Football must be on the way back

Because Dulwich Hamlet are back in the news!

Our two local papers have covered the recent player 'In & Outs' from Champion Hill...and there has also been national coverage of our new England cap!

At the beginning of the month Frazer Shaw became the first Dulwich Hamlet player to appear for his country, by playing for England C, since the old Amateur Internationals were scrapped decades ago.

There was a large feature on him in the 'Non League Paper', which hit the newsagents last Sunday:

Frazer Shaw is a quick learner. He admits he didn't know much about England C until he got the call to tell him he was on standby. But it didn't take the late call-up long to realise what it's all about.
He's also learnt he's the first Dulwich Hamlet player to represent his country since 1960.
"Les Brown," he fires back, quick as a flash, when the stat is brought up. "When good things happen Dulwich fans are always telling me about them. I've only just found out but it's a big thing for me and something to be proud of."
What else has he learnt?
"That I can play wide right and be involved in set pieces-it's interesting what you find out about yourself,"he says.
Shaw, usually a left-back for his club, plays an unfamiliar role. A gorgeous free-kick into the stanchion in training also saw the 20-year-old involved in England's set plays.
Experience
It was an unexpected bonus at the end of the season for the former Arsenal and West Ham United youngster. His tale is a familiar one of someone who has had his eyes open to the world when his Academy bubble popped.
He left West Ham last March, a trial at Hull City didn't work out and he started the season at Ryman Premier Billericay.
Again things didn't go the way he wanted until a call came from Dulwich boss Gavin Rose.
"I had a good season at Dulwich and I'm grateful to them,"Shaw says. "It had got to pre-season and I didn't really have anything planned. I was just keeping myself fit in the gym. Then I went to Billericay and got into playing football and training twice a week but, honestly, I didn't really enjoy it there. I felt people weren't taking it as seriously as I do. We played against Dulwich and a month later when things didn't work out at Billericay, Gavin Rose got in touch with me. Since I was eight I've been involved in a professional set-up. I started at Arsenal and then went to West Ham straight after. You don't know how lucky you are to be in those set-ups until it's taken away. I've grown up through all that so when I was let go by West Ham I didn't know what to expect. You come into the real world. Managers are looking for players with experience that they can rely on. I was only 18 at the time so a lot of managers didn't even want a sniff. Dulwich have given me the chance to play football. I needed this experience of playing in men's football and getting different experiences."
Hunger
"I've learnt a lot playing in the Ryman League. It's a lot more competitive than West Ham U21s. It's the real world, where it really matters. I trust in my journey so I'm happy with how things are going."
Shaw credits the support of family and close friends for helping him stay positive when times were rough-as well as boss Rose.
"He's a great manager but also great on a personal level," he says. "He really believed in me. When I first went to Dulwich I was having bad spells. He pulled me aside and told me I can get back into professional football if I play regularly. I appreciate what he's done for me. It's got me to where I am today. There's a lot of young lads at Dulwich. They've all got the same hunger I have to get back into professional football.
Motivation
"Gavin gives you the confidence to believe in yourself again when sometimes it's hard to do that. When I was without a club I'd go for late night runs in the parks in my local area. I'm a laid back person so I'd rather go out at night when I'm by myself. I have that motivation to get out there. Playing for England C, I think back to those late night runs and gym sessions and it has paid off. Getting into this squad and making my debut has given me even more motivation."

On Tuesday departing Xavier Vidal grabbed the headlines in the midweek edition of the 'South London Press':

VIDAL SHAPED BY HAMLET ACADEMY
Xav rebuilt at Champion Hill after being let go by Charlton

