‘Club’s future is in danger – move on’

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Southwark’s leader have asked the landlords of Dulwich Hamlet FC to sell up the club’s ground.

Meadow Residential, owners of the Bostik Premier League side’s Champion Hill ground, had told Hamlet to leave on Monday.

The development company wanted to build 151 flats on the site and move Gavin Rose’s side’s pitch to next door Greendale Playing Fields. The scheme was rejected by Southwark’s planning committee in November.

Now Mr Khan and Southwark supremo Councillor Peter John have asked the firm to sell to one of the commercial companies trying to buy the site – including former England and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, a friend of manager Mr Rose.

Cllr John said: “I have written to them with the Mayor of London asking them once again to reconsider their ongoing involvement in the site and allow the council to buy the site at market value, securing the future of this valued football club.

“Southwark council plans to build thousands of new council homes. Part of the Champion Hill site offers us one such opportunity.

“The things that bring and keep us together are as important as bricks and mortar, which is why Southwark has been so vocal in its support for Dulwich Hamlet Football Club.”

The letter to Meadow Residential founder and managing partner, New York-based Jeffery Kaplan, said: “we urge you to reconsider Meadow’s ongoing involvement in the site.

“We are aware of a number of interested parties who have approached Meadow with a view to buying out its interest in the site.

“Alternatively, Southwark council is keen to safeguard the future of DHFC at the site and would be happy to meet with Meadow to negotiate to acquire the site itself at market value.

“The GLA and the council would welcome the opportunity to secure public ownership of the football ground to achieve its goal of protecting this valued community asset, allowing Meadow to step away from the project with the knowledge that they have facilitated the safeguarding of the club’s future and the delivery of new social housing council homes.

“Since Meadow’s involvement in Champion Hill began in 2014 there has been a history of failed attempts to push through wholly unsatisfactory redevelopment proposals, which have fallen well short of the adopted planning policies and vision for the site, have resulted in unnecessary legal costs on all sides, and have all the while been extremely damaging to Dulwich Hamlet Football Club (DHFC) – a popular, well-supported club that is a key focal point for the local community.

“It is apparent that the football club’s future at the stadium is now in danger and it has become clear that there is virtually no prospect of an acceptable scheme coming forward while Meadow remain in control of the site.

“The present situation is threatening the very existence of DHFC. It does nothing to secure the delivery of the vision for the site of a retained and improved stadium for the football club alongside the delivery of new homes, including affordable homes and it is damaging to Meadow itself and in particular its reputation for successfully delivering residential development in London.

“We look forward to your urgent response.”