If you have visited the club bar over the last year, then you may have noticed the exhibition of former Dulwich Hamlet FC footballers that have made significant contributions to the club’s history. This display was erected in October 2015 for Black History Month and was a joint project between the Football Committee, the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust, Forward the Hamlet and the Hamlet historian. At Tuesday 18th October’s home win against Harlow Town one of those footballers, Benjamin Odeje, was a special guest at Champion Hill. Ben played for Dulwich in two separate spells during his career, but this was his first visit to the current Champion Hill Stadium built in 1992.

 .

Forty-five years ago in 1971, Ben became the first black footballer to represent England, appearing in a schoolboy international against Northern Ireland. Ben was a footballer known for his blistering speed, enabling him to score over 400 goals in three seasons in schools football, leading to his eventual call up and nickname ‘Pele’. His attributes often made him a target from opposing players and fans, but as Ben positively spun it: “Whenever I was being targeted, I knew it meant I was having a good game!”

Walter Johnson (DHST Board member for community engagement) had invited Ben to the game and for him to be interviewed by Dulwich Hamlet TV. Walt reflected that “It is perhaps easy to see Ben by his title, the first black footballer to represent England, and define him by this. However, having made contact with him in the month before his interview, I was lucky enough to get to know Ben on a personal level. In the years after football Ben had found work as a teacher and football coach, setting up Atlantic Sports Development in 2011 running soccer schools in both Queen’s Park and Tilbury. Ben has a real passion for developing young talent. In fact Ben has more than two decade’s experience working as a football coach, and cites one of his greatest achievements being the achievement of a Physical Education degree as an ex-professional footballer.”

On match day as Ben was walking around the stadium, he fondly recalled his time at the club: “I really felt the warmth of the fans during my time at Dulwich, and all these years later it’s great to see so many here tonight passionately supporting the team”.

If you want to hear more from Ben’s visit to the club then subscribe to the DHTV YouTube channel for the full interview.