Xavier Vidal has heaped praise on Dulwich Hamlet's youth set-up after admitting it has given him the footballing foundations to get back to a professional club.
The 20-year-old midfielder joined Conference outfit Welling United las week on a 12-month deal after being allowed to leave the Champion Hill outfit.
And Vidal, from Peckham, is hoping that the jump up two divisions will boost his career potential after failed trials at a number of Football League clubs.
He was released by Charlton at the age of 15 but has played over 100 games for Dulwich.
In the 2014-15 season Vidal top-scored for the Ryman League Premier Division side with 13 goals.
And Vidal, who got a triple distinction in BTEC level three sports science, prospered in Hamlet's Aspire Youth Academy.
He said: Since I've been there it put me on a straight road-on and off the pitch. You have got to go to college and if you weren't doing well there then you weren't allowed to play. There is an educational side of it that has helped me mature as a person and that also applies to being put in a first-team changing room when you are young. You have to adapt to the people around you. The youth-team is more of a youthful environment. In the first team you have to take responsibility for yourself. Dulwich have made me who I am today. It's a different path. It has helped me build character. I've played a lot more games in mens football. It's definitely, definitely still the goal to play professionally. I want to go as high as possible and this is a move up."
Hamlet have a lengthy list of players they have helped move back into the Football League. The most recent have been playmaker Erhun Oztumer to Peterborough, striker Daniel Carr switched to Huddersfield while Quade Taylor and Michael Chambers both joined Crystal Palace. Vidal would definitely recommend youngsters joining Dulwich.
"It is still a high level of football and they try to play in the right way," he explained. "And it is still like being at a professional club academy. They train three or four times a week and if you're doing well at youth level then they'll put you in the first-team. A lot of teams don't do that, but Dulwich are not shy to. Gavin Rose is a strong figure for everyone and could be a role model in some cases. He keeps people in line and that's what they need. He lets you know what he wants done and makes you feel like there is no goal you can't achieve. If your confidence is down he brings it up. He sets his goal higher than most players and makes you feel that you can reach them. It's why Dulwich are such a successful club."
Vidal's contract was up this summer and the South London club were due compensation of he did not re-sign.
But it is an endorsement of how much Rose and Dulwich look after their charges that it was they who did the groundwork to find a new team where Vidal-who has previously trialled with Brentford, Birmingham, Bolton and Oxford-could prosper.
"I was hoping Dulwich would get promoted to play in a higher league but we never did," said Vidal. "I was kind of stuck, until they offered me the opportunity to go to Welling. I'm buzzing because I can keep developing and at a higher level-it kills two birds with one stone. Dulwich were very helpful. They wanted to find somewhere I could play and develop, not just go somewhere for the sake of it. I'm hoping to make the same impact that I did at Dulwich. I'm looking to settle in well and make an impact straight away. I want to really progress and get stronger and fitter, make a name for myself at Welling."
Vidal spent six years at Charlton before being released. "They said I needed to be taller and stronger," he recalled. "From there I've gone to Dulwich and they've helped me build. I've had trials, which I suppose are kind of a setback at the time. But I've gone back to Dulwich and Gav and his team have just told me 'don't worry about it-it will come. If they don't give you a chance then someone else will'. They knocked me back into shape and kept me progressing."
Rose could have dug his heels in over Vidal and tried to negotiate a fee for one of his key men. But he said: "It's a short career and we've probably all had experiences as players where we have been hard done-by and not given an opportunity. We've tried to remember what we went into football management for and are working alongside a club with similar values. Although we want to win and achieve things this is similar to Erhun [Oztumer], who we were happy to let go to Peterborough for a nominal fee. We are that sort of club. First and foremost Xavier will have to adjust to that level because there are a lot of lads that have come straight out of the professional game. There are no guarantees in football but he has got the potential and ability to play Football League."

The same copy of the 'South London Press' also ran a piece on the possible departure of the man who featured so extensively in the the 'Non League Paper':

Frazer Shaw looks set for the Dulwich Hamlet exit door- with his agent angling for the England C international to get a jump back into a professional club.
The left-back used to be on Arsenal and West Ham's books and ended up at Billericay this season.
Shaw played for England C-the non league equivalent of the national team-against the Republic of Ireland in Galway on June 1. he played 33 league games for Dulwich after arriving from Billericay.
"The manager there gave me a call and said that Frazer was not thriving in his environment but he may thrive in yours," said Dulwich boss Gavin Rose. "When I got him his head was down and he thought he wasn't good enough. But he got better and better as the season went on. I believe his career is in the Football League. His agent is trying to get him in the league. If he doesn't then he could be staying here. He works really hard and is an asset for the team. If he gets league football I'll be delighted. He's a very good guy who got on well with the players."
Hamlet centre-back Terrell Forbes has joined Hemel Hempstead Town. Rose said: "It is a good opportunity for him to extend his career at the level above. He supplied good guidance to Ethan Pinnock, who came of age this season. There will be more to go, but we are also just finishing four or five coming into the squad. Once we have done that we will talk about ins and outs in more detail"

On Thursday the weekly 'Southwark News' also concentrated on recent transfer stories:

Talented Dulwich midfielder Xavier Vidal has left Champion Hill and will ply his trade at Welling United next season.
Vidal, 21, joins the National League side, one step down from professional football, on a one-year deal.
Having come through the youth ranks at Dulwich Vidal put his name into Hamlet folklore by scoring the goal on the final day of the 2012/13 season that ensured the Pink and Blues picked up their first league title win in 35 years.
Another man to exit Hamlet is Terrell Forbes, who skippered the side last season. He has agreed to join Hemel Hempstead Town-who operate one division down from Welling United.
Meanwhile Luke Wanadio looks set to sign for Staines Town for the next campaign.
Dulwich have confirmed three new signings for next season as Mitchell Nelson has signed forms, having played at Margate last term.
Plus on Monday Hamlet also brought in Danny Waldren, a midfielder who was at Bromley FC last season and striker Jacob Erskine from Maidenhead United.
In addition to this both Nyren Clunis and Ethan Pinnock have also signed one year deals that extends their stay at Champion Hill.

finally, yesterday, in the weekend copy of the 'South London Press', one of the new signings, Danny Waldren, featured heavily, and he was extremely enthusiastic about his arrival:

