buying tonight’s programme, if you are not usually one who does. For every penny made from the selling of the programmes goes DIRECTLY into the running of our Football Club in these currently extremely testing times, and every penny is essential so that we can continue to put Gavin’s team out on the pitch until the ‘Good Ship Hamlet’ is stabilised.

With regard to off-pitch happenings I’m going to leave that for others to comment on elsewhere in this issue, as I don’t want to duplicate the opinions of anyone else, except to say how humbling and amazing that so many different fans have contributed on-line to the appeals on behalf of the “12th Man” scheme that is keeping our squad together. Nobody knows how long the current situation is going to drag on, but the need for ‘charity to begin at home’ has never been so important, than it will be over the next few weeks, and who know, months. So please, please continue to donate, and put money into the match day buckets..speak to the fans at the “12th Man” table, who will be able to tell you how to set up a regular donation direct from your bank account, if that appeals.

But having said how vital it is that ‘charity begins at home’, from my perspective as one the Football Committee members who deals with a lot of our community ideas, working hand-in-hand with fellow Committee members, the Supporters’ Trust Board and lots of other Hamlet fans a individuals, we shall continue with our community work as normal, just as if everything was hunky-dory behind the scenes.

All of what we have achieved over the last few years off the field in the community is actually part of the reason, make that a very strong reason as to why we have such a caring fan-base right at this very moment of crisis. Look after your community, and they will look after you. I am a very strong believer in that. To see the amount of money donated over the last week or so, well into the four-figure mark, shows we are doing the right thing, despite all that is happening.

There is an old say that ‘When the going gets tough the tough get going’ and we are seeing EXACTLY that right now at Champion Hill. But we don’t neglect the on-going community work we do, which is why we are having a collection of unwanted coats and jackets tonight, as you will have seen on our website and social media.

Unless I win the lottery there’s not much I can to change the current situation financially, apart from collectively joining you all by adding donations to the ‘12th Man’ cause, on top of my regular contributions, as and when I can afford to do so. It’s not about the amount, as the supermarkets are so keen to say in their advertising ‘Every little helps’…and so that is with us. If it’s only a small coin you can chuck in a bucket please do so, together they all add up, to use another old cliché: ‘look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’.

I’m also more than aware that not every fan can afford to make donations, so please don’t beat yourself up if you can’t. There’s nothing to be guilty about by not having any money to spare if you are struggling to get through the week financially. You can do YOUR bit simply by spreading the word of our fundraising appeals through sharing on your social media, be that Facebook, Twitter or wherever. And also, if you see a positive story in the national or local press on-line share that too and spread the word about the tough situation we have been forced into by Meadows Residential.

I have been asked by a number of people what will happen if the ‘worst comes to the worst’…and make no mistake there is a possibility that our Club may not come through this all, with regard to the trip in July next year to Hamburg. Well, in an ideal world we shall go there to play our friends from Altona 93 as the newest members of the National League South. But if not, we shall still go there, either in the worst case scenarios, as a newly formed continuation club, or taking out a team of former players in the name of Dulwich Hamlet. Whatever happens we shall go there to have a celebration of our great Club, which has been a part of my life for coming up to forty four years, and I hope will be for the rest of my life.

The time has never been more important to all pull together and keep things going, and also to ‘continue as normal’ with other fundraising, like the ‘Inter City 125’ campaign to take Gavin and his squad to Hamburg. To that end we are holding a General Knowledge Quiz Night in the bar here at Champion Hill, a fortnight tomorrow, on Wednesday 29th November, commencing at half past seven. It’s six players per team, £30 a side, or only a fiver per player if short handed. The more we raise that night the closer we get to Hamburg.

Together we are strong..the future is Pink & Blue!