Football Freundschaft
It’s a glorious July evening, in the leafy, affluent part of South London (it's there, you just have to look), and as part of the weekend's Freundschaft celebrations, Peckham Town are hosting Stonewall FC. The sun is shining, Brick brewery and the BBQ are doing a steady trade, it’s idyllic. The home goalkeeper strolls in late and is admonished by a coach.
These are two clubs with morals, a social conscience. Refugees, anti racism and charity are the order of the day at the Menance Arena, and who could be better opponents than Stonewall, the world's most successful LGBT+ football club. A thoroughly wholesome experience.
The World's Smallest Stand TM is a big attraction, as is the manager of the home team, legitimate England legend, Mary Phillip. The first black England captain, multiple time Premier League winner, 65 England caps and a UEFA A licence holder.
Hamlet and Hamburg are here in numbers ahead of tomorrow, creating a buzz and Peckham GK, A Trialist, looks like a South London Ochoa. Let's see if he performs similarly. The game is played at pedestrian pace, the searing July heat not helping. Just before halftime, a friendly becomes not a friendly for a few minutes, as number 11 for Peckham, is upset and has a vendetta, and takes his man out. F'ing and blinding. Half time whistle goes and so far, no mention of only fools and horses...oh there is the theme tune over the tannoy, you are half expecting a chandelier to fall from the main stand. And there's the theme tune. Lovely jubbly. It’s interrupted by an angry announcement of “a white van blocking everyone”...welcome to non league.
The second half and It's all Peckham on the pitch but the Stonewall keeper is a, well, Stonewall, nothing is getting past him. The away side take the lead to jubilant scenes, as the goal scorer wheels away to acclaim. File this one under against the run of play. A late equaliser from a brilliant free kick and its honours even in front of a ground record 283 fans.
An odd evening, comprising of an England international, some achingly cool Germans, very uncool groundhoppers, South London's urban professionals, and the world's smallest stand.
It’s the morning after the night before and the heavens have opened over the ever wonderful champion hill. The reason the Freundschaft is happening, a celebration of friendship between Dulwich Hamlet, and Altona 93 of Hamburg. Altona are staunchly anti-fascist, with a real punk attitude. The fans organised this entire trip, and paid for the team to travel. This kinship started in 2010 when a lone Hamlet fan went to Hamburg. Fast forward to 2012 and a supporters team went to play at the Adolf-Jager-Kampfbahn. 2015 and Altona come to South London for a match, and 2018, Dulwich go to play in Germany. Michael Wagg and Phil Earle actually discovered more history, that in 1925, Dulwich toured Germany, and the two teams faced each other. Wagg and Earle have written a book called Edgar & Adolf.
It’s 2023 and Altona flags going up all around the ground, lots of Kuttes on show from the visitors, and just before kick off, the football gods shine. Suns out, drums out. The friendly atmosphere is doing great for geopolitical relations, one particualrly sociable fellow in a sailors hat, did not speak English but shook hands with everyone within a 5 mile radius. Anarchy flags waving, the drumming proves too much distraction for one dog, a very good boy indeed.
Fisherman hat man has taken on the role of capo as Dulwich and Altona are standing side by side, sharing songs. The game is played as very friendly match indeed but Altona looked lively, more pace. Not surprising as Dulwich are fielding a number of trialists. The first half wizzes by as the merriment on the terraces entertains.
During the break a large number of balloons have been inflated behind the goal, obviously. Second half kicks off and it's a balloon party, it's that kind of match. Altona get the goal and it's a strange reaction as both sets of fans cheer in the spirit of fraternity. This is friendly in every sense of the word. Hamlet get the equaliser with a towering header, and still, happiness everywhere. It finishes 2-1 to Altona, but it’s incidental.
This weekend has been football at its purest form. The perfect antidote to the ever capitalist world of our game, with Saudi governments, hedge funds and fake sponsorships. But this was friendship, community, morals, beliefs. Accessible games, atmospheric. Football is wonderful.