Welcome to tonight’s FA Cup First Round tie against football league club Carlisle United whose supporters have made the long journey down from Cumbria this evening. What a great occasion tonight is for this football club and the local community. It has just been over 12 months since it was announced that we would be returning home to East Dulwich and it has taken many hours, from countless volunteers during this time, to ensure that this amazing community club not only continues to grow but also gives us all nights like these.

I personally know that this time of year can be equally as exciting for fans of those first and second division clubs who enter the tournament at this stage. For many years, following my childhood team in the North West of England, I looked forward to the draw and possibly getting a tie against a non-league club that would have me grabbing the map to find where exactly which town or village that team was from. I am sure many Carlisle fans went straight to google to search Dulwich Hamlet when their number came out. What we can assure the traveling support, is that you will not find a warmer welcome than at Champion Hill tonight and I wish you a safe journey home.

Club Shop

We have had some great recent additions to our club shop in recent weeks, including a new sweatshirt and t-shirt. At tonight’s game we will have our special “Up for The Cup” scarf on sale (priced £10) and this can be purchased, not only in the shop, but also around the ground. These are a very limited run of 200, so when they are gone, they are gone.

Please note that the Supporters’ Trust club shop will only be open from 17:00 until 19:30 this evening to allow the volunteers, who work tirelessly throughout the season to enjoy the game this evening.

Coaches

We are planning to run a coach to Oxford City at the end of November (Saturday 30th) and information on how you can book your seat will be announced shortly. This proved very popular with supporters last season and will be priced £16 adults and £11 concessions

Tonight is not just about showcasing why we love this club, but more importantly an occasion for us to come together and enjoy. Cup games like these do not happen that often, so take a deep breath and let’s get behind Gavin and the team for the full 90 minutes.