Wednesday 25 April 2012

It Began As A Needle In A Haystack

The 1934/35 season


By Mishi D. Morath

…A needle I have yet to prick my finger on, but I did manage to get under the skin, at least, of the 1934/35 season as a result. Let me explain...

I do enjoy participating in a good messageboard, and the main forum I use, after the unofficial Dulwich Hamlet one, is the 'Non League Matters' one; established by the late Tony Kempster many years ago. One of the sections on there is entitled 'History', and back in mid-August of this year somebody called 'waparesult' posted the following:- 

Chelgrove FC… Dulwich Amateur League?
All, first post so please be gentle :-) I am researching my Grandad, George Gambrell, and trying to find out some more history about him and wonder if the good people on here can help? He played for Chelgrove FC in the Dulwich Amatuer League from 1930 - 1934 winning the league on 4 straight occasions and gaining promotion each year. I am trying to find some stats, figures about him but cannot find anything on the net. Can you help please?

He also posted pictures of the engraved league medals and two team photos. Now if there's one thing I'm sad enough to enjoy, it's spending hour upon hour trawling through the microfiches of local papers, so I headed off to the Southwark Local History Library, on Borough High Street, to see what I could unturn.

As it happens...not a lot! Next to nothing about Chelgrove at all. In fact there was no mention of them in the divisions of the Dulwich League, when they were reported, so the medals are a bit of a mystery to me at the moment. I'm not sure who won the Dulwich League in those years yet, as my research is very much a slow work in progress.

I did enquire as to whether he knew if his grandfather had ever stood on the terraces at Champion Hill. Understandably very little anecdotal tales were handed down. The minimal info he had was that: "The History is my Grandad lived in Ansdell Road SE15, until he passed away in 1954, he worked for the gas board and was a very keen football fan. He used to play for Chelgrove had trials at Crystal Palace and Millwall and allegedly ( I am trying to find out) played for Millwall, from what my mum said he was a regular at Dulwich and used to take my uncle along who was more interested in fishing than football :-) My nan remained in Ansdell Road until 1972 when she moved to WGC, my parents moved out in 1965 to Aylesbury and then to Plymouth where I have lived for the last 40 odd years. "

Of the three seasons mentioned I decided to start at the last one, 1934/35, as that was when Chelgrove were supposedly in the top division, from which I hoped they would have had more copy in the local press. All I managed to discover was the make up of the Dulwich League, and that season the Premier Division appears to have consisted of: Dulwich St John's; Sparks; Oxford and Bermondsey O.B.; First Surrey Rifles; Heathens Athletic; Southwark Greyfriars; Norwood; St. Barnabas Institute; Old Hollingtonians; St George's Cathedral; Waverley; Streatham Manor; and Alaska Sports.

The name Chelgrove did later appear in a single brief report, from their match against Dolcis. More delving into the archives further along will tell me that these two sides competed in the Brockley and District League Division One, and that this organisation had a Premier Division above it. In the nineteen thirties there were many local leagues, some I have been aware of, others not. Two of them not ringing a bell are the Central London League, and the South London Oddfellows League.

I suppose I'm waffling on a bit now, it should be clear that this has very little, if any, Dulwich Hamlet connection, and a total wild goose chase! But at the same time my eye was being caught by all the Dulwich Hamlet news of the day, and decided to include some of it in an article for the 'Hamlet Historian', which I hope you will find interesting. Those of you who know me will realise that I'm not really a 'facts and figures' man, but that I am more for the quirky and 'socially observational', so please accept my lame apologies in advance if I veer off course from Champion Hill now and again.

1934 was, without doubt, a great time to be a Hamlet fan. We had just lifted the Amateur Cup for the third time, having beaten Leyton by the odd goal in three at Upton Park, in front of a crowd of over 33,000; in which a depleted Hamlet side suffered injury after injury and finished the match with only seven fit men! We also had a held-over Surrey Senior Cup final from the previous campaign to come. It's well recorded that the '34/35 season was very much a 'nearly' one, battling on to … not one … not two ... but THREE semi finals, then losing them all! This, probably the first article of a few on this period will not tell you who we won, drew and lost to every week ; although some of that will be covered. I hope to re-acquaint you with the snippets surrounding the statistics, and for that to begin it's time to turn the clock back to September 1934...

One of the first things I spotted was a passage from the Dulwich Amateur Football League handbook of that year, that caught the eye of the sportsdesk of the 'South London Press', and mine over three quarters of a centrury later, so much so that I included it in the first Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Team programme earlier this season: " A sportsman is a man who does not boast; nor quit; nor make excuses when he fails. He is a cheerful loser and a quiet winner. He plays fair and as well as he can. He enjoys the pleasure of risk. He gives his opponent the benefit of the doubt, and he values the game itself more highly than the result". Good to know we adhere to some of that ethos in the twenty first century, having quietly won our divisional 'Fair Play' award last season, as opposed to teams who loudly preach it, but do not put it into practice.

Our own Club handbook was praised, with the comment that we were " believed to be the only amateur football club to produce their own handbook." and that it was "...73 pages for sixpence...an extremely good bargain...the Amateur Cup prominently on the cover, printed, of course, in pink and blue, the club colours".

Back in those days the football season did not start until into September, as there was no real overlap between the cricket and football. Leather ball in winter, wooden bat in summer! There was no pre-season programme, either. Not like today, where sometimes clubs send out two 'equal' XIs to two different away games at the same time! And a dozen warm up games or more, from as early as the first week in July! Up until the early 1960s pre-season matches were not even sanctioned by the FA, and the general annual warm-up was a game between the players in an internal match, under the guise of 'Possibles v. Probables' or 'Blues v. Whites'.

