Dulwich Hamlet vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 27th April, 3 pm – Match Preview
A message for Cray Wanderers supporters that online tickets from Dulwich Hamlet have sold out. Wands fans without tickets are advised to arrive early (gates open at 1.30 pm) with a number of tickets available on the gate.
Saturday 27th April sees the final day of the 2023-24 Isthmian Premier season and Cray Wanderers end the campaign with a trip to Dulwich Hamlet for the first league visit since August 2013 in front of what is expected to be a sell out 3000+ crowd.
It has been a difficult season at times for the Wands this season and make the short trip to Champion Hill on the back of seven league games without a win and four straight league defeats but have been resilient enough to amass 47 points to avoid relegation fairly comfortably in 17th place.
Last Saturday saw Cray Wanderers final home game at Hayes Lane but despite a cracking start and a Nyren Clunis goal Bognor Regis Town never read the script and went on to win 5-1. The Wands were without the experience of Tom Bonner, Player of the Year David Ijaha, Frankie Raymond and George Porter but also benefitted with the appearances of talented young players, Alfie Evans, Charlie Paye, Enoch Muwonge, Josh Hallard and Emmanuel Kwatchey. The match will have added spice with a few ex-Hamlet players in the Wands side including Nyren Clunis who made 486 apperances for the South London club from 2009-2019.
Dulwich Hamlet were one of the promotion favourites at the start of the season but after a slow start began to climb the league from the new year and were in playoff contention but three successive league defeats over Easter meant Hamlet just missed out and are 10th in the table on 62 points but are unbeaten in their last two games.
Last Saturday Hakan Hayrettin’s side drew 3-3 at Folkestone Invicta after leading 3-0 in the first half with goals from Josh Shonibare, Danny Mills and Ryley Scott.
When the two teams met at Hayes Lane on 25th November the match finished in a lively 1-1 draw with both goals in the second half with Luke Wanadio’s penalty putting Dulwich in front but a cracking strike from Gary Lockyer earned Cray a point. The last meeting at Dulwich in the league was on 20th August 2013 also in the Isthmian Premier which Hamlet won 4-0. The teams did meet in the London Senior Cup last season on 30th November 2022 which Dulwich won 4-3 with Yahya Bamba, Anthony Cook and Sam Wood scoring for Cray.
Hamlet’s home form this season has seen wins against Canvey Island (4-1), Concord Rangers (2-0), Kingstonian (3-2), Folkestone Invicta (3-1), Carshalton Athletic (2-1), Hashtag United (2-1), Haringey Borough (3-1), Wingate & Finchley (3-0), Cheshunt (4-2) and Lewes (2-0). Dulwich drew with Margate (2-2), Potters Bar Town (2-2), Bognor Regis Town (1-1), Horsham (1-1) and Whitehawk (0-0) and were beaten by Hasting United (1-2), Chatham Town (2-5), Hornchurch (2-3), Billericay Town (1-2) and Enfield Town (0-4). Away from home Dulwich won at Wingate & Finchley (3-2), Lewes (2-0), Margate (4-1), Concord Rangers (2-1), Bognor Regis Town (2-0), Potters Bar Town (2-1) and Canvey Island (2-0), drew at Hashtag United, Haringey Borough, Cray Wanderers, Hastings United and Folkestone Invicta and were beaten at Horsham, Hornchurch, Cheshunt, Billericay Town, Enfield Town, Chatham Town, Kingstonian and Carshalton Athletic. Luke Wanadio is the leading scorer with 21 goals.
With nothing much to play for this has the potential of being a great game in front of what could be the biggest the Wands have played in front of for many years and should be a good way to bring the curtain down on the season.
DIRECTIONS TO DULWICH HAMLET FC
Dulwich Hamlet FC
Champion HIll Stadium
Edgar Kail Way
East Dulwich
LONDON SE22 8BD
Matchday Admission: £12 adults £5 concessions
A NOTE FOR ALL FANS WITHOUT AN ONLINE TICKET TO PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY AS ALL ONLINE TICKETS HAVE SOLD OUT. GATES OPEN AT 1.30 PM SO PLEASE ENSURE TO GET THERE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.
Car Directions:
Sat Nav Code: SE22 8SD
Champion Hill is the most centrally located ground in London.
From the Cray’s – Get on Sidcup By-Pass/A20 in Sidcup from the High Street and Sevenoaks Way/A224. After 1.1 miles take the 1st Exit onto the A20 Slip Road to C London/Lewisham/Bromley/Chislehurst/A20 for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto Sidcup-By-Pass A20 for 1.3 miles and then follow the A20 for 3 miles. At the roundabout take the 1st Exit onto S Circular Road/Westhorne Avenue/A205 for 2.3 miles.
Then turn left onto Catford Road/S Circular Rd/A205 for 1 mile. Then turn right onto Brockley Rise/B218 for half a mile and then turn left onto Honor Oak Park/B238. After 0.6 miles take a slight right onto Forest Hill Road/B238 and after 0.9 miles continue onto Peckham Rye/B219. After 0.2 miles turn left onto E Dulwich Road/A2214 and after 0.4 miles at the roundabout take the 2nd exit onto Grove Vale/A2216. Follow the A2216 for 0.4 miles and then turn left onto Edgar Kail Way, go through one roundabout and the ground will be on the left. Journey time should take give or take midweek traffic about 37 minutes.
By car: Simply type in the postcode ‘SE22 8BD’ into your SatNav device. There is some limited car parking at the ground, and there is some on-street parking in the locality, within a five minute radius, but please check for any local parking restrictions.
You can also pay for parking at Sainsbury’s via this website Horizon Spaces
By train: The nearest stations are East Dulwich, which is a five minute walk; or Denmark Hill; which is a ten minute stroll, or a short bus ride. Trains from London Bridge on a Saturday leave at 01, 14, 31 & 44 past the hour.
From East Dulwich station: Turn left, past the pizza shop and then Morley’s. Go through the park at the bottom of the hill and you will see the ground.
From Denmark Hill station: Turn left, this is Champion Park. You will see a bus stop opposite the Salvation Army Training College. Any bus from here passes the ground, three stops away. Or walk past the bus stop, turn right and up the slight incline on the main road. Over the lights at the top of Dog Kennel Hill, and the ground will be on your right, halfway down the hill, turning into Edgar Kail Way.
You can check train times by looking at www.nationalrail.co.uk
From central London East Dulwich is served by trains from London Bridge; whilst Denmark Hill has services from London Victoria & London Blackfriars.
There are plenty of services from both stations after midweek matches.
By bus: Routes 40, 42, 484, 185, 176 & P13 all pass the ground, either stopping on Dog Kennel Hill, or turning into Edgar Kail Way, to Sainsbury’s. The 37 bus stops nearby, alight at Goose Green. And the 68 & 468 are also close to Denmark Hill, alight by the Fox on the Hill pub & then walk along Champion Hill, toward the ground.
All bus times can be checked at www.tfl.gov.uk
Places to Drink!
There’s lots. If you’re on a budget then the local Wetherspoons, the ‘Fox on the Hill’ (149 Denmark Hill), is a ten minute stroll, and you’ll see plenty of Hamlet fans in there pre & post-match. Turn right out of East Dulwich station & there’s the ‘Cherry Tree’, walk past that toward Goose Green & the ‘East Dulwich Tavern’ is on the corner, at the start of Lordship Lane, again both popular with supporters.
There’s also a big Sainsbury’s next door to the ground, & they also have a Starbucks on site, if you just fancy a quick coffee.
