Club History

 

 

The history of our club is something that has interested many local people.

Our Club history has spanned decades and our success continues

throughout the years, even through the pandemic times.

 

History & Honours

The club was founded in 1981 when Southwark Sports FC then playing in the Spartan League, under the direction of Kevin Sugrue, asked Bernard Shannon & Michael Linington if they would be interested in running a junior 11-a-side club.

The idea was for the junior club to act as a feeder for the senior club although it was accepted that it would be a few years before any players would actually be ready for the seniors. Thus was born Southwark Sports Junior Football Club.

That first year we fielded two sides and although they were both in the same age group, under 13, it was a start. The team managed by Bernard Shannon played in the Shirley & District Junior League and the team managed by Michael Linington played in the Mercury League.

Then in 1998 the club was approached by the then Dulwich Hamlet FC Chairman, Steve Dye, to bring all of our teams over to them and act as their junior section and feed our better players through to the seniors when they were old enough.

As the Southwark Sports FC had ceased to exist, it was decided that this would be a good move for both the club and our players.

So, for the 1988-89 season we stepped out into the Bexley junior league as Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC.

Everything went well with the continued support of Steve Dye and our teams soon started to provide players for the senior youth team, with a few progressing into the reserves and even onto the first team.

That was a big day for both the player and the club. That first player to play for the first team from the ‘Juniors’ was Lenny O’Connor and he also played a part in a few other games for the first team. He had started playing for the junior club when he was age 7, so when he played for the senior first team that was his twelfth year of playing for both clubs.

All of our teams used to provide ‘ballboys’ for the first team matches and everyone enjoyed doing his or her little bit for the club.

At that time we had many players playing through to the senior youth team and even on into the reserves. Circumstances were not always favourable for our young players trying to get through the system, but not because of a lack of effort or commitment.

A lot of the Dulwich Hamlet FC first team managers would not take a chance on the younger players and preferred to bring in someone with experience – a problem that is still happening today. Unfortunately, that meant that the vast majority of our better players ended up in lower divisions looking to get that ‘experience’ that was so precious to have. This also meant that quite a few players ended up playing against Dulwich Hamlet FC.

Since then the junior club has carried on running teams at every age group it was able to, this was restricted by the shortage of good volunteers to run the teams – but we have done well as this is now our 42nd season as a junior club.

But with new people in charge at Dulwich Hamlet FC we are hopeful that at some point in the near future we will be once again be able to strengthen the ties between the senior and junior clubs and once again be a useful part of each others life ! 

 

 

 

1981/1982

U13 C LEAGUE RUNNERS UP                       Shirley & District Junior League*

U13 LEAGUE WINNERS                                 Mecury & District Youth League*

U13 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                        Mecury & District Youth League*

 

1983/84

U14 LONDON CUP

 

1984/85

U16 LONDON CUP WINNERS

U16 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                        Mecury & District Youth League*

 

1985/86

U11 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                   Bexley & District Junior League

U12 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                   Bexley & District Junior League

U12 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                         Bexley & District Junior League

 

1986/87

U10 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                  Bexley & District Junior League

U13 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP           Bexley & District Junior League

U13 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                        Bexley & District Junior League

 

1987/88

U13 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                 Bexley & District Junior League

U15 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                 Bexley & District Junior League

 

1988/89

U14 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                 Bexley & District Junior League

U14 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                       Bexley & District Junior League

U15 LONDON CUP WINNERS

 

1989/90

U14 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP                Bexley & District Junior League

U16 A  LEAGUE WINNERS                           Bexley & District Junior League

U17 A  LEAGUE WINNERS                           Bexley & District Junior League

U17 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP                Bexley & District Junior League

 

1990/91

U15 A  LEAGUE WINNERS                          Bexley & District Junior League

U15 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                      Bexley & District Junior League

U16 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS                Bexley & District Junior League

U17 A LEAGUE                                             Bexley & District Junior League

U17 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP               Bexley & District Junior League

U18 LEAGUE WINNERS                              Shirley & District Junior League

 

1991/92

U16 A LEAGUE WINNERS                          Bexley & District Junior League

U16 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                     Bexley & District Junior League

U16 LONDON CUP WINNERS

 

1992/93

U10 C WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP        Bexley & District Junior League

U10 LEAGUE TROPHY WINNERS             Bexley & District Junior League

U11 C WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP        Bexley & District Junior League

U13A B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP     Bexley & District Junior League

