The Trust’s Coming of Age

By Philip Mitchell Trust Board Secretary

Back in 2002, things were not great at Champion Hill. Hamlet finished 17th in the Isthmian League’s second tier (called Division One at the time), having been relegated in the previous season from the League in which they’d spent all but three of the previous 94 years.

Two years later, the non–league structure was changed with the introduction of the second level (North and South divisions) of the National League. Hamlet could have stayed in the third tier in non–league football by winning a penalty shoot–out against Wealdstone, but despite leading 4–2 in that shoot–out we contrived to lose it, and were not promoted again for another nine years. Dark days on the pitch for a club with such a history.

Off the pitch, despite the presence of several loud voices behind the goal, notably Mishi Morath’s, the fans had no real campaigning vehicle at this time. Only a fragment of 1% of the shares were in supporters’ hands. Gates averaged 200–300. Minor night matches attracted much smaller crowds still.

Hamlet had moved to the new Champion Hill Stadium in 1992, after a year of playing at Tooting & Mitcham’s ground. In that same year, Northampton Town fans had formed the first Supporters’ Trust. By 2000, the Trust movement was sufficiently advanced for Parliament to encourage the establishment of an organisation (Supporters Direct) to encourage and promote Trusts.

At this low point in the Club’s history, a small group of visionary Hamlet fans did something rather weird and wonderful – they formed a Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust. Andy Tucker, Lee Shailer, Mick O’Shaughnessy, and others (to whom I apologise for omitting their names) started from nothing, but had a dream. I joined the Board in the first few months.

We did some formal things – agreeing a Constitution, registering with the Financial Conduct Authority, joining Supporters’ Direct – that seemed rather excessive and pompous for such a small group, but we had long term aspirations. The aims were, as now, to increase supporter influence and shareholding in the Club, to hold the Club’s owners to account, and to help the Club to survive.

It was hard. I remember AGMs where the Trust had to call people in to help us reach a quorum of 10. The Club, not unreasonably at first, thought this new Trust wasn’t significant, and wasn’t a positive development. Some fans thought the same.

In 2004, the Trust Board agreed that we should start a lottery, which we called the 100 Club. That flourished, and made what seemed at the time like loads of money for the Trust, as well as paying attractive prizes. As the Trust’s resources grew, the Board agreed that, if at all possible, we would only pass funds over to the Club in return for shares. (No such deals were to be done for a long time, as it turned out.). The 100 Club continues to flourish, and pays out two prizes (approximately £210 and £125 at present) each month. Many thanks to all 100 Club members (particularly to those who have been members from Day 1). If you’re not yet a 100 Club member, please join.

In the Trust’s early days, a tiny merchandising operation was housed in a garden shed situated where the Souvlaki stall now is. (The shed was quite a conversation piece. A fan posted its photo to a shed fandom site called readersheds.co.uk, run by someone called Uncle Wilco. Honestly. We got emails from sheddies.)

I was selling in the shed when Hamlet lost 6–7 to Tooting in 2006. Total takings that evening were £0 …. but we kept going.

Little by little, the Trust grew in member numbers and in confidence. Merchandise sales increased. We held family events (bouncy castles and the like), for which we secured external funding. We managed to become a relevant organisation around the Club, and were also well known in Supporters’ Direct as a flourishing non–league Trust. We began to support appropriate charities.

In the meantime, the Club’s ownership changed. The Club only had a short–term lease on the ground, and the new owner of the Club was a property developer. Alarm bells rang, and have been ringing pretty much ever since. There haven’t been many comfortable years, and the Trust has always had to work hard to maintain the right balance between the desire to help the Club and the need to remain independent from it. (The last few years, thankfully, have seen the Trust in a much healthier relationship with the majority shareholder than with his predecessors, making it easier to get that balance right.)

Throughout the Trust’s life, the legal and planning position around the ground has been complex. Many people (lots of thanks to them) have advised on legal and planning issues over that period. Progress has been slow. Key steps forward often exposed other problems. Almost every time that we thought something was clearly understood, another obstructing fact snuck out from under the Greendales astroturf.

Meanwhile, we kept on doing the things that had kept us afloat for so long. Our merchandising position now is stunningly different from the days of the initial shed. We have the excellent Megacontainer as the home for our shop, and we are very successful both at games and online. Much of the credit for our merchandising success goes to Mel Hughes. Profits from the shop (we pay a cut to the Club) are now the Trust’s main source of income. No–one who works in the shop is paid for their efforts – this is vital to the Trust’s finances, and is much appreciated.

Indeed, many people have contributed to the survival and growth of the Trust, some through Board membership, volunteering, or 100 Club membership, and others – perhaps most importantly – by signing up as members year in, year out.

More recently, the Trust has had opportunities to use its financial resources to help the Club, in return for shares. The Trust now owns around 34% of the Club – a remarkable level to reach by its 21st birthday, given the situation when it was born.

Membership numbers are currently around the 550. They fluctuate somewhat, and tend to be at their highest level when the Club faces an existential crisis. Perhaps we should be happy with a lower number, if that’s the result of avoiding crises!

In the Trust’s history to date, survival (of the Trust, but more particularly of the Club) has normally been our most pressing concern. Longer term issues, however, have also been important ever since 2002, and they remain so today. Early in its life, the Trust Board agreed a Mission (why we exist) and Vision (the future state for which we aim) to keep us focused. The Mission and Vision, along with shorter term Objectives, are refreshed regularly.

Checking back, I find that the earliest versions of the Mission and Vision have a great deal in common with the latest document. That says a great deal about the foresight of the founders of the Trust, and also about the importance and validity of our aspirations. DHST knows what it’s here for, and the community can rely on the Trust to take all practicable steps to reach its Vision.

The Trust always needs, welcomes and appreciates help. Above all, please join, every season.

And to DHST – Happy 21st Birthday.