Good evening,
Welcome back to Champion Hill tonight, for our Robert Dyas League Cup tie with Walton & Hersham. It might not be one of our bigger crowds, games in this competition never are, so we thank you all for being so loyal and making the effort, especially if the weather turns out as awfully drizzly as yesterday.

We also say thank you, once more, to a loyal fan, who chooses to remain anonymous, for being our official Match Ball Sponsor tonight, as always in the name of his ‘first footballing love’: “Bournemouth Gasworks FC Always remembered”. This is the third of four match ball sponsorships from our Dorset man this season, for which we are extremely grateful for.

You may notice though, that we do not have a Match Sponsor tonight, so please give it some thought, either through your business, or by badgering your own boss. Maybe as an individual, or as a group of friends. It’s only £99 to do this, and you get a wide range of benefits. These include four exclusive VIP boardroom passes & seats in the Directors Box; complimentary programmes, announcements over the public address system to suit your needs, and more.

There are still a few Match Ball packages left too, including our next home game on Saturday week, when we host Hendon, so please get in touch if you would like to help YOUR Club in this way.

Another fun way to donate a few pennies was illustrated on Saturday, when Bognor Regis Town were our visitors. You may have heard a ‘strange noise’ over the tannoy before the match, and at half-time. This was in fact music chosen by one of our Supporters Trust board members, Jack Spearman, as he was treated to having his pick, to celebrate his birthday. It’s a scheme we haven’t really pushed, and one that has had a fair bit of interest, but not really taken off. The idea is called ‘Ten tunes 4 a Tenner” & it is a simple as that! You pick your favourite ten tracks to be played at the ground on your chosen match, and it only costs you ten quid! Not bad at all…so if you Don’t like Liam’s usual choice that blares out of the speakers you can actually do something about it! For match sponsorships, or to select your choice of music, just drop an email to: dhfccommercial@hotmail.co.uk & we will get right back to you.

We have mentioned Saturday’s game against Bognor Regis Town. And now this is where we must make a serious point. I personally have heard comments from our fans, and read some discussion on internet forums, about some alleged racist comments from visiting fans. It goes without saying that anything like this is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE at Champion Hill. If you hear such abuse anywhere within the ground, then –if you feel unable to challenge the perpetrator(s) yourself- please, please discreetly report it to the nearly steward, or Club official, & the matter will be dealt with quickly and appropriately.
I can only re-iterate from the Dulwich Hamlet Football Club ground regulations, as printed elsewhere in this programme, from number two:

The Club reserves the right to eject, ban or prosecute any person guilty of any of the following offences (among others):
d) Making vulgar gestures
e)Making racial gestures
f) Racial, homophobic, or discriminatory abuse, chanting, or harassment.

Whilst we appreciate the individuals involved who may have made such remarks are NOT representative of Bognor Regis Town Football Club, or the majority of their decent fans, we need your help to weed out the abusive sort, so they do not blight Dulwich Hamlet games, or non-league football in general.

Of course, it’s not always easy to complain, sometimes it takes a lot of courage to do so, and this is something that the KICK IT OUT, the nation footballing anti racism & discrimination campaign, are more than aware of. Please look at their website www.kickitout.org for ways of reporting abuse to them, so they can document & record incidents, which you can do so totally anonymously, if you wish.

We look forward to seeing you all at Champion Hill next, when we are at home to Hendon on Saturday 25th October.