I'm on tour oop north but if anyone could bag me a fab scarf I'll be much obliged Dulwich Hamlet LGBT History Month scarf goes on sale this Saturday- get yours before they sell out!
I always enjoy playing against Steve King's sides because it reminds me how fortunate we are not to be managed by him. He's only successful when given money and the players he attracts, by and large, are loathsome mercenaries. If diving, colossal wages and gamesmanship is what it takes to be successful in this division, then I'd rather bob around in mid-table forever.
Steve King did a fantastic job with our youth set up and I'm not the only old school fan who wanted him given a crack at the first team before he left. He also did an impressive job at Lewes before the money arrived. He may have a reputation as a big money manager now but to say he can only be successful when bankrolled is not true. His track record proves otherwise.
I dispute that. Lewes started splurging money as soon as he went there to replace Jimmy Quinn in Summer 2003. Two of the first players he signed were Junior Kadi and Peter Adeniyi from the Hamlet, who were offered far more than we could match. There was also a massive conflict of interest with his role as a players' agent. Martin Eede was persuaded to bring in a couple of his players on loan from QPR and they were hopeless. He did well enough as our youth team manager but I'd hardly call it "fantastic" compared to Mick Read or Gavin Rose, whose teams before and after were always challenging for silverware and performing well in the FA Youth Cup. A club of our stature in Inner London should always be able to attract some of the best youngsters outside the professional ranks.
I agree there was a conflict of interest re his role as an agent. I disagree with you on the youth team. We didn't get a Youth Cup run but he continually sourced good players which I view as the role of a youth set up. Cup runs are a bonus. I'd agree Mick Read also did but Steve outperformed most of the others I knew who came before. I regretted he didn't get a first team shot with us prior to his departure. I thought the money arrived at Lewes season two but that could well be old age playing tricks. I'm surprised they appointed a bloke with no senior experience if they already had money though. The usual suspects would have been lurking.
I was a wee nipper at the time, and like you my memory could be playing tricks on me, but I have a similar view to PP. I remember hearing what Kadi was (supposedly) paid and it was decent money even by todays standards. He was bankrolled there, he was bankrolled at Whitehawk and now he's got hefty sums of cash at Welling. I'm not convinced by him: signing good players on big wage packets and then getting top end finishes is hardly the mark of an astute manager. Talks a good game, does Steve...
I've always enjoyed his wardrobe, including his non-wearing of the apparently league-mandated Jako blue t-shirts when we played there in the season opener.
It was certainly a bold appointment at the time. Either he had friends/contacts in the right places or said all the right things with supreme confidence in an interview. Lewes, Farnborough and Whitehawk were all clearly spending beyond sustainable means while he was managing those clubs, and all have subsequently been forced to seek stability at a lower level.
Im fucking buzzing. What a performance that was! Our defence was very solid today, absolute night and day between this performance and some of those jan ones
We played confidentiality and could have scored even more and considering recent home performances an amazing attendance 2,353 Good buzz today We always win when Scutta comes from Hamburg
I thought Green and Taylor were immense and the team worked so hard throughout.Good to see Dipo get a start and thought he did well. Their keepers save from Dipo was incredible.
Completely agree with Pthorne. Quade and Green were outstanding. Dipo did well as well, and I feel we have so much more threat when he starts. Hope we give him a run of games.