DHFCW: Aylesford, Spooky FootbaIl and the magic of the Cup Spooky Spooky

Those of a certain vintage within the Hamlet ranks may think back to the chaos of the Rabble prior to the Saturday afternoon sell-outs and pine for the days where everyone knew everyone, and it wasn’t unusual to see a Shaman leading a conga. The good news is that those days still exist and can be found in the Toilets Opposite stand on a Sunday. Meet the Pepper Army: an anarchic, joyful horde, adding a big slab of weirdness to your wholesome Sunday afternoon, and making that hangover just that little bit less painful.

Whilst it may have been a season of suffering for those watching the men’s team, the women have thankfully provided the complete opposite. Last season began with patchy form but an historic and unexpected run to the 2nd round of the FA Cup provided the perfect conditions for the players and fans to develop a real bond, the crowds to increase at an incredible pace, and the songs, banners and FUN to never stop. Join us as we look back on the Pepper Army’s first year in the field, and revisit the joy of an Aylesford away day.

2 nd October ‘22 – Dulwich Hamlet make a trip to Kent to face Tonbridge Wells Foresters in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA

Cup. Having gone out at this stage against lower-level opposition in the previous season, there are no great expectations, but the Hamlet hammer home a 7-1 win.

9 th October ’22 – a bit of league action. Those in attendance at Champion Hill watch on as DHFC put 7 goals past Aylesford in the league, the Pepper Army and the players joining together at the final whistle, celebrating and dancing. “The Pepper Army, we’re here on Sundays, we score a goal and the whole crowd go wild, wild, wild” (to the tune of Bella Ciao), ringing around the stadium as we, as predicted, go wild, wild, wild.

23rd October ‘22 – back to Champion Hill and back to the FA Cup. Dulwich Hamlet face a potential banana skin in Winchester City Flyers, but see out a comfortable 3-0 win. Lily Price scores twice as she opens her account for the Hamlet. We’re in the FA Cup proper.

13th November ‘22 – we’ve been drawn away to Aylesford in the FA Cup. In the lead up, an unnamed player lets slip to the Pepper Army that one of the Aylesford players had complained to the referee about the noise during the previous fixture. Stupid plans start being hatched.

Match day arrives, a horde of hungover Pepper Army meet early at London Bridge and immediately get on the drink. Hair of the dog that bit you? This must have been a pack of wolves. Well, some of us had seen Havant & Waterlooville tear the men’s team apart the day before.

We make our way from London Bridge to Aylesford, inflatable red peppers taking up half of the train’s carriage space, with visible confusion on the faces of those poor souls on the same train. Just as we’re pulling out of Lewisham, a bedraggled Cap’n Hamlet (he knows who he is), falls into the train from the platform, chugging on milk, having come straight from an all-nighter. He’s definitely going to be fine.

Once in Aylesford, we wander along the side of an A-road for what seems like an eternity before the throng descend on K-Sports, a change to Aylesford’s usual ground, and essentially a caged Astro-turf pitch, more often used for post work knock-abouts than FA Cup games, but it makes for a great atmosphere as around 100 Hamlet faithful squeeze down the one side of the pitch that allows spectators. The cage makes banner erection easy, and the clubhouse does a cracking Guinness, so who am I to complain?

Now, to the match. It starts nervously, with Aylesford slightly edging things, with one of their players, Beeput, looking very dangerous. Within 6 minutes, Beeput has put Aylesford up 1-0, I’m wondering why I brought a trumpet, and maybe this is when most sane fans would start doubting the likelihood of the end of season trip to Wembley. However, the noise levels rise, a toy horn is repeatedly honked, bells ring out, and maybe, just maybe, we’re being annoying enough to change things. The rest of the half is all DHFC, with constant pressure on the Aylesford goal, but their keeper performing heroics. That’s football, I guess. But then…

Brit Saylor has hammered one home! We’re back in this!

As the second half begins, a fog that wouldn’t be out of place in Silent Hill starts to roll in from the fields behind the pitch, the crowd start to sing songs about “spooky ******* football” and fails spectacularly at turning songs by the Cure into footy chants (good effort though).

Oh yeah, the football. An Aylesford defender seems to get lost in the fog, spinning around repeatedly, looking for the ball as

DJ Monki nicks it from her feet (it was there all along) and drills it home! Here we go!

Now we’re winning I’m no longer embarrassed at the prospect of getting my trumpet out and we can begin to taunt Aylesford for their request for quiet at the home game. It’s time for a song, and possibly the only time a Betty Hutton/Bjork hit will make it to the terraces. “Aylesford want quiet (shhh, shhh). Aylesford want still (shhh, shhh). You’re all alone and so peaceful until…Dulwich Hamlet! Your defence…is caving in.”

The party keeps going, but by this point we can barely see the pitch through the fog, “we can’t see the corner flag” being sung from the sidelines, people keeping track of the score primarily through vibes. And then it comes. 1-3, Monki has done it again!

“We’re on the march with Dempsey’s Army, we’re on the way to Wemb-er-lee, and we’ll really shake them up when we win the FA Cup, ‘cos Dulwich are the greatest football team”.

After the game, the players invite the Pepper Army to the pub, and it would be rude to say no, so we join them and celebrate into the night. Dulwich Hamlet have made history, we’re into the 2nd round and this team is something special!

The day of the draw comes, and we’ve got Gillingham, a team from two levels above us, but crucially at home. Messages are hurriedly exchanged, we’re excited and we fancy this! 27th November ‘22 – a record 631 fans are inside Champion Hill.

As the teams walk out a giant Skull and Cross-peppers banner is unfurled from the roof of the Toilets Opposite stand for the first time, flags wave constantly, rattles and scarves are swung above heads and a carnival atmosphere takes over. People are dancing on the terrace. The atmosphere is insane.

The team play incredibly well, for large periods being the better of the two sides, Erin Corrigan scores her first goal for the club (and honestly, it’s goal of the season material. Go watch the highlights). Ultimately, the class of the team from two divisions above comes through and they leave with a tight 1-2 victory, but the women of Dulwich Hamlet are the real winners here. They’ve done themselves proud and shown they can mix it with teams far higher in the pyramid. The Cup run may be over for the year, but Dulwich Hamlet Women are just getting started.

Come join us in the Toilets Opposite this season. We’ll have a right good time.