Our pre-season match at Champion Hill in 1934 was 'Whites v. Colours' and our first football headline of the new season told us: 'BIG CROWD AT THE HAMLET TRIAL Good Football Seen at Champion Hill'. Rather than pick out a titbit from the report I shall copy it word for word, as – certainly for me – It seems so strange to see what would nowadays be regarded as a training session having such standing over three quarters of a century ago:

"Nearly 3,000 turned out to watch Dulwich Hamlet's trial game at Champion Hill on Saturday. They were not disappointed for an excellent match took place, resulting in a win for the Whites by two goals to one. Although seven first team men appeared in the Colours' side, matters were balanced by the good selection of players chosen for Whites. Nearly all players appeared very fit, and it was good football from start to finish. Court (a first team man) scored for Colours within 20 minutes with a long shot after picking up a pass from Tanner at centre. Just before half-time a good move among the inside-forwards was finished off by Ball, the score being 1-1 at the interval. Ten minutes before the end there was a good piece of work by Ball during which he beat two men and passed to Spearman. Spearman (centre-forward) then scored with a splendid shot. Club officials seemed quite pleased with the trial.
The teams were:-
Colours: Cox, Waymouth, Robbins, Clark, Hamer, Toser, Morrish, Miller, Tanner, Murray (T.), Court.
Whites: Cooper, Standaloft, Osmond, Aitken, Sollitt, Barnes, Ingleton, Rudd, Spearman, Ball, Jones.”

In similar matches there were over 8,000 at The Den, as Millwall's Blues beat the Reds 6-2; while at Plough Lane the match must have given the Wimbledon selectors much food for thought as the Possibles beat the Probables two nil.

Nowadays The Hamlet are earning quite a reputation for producing their own talent, under the excellent eye and guidance of First Team supremo Gavin Rose, being nurtured through his ASPIRE Academy. This is not a modern thing really, as in our pre-War heyday we were famous for developing our own junior talent, with the crop of the South London schoolboys at our disposal, and having them come through the ranks via our junior sides and the reserves. As you can see from this piece:

“Hamlet FC's Reserve strength.
Like the Arsenal, Dulwich Hamlet have long been famed for the strength of their reserve talent. Last season they had an Irish international, P.J. Roche, playing in their reserve team. This year it appears that another player who has gained representative honours may have to be content with a place in the second eleven. He is P. Neale, an inside right, who has just joined Dulwich from Ilford. While with the Essex club he played for Essex and the Isthmian League."

Someone else also got a name check in the paper that day:
“From Forward to Goalkeeper
Another Dulwich Hamlet player who is far above his present class is Cyril Cox, who is at present keeping goal for the juniors and the ‘A’ team. Originally he was a forward, and then a half-back. A bad knee injury caused him to turn his attention to goalkeeping, and he played so well he decided to stay there. Now he is providing the Hamlet selectors with a problem. Cox is the second Hamlet player in recent years who has changed from the front line of attack to the last line of defence. Alfred Solly, who later joined Newport as a professional and is now with Aldershot, was the first."

The season opener was at home to a name long forgotten. Optimism was clearly high, judging from the previews in the press: 'STRONG SIDE TO MEET TUFNELL PARK. Murray the Only Cup Finalist Out of the Game” It was reported that "all the amateurs have hard matches: Wimbledon are at Leytonstone and Nunhead at Oxford. Even Dulwich Hamlet will have to strain every nerve to beat Tufnell Park on their own ground."  But the game should not really have been that troublesome, as the scribe went on to tell us: "...[Dulwich] are fielding ten of the men who won the Amateur Cup, the only absentee being Murray, who, I understand, is still on holiday. His place will be filled by a very capable deputy in Aitken, so there is nothing to worry about in the way of a weakened half-back line. Miller did sufficient in last Saturday's trial to show that not only has he completely recovered from his Amateur Cup final accident, but has also used the interval since he last played to think out a variety of bewildering new tricks. Four of tomorrow's team – Cummings, Hugo, Benka and Court – did not play in last week's trial, and Aitken was in the reserves' side. It was pity, I think, not to have included Aitken with Hamer and Toser, for the three men's experience in working together would have stood them in good stead tomorrow. But unless the visitors have imported several dangerous forwards during the close season, they will probably not present a very strong attack – defence is their forte – so all should be well."

The result? A nil nil draw! And the local journalist was not a happy chap! "If Dulwich Hamlet are to sweep all before them this season, as, of course, they confidently anticipate doing, they will have to take their matches a little more seriously. …Until the middle of the second half they dillied and dallied while the 7,000 spectators were on edge lest Tufs should snatch that all-important goal. …With only 20 minutes left they seemed to realise it was time the game was livened up and made attack after attack only to be repulsed. The game ended on a goalless draw, but the Hamlet have only themselves to blame for not notching at least four. Maybe it was the hot sun and that beginning of the season feeling, but they seemed to be playing with a "plenty of time to score yet" attitude..." The scribe concluded with a comment that modern day Hamlet fans can still relate to: "The forwards must remember that good, hard shooting is of much more benefit than footling about trying to beat six men in front of goal".

One of the early season matches was away to Wycombe Wanderers, at their old Loakes Park ground, which had a really nasty slope on it. Indeed when I first saw The Hamlet play at the old Yeovil Town ground, Huish Park, in their first Isthmian spell in the mid eighties I thought their famed slope was not as bad as the Wycombe one! Back in 1934 we were informed that: " Wycombe's ground is notoriously difficult for visitors. The peculiar lay of the pitch is worth at least two goals to the home team, though it is one of the marvels of the game that South London clubs do quite well there. This is a phenomenon of football that nobody has yet been able to explain, so I'm not going to try it!" Clearly our luck deserted us, as we went down by the odd goal in five!

