It's a big day for our opponents tomorrow

As it's one of the highlights of the season for Wingate & Finchley, as our hosts stage their annual Community Day.

The first thing to note though...is leave home EARLY as kick off it at ONE O'CLOCK.

For anyone who gets there really early you can see the Wingate & Finchley’s learning disability team enjoying a coaching and games session on the club’s artificial pitches at 11.00am.

It's all part of Wingate & Finchley's annual community day that will take place on tomorrow as part of a festival of football in North London.

The Blues' match against The Hamlet will kick off at 1.00PM and has been designated a ‘pay-what-you-want’ day in an attempt to attract extra fans through the gate. Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation will also be present, promoting a ‘fans for diversity’ message, with a number of local children acting as flag bearers before kick-off.

Mike Bayly, the hosts' Community Development Manager told our official website:

“Finchley is an increasingly multi-cultural area and we want to reach out to as many local people as possible. Hopefully this community day will encourage people to come down”

Whilst Anwar Uddin, who leads on the delivery of the 'Fans for Diversity' campaign for Kick It Out and the Football Supporters' Federation said:

"We are proud to be supporting Wingate and Finchley FC's annual 'Community Day' fixture against Dulwich Hamlet FC this Saturday (28 March). To mark the occasion, two specially designed flags have been manufactured on behalf of Wingate and Dulwich carrying the 'Football is for Everyone' tagline to demonstrate the commitment of both clubs to equality and diversity. "

He went on:

"The flags will be carried out side-by-side with a 'Fans for Diversity' banner as both sets of players emerge onto the pitch at the Harry Abrahams Stadium prior to kick-off. Wingate and Dulwich have been extremely proactive in bringing their local communities closer to their clubs through a series of initiatives, and the inclusion agenda is a high priority for them. Kick It Out and the Football Supporters' Federation look forward to continuing our close working relationship with both clubs for the remainder of the season and beyond."

The club will also be raising money via a raffle for their chosen charity, The Noah’s Ark Hospice, who provide support for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families in North London. There are a number of prizes up for grabs, including two tickets to the FA Trophy final on Sunday 29th March.

Speaking of the plans, home club director Paul Lerman advised:

“Wingate & Finchley Football Club plays an important role in the community, providing sporting opportunities for people with a diverse range of backgrounds and abilities. More than that, we are well positioned to promote messages of inclusion, given the club’s heritage. Finchley is an increasingly multi-cultural area and we want to reach out to as many local people as possible. Hopefully this community day will encourage people to come down, see what we are about, and raise funds for a good cause”.

The First Team game will be followed by a Wingate & Finchley v Dulwich Hamlet supporters match, kicking off on the main pitch at 4pm.

Mike Bayly explained why the fans will be on the pitch:

“Over the last couple of years, Wingate & Finchley have forged a strong friendship with Dulwich Hamlet. Last season, we walked to Champion Hill as part of a fund raiser for the Noah’s Ark hospice in Barnet and will be forever indebted to the generosity of their officials and supporters in allowing us to do a bucket collection at their ground. By chance, our home game against Dulwich Hamlet this season fell at the right time for our annual community day, providing us with the opportunity to do something different. I know Dulwich have had a thriving supporters team for many years now, so a post-match game between the two sets of fans seemed a perfect way to round the afternoon off. It’s important to realise that football exists for more than 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, which is why we, and indeed many other clubs at our level, go the extra mile to lay on extra events that people of all backgrounds and abilities can enjoy.”

Shaun Dooley, the Co-manager of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters Team went on:

"It's always a privilege to be invited to play on an opponents hallowed
turf and especially when its a club like Wingate and Finchley who have good community values. I'm sure the game will be played in good spirit and enjoyed by all."

The Wingate & Finchley Community Cup will kick off at 4pm. Hopefully fans will stay on to see who lifts the trophy, with the bar open throughout!

Mishi Morath, Dulwich Hamlet Football Committee for Community concluded:

"It's a great honour and a mark of respect for Dulwich Hamlet Football Club & our Supporters Team to be so involved in this day. It's a mark of how highly Gavin Rose feels about them that he had no hesitation to agreeing to an earlier one o'clock kick off, when asked. And it's a wonderful opportunity to show our support & put the weight of our Club behind the work carried out by the Kick It Out campaign oncemore this season. Hopefully everything happening tomorrow will encourage even more of our fans to cross the river & travel over to north London."