Last Saturday’s game against Bognor Regis Town saw the opening of the Mega Container. After many months of hard work the ribbon was finally cut by the Chairman of the Football Club, Jack Payne and accompanied by some words from DHST Chair, Duncan Hart and DHST Board member and project lead, Alex Crane.

Football Club Chairman, Jack Payne cuts the ribbons

It was fantastic to see so many fans visit the shop and the initial feedback suggests it was a resounding success and a vast improvement on our previous Mega Shed. We’re now able to display our merchandise in a much improved arrangement which doesn’t rely on hunting through bags and boxes or running up to the storeroom to check stock. We have a wide range of DHFC goods on offer including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, caps, replica shirts, badges and of course scarves!

The first customer!

Inside the new shop

We’ve also sorted out our stock of old programmes. The majority of the programmes involve Dulwich and we also have many Premiership, Football League and other Non-League clubs available alongside a selection of fanzines and magazines dating back to the 1950s.

Saturday also saw the launch of a new partnership between the Football Club and Fairtrade football supplier, Bala Sports. They will supply footballs to the Club’s Aspire Academy teams and also for selected first team matches and training. The balls being supplied to the Club are personalised with DHFC colours and the Club crest and logos of the Aspire Academy and DHST. We will be selling some of the footballs in the shop and they should be on sale in due course. Profits from the sale of the footballs will go to local playground and charity, Dog Kennel Hill Adventure Playground to pay for the installation of a new swing.

The Mega Container gives us the opportunity to expand our range and by the start of next season we hope to be able to offer fans different items which have been requested previously alongside new lines of t-shirts and scarves. If there are any items of merchandise which you would like to see then please let us know either on a matchday or by sending us an email at info@dhst.org.uk.

We still have some bits to finish off on the container including the electrical installation and of course the painting of the outside in the customary pink and blue! We’re very grateful to DHST Board and Football Committee member, Andy Greig, or the Honor Oak Handyman as he is also known professionally, for assisting with the electrical installation and we hope that supporters will get involved with the painting. With the weather starting to improve sufficiently to be able to paint we hope to do this very soon.

If you didn’t get the chance to visit on Saturday then we will of course be open for the last home game of the season on Saturday 16th April when we play Lewes. We may also be open during play off matches if Dulwich are involved but based on our current position it’s likely that those matches will take place at the away teams’ ground.

Once again our thanks to everyone who has helped so far from those who contributed financially, local businesses who have provided materials and of course all who helped transform it from an empty shell to the fantastic shop we have today. Finally, thank you to former DHST Board member, Guy Grater, who initiated the original Mega Shed and put in many hours to provide merchandise for supporters.