Tom Barling of Surrey County Cricket Club

An unusual match that caught my fancy was not an Isthmian League fixture, but a charity match at the home of London Leaguers Streatham Town FC, against "Tom Barling's XI", on Wednesday 18th September. Barling was a Surrey cricketer and was bringing a side to their ground in Hassocks Road, Streatham Vale, to raise money for the Tom Walls’ Cancer Fund, and a 'good crowd was anticipated'. The Hamlet connection was the make up of the Barling XI: "Barling's team includes four of Dulwich Hamlet's Amateur Cup winning side, in Morrish, Goodliffe, Benka, and Hugo, another Surrey cricketer in F. Gamble, while Barling himself will play at inside-right." The match was to be refereed by the famous ex-Chelsea player Alex Jackson, whose most successful spell was at Huddersfield Town from 1925 -30. He was one of the so-called 'Wembley Wizards', scoring a hat-trick, when Scotland beat England 5-1 in the Home Championships in 1928. The main raffle prize was a cricket bat autographed by the England and Australian teams, as well as five county sides. I wonder what that would fetch on Ebay nowadays?

The match itself was won by two goals to nil, by the hosts, "In the first half there was some pretty exhibition football, but no score, The Town throughout the game had the advantage, being obviously more used to playing together, but Barling's team put up a remarkably good show." Unsurprisingly Barling was reportedly the "outstanding man in his own team", but our own Hugo was called one of the most outstanding defenders on the field, the other being Aylwin the Streatham centre-half, who '"bottled up Goodliffe, the opposing centre, very successfully". So not such a good evening for another Hamlet man! But a happy night all round for the Aylwin clan, as a Mr. G. Aylwin, of Western Road, Mitcham won the bat!

 Jack Hugo

In the FA Cup we were exempt until the First Round Proper, by virtue of being Amateur Cup winners, but it is worth noting how some other local teams did at the start. Our 2011 conquerors Sutton United had a "deserved victory" at Tooting and Mitcham, while Streatham Town drew one apiece at home to Hounslow Town, with a tale of more injury woes than our aforementioned Amateur Cup final! They could not put out their strongest side as Earl had put out his knee in training and Harvey was "indisposed with a poisoned arm." During the game, one of the replacements, Fear, was injured and had to be carried off the field; Rimmer reappeared after a week’s absence through a pulled muscle, but was a "passenger" after only ten minutes, when his leg gave out again. Don't forget there were no substitutes back in those days. Even the keeper got hurt! Speckman was fouled while making a save and was carried off "badly shaken up"! I don't know about you but I'd have been more than happy with the draw. And they won the replay!

But to put those injuries in perspective, think of an Isthmian League game around the same time, when Nunhead travelled to St Albans City and played out a nil nil draw. The game was played on a very slippery surface, following a heavy thunderstorm pre-match. During which one of the spectators was struck by lightning and killed. One of the bandsmen was also struck, but he was not badly injured.

The same afternoon, on the pitch, The Hamlet had a “minor disaster” of their own, throwing away a three goal lead at Clapton, to share the points in a 3-3 draw. “Hamlet Caught Napping” as the headline said! In front of a "disappointingly small crowd" (presumably down to the same poor weather) Curtis and Benka put Dulwich two up at the break, with the latter adding a third soon after half time, with the scribe writing then that "it was all Lombard street to a china orange that the visitors would get the easiest of victories". The Tons forward Jarvis being their saviour, completing his hat-trick just before the end. It was a "pathetically surprised Dulwich that trooped off the field at the close. For more than half a game they had been the only side in it, but as so often happens, easing up proved fatal." Perhaps not the best choice of words after what occurred at Clarence Park!

The Hamlet Reserves were also across the water, at Ilford, where the previously mentioned PJ Neale starred against his old club. As the report told us: "Neale has often delighted the Ilford crowd, but although his play on Saturday earned him rounds of applause, the audience [spectators] must have viewed his success with mixed feelings. Neale led his old colleagues a fine dance, and in addition to scoring two goals he had a large share in the other two, both of which were scored by HJ Ball. The Hamlet first team do not always fare particularly well at Ilford, but the Reserves certainly showed how easy it is to score on the pretty Essex ground. Straight for goal they went every time. Ilford made a few spasmodic attacks, but these were few and far between, and the home forwards rarely looked like scoring."

One of the most important men in the early history of Dulwich Hamlet, while also being a modest one, was reported as being in ill-health. Word for word: "It will come as bad news to every follower of South London amateur football that Mr. H.W. ‘Bert’ Hardy (pictured), the very popular secretary of Dulwich Hamlet's Reserve team, is in hospital for a serious internal operation. Mr. Hardy is probably the oldest official of the club, and except for one short interval, has been secretary of the reserve team for nearly thirty years. Football is more than his hobby. The members of his team he regards as his own children, and more than one amateur international today has to thank Mr. Hardy for the care and attention bestowed on his football childhood and upbringing. Schoolboys too, have a lot for which to thank him, for he has been their guide, philosopher, and friend for many years. I personally feel a sense of loss, which although only temporary – he expects to be away about a month – will be very deep while it lasts .I spoke to him just before lunchtime on Monday, when, as always, he told me with great enthusiasm of the latest exploits of his "children." A few hours later he went into hospital. Unless I am greatly mistaken he will be back at the secretarial part of the work as soon as he can sit up in bed, but his coaching activities will have to be suspended for a little. In the summer, Mr. Hardy's chief hobbies, apart from thinking football, are bowls (he is a member of Temple BC) and cricket. President of the Dulwich Hamlet cricket club, he also arranges the famous annual fixture between the Isthmian League cricketers and Oxford City. "

The same paper that week told us that the AFA side Old Westminster Citizens, were moving from their ground in Dulwich, to Tamwood Lane, Mitcham; where they still play to this day, Their opening match there was against an AFA representative side, though we are not told at which sports ground in Dulwich was their previous base.

