They think it's all over - but we'll fight on (South Lopndon Press)

DULWICH Hamlet football fans have just witnessed a clash they felt they couldn't afford to lose. But the battle wasn't played out on the pitch - it was fought in a council committee room and involved a DIY Superstore, a small playing field and some angry residents. JON RYDER reports on the game of two halves that ended up lasting more than two years...
THE FINAL whistle has been blown on a two-year pitched battle between footie fans and residents, which could signal the beginning of the end for Dulwich Hamlet FC.
Councillors at a Southwark planning meeting decided to block a Homebase superstore plan for Edgar Kail Way - a development which would have brought with it a new ground for the club.
Cliveden Estates Ltd wanted to demolish the current ground, use the land to build the store and garden centre, and relocate the football stadium to Greendales playing fields nearby.
But councillors decided the fields should be protected and that traffic congestion would be unacceptable if the shop was built.
DHFC supporters said they were gutted at the move, which they believe now puts the Ryman League First Division Club on very shaky ground.
Fans had gathered at Southwark Town Hall on Monday night expecting to celebrate victory - but councillors went against their own officers' recommendations and voted against the scheme. Club chairman Martin Eede said it was no secret that DHFC has been in danger of folding for some years, adding the Homebase plan was their best chance of survival.
"It has only been the volunteers and the people who believe in the club who have donated money who have kept us going so far. We have never had any help from the local authority so we will have to battle on as we have been doing," said Mr Eede.
But he added there was no getting away from the fact that money is tight and the club would have to make sacrifices to survive.
He said: "I will be desperately sorry if the decision stands and all the work we do with thousands of young people in the borough has to stop, but everything costs money and we will have to prioritise." He said he understood that some people genuinely didn't want the Homebase but felt that it should have gone ahead for the greater good of the community.
But many local people believe the right decision was made.
John Beasley, of the Peckham Society, spoke at the meeting on behalf of residents.
He said thousands of people will be breathing a sigh of relief when they hear the decision.
"It is absolutely wonderful news and well worth all the effort. The right decision was definitely made," said Mr Beasley, who is also the editor of the Peckham Society News.
He added: "There were about 3,000 signatures on a petition against the plan so I am sure there will be more than 3,000 very happy people this week."
However, a spokesman for Cliveden said there was a chance the firm would appeal against the decision.
Director Ron Williamson said: "Having registered our intense disappointment in light of all the consultation and work of hundreds of people over the last 25 months, we are now considering our position.
"We have to stand back and review the enormity of the decision."

FATE OF DULWICH HAMLET HANGS IN THE BALANCE

Dulwich Hamlet find themselves facing an uncertain future after Southwark Council Planning Committee voted against a proposed new development that would see the existing Champion Hill Stadium replaced with a Homebase superstore. The club itself which has just eight years left on its lease at the current site would have relocated to a Greenfield site, currently disused and dilapidated, behind the present ground which was intended to incorporate a Conference standard ground along with sporting associated facilities, including all-weather pitch, cricket nets and netball courts. With a 999 year lease on the site this would have guaranteed the future of the famous South London club long into the future.
However after a four hour meeting at Peckham Town Hall on Monday (4th March) night, that featured an impassioned speech from Chairman/Manager Martin Eede outlining the benefits of the scheme that drew a standing ovation from the bulk of bulk of the public gallery, the committee deciding that the loss of Metropolitan Open Land far outweighed the employment and sporting benefits of the project. Commenting Dulwich Hamlet Supporters Club Secretary Paul Griffin stated, ‘A golden opportunity has been lost here. With the media and politicians decrying the state of our children’s health who vegetate in front of their PlayStations, Southwark have voted to preserve a wasteland that will benefit only a handful of dog-walkers and the joyriders who chose to abandon their cars here. Any child that risks playing in such a harsh environment does so at the risk of constant dog mess or worse a discarded condom or syringe. The excellent facilities that this facility would have brought to East Dulwich and to Southwark as a whole would benefit a whole generation of children, whilst bringing further employment to the area. This is not just self interest for we are convinced that this scheme is of benefit to all and by providing better recreational facilities we will ensure that the next generation can fulfil their potential, something that is vital in an inner city area where many schools, including the nearby flagship Charter School, struggle by with substandard or even no sporting facilities. The Supporters will continue to fight on ensure that Dulwich Hamlet does not die.