U13B C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS            Bexley & District Junior League

U17 A LEAGUE WINNERS                          Bexley & District Junior League

U17 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                     Bexley & District Junior League

U17 LONDON CUP RUNNER UP

 

1993/94

U10 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS              Bexley & District Junior League

 

1994/95

UNDER 11 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP   Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 15 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP   Bexley & District Junior League

 

1995/96

UNDER 12 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS           Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 13 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP    Bexley & District Junior League

 

1996/97

U14 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP                     Bexley and District Junior League

UNDER 12 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS           Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP

 

1997/98

UNDER 11 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS          Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 14 A LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 14 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                Bexley & District Junior League

 

1998/99

UNDER 12 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP   Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 15 A LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 15 LONDON CUP WINNERS

 

1999/00

UNDER 12 D WEST WINNERS                        Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 13 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS               Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 16 A LEAGUE WINNERS                    Bexley & District Junior League

 

2000/01

UNDER 14 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP         Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 17 A LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 17 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                Bexley & District Junior League

 

2001/02

UNDER 10 C WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP    Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 11 C WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP    Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 14 C WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP    Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 15 A LEAGUE RUNNERS UP               Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 16 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS          Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 16 B LEAGUE WINNERS                     Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 16 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS                Bexley & District Junior League

 

2002/03

UNDER 11 C WEST LEAGUE WINNERS          Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 11 C LEAGUE WINNERS                     Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 14 B WEST LEAGUE WINNERS          Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 14 B LEAGUE WINNERS                     Bexley & District Junior League

UNDER 16 A LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

 

2003/04

U12 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

U15 B WEST LEAGUE RUNNERS UP              Bexley & District Junior League

2014/15

U13 GOLD SHIELD RUNNERS UP                  South East London & Kent Junior League

 

2015/16

U13 MAUVE SHIELD RUNNERS UP               South East London & Kent Junior League

U13 ORANGE SHIELD RUNNERS UP            South East London & Kent Junior League

2016/17

U11 LIME SHIELD WINNERS                          South East London & Kent Junior League

2017/18

U12 PINK SHIELD RUNNER UP                     South East London & Kent Junior League

2020/2021

U11 ORANGE SHIELD WINNERS                  South East London & Kent Junior League

2021-2022

U12 C SILVER LEAGUE WINNERS                 South East London & Kent Junior League

U15 C SILVER LEAGUE WINNERS                 South East London & Kent Junior League

U14 PURPLE SHIELD RUNNERS UP             South East London & Kent Junior League

2023/2024

U12 C SILVER LEAGUE RUNNERS UP          South East London & Kent Junior League

U9   LEAGUE CUP 2 WINNERS                      South East London & Kent Junior League

U10 LEAGUE CUP 2 RUNNERS UP               South East London & Kent Junior League

U12 PINK SHIELD RUNNERS UP                   South East London & Kent Junior League

U17 LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP                   South East London & Kent Junior League

U17 ORANGE SHIELD WINNERS                   South East London & Kent Junior League

 

 

PLAYERS FROM THE CLUB WHO HAVE SIGNED AS FULL PROFESSIONALS  –

WESLEY REID                        Southwark Sports Junior FC           ABERDEEN FC

CARL LEABURN                    Southwark Sports Junior FC           CHARLTON FC

MICHAEL BENNETT             Southwark Sports Junior FC           CHARLTON FC

TONY DOLBY                        Southwark Sports Junior FC &        MILLWALL FC

                                                 Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC

MICHAEL MISON                 Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC               FULHAM FC

ADRIAN DEANE                   Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC               CHARLTON FC

ZIDAN MIAH                         Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC               FC DALLAS  /  RAYO VALLECANO FC    

Junior Football Leagues that the Club Plays in or has Played in –

  • South East London & Kent Junior Football League # CURRENT
  • Bexley & District Junior Football League # **
  • Shirley & District Junior Football League **
  • Mercury & District Junior Football League **
  • Balham Apollo Junior Football League **
  • Southwark & District Junior Football League **
  • Mitcham & District Football League  **
  • Norwood & District Junior Football League *

 

#    Playing as Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC

**  Playing as Southwark Sports Junior FC

*    Playing as Falcon FC

Chartered Standard Award

Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC receiving the Chartered Standard County Award 2002/03 from Brian Miller (RIP) London FA to Bernard Shannon (Chairman) and Ian Neal (Vice-Chairman) at West Ham Football Club on 19th August 2003 at the England U21 game against Croatia.