Another Hamlet first team game worthy of a mention was the comfortable 4-1 victory at home to Leytonstone, with the report headlines catching my attention: “Hamlet Now the Isthmian Leaders” then “Court's amazing goal against Leytonstone”, followed by: “Keeper knocked out by shot, Le May also a ‘Heavy Ball’ Casualty'.” So what happened? As the scribe tells us: "The Leytonstone game was featured by a remarkable goal by Court halfway through the second half. The winger broke through and a terrific left-foot drive struck the Leytonstone keeper, Barlow, on the head, knocking him senseless. As he collapsed on the ground, Court regathered the ball and placed it into the net over the goalkeeper's body. Barlow was not seriously injured but it was several minutes before he was able to resume. Later a second Leytonstone man was knocked out by the heavy ball. Le May, the left half, received the full force of it and was off for nearly half-an-hour, returning just before the final whistle." It was actually Leytonstone who took the lead, through Garnett (perhaps a relative of the fabled and famous Alf!) before The Hamlet hit back, first through Court, then Goodliffe gave the Hamlet the lead, just after the interval. After that Robbins failed to score from the spot, his penalty hitting the post, before the Court lob over the prone keeper; with Benka "capping a fine game" with the fourth.

Meanwhile a humorous sideline from another sport. Do you remember all the furore a couple of years ago when the South African 800M runner Caster Semenya was forced to take a gender test to prove she was a not a man? Back in 1934 a local champion bowler was proud to admit she was male! After the South London Press bowls finals, Mr. Berry, chairman of the Balham Bowling Club, remarked that it was strange that the ladies champion should be a Male (Mrs. Male). To which she responded that even before she was a Male she was a Champion: as that was her maiden name!

Going back to local football, if you thought that Court's 'shot' on goal against Leytonstone was a bit 'unusual' what about this one in a one minor match? "Eleven shots in a match between the 30th Camberwell Scouts and Christ Church on Saturday found their way into the net. A twelfth shot "scored" an unusual goal. Whether it was intended to pass between the posts or merely crossed into the goalmouth is a moot point. All that is known is that the ball, traveling at great speed, went out of play somewhere near the corner flag-and knocked over a passing cyclist!" Now that's something I've NEVER seen at a game before. And in case you're wondering, the Scouts won 10-1.

Back once more to all things Dulwich. The Hamlet went down by the odd goal in five, to Wimbledon, at Plough Lane, where they played all their home games of course, before the club moved out for pastures new, first across South London to Selhurst Park, then further afield to Milton Keynes. But there were no Isthmian points at stake, for this was a first round London Charity Cup tie, and the first of two games against them, as the following week would see the delayed Surrey Senior Cup final from 1933/34, or to be more precise the replay, as this was way before the days of penalty shoot-outs deciding cup ties, following a no score draw at Champion Hill, the previous May. So perhaps – if we had to lose one of them – it was the right one! But this Cup clash, despite being lost, wasn't bad by all accounts, for 'R.S.', in the South London Press began: "If next week's Surrey Senior Cup final replay is only half as fast and exciting as was this game, all of London will want to see the match. I cannot call to mind a match between amateur clubs which was played at such a breath-taking pace throughout, or which had so many heart-throbbing moments. Hamlet supporters may truthfully aver their team's traditional and much-exaggerated cup luck temporarily deserted them, for it must be said that the Dons were extremely lucky to get away with it." What a word! 'Aver'. Not the meaning, but it's just like a modern Hamlet report by Griff, on the official Club website nowadays, where you need a dictionary in one hand to understand it!

Cecil Murray

It was the Charity Cup, and The Hamlet were somewhat charitable 'early doors', with the Dons hitting the post in the first minute, and they then took the lead a mere three minutes later. Their lead was doubled within the first quarter of an hour. But the fightback, albeit ultimately in vain, began. Ten minutes later Morrish (pictured)  crossed, for Benka to "breast into the net". From the centre Wimbledon pushed forward immediately, but Doc Dowden headed against the bar. Waymouth hit the rebound up to our forwards, for some sustained pressure, but no goal. Not long after, Dowden shot hopefully wide from 35 yards, with the resulting goal kick being hoofed up the park, where Bridge and Irish dithered as to who would clear the ball, leaving Miller, for the Hamlet, to nip in and send the ball across the goal. From this he somewhat fortunately scored as "whether he meant his kick as a shot or merely a pass is difficult to say, but the ball, which appeared to be traveling wide, suddenly changed its direction and went into the net." Two apiece! End to end chances followed, but Murray had to leave the field for over ten minutes after twisting a groin muscle, but being a man down inspired Dulwich and we tried even harder! Our keeper Cummings then injured himself, after a scramble when he came off worst, bottom of the pile, after a challenge, and his little finger on his left hand was put out of joint. Ouch! With only five minutes left on the clock Murray had a good chance, but Irish, for the Dons, beat him to the ball, only because of the earlier injury that was hampering him. With just two minutes remaining, and some of the crowd on their way out, believing it was to be a draw, Zenthon picked up the ball in the middle, beat Miller, went past Hugo; and having drawn the defence, passed to an unmarked Dowden. Panicking as Waymouth and Cummings were in a direct line to him, he managed to push the ball to Batchelor, who then had an open goal, for the cruel, late winner.

