Goodbye Gavin Rose. You will ever grow in our hearts. You were the ace who placed the Hamlet in the South.
While the nation reeled from the death of our beloved Sovereign, September also witnessed discombobulation among the Rabble with the departure of Gavin Rose, Dulwich Hamlet’s longest serving manager and pink and blue royalty if ever there was such a thing. When Gavin arrived at The Hamlet back in 2009, the club was on its uppers, bumbling bovinely around step 4 of the non-league pyramid, appreciated only by a couple of hundred dishevelled fans with the odd scruffy cur. 13 years and two promotions later, the Hamlet are playing sexy football in front of crowds over ten times that size while selling lashings of fancy Greek street food and artisan booze. In significant part, this (not the food and booze) is down to the drive and desire of Gavin and the bonds he has built with everyone associated with the club. But as Chaucer said “at the laste, as every thing hath ende.” The ende came on the back of a poor run of early season form, which has left the Sons of Edgar Kail supine in the gutter of the Conference South. The gaffer’s departure has left a sense of sadness and huge appreciation hanging over Champion Hill, but also high expectancy that new blood can put the boosters behind this grand old club.
Meanwhile life goes on, with the men’s team under the interim tutelage of an experienced footer chap called Paul Barnes; all this while a new boss is recruited (that Tuchel chap is free we hear). It goes without trumpeting we hope that the club, both boys and girls, need your support at this time of flux and fret. October sees home games on the 8th, 22nd and 25th (Dartford, Hungerford and Worthing respectively); while our brilliant women’s team have just the one home game on 30 October against the mighty Fulham. So get yourselves down the Hill.
In other news, this year’s gorgeous home and away shirts are on sale online (www.dhst.org.uk) or on matchdays from the mega-container. All sizes and shapes catered for. And why not get yourself a branded bucket hat while you’re about it. Middle aged men in particular really rock that look.
Up and at ‘em and up the Hamlet