Cat Daisy
Well-Known Member
It looked like a lot was already being said by the dugouts with the ref and that lino. He’d started flashing cards so a red felt like it was on the way. It was a petty booking. At least he got the biggest decision right!
Hamlet v Canvey Island (Isthmian League) Easter Saturday 19.04.25, 3pm
- Thread starter Pink Panther
- Start date
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
I was in that corner and it was a second yellow for timewasting. Obviously we know we needed the win, so there's no motive for timewasting, but that's not the referee's concern and he'd literally just booked one of theirs for doing similar at a throw. I don't think Luke helped, as he confused the situation by standing right next to Arj and making a big palaver over taking a corner instead of just letting him deliver it.
The club isn't in a great place off the first team pitch. But we are open, we are about half way in league position in our budget. We have massively underperformed. Yet again we seem to have signed a bunch of players we don't trust at the end of the season. We won't win this league with our funding but we shouldn't be worried this late in the season. Recruitment failed, again, and they need to see why. If not, rinse repeat...
I missed their player being booked so I understand a bit more now. Still seems a mad decision but thankfully we survived despite it.
Yes things seems to get a lot more tetchy after we equalised, and the confrontation between the benches added to that. Thankfully we survived!
Multigums
Well-Known Member
Agreed on those points. However, double the crowds of nearest rivals. Name recognition - don't hear about many European fans trekking to Billericay or Dartford. Ground about to be delivered which opens the door for youth structure. Women's teams seem to flourish within club so mens team are outliers. Sustainability is the only way forward - external funding comes with strings attached and there's a long history of overnight flight.
Dave Fishwick
New Member
phew. Finally found a little extra to get ourselves over the line, that was starting to look hairy especially when Hendon were winning
agree with the sentiments that on paper we really shouldn't be struggling as bad as we have this season at this level. Losing over half of our games is absolutely criminal all things considered
agree with the sentiments that on paper we really shouldn't be struggling as bad as we have this season at this level. Losing over half of our games is absolutely criminal all things considered
AveryDave
Well-Known Member
So the attraction of the men’s job is big crowds full of tourists, a new ground that no-one knows the timeline on but will be a minimum of two years even if work started before next season kicks off, and having to balance the playing budget without any help until then?
I get things can change quickly, and not all clubs are recruiting, but right now I’d reckon at least a dozen other teams in our league could offer a more attractive proposition than we can.
Multigums
Well-Known Member
All good points - I just see huge, unrealised potential and think what ambitious young manager wouldn't want to take that on.
AveryDave
Well-Known Member
Don’t disagree on the potential, and that is likely the biggest selling point.
We’ve tried to build the roof over the last two seasons before the walls have been rebuilt. Hayrettin tried to put together squads for immediate promotion, it didn’t work. I suspect Quinton would want to do the same if he got the chance, and I just don’t think the current situation and structure of the club can support that approach.
We need to reset expectations to where we are, not where we think we should be. Focus on the potential, be realistic about the timeline to achieve it, appoint a manager who is happy to be part of that plan and build for the long term, and not just a shit or bust punt with a new squad that thinks they’re entitled to promotion every year.
Added to with a few seasoned players and a lot of young ambitious players who’ll die for the club to build their career, probably not expensive either.
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
Maybe we need to stop giving the manager such leeway. We just end up with a mishmash of players and no structure or style.
Multigums
Well-Known Member
Oh dear that means we go back to the director of football vs not director of football debate elsewhere on this forum
Multigums
Well-Known Member
Clear contrast between us and the younger Bognor players last week - playing for their shirt, their club, their town etc. Something you cannot buy - Croydon leagues provide most homegrown players to Premier League. South London talent pool is there we just need a better net and -to stretch the imagery to breaking point- a capable crew.
Al Cunningham
Brockley Hamlet
As a one off performance i thought it was good and the best for a long time. Going back to our early season system with the 2 wide wingers of Jeffery and Wanadio worked and we had chances to win by more. We know that formation alone is enough as teams can double down on the wingers but its proved to be our most effective system this season as long as both wingers are fit.
I still believe we need a complete refresh in the close season with a new management team ( Mckimm, Adaniyi, even Rose ....) and big turnover of players. We have quite a few who are well below the standard required to be sucessful in this league . One area i would say is a priority is a more mobile defence. We dont see many teams now with a dominating tall centre forward, they usually have forward players with mobility of pace and they know we are weak in this area.
I still believe we need a complete refresh in the close season with a new management team ( Mckimm, Adaniyi, even Rose ....) and big turnover of players. We have quite a few who are well below the standard required to be sucessful in this league . One area i would say is a priority is a more mobile defence. We dont see many teams now with a dominating tall centre forward, they usually have forward players with mobility of pace and they know we are weak in this area.
AveryDave
Well-Known Member
Just looked back - when Quinton was appointed Ben Clasper said it was with the intent to get to the end of the season and to give the Board the opportunity to put in place a longer term plan:
“This will then afford the board the time to complete its review of how to address some of the other issues in time to plan for next season and beyond, issues that we believe have contributed to the club’s under-performance in recent years.”
Now safety has been secured, feels like it’s time for the Board to explain what they believe those issues are and how their plan is going to solve them, including a detailed update on what’s happening with the new ground.
“This will then afford the board the time to complete its review of how to address some of the other issues in time to plan for next season and beyond, issues that we believe have contributed to the club’s under-performance in recent years.”
Now safety has been secured, feels like it’s time for the Board to explain what they believe those issues are and how their plan is going to solve them, including a detailed update on what’s happening with the new ground.
