Tournament thanks...

Our tournament may have been held yesterday, but it actually 'began' many months ago. Unseen by all of us was a huge amount of 'donkey work' put in by both Larry Marsh & Andy Tucker, who put in dozens of hours over the last few months putting the whole thing together.
We also owe a huge thank you to Nick Mc Cormack, managing director of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club Limited, for allowing us full use of the Club facilities for the day absolutely free of charge.
We were honoured to have Councillor Columba Blango, from Southwark Council, as our guest of honour to open the tournament & to actually kick off the first match!
Thanks to the tournament referee Freddie Collins for taking charge, without him there would have been no competition!
Thanks to go out to Liam Hickey for setting up the PA system. (I did my best to operate it, sorry I wasn't that good at it!)
Paul Griffin, for the excellent programme colour cover, & (I suppose, pat myself on the back, if that's allowed) myself for the writing and collating the contents inside.
Jack Payne, the new chairman of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, for his attendance, & agreeing to present the trophies and medals at the close. Also to long standing Hamlet fan Brian Weber (first game in 1947!) for assisting him.
To Lindsey & Jim, for organising the music in the bar afterwards, and running a food bar.
Also to one of our squad Robbie McClintock, for acting as official photographer on the day. We hope to have his snaps on here on the not too distant future.
As well as those of Paul Griffin, who will also be doing a tournament report, watch this space, as we lift it from his Norm blog.
I hope I haven't left anyone out! If I have this is an honest oversight & not a snub!
Also thanks go to PSG Belgium & JK Jalgpallihaigla for coming over to London to take part.
And, just as important, thanks to all of "The Rabblers" squad for being here, including those who 'guested' for PSG Belgium, and who happily paid our higher tournament subs of £10 per player. We obviously do not charge our foreign friends to take part, and our overheads are high on the day, hence the raffle. The trophies & medals, engraving included, alone cost over £250! So well done everyone for paying with a smile on your face & understanding this...apart from one who it would be churlish to name, but probably resents it as he has 'played at a higher level'!

After the tournament ended we held a raffle in the bar to help cover some of the costs of staging the tournament. This was a great success, and I cannot let the raffle pass without saying a big thank you, not just to everyone who bought a few tickets, but to all those who generously donated some prizes, large or small. The raffle roll of honour is as follows: Bill Azzi; Tessa Jowell MP for Dulwich & West Norwood; Ferenc Morath; Mishi Morath; Mick O'Shaughnessy; Steve Rickerby; & the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Trust, who donated a selection of souvenirs from their Club Shop. And thanks to Paul Griffin & Andy Tucker for going around the bar to sell them.
It only seemed right & fair that the excellent top prize of a DVD player (most generously donated by Steve Rickerby) was wending it's way to Tallinn, as they had travelled the furthest to take part. I wonder if Currys have ever 'exported' one there before?

That's the end of my 'Oscar winning speech' here, it only leaves me to say thank you for reading it!

Except to say that the JK Jalgpallihaigla have their own website too! If you want to say thank you to them for coming over just click on our link to the right under 'foreign friends Estonians'
then click on the Union Jack at the top right, then go to guestbook on the left.