That Cummings injury got its own note in the paper. Under the heading "Where’s Norman?" we read that: “The inevitable wag who is always to be found at big football matches gave me a hearty laugh at the Dulwich Hamlet – Wimbledon encounter on Saturday. Norman Cummings, the Hamlet goalkeeper, put a finger out of joint turning a hot shot for a corner, and ran off to get someone on the line to pull it straight. Apparently the referee didn't notice him, for he was just about to blow his whistle for the corner kick when my wag raised a howl of delight by crying "Where's George?" Shortly after Cummings again dislocated the same finger – and this time the referee did notice it." 

“Where’s George?” was a hugely successful advertising slogan of the day and related to Lyons’ Tea Shops. It caught the public imagination in a similar way to “You should have gone to Specsavers” does today, and was generally said when someone was missing from his usual post. A month or so later the London Evening Star newspaper reported on a similar episode at the Service of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall: “The huge concourse of ex-servicemen had been roaring famous wartime songs, and the massed bands of the Guards were about to strike up again when a wag in the gallery noticed that the conductor was missing. “Where's George?” he yelled, and the enormous audience howled with delight, none more vociferously than the Prince of Wales.”

No doubt The Hamlet men went skulking off home, to lick their wounds. Unlike the Streatham Town team, who had a night out on the town at the Streatham Hill Theatre, in their feature 'In Town Tonight.’ The players were introduced to the audience by the theatre owner, from the stage, and they received a fine reception from them; with their captain then addressing them. Probably not worth a mention in itself, except for the tenuous link that the proprietor was a Mr. Jack Payne, which just so happens to be the name of the current Chairman of Dulwich Hamlet! He must be a little older than we all thought! ;-)

So next up was the immediate re-match with the Dons, back at Plough Lane, for the replayed final of the 1933/34 Surrey Senior Cup competition. The record books tell you that the Hamlet lifted the cup for the ninth time in our illustrious history. But if you want to know how the game went...I'm afraid you will have to wait for 'part two' of the 1934/35 season, in the next edition of the 'Hamlet Historian'!

With the benefit of hindsight we shall find out the Final was never in doubt, from our perspective. But did the players know that? Perhaps in the nervous week before one or two of our boys popped over to Nunhead for some pastoral guidance from 'The Sporting Vicar of Nunhead', that man being the Reverend Browning, of St. Silas. He moved to Nunhead seven years previous from a parish in Southwark, and became a keen fan of our then local rivals Nunhead FC, where he was very popular with the players. He even began holding a number of ‘Sportsmen's Services’ which were not just a hit with the Nuns' players, but many other local sportsmen. We are not told if any Hamlet players themselves attended some of his services, but it would be very surprising if some did not, as I am sure he was always there to listen to footballers from all over, and not just his own parish. And on that note you can 'praise be' that this somewhat lengthier look than I expected is now at a close for this issue!

Original article from HH24 Summer 2012.
Copyright © Mishi D. Morath





Monday 23 April 2012

The Hamlet in the First Round of the FA Cup

Dulwich Hamlet have reached the
First Round Proper of the FA Cup
on 12 occasions but have never
progressed beyond that stage.

1925/26 Away v SOUTHEND UNITED L1-5
1926/27 Home v SOUTHEND UNITED L1-4
1927/28 Away v ILFORD A L0-4
1928/29 Away v MERTHYR TOWN L2-4
1929/30 Home v PLYMOUTH ARGYLE L0-3
1930/31 Home v NEWPORT COUNTY D2-2, L1-4 in replay
1932/33 Away v SWINDON TOWN L1-4
1933/34 Home v NEWPORT COUNTY D2-2, L2-6 in replay
1934/35 Home v TORQUAY UNITED L1-2
1935/36 Home v TORQUAY UNITED L2-3
1936/37 Away v SWINDON TOWN L0-6
1937/38 Home v ALDERSHOT L1-2
1948/49 Away v NORTHAMPTON TOWN L1-2
1998/99 Home v SOUTHPORT L0-1

Monday 9 April 2012

Leslie Morrish


By Jack McInroy

In October last year I received an email from a certain Leslie Morrish. I had to do a double take. One of Dulwich Hamlet’s greatest ever players bore the same name. But that was eighty years ago! “Dear Jack,” the message began, “From my name you can probably guess who I am. Leslie Morrish was my uncle, the brother of my dad, Sidney. I don't know whether we may have met. I went to a match with my son Christopher at Dulwich in April 2007, and we were introduced to many people.” I don’t recall that at all, so maybe not.

Leslie had been perusing the Hamlet Historian website and noticed that the very first issue of our occasional magazine contained a brief obituary of his uncle Les. We promptly sent a copy of the original magazine to an address in north London which he visits a couple of times a year. Les now spends most of his time in South America, being a resident of Fortaleza, Brazil.

Some of you may be aware of a Facebook group called Now and Then Walworth, which boasts over three thousand members and an online collection of past and present photographs of Walworth and its surrounds. By an odd coincidence only days earlier I had mentioned the original Leslie Morrish in a post I made there. Occasionally folks in the group get to talking about a quaint old confectioners shop called Morrish's in Manor Place and the kindheartedness of the shopkeepers, two elderly brothers. Almost invariably the name of the shop is (mis)remembered as ‘Morris’s’, and pedantic old me will correct the mistake and point them in the direction of the brother, the famous Hamlet man. “Well, we always called it Morris’s!” they usually say, despite the name MORRISH writ large over the top of the shop.

