Dulwich Hamlet FC fear being forced into debt to play out season could break the club

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club chiefs have warned the club might not last another year if it is forced into debt by their league.

The club, which last week celebrated its 128th anniversary, said on Sunday it might not reach its 129th birthday, because of the dangers of continued postponements of their National League South games.

The Hamlet have had seven of their last eight National League South games postponed because of Covid-19 outbreaks and fear continuing costs threaten their future. 

The Hamlet statement, posted on the club website on Sunday, said: “Last week we celebrated our 128th birthday, this week we face decisions that are likely to determine whether we see our 129th and so we have started a consultation with club officials, directors, shareholders, our supporters’ trust and our whole fan community.

“We have been dependent on our community to see us through this difficult period and would like to thank everyone who has volunteered.

“Having steered the club away from the brink of extinction in 2018 and cleared huge debts along the way to finally achieve a financially self-sustaining model, we are now being asked to voluntarily place the club back into significant debt.”

In summer 2020 the club received several written assurances from the National League that the 2020-21 season would not start before crowds could start paying at turnstiles.

But in September 2020 the National League abandoned that stance and made all clubs begin the season behind closed doors, stating lost gates would be covered for the six months from October to March.

But then the amount of funding was cut from six to three months – and Hamlet budgeted accordingly. But then some clubs got “considerably more than expected and others (including us) with considerably less”.

Hamlet was then told it would have to take out loans to cover three months’ worth of costs, starting on January 1.

The government has denied ever informing the National League that grants were possible beyond December. No evidence could be produced by the league. So clubs are left not knowing before the end of February and possibly later whether they are to receive loans to cover costs. Hamlet will have to go further into debt as the season continues into May.

The Hamlet statement said: “This week all clubs will be asked to vote on a resolution from the National League on the future of the league season.

“The club has submitted multiple requests to the league in writing asking for confirmation of the consequences of clubs not proceeding with getting into debt just to complete their competition. No responses have been received.

“We completely understand and sympathise with the clubs who can continue.

“We understand those clubs may be frustrated by the situation of other clubs such as ours who are owned by their communities or who received less than expected from the last grant funding allocation. But our primary responsibilities are as the temporary custodians of clubs who have been here long before us to ensure they are here for a long time to come.”

 

Manager Gavin Rose told the South London Press last week: “Why would you want a loan when you haven’t got any revenue streams coming in? It can’t be easy on the owners of clubs because they wouldn’t have known they would be going into this either.

“If you are leading a household and expected to bring in certain levels of income then what do you replace it with when it stops? At the moment there is a gap – and it could go on for months.”