Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. They were founder members of the Dulwich League in 1899, and were its inaugural champions.Official Handbook Dulwich Football League, p3 The club went on to retain the title the following season. In 1907 they joined both the Isthmian League and the Spartan League, leaving the latter at the end of the 1907–08 season. In 1919–20 the club won its first Isthmian League title, winning the league on goal average against Nunhead. They also won the FA Amateur Cup, beating Tufnell Park 1–0 in the final at the Den. The club won the league again in 1925–26, and the FA Amateur Cup for a second time in 1931–32 win a 7–1 win against Marine in the final. The following season the club won their third league title. In 1933–34 they won their third FA Amateur Cup, beating Leyton 2–1 in the final. The two clubs met in the final again in 1936–37, with Dulwich winning 2–0.
In 1948–49 Dulwich won the Isthmian League for a fourth time. The 1976–77 season saw the club finish bottom of Division One, resulting in relegation to Division Two, which was renamed Division One the following season, with Division One becoming the Premier Division. The club went on to win the Division One title in 1977–78 and were promoted back to the Premier Division. They finished bottom of the Premier Division in 1989–90, and were relegated to Division One. The club were promoted back to the Premier Division at the end of the 1991–92 season after finishing third in Division One. In 1998–99 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1948, losing 1–0 to Southport.
After finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 2000–01, the club were relegated back to Division One. After finishing seventh in 2003–04, the club played off against Wealdstone for a place in the Premier Division after league restructuring but lost 5–4 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. In 2010–11 Dulwich finished fifth and entered the promotion play-offs, beating Bognor Regis Town 3–1 in the semi-finals before losing 4–3 to Leatherhead in the final.2010–11 Isthmian League FCHD The following season the club finished third, again qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Folkestone Invicta 2–1 in the semi-finals, they lost the final 1–0 to Bognor Regis. They returned to the Premier Division after winning the Division One South title on the last day of the 2012–13 season with a 1–1 draw against Burgess Hill Town.
In 2014–15 Dulwich finished fourth in the Premier Division, qualifying for the play-offs. However, they lost 2–1 at Margate in the semi-finals. The following season the club finished fifth, and reached the play-off final after winning 1–0 at Bognor Regis Town in the semi-final, before going on to lose 3–1 at East Thurrock United. In 2016–17 Dulwich finished third in the Premier Division, qualifying for the play-offs for the third season in a row. After beating Enfield Town 4–2 in the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 at Bognor Regis Town in the final. The following season saw the club finish as runners-up in the Premier Division. In the subsequent play-offs, they beat Leiston 1–0 in the semi-final, before defeating Hendon 4–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw in the final to earn promotion to the National League South.
The 2019–20 season saw Dulwich reach the first round of the FA Cup, with the club losing 4–1 at home to Carlisle United. In 2022–23 the club finished fourth-from-bottom of the National League South and were relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Season-by-season record
SeasonLeaguePWDLGFGAPtsPosFA CupFA TrophyFA Amateur1906–07 - - - - - - - - - -R21907–08Isthmian League10325151885th -Spartan League10415192094th -1908–09Isthmian League189273930204th -SF1909–10Isthmian League188462626205th -1910–11Isthmian League188552822213rd -1911–12Isthmian League208573323214th -QF1912–13Isthmian League208483428205th -1913–14Isthmian League2010463422244th - QFr1919Isthmian League8323191783rd -1919–20Isthmian League2215345816331st5Q -W1920–21Isthmian League2211656030285th5Q -1921–22Isthmian League2614846524362nd5Q -SFr1922–23Isthmian League2697106044258th5Qr -QFr1923–24Isthmian League2615654928362nd -1924–25Isthmian League26851342572112th5Q -1925–26Isthmian League2620158049411stR1 -1926–27Isthmian League2694136058229thR1 -QF1927–28Isthmian League268995649259thR1 -1928–29Isthmian League2614666534343rdR1 -SF1929–30Isthmian League2615657439362ndR1 -QF1930–31Isthmian League2612955139332ndR1r -1931–32Isthmian League2615386943333rd4Q -W1932–33Isthmian League2615657145361stR1 -QF1933–34Isthmian League2615566836352ndR1r -SF1934–35Isthmian League2611786645294thR1 -W1935–36Isthmian League2610886447284thR1 -R31936–37Isthmian League2612686448305thR1 -W1937–38Isthmian League26133105746296thR1 -QF1938–39Isthmian League2615566032354th4Q -1945–46Isthmian League26142106359304th4Q -1946–47Isthmian League2617367846372nd4Q -1947–48Isthmian League2617277139364th4Q -QF1948–49Isthmian League2615656031361stR1 -1949–50Isthmian League2614396047315th4Qr -R31950–51Isthmian League26142105443305thPre -1951–52Isthmian League26114116053268th -R31952–53Isthmian League28152116252326th2Qr -1953–54Isthmian League28116115557289th1Q -1954–55Isthmian League28751648601914th1Qr -1955–56Isthmian League28961355672413thPre -SF1956–57Isthmian League28133146554299thPre -R31957–58Isthmian League30771649642114th2Q -1958–59Isthmian League3018576844412nd1Q -1959–60Isthmian