“The shop at Manor Place” young Les said, “was my Uncle Harry's, though Les went into partnership with him in his later days. Les was widowed, I would guess when he was about 50, and his younger son, Christopher, who is my age (now 62), more or less became my surrogate brother, and spent a lot of time with us, so Les was like another Dad to me, and my Dad was in the same position with Chris.”

“The shop was a time warp right into, I would think, the late 70's or early 80's when it shut down. I passed there maybe four years ago, and though boarded up, it still looked unchanged from the outside. My Dad also had a shop at Lucas Road, Kennington, which no longer exists, and is buried under the big council estate that was built across the main road from the Oval after our shop was compulsorily purchased in 1954.”

The Hamlet man was one of five children – along with brothers Harry, Sid and Will and sister Ilene – several of whom were born on the other side of the world in New Zealand. “I have here on my desk in Brazil” Les said, ”a photo of the family, probably in about 1918, after their return from New Zealand, where my Dad was born in 1910.”

His uncle Les was also born in New Zealand in 1907 and on return to England following the war attended what is now John Ruskin School in Camberwell, and later won a scholarship to West Square Central near the Elephant and Castle.

William, the youngest of the siblings was born here in London. “Will worked for many years with the Goodliffe's in New Century/OCS. I don't know for sure, but I think he was probably a director. He certainly always had enough money to drive a nice Mercedes when we didn't even have a car.”

Several members of the Goodliffe family played for Dulwich Hamlet in the 1920s and 30s. The cleaning companies they owned – New Century Cleaning and Office Cleaning Services – employed quite a number of Hamlet footballers over several decades. When times became difficult for the club OCS became the landlords of the Champion Hill Stadium. This, in due course, was sold to present owners King’s College.

An outstanding winger, Les Morrish quickly worked his way up from the Dulwich Hamlet Junior team into the First team. He starred in the outstanding Hamlet side that won the FA Amateur Cup three times between 1932 and 1937. For several years he made up the right wing partnership with the legendary Edgar Kail. He also won four international caps for England Amateurs.

Morrish had exceptional ball control, and it was said about him that the ball seemed glued to his toes as he sidestepped the fullback. He could have played for any professional club in the top flight of English football but he turned them all down, choosing to remain an amateur with Dulwich instead.

Some very fond memories of the Morrish sweetshop in Manor Place – famed locally for their ice cream – have been recounted untold times in the Facebook group mentioned above. Two sisters, called Mandy and Wendy remembered how they were playfully referred to by Mr Harry Morrish as Monday and Wednesday. Here are a handful of other examples taken from the page:

“What was the name of the sweet shop opposite the Rosie O’Grady pub? Was it called Morris's? It was an old style shop run by on old bloke, they did lovely ice cream.”

“They sold the best ice cream, but mostly I remember all the jars of sweets on the shelves – what difficult choices we had back then. They also sold sherbet and peanuts by the quarter. Good times.”

“He had this board with lots of holes in, and inside the holes were tiny pieces of rolled up paper that had numbers on them. You had to push out the one you chose. I can’t remember how much a go it was, but I think you got a toy or possibly an ice cream”

“I used to get a Corgi toy every Friday from Mr Morrish's and he made the most wonderful ice cream.”

“Yes, it was a great little community, that end of Manor Place. Harry Morrish was a lovely old fellow and he had all the patience in the world where us kids were concerned.”

“They sold pea shooters, lucky dips and ice cream floats.”

“Morris’s sweet shop. I can’t forget their ice cream floats, aniseed twists, barley sugar and getting a penny back on your empty lemonade bottles. Or was it threepence?”

“They used to sell single fags in there from under the counter.”

“Morris's; an inevitable Aladdin's cave of goodies. I was a particular fan of pea shooters and his non-melting ice cream.”

“You could join the firework club in Morris’s. He used to give you a little blue or pink membership card, then come November 5th if you had saved enough money …240 one penny bangers! Now that was good value for a quid.”

“I remember Harry with affection. He had all the patience in the world where kids were concerned. This sometimes frustrated his wife, who used to tell Harry he was too soft with us. I can't imagine a shopkeeper today letting kids hang around the shop for ten minutes trying to make their mind's up what sweets to buy.”

“I have very fond memories of the Braganza Street end of Manor Place as a thriving little community. Shops such as Carter's the newsagents, Harry Morrish's sweetshop, Tozer's the butchers, Bernie Phillips's grocery shop, Davies's dairy and the Oil shop on the corner,

“I worked for Harry in the early 70s. His brother owned what we called the Oil shop on the corner of Danson Road and Manor Place. Harry’s wife Una had the shop selling groceries the same as Harry. We had delivery boys that had the bikes with the basket on the front.”

“My brother John Perkins used to work in Morrish's sweet shop when he was a boy up to the age of 17. The shop was owned by Harry and Les Morrish, they were brothers, and I am still friends with Les's son.”

Copyright: Jack McInroy © 2012

Friday 6 January 2012

Custodians of the Hamlet Goal

By Ralph Hopkins (Part of the 'Ralphie’s Rambles' series)

The game of football has changed over the years and today we are faced with a more complex one more in line with our modern age. I got to thinking how much the role of the Goalkeeper has changed during that time. Compared with the old pre-1950s type the keeper is now a completely different animal. I use the word ‘animal’ as it appears to be an apt word in my recollection of the ‘stalwarts’ ‘between the sticks’ of bygone days.

