In December 1891 Thomas Freeman, a
local builder, plumber and decorator of 127 Grove Lane, began work on a piece
of land at the rear of Champion Hill House and Oakfield House. This area today takes in the Sainsburys Superstore and Dulwich Hamlet FC's present
stadium. Access to the land was gained via an entrance in the south part of the
road Champion Hill. *
Freeman's intention was to
construct a new cricket ground and tennis courts in the area. However, the site
eventually became more celebrated for football than the summer pastimes. In
fact, the first recorded game to be contested took place during Christmas week,
with the ground still in process of formation - a match between St Saviour's FC
and Lorn FC. A certain H. Freeman, possibly Thomas Freeman's own son Harry,
scored the first goal.
The following year, having obtained
a twenty year counterpart lease, Freeman received planning permission to build
three wood and iron cricket pavilions. The Champion Hill Cricket and Lawn
Tennis Club were the main tenants throughout and beyond the period of the
leasehold, with various other clubs using the ground for association football
during the winter period. Of these, Dulwich Hamlet, who occupied the ground
from 1902, were the most forward thinking.
Although excellently situated only five minutes’ walk from Denmark Hill railway station, access to the ground was
much more difficult for the club's East Dulwich supporters. Their lot was to
ascend Dog Kennel Hill or Green Lane to Champion Hill, and then come all the
way back down a steep incline to the enclosure. An entrance was therefore
obtained at the end of the row of houses in Constance Road, just before the
Infirmary.
Many other ground improvements were
made over the years, and in 1906 a new stand was built to hold 250 people.
"It should attract the wives and lady loves in greater numbers than
ever." said the local reporter. By then Mr Freeman's Ground, had lost its
original appellation and was simply known as Champion Hill. Dulwich Hamlet had
also become a very successful club and were attracting crowds of several
thousands.
At the start of the 1911-12 season
the Hamlet were informed they would not be able to use their playing field for
the whole season, but would have to repaint the pitch further down
the field [the current Dulwich Hamlet site]. With the lease coming to its
end in 1912, and with an uncertain future looming, Dulwich Hamlet set their
sights on an adjacent plot of unused meadowland that had become available at
the rear of the gardens of Cleve Hall. [The Astroturf pitch in the image below] Here, they created a new smaller
enclosure that was to be their home for the next twenty years.
From as early as 1923 plans were
drawn up for the original Freeman's site to be turned into a splendid football
ground that could hold more than 20,000 people. In 1931 the dream was fully
realised, and the Hamlet opened the famous old Champion Hill Ground, as well as
another pitch known as the ‘top pitch' for the reserves. Now, almost eighty
years later the Hamlet are still there - albeit, with a more compact stadium
built in 1992 - but still operating from the place once known as Freeman's
Ground
.
Aerial shot of the Champion Hill ground. The first overlay shows the 1931-91 ground, and the second overlay shows where the pitch was compared to today, just a few yards away.
.
* Downhill from the stone sign that reads "Dulwich Manor extends from this stone eastward 27 feet, 1805."
Original article written for a book
on East Dulwich published in 1998.
Copyright: Jack McInroy ©
