John Stephens remembered

You may recall the sad news in the summer that one of our oldest fans JOHN STEPHENS had passed away, pictured here with his son Cliff.

Prior to kick-off against Billericay Town tomorrow there will be a one minute silence in his memory.

John was 88-years-old, and one of the last Hamlet fans still with us who could proudly say he saw our boys in Pink & blue lift the old FA Amateur Cup, having been present as a young boy at the final on Saturday 3rd April 1937, which was held at Upton Park, the old home of West Ham United, then commonly known as the Boleyn Ground. This was our last ever Amateur Cup win, defeating Leyton by two goals to nil.

It's almost unthinkable that someone could have watched The Hamlet for so long, with his first ever match being the opening home game of the 1935/36 season! Despite failing health in his later years, John was still an occasional visitor to Champion Hill, managed to get to several matches last season, with his boy Cliff, in spite of the long trek from their home down in Hampshire, residing in Andover.

On his 'final journey' John was bedecked in his beloved Pink & Blue Dulwich Hamlet scarf.

Cliff penned this poem in his memory:

Life plays false, and over time
You lost your reason, and your rhyme
Your heart danced to a different tune
And left us in this flaming June
But let us not shed any tears
For you'd been lost these many years
In your fogbound cold confusion
Veiled and fearful dark delusion
We cannot know where you have been
Or what sadness you have seen
But now it's over, you're at peace
A blessed, welcome, kind release
Now we recall the better days
When you basked in summer's haze
Your soul shone brightly in the sun
Jokes and laughter, times of fun
Your caring nature, smiling face
Forever, in our hearts we'll place
And though the reaper's staked his claim
You played, and won, life's beautiful game

To Cliff, their immediate family, and everyone who knew John at Champion Hill, may we offer our deepest sympathies from all at Champion Hill...players, management, officials and supporters alike.

The Football Club were honoured to make a donation to Dementia UK in appreciation of his loyal support down the decades.