Dulwich Hamlet to play at Tooting and Mitcham’s KNK stadium next season

The Bostik League have approved Dulwich Hamlet’s request to groundshare with Tooting and Mitcham for the 2018/19 season.
Landlords Meadow Residential locked Hamlet out of their Champion Hill home last month and the club were told by the owners they could no longer use their 125-year-old name having been slapped with a £121,000 back rent bill.
Tooting came to Dulwich’s rescue and now the club will be making their ground a temporary home for next season.
Southwark Council have voted to purchase Champion Hill from Meadow.
The bad blood has stemmed from Southwark Council’s rejection of Meadow’s plans to develop the land into a residential area, coupled with a new ground.
The council turned down the proposal due to part of the land being protected and that the project didn’t include enough affordable housing. Subsequently, Meadow withdrew their funding of the club.
In December, former England defender Rio Ferdinand – a close friend of Dulwich boss Gavin Rose – submitted a £10million bid to Meadow for the site through the affordable housing company, Legacy, he owns with Bobby Zamora and Mark Noble, but it was rejected out of hand.
Southwark council leader Peter John and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have since written to Meadow Partners LLC in New York urging them to sell to Southwark, who have now voted to release funds to acquire the land for sociable housing and secure the future of Dulwich at Champion Hill.