“Ordinary Morality is for Ordinary Football Clubs” - the Visions of Dulwich Hamlet F.C.

Probably no other English club below the professional leagues has gathered more media attention than Dulwich Hamlet, located South of the river in London and around in that neighborhood since 1893. Any quick search on the club will turn up grand phrases like “a different vision for football” or “the small club with the big vision.” And that vision - inclusive, humanitarian, egalitarian - draws around 3000 spectators (critics would say 3000 hipsters) who often wouldn’t feel comfortable at other soccer grounds to the Hamlet’s South London home for most games. But despite such record numbers for the lower leagues, the club just got relegated. It also is planning a new stadium, after briefly being thrown out of the old one by developers. And it is both shaped by and wrestling with its identity in a gentrifying neighborhood. Tim Scott, chairman of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters trust, shares about the vibe around the club, the ups and downs and growing pains of the atmosphere at home games, and the work of a supporter's trust.HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODEDulwich Hamlet Supporters Trust (also on twitter)Dulwich Hamlet FC (also on twitter); Club Shop2018 piece in the Guardian re. the stadium conflictRecent piece in the local newspaper re. current stadium plans with statement from DHFC"First all-trans masc side makes football history" - hosted by DHFCFootball Ground Guide on Champion HillNEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup) Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. If you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, pleaseRecommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help. Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige LindInstrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/