It's often said that the backing of supporters is like having a twelfth man in the team...now you CAN be...

Not by sneaking on the pitch & bumping up the numbers, but by making a contribution to help top up the playing budget.

The playing budget was reduced in the summer, in these hard financial times, by the director of the Football Club Limited, Nick McCormack.
First Team manager Gavin Rose agreed to stay on & work within these tighter constraints.

But at the same time, a group of fans got talking over the proverbial post-match pint or two, & decided to do something to help. And this is where the "Dulwich Hamlet 12th Man" idea was conceived.

It's a simple idea...you just donate whatever you can afford, no matter how little or large a sum, to all be totally ringfenced. & used to top up the money that Gavin has for players.

There's two ways you can do this.

* By filling in a form to get your choice of donation directly from your bank account into the "Dulwich Hamlet 12th Man" one. This can be weekly, or monthly, whichever suits you best.
* If you are not in a position to do that, then there will be a bucket, by the programme seller, on matchdays, to make a contribution, as and when you are able to.

Yes folks, it is as easy as that!

The scheme has the support of Football Club committee, even though it is being run independantly from them. And it also has the full backing of Gavin Rose, himself.

Hamlet fans SHAUN DOOLEY & NEIL COLE are in charge of the account.

Shaun told Hamlet Pitchero: " It's a similar scheme that other non-league clubs, even professional ones in the Football League do. We're not setting any targets, we just want to help Gavin as he tries to get us promoted. It took a long time to go through the red tape of finding & setting up a suitable bank account, but now we're raring to go." He went on: " Make no mistake though, we are here to add to the set budget for Gavin. We are not here to make up shortfalls in it, if & when they arise. That's not what we're here for & will not happen. We are here to boost the playing budget, that is our own aim." Shaun finished by saying: "We welcome as many contributions as possible, but the small ones are as important as the larger ones. Your pound a week can make all the difference. I am going to drink one pint a week less, and hand over the cost of that. It's hardly a hardship, if you think of it that way."

Forms for the "Dulwich Hamlet 12th Man" will be available at the ground on Saturday, if cannot get hold of one, just ask any of the 'usual suspects' behind the goal.

There will be an official launch of the campaign on Saturday 1st December, after our home match with Eastbourne Town. At six o'clock, in the boardroom the "Dulwich Hamlet 12th Man" ad-hoc sub-committee will tell you more about their campaign, ideas & visions; with First Team boss Gavin Rose sitting at the top table, ready to answer any questions that supporters may wish to ask him, too.

So, to re-cap: Simply take a form on Saturday to fill in, put six o'clock on 1st December in your diary, and away we go!