Dulwich chairman: We would have gone out of existence without Hadley taking control

HADLEY Property Group have taken control of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club - claiming it is a move needed to stop the Ryman Premier Division table-toppers going out of business.

The north London-based firm recently bought the freehold to Dulwich’s Champion Hill stadium for £5.75 million.

And a public meeting held recently revealed that Hadley have paid off club debts in excess of £100,000 - which prevented the club from folding.

A Hadley Property Group spokesman said: “After purchasing the Champion Hill site and reviewing the financial situation of Dulwich Hamlet FC, Hadley Property Group found that it had no choice but to acquire control through a majority shareholding in the football club.

“It has done this to prevent DHFC’s closure and ensure that a sustainable future for the club, to be run according to sound business principles, can be assured at the Champion Hill site.”

And Dulwich Hamlet chairman Jack Payne has admitted that the club’s football committee were not privy to details of how the finances had spiralled out of control.

He said, “What we’re looking at is the present. I realise looking back over the past three or four weeks that if they [Hadley] had not paid those bills then the club would no longer exist.

“There is no way we could play without lights, water or gas. We never realised the extremity of the debt.

“We realised that debts had to be paid - I’m talking about last November - when we were made aware of the electric problem. But we didn’t know the extreme part of it and what was piling up.

“Hadley have paid those bills and the club now is quite safe from now until the end of the season. I don’t expect any more letters saying this is banned, you can’t have this or that has been cut off. From a football point of view - which is why the committee exists - we feel really quite happy about that. We’re talking immediate present.

“There will be a further meeting held by Hadley when everything is settled. Our meeting was so packed it was difficult for some people to hear. It wasn’t as satisfactory as we’d have liked.”

The freehold was owned by DHPD limited until it went into administration two years ago with Harris Lipman placed in charge.

“Both Martin Eede [chief executive] and I only had one meeting with the administrator and that was quite early on,” said Payne. “Any further meetings that took place we weren’t involved in, which upset us a bit. There was a lack of communication that we weren’t really happy with.

“If you wanted to talk to me about the centre-forward, the goalkeeper or manager then that was fine. But if you wanted to talk to me about the electric or anything else - even the health club or car wash - then I couldn’t have told you. Because I don’t know. It was purely football.

“I suppose when the season completes itself we’ll know exactly where we are from a football point of view. I can only say thanks to Gavin Rose - he is doing a terrific job. The last thing you want is for the manager or players to be upset.

“Since our results have picked up, so have the crowds. They’ve been immense for our standard of football and we hope that continues.

“Hadley did say on Saturday they want the football club to stay there. That’s for the present. Anything that needs repairing, like broken walls, they are getting round to doing.

“Like the supporters, we have to wait for the future to come. If Hadley hadn’t stepped up then there wouldn’t be a club.

“I understand the fans are worried about the situation but all of us have to see how it develops and in what way.

“We love the club and want it to go on long after we’ve gone. We want it to be here for another 100 years. I would really hate for it to disappear, even while I’m around.”

By Richard Cawley courtesy of the South London Press