The Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust Board is thrilled by the announcement from Hadley Property Group that they intend for Dulwich Hamlet to become a supporter-owned football club, at an appropriate point in the future. We will continue to work with Hadley to make this a reality, and will of course fully consult our members before making any final decision.

The Board is extremely disappointed to see this position completely misrepresented in the 16 April edition of Southwark News. There is a long way to go before we can support or object to any proposals for the new ground, and we have been quite clear to maintain that position. At no point was the Trust asked to provide a comment for this article, which has instead skewed a quote contained in Hadley’s latest press release. As is on record, we will push Hadley for a stadium that meets not only our current, but also future needs, and will certainly not recommend that fans endorse plans for a stadium with a lower capacity. We have objected to the previous owners’ plans to that effect and that position has not changed.

The Trust is a democratic and independent group. Any decision about the future of the club, fan ownership or support for a new ground will be subject to a ballot of our members. Only then will we be able to adopt a formal stance. Of primary importance, remains the long-term future of the club in East Dulwich,and we will continue to ensure that this is central to any future discussions with both Hadley and the Council.