Journey to Dulwich Hamlet and
Memories
By former player John Swan
ike every young boy brought up in the fifties who played
football in the street, the senior local
amateur team was something of a pinnacle to aim for. So, when in 1960 after
watching Kingstonian lose to Hendon 1-0 in the Amateur Cup Final at a full
Wembley Stadium, (in which Alan Wyatt, Hugh Lindsay and Mike Candey featured
and who later I would train and play with) I got a phone call to ask me to play
for Kingstonian’s ‘A’ team at the age of 14. It was like winning the pools. The
K's were one of the top sides at the time and their ground at Richmond Road had
a wonderful playing surface and was used for Amateur Internationals. I had
played on it as a schoolboy in the District side so knew the training area and
clubhouse, which were excellent.
It was then I met Vic Heasman, Alan Wyatt, Brian Wakefield,
Brian O'Connell, Bob Butler, Dave Johnson, Tony Slade, Peter Searle, Dave
Roberts, Roddy Hay and Bobby Russell – all of whom were to find their way to
Dulwich Hamlet.
I made my debut at 17 when Roddy Haider was selected for
England. We played Hitchin Town and that was when Alan Wyatt became a mentor to
me, offering sound advice like "Play the ball" and "Keep it
simple." Advice which stayed with me all my playing days. I really enjoyed
my years at the K's. It was a happy club and everybody was treated the same. It
was at this time that Peter Gleeson managed to get me to Charlton Athletic
where I played with Billy Bonds, Keith Peacock, Vic Halom and Ray Harford. My
‘claim to fame’ (which I have used in many after-dinner speeches) is that I
have slept with ‘Bonzo’ in a double bed in Holland. We were on tour and played
in Feyenoord Stadium against Spurs, and the home team in front of a huge crowd
for a youth match.
Bob Stokoe came in as manager and got rid of me and two
other future Hamlet players – Ray Major and Alan Hawkins. Back to the K's and
the bombshell that Peter Gleeson was leaving and going to Dulwich Hamlet. Why
would he go there? That was the chat among the players as Dulwich were struggling
at the bottom of the league. The consensus of opinion was that they could only
get better. Dulwich were a sleeping giant with probably the best amateur ground
in the country.
A Scotsman took the reins at Richmond Road. His name was
Tommy Dougall. He came from Hillingdon Borough in the Southern League. His
introduction to the first team squad was on a tour to Spain. I don't think he
was impressed with the behaviour of some of the senior players, who had quite a
strong drinking culture. A few departures followed and he offered me expenses
which were higher than what I had been getting. The catch was that he was an
insurance salesman and half had to be used to buy an insurance policy! My
father worked in insurance and told me to have nothing to do with it.
I wasn't enjoying my football or the atmosphere created by
Tommy so when Peter rang me and suggested I made the trip round the South
Circular to Dulwich I jumped at the chance. My first game was an away game at
Wealdstone, a team that included many amateur internationals and who were top
of the league. We lost 4-2. Not a bad result as I had monitored some of the
results before I joined and they were not very encouraging. After the first
game I played I was invited into the boardroom to meet the committee.
The chairman, Doug Waymouth introduced me to Harry Brown,
Tommy Jover, John Hall, Pat Connett, Sid Gray and Arthur Aitken, who was
holding his customary large scotch and called me by my surname all through the
conversations. I was told that it was an honour to play for the club and that
they would pay for my travelling expenses to matches. No brown envelopes here,
I thought. When asked where I lived I said, Newcastle, which went down like a
lead balloon. These men were true gents who were great servants of the club and
all became good friends and advisers over my years at the club.
Match days at the old Champion Hill were always special. I
used to enjoy the commissionaire’s salute as he checked the badge on my car to
allow me to park behind the main stand. One day the manager was stopped as he
had changed his car and had no badge, Peter Smith who was walking in, was asked
if he knew the man in the car. Peter said that he had never seen the man before
in his life! Peter Gleeson was a bit late getting in the dressing room, and I
think Peter Smith was sub that day.
After parking up you were met at the main gate by Reg
Mitchell who wished you luck and asked if you wanted any complimentary tickets. After dumping your bag in the dressing room,
and negotiating the groundsman Len Evans’ Alsatian, we checked out the playing
surface. The pitch was always a problem and usually had no grass on it from
November on. The mud was rolled flat before every game. The first team used to
watch Harry Brown and Tommy Jover (long retired) training on the pitch before
the game. Tommy was still faster than some of the lads who were playing!
And then we were greeted by a shout from Bronco in his white
hat behind the goal. He would tell Alan Wyatt to aim for his hat when shooting.
It must have worked for Alan as he scored around 30 goals in the 1967/68
season.
When the game was over, after a plunge in the deep bath, it
was up to the bar for the celebration or inquest with the committee and
supporters.
Our physio at the time was a Welshman called Emrys Tucker.
He was partially sighted as he had been wounded in the war. The only way he
could focus was to wear his flat cap at an angle. A visit to his surgery when
injured was always a hilarious experience as his methods were quite basic.
