There’s something amazing happening at Dulwich Hamlet FC, a south London team currently lying in second place in the Ryman Premier league – the seventh tier of the English football pyramid.

In the last four years, their average home crowd has more than tripled, with some games registering the kind of attendance figures that would be impressive for teams playing football two divisions above them – one match this season brought in nearly 3,000 fans.

It’s not just the numbers that are attracting attention though, it’s also the unique mix of supporters that are flocking to the club, prompting positive features from the likes of Vice Magazine and a three page photo spread in the Independent newspaper.

With Hamlet’s growing profile coming under scrutiny from other non-league clubs hoping to replicate their success, we thought we’d post up some stories from some of their new fans, starting with this in-depth piece from Stephen McCarthy.

Originally posted on the busy Dulwich Hamlet forum (where there’s been over 12,000 messages posted by fans since May 2014), Stephen explains how he got converted to the way of the Pink and Blues after just one game (the thrilling Hamlet vs Margate match earlier this season):

Stephen McCarthy: “Forgive me the indulgence but I thought I would share some thoughts as a total nouveau who has only been going to games since September.

I grew up watching Aylesbury United in the Southern League (and one high-comedy season in the Conference) many, many moons ago.

I played in their various youth teams but I enjoyed following the first team, playing in front of similar crowds to Dulwich now, more. I lost touch a bit with university and moving away from that rather godforsaken town but watched from afar as they became another boom-and-bust non-league club with a dodgy owner and property developers muddying the water.

They are now groundless and struggling to pull in 200 every other week. Broke my heart a little but it was what it was.

Then followed 15 years as a season ticket holder at Highbury and then the Emirates. That time saw the Invincibles team and plenty of trophies but I watched in dismay as everything around me changed.

The glory hunters, the prices, the moaning in the stands and, above all, the the booing of Arsenal players by their own entitled fans.

So I knocked that on the head and spent a couple of years turning up at places like Orient, Hendon, Barnet for my sporadic footballing fix.

Last year I moved South to Streatham to live with my girlfriend. I flailed around a bit – ice hockey (fun but not football), Sutton United (terrible football and weird fans), T**ting & Mitcham (so sorry, I just didn’t know!) and even a one-off trip to Carshalton.

But it wasn’t really doing it for me. I can only plead geographical ignorance as Dulwich didn’t even occur to me but then, one night in September, having realised just how near Champion Hill was I bowled up for the Margate match.

Now I know I got lucky with that being a particular cracker, late winner and all, but the evening was a revelation. I knew deep down within 15 minutes of kick off that I had a new footballing home.

I think the plan was to have a fun diversion every other Saturday, but in little more than five months I am already struggling to imagine life without DHFC. I couldn’t tell anyone exactly why it has captured my imagination like it has as there’s no one reason.

There are lots of reasons. Firstly, there’s the football. Boy, you’re lucky to see football played the Gavin Rose way at this level. Long may he stay because the quality, especially going forward, is extraordinary. Then there’s the atmosphere. I love it – fans supporting the team in the right way, in numbers, in song, in ridiculousness and with massive humour.

The leftist slant is right up my street and a breath of fresh air even if i’m not QUITE ready for Luxury Automated Communism.

Humour aside, I love the collective feel that permeates the club, whether it’s supporters committees, the 12th Man scheme, the brilliant podcast, the food bank collection or the Stonewall match next week. It’s still early days for me and I still have to earn my stripes but I certainly hope to get more involved in the future.

Best of all though is just feeling so f*cking welcome there. I turn up on my own (girlfriend and friends think I’ve lost it still) and it’s just friendliness from the get go.

A smile and a hello at the turnstile, same buying a programme, more in the bar and then throughout the match itself. It would be the easiest thing in the world for The Rabble to be some dreadful, self-congratulatory clique but i’ve seen no evidence of that at all. Quite the opposite.

I’m still keeping myself to myself a bit but it’s been great having little chats with people like the editor (now I realise who he is) in recent weeks.

On Saturday, I helped tie one of the banners behind the goal before the second half just because I was standing there. Immediately Jack (Scutta on here?) and Nisha (apologies if misheard) introduced themselves. That was just pure class and not something I would imagine happening at many other clubs.

So I’ll shut up with my ramblings but really I just want to say that you have got a very special football club and one so excitingly on the up. I would say that you’re lucky to have it but i suspect that many on here are the very people who have done so much to make it special in the first place.

I hope to be around the club for many years to come but, for now, thanks for having me and I genuinely hope that you’re as proud of your club as you should be.”

And another fan is born…

By coincidence, a similar story appeared on the This Is Money website yesterday, where the author persuaded his friend (“who is not a football fan”) to come along to Champion Hill to watch Saturday’s match.

His account echoes the positive experiences of McCarthy’s:

The quality of the football on display was surprisingly good and the battle on the muddy pitch was full-blooded. We stood behind the goal with hundreds of others to watch the last fifteen minutes and soak in the bubbling atmosphere. I cheered as hard when Dulwich scored their second as I would any Southend goal. My friend is now a converted football fan. He said to me after the game he has always liked football, but has never followed a club because he thought it was too expensive with too many rules and regulations about where to sit and what to drink. He bought himself a pink and blue scarf, the colours of Dulwich Hamlet at half-time and is now asking when we’re going next. We’re going to watch the rest of the promotion push.

And another…

It seemed that the ground must have been half filled with journalists and bloggers on Saturday, as David de Winter, Sports Editor for the London Economic, was also making his first visit to Champion Hill.

He liked what he saw:

I must at this point focus on the club’s supporters. There were easily over 1,000 at the match, probably as many as 1,400 (Dulwich attracted 2,800 for the local derby against Hampton & Richmond Borough earlier in the season) which is staggering statistic for a Ryman Isthmian league fixture (most Conference clubs would be delighted with such a turnout). Although most of the fans were had beards, wore thick-rimmed spectacles and had trendy haircuts, (I also spotted some pensioners and several pushchairs – start them early and all that) don’t let that fool you into thinking they were not passionate. They sang all game, waved their huge flags (like the one’s seen in continental grounds), draped their banners over the advertising hoardings and were generally everything a zealous football fan should be. It was a brilliant atmosphere.

And his summary:

So would I go to see Dulwich Hamlet FC play again? Absolutely. Cheap ground entry? Yes. Good atmosphere? Yes. Welcoming supporters? Yes. Decent refreshments? Yes. Standing and sitting options to watch the game? Yes. It was an afternoon of proper non-league football and we loved it.

Tell us your story:

Have you recently been converted to the joys of Dulwich Hamlet – or would you like to find out more about what goes on at the club?

Feel free to add your comments and join in with the lively chat on the Dulwich Hamlet FC forum or, even better. come along to the next home game on Saturday.

Get behind the Hamlet!

Dulwich Hamlet info:

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club

Champion Hill Stadium

Edgar Kail Way

East Dulwich

LONDON

SE22 8BD

Tel: 020 7274 8707

[Map location]

Next game:

Saturday 7th Feb 3pm: vs Canvey Island (home)