Dulwich Hamlet FC  

They have one of the most famous names in NonLeague Football, an iconic ground and, to aficionados of the Amateur era, Dulwich Hamlet were once one of the biggest clubs in football playing in front of huge South London crowds.   

Formed in 1893 by the legendary Lorraine ‘Pa’ Wilson who served the club he built for over thirty years Dulwich began life in the local Camberwell League before graduating to senior football in the isthmian League by 1907.   

The fledgling club had already won the Surrey Senior Cup but really came of age in a remarkable 1919/20 season.  That season not only saw Dulwich Hamlet win the FA Amateur Cup for the first time but they also landed the Isthmian League championship and even added the Surrey Senior Cup and London Charity Cup to their collection of silverware in an historic campaign.   

Playing a full part in that remarkable season was the clubs most famous son; Edgar Kail.  In an amazing career at Champion Hill Kail scored 427 goals and won three full England caps scoring twice on his debut against France.  

Kail figured in two of Hamlets four FA Amateur Cup triumphs with Hamlet winning the cup three times between 1932 and 1937 and it was the 1920s and 30s which was the golden era for the club with two league championships won and they were also Isthmian League runners-up on no less than five other occasions. 

20,000 crowds at Champion Hill were a regular occurrence during this period. 

The Isthmian League was won for the fourth time in 1949 but was to prove to be the clubs last major piece of silverware for some time though their was a minor renaissance during the mid1950s.   

Since then Dulwich Hamlet have been relegated twice, winning Division One in the late 1970s, and now play their football in Division One South of the Isthmian League. 

Recent years have seen an upturn in fortunes with the club winning the London Senior Cup in 2004 and reaching the play-offs for a place in the Premier Division.   

Times may have changed for Dulwich Hamlet who are not the force they used to be but some things are still the same.  The club still play in their famous pink and blue shirts, perform at their (albeit now much altered) Champion Hill ground and are still members of the Isthmian League having served an unbroken membership of 100 years.