Danny Waldren reckons Dulwich Hamlet are serious title challengers in the Ryman Premier Division-or he wouldn't have joined them
The 26-year-old Bermondsey boy is a major signing for the Champion Hill outfit.
He has played over 500 competitive games in non-league and became a fans' favourite as a key part of Bromley's rise to the National League, formerly Conference Premier.
But the Ravens' promotion at the end of last season means they are no longer able to guarantee Waldren that he will continue to be a major influence on the pitch. And Dulwich moved quickly to secure the former Millwall youngster. He was on the Lions' books for six years after being signed at 10-but contracting viral pneumonia did not help before his release.
Waldren has gone on to have a fine career lower down the football pyramid. He made his debut for Croydon Athletic at just 15, and was their youngest captain at 18 before the club went bust.
But his time at Bromley was special as former Palace owner Mark Goldberg turned the Hayes Lane club from a side scrapping to stay in Conference South-Waldren scooping the two main Player of the Year awards in his first season-to being one division below the Football League.
"The manager has brought in a couple of experienced central midfielders and I probably wouldn't be getting as much game time as I would like," explained Waldren. "I had a chat with the boss towards the end of the season. I did want to try the Conference-and I think I would have handled it well. But I'm a football fan and love to play. So to be travelling mad places and not getting a game would have hurt me too much. I've got a little girl, Eliza, who is 19 months and I'd have been travelling here, there and everywhere and have not seen her as much as I'd like to. Another issue that does play a big part is that I don't drive. If I had wanted to stay in the Conference South you are looking at Maidstone or Dartford, teams like that, and that would mean a lot of train journeys. It can be quite a bit of hassle. I didn't get any phonecalls from other clubs-but that might be because they were doubtful I'd be leaving Bromley. Bromley and Dulwich have got a good relationship and maybe Gavin got early warning. He gave me a phonecall and was enthusiastic about what we can do. I wouldn't have gone to Dulwich if I didn't think they were capable of winning the league next year. They've gone close in the last few seasons. Gavin is a great manager who has produced some wonderful players. He's got a really good thing going on and I hope I can contribute to that. We just need a couple of good additions and that bit of experience. I've had over 500 games at this level."
If Waldren has managed to salvage his career from tough beginnings, then the same applies to Goldberg. He made a fortune in IT but then promptly lost most of it after buying Palace-lavishing cash on recruiting Terry Venables as boss and making box-office signings like Attilio Lombardo and Tomas Brolin. Palace slid into administration in 1999 and he was declared bankrupt a year later. Goldberg has proved to be a far better football manager than football chairman.
"The best thing about Mark is his belief and determination," said Waldren. "The enthusiasm I saw from him when he took over was unbelievable. We had some rough times in those first two years as we fought to stay up but he had an unwavering belief and passion that we could win the league. He once said to me 'if you believe in me, that I can win the league, and I believe in you as a player, that you can win the league, we will do it. The third season we came very close. And in the fourth one we eventually did it. That is a massive achievement from a manager with very little experience- to take a team built from scratch into that position. I've got nothing but admiration for Mark. He's helped me on a personal level and on the football pitch. I will miss that. And the fans at Bromley have been absolutely amazing. They always believed in us as a team and me as a player-I'd like to think I produced on certain occasions for them. It's alright having ability-and I believe I've got that- but they also want a player who is going to work hard and fight for them. In anything I do in life-as a worker or a father-I work hard and it's the same with football. Something takes over and I show great determination, and I do it with an added bit of quality. That's what made the fans at Bromley love me so much."

The final article we are sharing with you also comes from the same page in the 'South London Press', and also concerns our former Bromley player Waldren:

Viral pneumonia struck Dulwich Hamlet new boy Danny Waldren at a key phase of his time at boyhood club Millwall.
The midfielder, 26, said: "I was 14 and it knocked the stuffing out of me-I became skinny. By the time I recovered the club were giving out YTS and I didn't get one. It was a massive blow at the time. I was playing as a centre-half and was very highly-rated-at 12 I was one of only two boys to get a four-year deal. After my illness I went back in the summer and Dave Mehmet, who had admired me, had gone and Nicky Milo replaced him. I actually went back to pre-season after that to try and show what I could do but Milo said 'we didn't really want you back and we stick by our decision'. It was a huge disappointment but I'm the type that if I get a knockback I just work even harder to try and fight back. I had little spells at Leyton Orient and Peterborough after that before going into non league. It's really difficult for me to get along to watch Millwall because I play on a Saturday and most midweeks, which are the times they play. But when they have big games then I get myself down there with the boys and have a good time."

The piece concluded, in other transfer news, that:

Dulwich made their third signing of the summer with striker Jacob Erskine arriving from Maidenhead United. The Lambeth-born frontman, 26, has had 22 clubs in just under 10 years. Erskine played in the Football League for Gillingham but made just four appearances.