Main stand sponsored for the first time since it was built in the 90s

You may have spotted something new in the stadium if you attended either of our games with Chelsea or Gillingham this weekend!

If you look towards the ‘Tommy Jover’ main stand you will notice that it has been sponsored by our front of shirt sponsor Defected. This is the first time the main stand has been sponsored since Champion Hill Stadium was built in 1992, so this really is an incredibly huge moment for the football club.

‘Following our kit sponsorship announced in July 2022, Defected are pleased to additionally be sponsoring the club’s main stand with our inclusive slogan ‘In Our House We Are All Equal.’ More than just a mantra, it represents our commitment to championing equality and bringing together unique differences beyond the dancefloor.’ Wez Saunders, CEO Defected

The installation of the new design, which is approximately 50 metres long, was quite an operation and came with a few challenges along the way, with the original installation delayed firstly due to high winds, then secondly due to the installation lead contracting Covid. However, the banners began to be installed on Thursday 17th December.

The process was a lengthy one, with installers X-press signs using a cherry picker, which meant the pitch had to be protected by special boards to stop it from sinking into the grass. Each board had to be moved by hand one at a time and carefully placed in front of the cherry picker so that no damage was caused to the pitch. This was quite a messy job, especially for Groundsman Haydn Lawrence, who supervised the process and looked like he had been in mud wrestling competition by the end of the day!

The sides of the stand were then installed five days later with the aid of a scaffolding tower built on site. Erik our cameraman filmed the entire installation on time lapse and used a drone to take a few aerial shots, this will be shared on the website and on social media in due course.

‘The slogan ‘In Our House We Are All Equal’ displayed in rainbow colours on the main stand fits perfectly with the club’s ethos. We worked very closely with Wez and the designers at Defected to make sure the new design worked for both of us. We also wanted to stay true to our ex-player Tommy Jover and keep his name visible on the stand - Defected were in total agreement with this and came up with the perfect solution to meet the brief. We are extremely excited about the new design on the main stand and are proud to be partnering with Defected who really do share the same values as our wonderful football club.’
Clare Keeble Commercial Manager DHFC

A very big thank you to all the people that helped bring this project to life, including every single sponsor of the football club whose continued support is very much appreciated.

Special thanks to Wez Saunders and all the team at Defected for providing the design and sponsoring the main stand, Piers Cleaver, Vasyl Stepak and Nikolajs Timofejevs from X-Press signs for completing the installation, Erik Janssen for filming the installation, Gavin Smith, Charlie Aldridge and Mark Jordan for helping with the boards and lastly Haydn Lawrance our wonderful Groundsman for providing the boards to protect the pitch, and for his patience and help throughout the entire process.

If you’re interested in any of the sponsorship opportunities at the football club, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.