Quite wrong to do so.

“Quite Wrong To Do So” 

Dulwich Hamlet 1914-1919

Way back in 2005 the Hamlet Historian magazine dedicated an entire issue to Dulwich Hamlet Football Club during the First World War. Mishi Morath, Roger Deason and I scoured countless newspapers and war files (mostly on microfilm) attempting to piece together an accurate record of matches played and particulars of the war casualties. We did a good job. It was certainly one of the most remarkable things the magazine ever did. It was in this issue (HH14) that Roger produced an article entitled “When Shall Their Glory Fade?” which directly led to his book of the same name some years later.  

Among the many fascinating things Roger uncovered was a mistake to Edgar Bescoby’s name on the War Memorial at Champion Hill. We felt there was a real necessity to make the correction, and at the unveiling event on Remembrance Day the same year Roger gave a magnificent speech detailing the lives and tragic deaths of the Hamlet fatalities.

With the discovery of the Fred Pilkington collection of programmes and ephemera a couple of years ago, including several issues of the News Of The Pink And Blue Brigade wartime news sheets, Roger Deason was able to gain further details. He has since followed up his studies of that era and produced a new book called “Quite Wrong To Do So”. Although it has been available for purchase for some months it is now getting a relaunch to tie in with the 2018 Remembrance Day commemorations. All profits will aid Dulwich Hamlet’s 12^th Man Fund.

The title of the book comes from a statement the DHFC committee handed out to the playing staff in April 1915:

“We, as a club consider that it is practically certain that no matches will be played on our ground under present conditions and in our opinion it would be quite wrong to do so. It is our conviction that every man who is fit and not on Government work should join the forces and do his bit.”

The book is set out chronologically season by season looking at many of the interesting games played against forces teams and local Isthmian League rivals. It highlights some of the characters who represented the Hamlet and “did their bit” for King and Country during exceedingly dark days. A time when the club had its Champion Hill ground given over to army use and was close to going bankrupt. Roger also examines the club’s recruitment drive with the great emphasis placed on all able bodied men to sign up for the war, and the effect it had on the club post-war. The book actually goes beyond the armistice and concludes at the end of the 1918-19 season. This neatly dovetails into my own The Story OfA Season: Dulwich Hamlet 1919-20 which is sadly long out of print.

We urge all Dulwich Hamlet supporters to obtain a copy of the fully illustrated “Quite Wrong To Do So”, available at the ground on match days for £6.00.

Jack McInroy