League30146106547347th1Q -1960–61Isthmian League3017497159384th2Q -1961–62Isthmian League301141555662611th4Q -1962–63Isthmian League30452130711315th3Q -1963–64Isthmian League386122047972419th1Q -1964–65Isthmian League38852545792118th1Qr -1965–66Isthmian League38552830951520th2Q -1966–67Isthmian League383431331071020th2Q -1967–68Isthmian League381072139662715th2Q -R2r1968–69Isthmian League38692331772118th1Q -R21969–70Isthmian League388121846662814th1Q -1970–71Isthmian League387102130662417th2Q -R2r1971–72Isthmian League404122435812020th2Q -1972–73Isthmian League421891559524512th1Q -1973–74Isthmian League Division One42221197138774th1Q -QFr1974–75Isthmian League Division One42241087538825th1Q3Q -1975–76Isthmian League Division One42225156741715th3QrR1 -1976–77Isthmian League Division One421182352684121st3Q3Q -1977–78Isthmian League Division One4228959125931st2Qr2Q -1978–79Isthmian League Premier Division42211386939764th3Qr3Q -1979–80Isthmian League Premier Division42211656637793rd2QQFr -1980–81Isthmian League Premier Division4213121762675115th3QR1 -1981–82Isthmian League Premier Division4214101847595214th2QR1r -1982–83Isthmian League Premier Division421814105952686th3QrR2r -1983–84Isthmian League Premier Division4216111561645910th2QR3r2 -1984–85Isthmian League Premier Division42161798257657th1QR2 -1985–86Isthmian League Premier Division42179166479609th2QrR1r -1986–87Isthmian League Premier Division4212102062714618th2QR1 -1987–88Isthmian League Premier Division4210112146644120th1Q3Q -1988–89Isthmian League Premier Division4212121858574816th4Qr2Q -1989–90Isthmian League Premier Division42682832802622nd4Qr1Q -1990–91Isthmian League Division One4216111567545912th1Q1Qr -1991–92Isthmian League Division One4022997140753rd2Q2Q -1992–93Isthmian League Premier Division4212141652665014th1Q3Q -1993–94Isthmian League Premier Division421382152744716th1QR1 -1994–95Isthmian League Premier Division421691770825711th3Q2Q -1995–96Isthmian League Premier Division42231188559805th3Q1Qr2 -1996–97Isthmian League Premier Division4214131557575512th2QR2 -1997–98Isthmian League Premier Division4213111856675016th2QR1 -1998–99Isthmian League Premier Division421482053632016thR1R3 -1999–00Isthmian League Premier Division421752062685610th4QrR2r -2000–01Isthmian League Premier Division424102833842222nd4QR1r -2001–02Isthmian League Division One4211131864687617thPreR3 -2002–03Isthmian League Division One South 462312117349814thPre(r)R3 -2003–04Isthmian League Division One South 46231587757847thPreR1r -2004–05Isthmian League Division One4210141861644415th3QR1r -2005–06Isthmian League Division One441981755436513th3Q1Qr -2006–07Isthmian League Division One South 421813118356678th1QPre(r) -2007–08Isthmian League Division One South 422010126847706th3QPre -2008–09Isthmian League Division One South 4215151264505712th2Qr2Q -2009–10Isthmian League Division One South 4214121657645412th1QPre -2010–11Isthmian League Division One South 42198157959655thPre(r)2Q -2011–12Isthmian League Division One South 4026867326863rd2Q1Q -2012–13Isthmian League Division One South 4228599142891st2QPre -2013–14Isthmian League Premier Division46257149665826th3Q3Qr -2014–15Isthmian League Premier Division462113126651764th1Q2Q -2015–16Isthmian League Premier Division462312119358815th2QR2 -2016–17Isthmian League Premier Division462214108955803rd2QQFr -2017–18Isthmian League Premier Division46281179141952nd2Q2Q -2018–19National League South4223101952654914th3QR1 -2019–20National League South359101651503719thR1R1 -2020–21National League South13446151716aband4QR3 -2021–22National League South4013121563605110th2QR3 -2022–23National League South461392461894821st3QR2 -2023–24Isthmian League Premier Division4217111477726212th1Qr3Q -2024–25Isthmian League Premier Division421282258804418th1QrR1 -2025–26Isthmian League Premier Division421711146153629th1Qr3Q -2026–27Isthmian League Premier Division -Source: FCHD, Soccer Books
Ground
The club played at Woodwarde Road until 1895, when they moved to College Farm. The following year they moved to Sunray Avenue, where they remained until 1902. Between 1902 and 1912 they played at Freeman's Ground on Champion Hill,Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p604 before moving to an adjacent plot of land, where they played until the opening of the Champion Hill stadium in 1931. The stadium was used for amateur international matches, including the 1948 Summer Olympics.
The Champion Hill stadium gained notoriety as a film location for very first episode of The Sweeney TV series, with a scene shot in May 1974, with the two main characters Jack Regan (John Thaw) and George Carter (Dennis Waterman) meeting a villain Driscoll (Ray Mort) in the south stand.Sweeney TV series locations.
In 1991 the stadium was demolished, as it was too run-down and dangerous to bring up to modern safety standards, as a result of new regulations brought in as a result of the Hillsborough disaster. During the 1991–92 season the club played at Tooting & Mitcham United's Sandy Lane ground, whilst a new, smaller stadium was built on the same site, opening for the start of the 1992–93 season. The new stadium was funded by the sale to Sainsbury's of land that had once been the club's training pitch, situated immediately behind the large covered terrace on the north side of the 'old' Champion Hill, by the landlords King's College London. The new ground remained in King's ownership, with the club having given up the lease on the old ground in return for the new ground being built.