The old timers very rarely ventured very far from their goal area. In fact, if I can recall rightly, most of them used to spend most of their time prowling up and down their goal line almost like caged lions or tigers. In their off moments when play was safely up the other end of the pitch they would sometimes prop themselves by one of the goalposts; leaning almost nonchalantly and lazy. Legs crossed and arms folded. Sometimes they would even indulge in a little small talk or banter with the vast crowd that were on the terraces directly behind them. When any play came nearer to their half of the pitch they would take up position for defending their goal by moving forward slightly and crouching gently as if ready to deal with any incoming shot. Sometimes this called for them to actually move or even dive to avert the ball from entering the net.

Even the goalkeeper’s strip of that era was so different. The normal kit for them was a thick polo necked jersey, long shorts and thick woolly socks. And of course, big heavy looking football boots fitted with large studs. Some keepers even wore tight fitting bandages covering their knees. I often used to wonder how they could even bend their legs let alone dive about with any agility.

Their outward appearance would be completed by the wearing of a ‘Norman Wisdom’ type cloth cap usually pulled down well over their forehead. This was worn in all weathers but mainly when sunny, to shield the bright lights from their eyes. In mid winter, when the elements were really low and freezing cold, a suitable pair of gloves was added to the strip. But usually, cap and gloves were just slung down in a convenient corner of the goal interior until required.

In them days there was no such thing as floodlights; also kick-off used to vary according to the time of the season. I am talking about the dark wartime days now, when I spent most of my boyhood days almost as part of the ‘fixtures and fittings’ of the Champion Hill stadium, which I regard as the very best and finest amateur/non-league ground there has been: but that’s another story!

Certainly every Saturday I could be found roaming around somewhere on the vast terraces of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club. And even at other odd times throughout the weekdays, even when no matches were due to be played. In my youthful times I loved the old ground so much and would spend many joyful hours there. I was brought down to the Hamlet by my dad and granddad when I was little more than a young nipper, so I have very vague memories of watching the great England amateur international Haydn Hill in action. But I do remember him as somewhat of a local favourite at the time.

The two goalkeepers I remember most from my boyhood days were Alec Freeman and Eric Mulley. I believe big Alec was the youngest and more regular custodian between the sticks whilst Eric who had joined us from the defunct Nunhead club early in the wartime period, was slightly better. Both were fairly reliable keepers and between them they shared the keeper’s jersey during those wartime years. I’m not certain when Eric hung up his boots, but I do remember Alec played on until the early 1950s before emigrating to Australia.

However, he reserved one of his finest performances for the London Senior Cup Final at Arsenal’s Highbury ground in the 1949/50 season. His first half display was hailed as one of the best ever, and inspired our lads to go on to record a fine second half victory on the day. Alec was for sure a big towering fella. To my boyish eyes standing directly behind his goal area he looked massive and a very commanding figure.

I remember one wartime game when both keepers were available to play, so with Eric donning the jersey we were treated to the sight of this giant of a man playing out on the right wing position. I cannot remember if he scored at all but I can recall he was cheered every time he had the ball at his feet attempting to dribble down the flanks!

The keepers were colourful characters, always dressed in smart high necked jerseys. Royal blue was one of the favourites of the time although from time to time Alec would sport a bright yellow or amber one. I would sometimes wonder if Alec should rightly wear this colour as I was always under the impression that one had to be an international in order to be entitled to this particular colour. Alec had played for London and Surrey and also represented the FA XI.

The jerseys always proudly sported the Dulwich Hamlet badge on their breast pocket although because of the wartime restrictions these were sometimes slightly tattered and torn, as was the rest of their kit which was a few years old and not been replaced so easy as in these much more affluent times.

One keeper who was entitled to wear the amber jersey because I believe he was an England international, was a chap called K.G. Whitehead. Ken Whitehead came down and played a number of games for the Hamlet. I think he had enjoyed a successful time playing up north for a team called Yorkshire Amateurs. As a serviceman he may have been stationed somewhere in the London area so he chose to play as a guest for Dulwich. Many players that were serving in the armed forces at the time were able to do this.

To my young eyes Ken was a slightly balding older player who was perhaps passed his prime as I cannot recall him being all that spectacular or particularly agile. However he must have been good to obtain international honours. He nearly always wore a drab grey jersey so he did not figure much as a favourite or hero of mine.

Another keeper I remember from them days was chap named Norman Gosney. I always thought he appeared a bit too suave to be playing soccer. He looked more like a bandleader. . I think this was because there was a well known dance band leader by the name of Geraldo at the time and I thought Norman resembled him.

Soon after the war finished, although I continued to follow the fortunes of Dulwich, I became a bit adventurous and started to watch the professional game, mainly Charlton, where I discovered the great Sam Bartram. He was certainly a daring and audacious figure often leaving his goal line to run out onto the main field of play to tackle or even head the ball away from danger. Having never witnessed anything of this style of goalkeeping before he became a hero of mine, and I suppose was the main reason I came to follow Charlton Athletic for most part of the early fifties.

When I returned to follow the Hamlet in the mid fifties, Dave Darvill (above) was the resident custodian “between the sticks”. At that time he looked and dressed like a keeper from the old school wearing the traditional high necked polo jersey – usually a maroon one, if I remember correctly. Later on he became somewhat of a trendsetter in parading the more modern type of kit. He was one of the first players I know to start wearing the more lightweight style of jersey and shorter shorts. (Lighter boots were also beginning to come in at that time.) Dave would often wear an all-one-colour matching outfit of either royal blue or light green. His style of keeping was more in line with the modern game and he was a fairly steady and reliable sort of keeper. He used to amaze me at times by just standing on the line and plucking a really blistering shot from out of the air with such ease. He made the art of goalkeeping look easy but like all keepers he did have his occasional off days, but these were very rare. As one of the Hamlet’s long standing keepers Dave was pretty solid and consistent.

