Dulwich Hamlet claim National League putting club’s future at risk – and refuse to play matches unless funding in place

Dulwich Hamlet have issued a statement making it clear they will not resume their National League campaign unless a grant is available.

The South London club started their National League South campaign but it halted recently due to the rising cases of Covid-19.

And Hamlet say that resuming without adequate funding in place – with no supporters allowed into stadiums – will put the club’s future at risk.

Manager Gavin Rose would have been scheduled to send his team to play at Braintree tomorrow and at St Alban’s on Tuesday.

But media and communications director Tom Cullen said: “Until there is funding or we can generate funds safely, we won’t be playing.

“It is quite a strong stance. We cannot take on loans. We are not sure where we or other clubs are meant to raise cash from.

“Some have rich benefactors. We do not have one and we don’t want to.

“There are other clubs in our division in the same position. I don’t see how the National League can punish all of us.

“We have made the decision to mothball the club, just like we did last March.

“Morally, we do not think it is right to make us play. Financially it is the right to stop.”

A joint statement by the club and Dulwich Hamlet Supportesr Trust said: “The National League suspended the season for Step 2 on January 22 because it acknowledged in the general manager’s letter to clubs that of the loan options available on that day ‘neither is seen as a viable and sustainable’ way to complete the season.

“Sadly, two weeks later the league’s attempts to secure grants instead of loans have been unsuccessful. The situation is therefore the same today as it was on January 22 and yet clubs are now being told by the league to resume under threat of expulsion or deduction of points under rule 8.39 for ‘any club without just cause failing to fulfil an engagement to play a competition match’. The situation clubs were in two weeks ago was considered by the league as ‘just cause’ to suspend all fixtures. Nothing has changed since that date.

“Football authorities have been criticised in the past for not taking a strong enough stand to prevent owners from engaging in financial mismanagement leading to the loss of long-standing community clubs. A league competition threatening clubs with the direct aim of coercing owners to place those clubs at risk is an inexcusable contradiction in their rules and responsibilities and we ask the league to take the only correct course of action and extend the suspension until the situation has changed.

“After consultation with our season ticket holders, supporters’ trust members and club officials through surveys and meetings the clear direction our board has been given is to cease activities to protect the club until such time as we can begin to incur costs again safe in the knowledge that we can afford to pay for them.

“If the league does not fulfil its responsibilities then Dulwich Hamlet FC are not in a position to fulfil its fixtures until the league are no longer placing the short or long term future of a 128 year old community club at risk.”