To become a committee man you had to be an ex-player. A
tradition which created an atmosphere of togetherness with the existing
players. This is obviously not possible in today’s game as commercial considerations
have to be taken into account. Expectations and standards are different.
John Hall was one of the committee I got on very well with.
He was a large man. His party piece was his Tommy Cooper impressions, which he
performed wearing a fez. He resembled the great comedian and his performances
on tour still make me chuckle when I recall them.
On tour in Majorca one year we stayed in the hotel next to
where Liverpool F.C. players were staying. After talking to some of their
players on the beach we were invited to join them in a club for a drink in the
evening. To get in we had to say we were Liverpool players. The club was
crammed with young women as George Best was on the island and they were looking
for him. During the evening the manager of the nightclub approached Roger Hunt
and Ron Yeats and asked them how many players Liverpool had with them as there
were 54 in the club. None of them had paid to get in. We disappeared into the
crowd.
Gradually Peter Gleeson attracted players and we climbed the
league and had some good results in the cups. Trips to Sharpness in the West
Country in the Amateur Cup come to mind [DH won 2-1, Swan and Wyatt with the
goals], and a Surrey Senior Cup Final which we lost 1-0 to Sutton United in a
replay. Trevor Blaydon scored the winner and he later played for the Hamlet.
The club started the tradition of touring again. We went to
Belgium, Spain and the Isle of Wight (where we played Harlow Town, which was a
bit strange at the time). After some fixtures on a Saturday we visited the
hotel in New Romney which was owned by O.C.S., who were now helping with the costs
of the upkeep of Champion Hill.
One weekend we were flown out to play a Jersey F.A. X1, but
our performance was hampered by a night out in St. Helier before the game. All
of these trips brought the players and the committee close together and created
a good team spirit. This was probably the happiest time I have spent in
football.
Training during this time took place on the back pitch
behind the main terracing. We spent many a session running up the terraces
being shouted at by Tommy Court. He was a hard taskmaster with a wicked sense
of humour. After a dip in the plunge bath in the old training clubhouse it was
off to the Crown and Greyhound for a pint or two. I do think modern players
have missed out not having a plunge bath to soak in after a game. Most dressing
rooms in the Isthmian League had them.
One pre-season we played an Arsenal Xl. The man of the match
was a 15 year old, who looked about 11. It was Liam Brady. He strolled through
the game, using his cultured left foot to split our defence with inch-perfect
passes. Our left back that day was Bobby Russell, a very talented 20 year old,
who had the ability to overlap and cross accurately. He did not look out of
place against the professionals of Arsenal. Luke Shaw reminds me of Bobby. Ironically
he suffered the same injury – breaking his leg badly. It happened in a mid-week
match at Wealdstone. This was a real tragedy for Bobby and his family as his
father confided that Arsenal had asked him to go training with them. Treatment
in the 60’s was not as good as it is now and Bobby never played again.
At the end of the season it became apparent that Peter
Gleeson felt that he had taken the club as far as he could with the financial
restraints he was under. He resigned. It was all change at the Hamlet. A few
players jumped ship before the new manager Fred Setters arrived.
He came from Merstham, so it was quite a jump up for him.
Managing in the pre-contract days was all about having contacts with players
and Fred struggled in this regard. Results suffered. A few stayed including
Peter Smith, Dave Barker and Vic Heasman, but it was a poor season. Paddy Long
joined us, but he was at the end of his career.
I had an offer to join Leatherhead but I had just met my
future wife, who taught in East Dulwich. Her flatmate later married Dave
Barker, so it suited me to stay. We have kept in touch with the Barkers and
have spent holidays together.
At the end of Fred's time we arrived for pre-season training
to be told by Jimmy Rose that we were no longer wanted. The club had obviously
taken the cash injection offered so they could attract better players. The
amateur days were over and players were now placed on contracts. A month into
the new season I received a phone call from Jim Philips (who was running the
Reserves) and he asked Dave Barker and me to come back. We played with a group
of young players – Steve Rogers, Alex MacFarlane, Charlie Pooley, Alec Jackson
– and were quite successful. My appearances in the first team were more limited
and after getting married and moving to live in Richmond, I found the
travelling and commitment too much. I decided to call it a day. My friends
Peter Smith and Dave Barker stayed and played in one of the most successful
periods of the club’s post war history.
John Barnes, a former 2nd team manager at Dulwich had become
manager of the Lensbury Club at Teddington. Owned by Shell and playing in the
Southern Amateur League, the facilities were second to none. When John asked me
to join I jumped at the chance. Over the following years a veterans’ team was
formed and former Dulwich players such as Eric Allison, Dave Barker, Vic
Heasman and Ray Purvis joined. The likes of Hugh Lindsay, Ada Hill, Ian MacLean
and Joe Fascione have all played and toured with Lensbury. I am still connected
with Lensbury – now called Weirside Rangers – we run 4 teams every weekend and
play at Imber Court.
My time at the Hamlet, however, was the best time ever, and
the club will always have a special place in my heart.
Original article from HH30 Winter 2016
Copyright © John Swan
