#48: Champion Hill Stadium (Dulwich Hamlet) — February 19, 2022
Ground Number: 48
Attendees: Gregg, Graham, Christine, Wesley
Score: Dulwich Hamlet 0, St. Albans 0
Level: 6th
Main memories: 777 days and 5 canceled trips later, we finally reached British soil after 2 years of being stuck in the USA because of COVID. On those crummy, mid-2020 days when life felt like it would never return to normal, dreaming of making it back to the UK was the thing that kept me sane. And what better way to get to №48 than on a rainy, windy day at a 110-year-old, 6th level ground.
Christine, Graham, Wesley and I took what felt like an endless 6.7-mile taxi ride to the ground after a clutch three-hour nap helped give us needed energy following a rare overnight flight. Our driver claimed to have played in the Tottenham youth system, then Leyton Orient (where a knee injury supposedly ended his pro career after 4 games), before bouncing around the non-league world with Hendon, Enfield, and other squads.
We arrived at the ground only 20 minutes before kickoff, so there was little time to explore the area before the match. Typical London rains came pouring down as we entered Champion Hill Stadium, accompanied by 25-mph winds (a day after 100-mph winds almost delayed our travel plans). We waited in a fairly long queue and made it inside with enough time to buy the required scarf and stake out an area to stand.
The players marched out, the sun sort of appeared after the rain decided it had tortured us enough, and we watched a fairly impressive first-half display by Dulwich Hamlet, where they controlled the game but failed to score (despite a great goal that was correctly ruled offside).
Graham and I watched the entire match from the touchline, while Wesley and Christine opted for the end line before coming back to us later in the match. The second half was pretty sloppy, not helped by the pretty intense winds and the fact we were watching National League South football. Overall there were 7–8 balls that flew out of the ground, what seemed like 7–8 yellow cards and zero goals on the day. In fact, out of the 66 matches in the top 7 tiers played on this day, we got the lone 0–0 draw in the entire country.
Scoreline aside, the entire day was awesome. The ground was packed (2,843), the fans were all in great spirits, and while there was little chanting, the atmosphere was upbeat and alive. There were so many great-looking food and beer stands, a wonderfully diverse crowd, and the typical wounds of a ground that’s the same age as Fenway Park. This really was the best way to return after too long of an absence.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 6
Stadium Look/Coolness: 8
Ease of travel from London: 8