News on the new ground and other things will follow very shortly.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
The first half performance was still rather limp, with a lack of purpose or inspiration. We managed to make Canvey look a model of mid-table composure and efficiency, when in fact they would still be at risk of the drop (as would ourselves) had Chatham not equalised in the 89th minute at Hendon yesterday.
AJ and Luke always look better together, as you simply can't double up on both of them at the same time, which you can when just one of them is on the field. I was on the side of the pitch from which AJ delivered that cross for the first goal. It's a magnificent sight when you see him building up a head of steam, then pushing the ball ahead and engaging his marker in a foot race, while his low centre of gravity makes him difficult to foul. There's only going to be one outcome as he surges past on the outside, like Mallard steaming past an old tank engine. I think his slipstream almost blew my cap off!
If anyone deserved to bag the equaliser it was Amaru, who did well playing at centre forward and had already been agonisingly close to an equaliser on several occasions. The daft second booking for Arj, just when we were on top and looking capable of a winner, could have proved catastrophic but it seemed to fire up the crowd and we made light of the disadvantage. A rather wild tackle on Luke as he danced into the left corner of the box gave him the opportunity to win the game from the penalty spot in the 90th minute in dramatic fashion, and I don't think Canvey really came that close to spoiling the occasion during 8 minutes of added time. Thankfully JBW managed to deliver a relatively solid defensive permormance after coming unstuck with his Harlem Globetrotters antics that led to the Canvey goal. What on earth was he thinking of? Captain and centre back pulling party tricks 30 yard from the opposition goal inside the first 15 minutes of a crucial relegation battle? Ashley Carew used to wind me up doing that sort of thing and losing the ball, but at least he was supposed to be in that area of the pitch, and we were usually looking to break down inferior opponents defending in depth.
I'm still ambivalent about the manager situation. If we'd gone down I think Brad would have had to go, not because it was all his fault, but simply because it would have felt like a repeat of two years ago when Hak was more or less excused for the relegation and we ended up with a manager who was probably working below his natural level. I'd like to think Brad is the answer, and I hope he's already presented a case to the board outlining a clear strategy for building the sort of team that can take us forward next season. If there is another change I think it needs to be a younger and less experienced manager, untainted by the ups and downs of managing several National League clubs, and preferably based locally enough to know the grassroots scene in South London. Any change needs to be made promptly though, and we can't afford a lengthy recruitment process like we had after Gavin left, otherwise everyone else will be starting pre-season training in June before we've even decided who is in charge.
As AveryDave said a few posts back, I think we need to forget about being a National South club for the foreseeable future, at least until we look like actually finishing in the top 5 of the Isthmian League again. We need to stop signing National South players, who will be slumming it while expecting a contract for National South money, and get more younger players in who are ambitious to become better than they already are. I rather enjoy this division, more so on balance that the one above, although that doesn't mean I don't eventually want to see us win it for the first time since 1949.
When we entered this division from below 12 years ago, I think the initial expectation was maybe top 10 and just establish ourselves, but we became instant big hitters and widely recognised as "the best footballing side in the league". We more or less did what Cray Valley have just done this season, or Chatham last season, although we eventually missed the play-offs by a single point after fading in the final few games. When we first entered National South I think the expectation was lower mid-table, despite the hindrance of being locked out of Champion Hill, which was just about achieved. The problems seemed to start when we actually got back home and trumpeted "the highest playing budget in the club's history" along with turning full time and regular crowds of 2,000-3,000. I think the pandemic was also more damaging to our club than to many others, a factor that should not be underestimated. Many clubs seemed to sail through the behind closed doors season and the lottery funding scandal almost unscathed, while we made a substantial loss and became insolvent as a direct result. Let's not forget the part played in that by National League Chairman and "Mr Bognor Regis Town" Jack Pearce. For that reason alone it was a bonus to see his club relegated on the day we secured our own status.
editor
hiraethified
Maybe THAT'S where they've been going wrong all season?!
I've never hated a Hamlet strip more than this year's near all-blue home number and the Jubel-inspired away colours.
Whatever happened to the pink in the pink'n'blues?
editor
hiraethified
Max pics!
www.brixtonbuzz.com
In photos: Dulwich Hamlet safe from relegation after crucial 2-1 victory over Canvey Island, Sat 19th April 2025
A collective sigh of relief could be heard amongst the celebrations when Luke Wanadio netted a last minute winner at Champion Hill yesterday, and guaranteed that Dulwich hamlet will be staying up t…
www.brixtonbuzz.com
Scolly
Well-Known Member
The auction, for the match-issued shirts from Saturday, is now open and will end 20:00 Thursday 24 April 2025. Every penny raised will be used to fund the men’s tour of Hamburg in July 2025.
You can bid here.
Shirts will be available to collect at our final home game on Saturday 26 April from the club shop, during it opening times and then the club bar from 17:00 until 19:00. In addition, these will also be available for collection at our final women's game on Sunday 27 April.
Please note that no replicas will be available to buy, and so whoever successfully bids for them will own a unique piece of history!!
You can bid here.
Shirts will be available to collect at our final home game on Saturday 26 April from the club shop, during it opening times and then the club bar from 17:00 until 19:00. In addition, these will also be available for collection at our final women's game on Sunday 27 April.
Please note that no replicas will be available to buy, and so whoever successfully bids for them will own a unique piece of history!!
Last edited:
wphillips7
Active Member
Great initiative, the kit looked brilliant yesterday 
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
It's a shame we didn't have it for the entire season, with the plain blue "map" design for only one game. It looked as good as any Hamlet shirt I've seen, apart from the ludicrous illegible numbers.Great initiative, the kit looked brilliant yesterday
Multigums
Well-Known Member
Did think those numbers might cause ref a few problems but he managed to generate a lot of his own
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