Our reserve and second choice keeper at the time was our old mate Cyril Nash, who when called upon always performed admirably and provided safe cover. However due to Mr Darvill being almost ever present, Cyril’s chances of a slice of the fame were slim and very limited. Dave wore the Hamlet keeper’s jersey for a record 457 times. The only other keeper to get anywhere near that figure in recent times was Alan Thomas who made 224.

After Dave retired from the game we had a succession of keepers; some good and some indifferent. The only one to leave a lasyting impression from that period was ‘man in black’ Mike Ockendon who was a brave and daring type. He joined the club from Walton & Hersham around 1962. Another daring fellow was Steve Bowtell, who was probably the most professional keeper to have played in the Hamlet colours making 164 appearances. He was a very brave keeper and often used to come off the field black and blue from all the knocks he took during the game. During his career he suffered several injuries – many minor ones but some major ones as well. [See issue 3 of the Hamlet Historian for Mishi Morath’s article highlighting Bowtell’s injuries.]

Over the years Dulwich have been lucky to have had some fair old keepers on their books. Most of them have always proved to be safe and reliable but like all goalkeepers a little bit crazy … well, they say it helps to be a bit mad … and we have had our share of them.

To emphasise the point on how much the role of the goalkeeper has changed we now witness the sometimes farcical sight of goalies chasing up-field to join the attack. A far cry from the days when they stuck rigidly to their line. Incidentally, this is not a totally new thing. If my memory serves me well we used to employ this tactic in games in the school playground or back in the times when we played in the street. The term ‘rush goalie’ comes to mind! Our old mate Les Cleevely, who clocked up 156 appearances, was somebody who revelled in this madcap tactic.

The headwear has also changed over the years we had a period when baseball type caps were the ‘in-fashion’. But ‘allo allo’ what’s the latest? We now have a keeper in the premiership that wears a flying helmet!! One wonders if this headgear is to protect his latest hair-do. Or maybe he may produce a stick of wet celery to mesmerise the opposing team from scoring. Perhaps I still have cotton wool in my ears to drown out the sound of the bombs, but I did not hear the public announcement that Biggles was in goal! One now expects good old Rockfist Rogan from the now defunct wartime comic Champion to be on the subs bench. Even during wartime with the enemy aircraft overhead do I recall ever seeing a goalkeeper sporting a tin helmet.

Anyway, I take my hat off to cheer the many goalkeepers I have seen over the years. They do a wonderful job … but they have to be mad to become a goalkeeper in the first place.

Original article from HH19 Autumn 2007.
Copyright © Ralph Hopkins

Thursday 5 January 2012

Did you hear the one about the Englishman, the Irishmen and the Coleman?

By Jack McInroy

Edgar Kail was a mere teenager when he made his international debut for the England Amateur team. Just two weeks off his twentieth birthday, it should have been very daunting for a debutant of such youth, but Kail was already a Champion and a Cup Winner, a feat which had eluded even some of the great veterans of the amateur game. Alongside him in the team that day was his team-mate from Dulwich Hamlet, E.H. Coleman.

‘Tim’ Coleman was the outstanding amateur goalkeeper of his day and like his young friend gained several amateur caps and full honours with the England team. He had also been chosen for the Olympic team in the summer games in Antwerp, but for some reason was unable to play. His association with Dulwich Hamlet began before the Great War when he played second fiddle to Jack Thompson. Yet such was his outstanding ability that within a matter of only a few months he had taken over the Hamlet keeper's jersey permanently.

The England v Ireland game was an annual fixture that dated back to the 1905-06 season stopping only for the war period. It was resumed in 1919 at Derby County’s Baseball Ground, and was next due to be played at Cliftonville in Belfast in November 1920. But this had become something of a worry as the Sinn Fein uprisings were now at a height, and the authorities, expecting protests from the Irish fans, were concerned for the safety of the English players. However, hundreds of armed policeman were drafted in to enable the game to go ahead.

In fact Ireland was a dangerous place to be altogether after the First World War. Irish nationalists fought against British rule, engaging in a bloody civil war that eventually led to the partitioning of Northern Ireland and the Republic the following year. There was no guaranteed safety at sports events either, and only a week after the England v Ireland international a dozen or so people, including one player, were shot dead at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park, Dublin, by the British Black & Tans in retaliation to some assassinations earlier the same day.

In Belfast England’s Amateurs won the game 4-0, but the scoreline flattered them. The man of the match was not the gifted teenager or one of the famed Corinthians, but the brilliant custodian who put on a breathtaking display of acrobatic goalkeeping that kept out the Irishmen.

As soon as the referee blew the final whistle things began to get out of hand as the crowds broke through the police cordon and swarmed onto the pitch. The English players fearing for their own safety quickly made their way towards the sanctuary of the dressing room. One English player, however, was caught by the multitude, and for a few moments the rest of the players had their hearts in their mouths.

But they needn't have worried, the crowd having caught the man they were after – Tim Coleman – lifted him aloft and carried him from the field shoulder high in great esteem. He must have been the proudest man in town. The remarkable incident made a great impression on the England side and the young Edgar Kail especially, who never forgot the event.

Coleman makes a save for the full England side
versus Wales at Cardiff in March 1921.

Original article from HH21 Spring 2009.
Copyright © Jack McInroy