Dulwich Hamlet and Altona 93 share much more than just history, as Brian Mulligan reports
“Oh, Altona ist wunderbar! Oh, Altona ist wunderbar! It’s full of bratwurst and beer, Oh, Altona ist wunderbar!
The sound of the Rabble – Dulwich Hamlet’s ultras – in gloriously lubricated tones direct the thoughts of the Champion Hill mob towards Hamburg. Where the mind leads the bodies inevitably follow as Dulwich Hamlet will soon head to Hamburg’s Altona 93 for a series of events celebrating the centenary of the clubs’ first meeting in 1925. Centre stage is a showcase match this Saturday, July 12, at Adolf Jäger Kampfbahn.
Both were founded in the same year, 1893. That initial encounter in Germany a century ago featured each side’s greatest players to date, still honoured in their respective settings: in the pink and blue of Hamlet, Edgar Kail, the last non-league player to win an England cap, namechecked as fans approach Champion Hill up Edgar Kail Way. In the red, white and black corner, Adolf Jäger, of stadium fame, of whom more later.
Each ground stands in stark contrast to the Premier League merch hypermarkets, accessed via Emirates Grand Avenue or Emirates cable car.
Eight decades after that first friendly, it took a chance meeting to rekindle the bond between Dulwich and Altona. Co-founder of the Dulwich Hamlet supporters’ team, much missed Mishi Morath was an inveterate groundhopper, who visited almost every Czech and German ground. He had just started on Hungary when he died. On his blog , he describes meeting Altona fanzine editor Jan Stover while trying to keep warm, moving around the ground taking photos at a match.
Jan takes up the origin story: “Mishi and me first met in 2010. When we realised later that our teams had played each other in 1925, we both headed to our local newspaper archives to research about the match. We published our research in each other’s fanzines and shared it with interested journalists”.
Following that meeting, and conversing in Jan’s superior English to Mishi’s schoolboy German, a friendship between both fanbases led to supporters’ matches. This duly begat the first fixture between the two senior XIs in July 2015, when Altona ’93 travelled to South London, 90 years after that seminal Hamburg meeting in 1925.
Hamburg, of course, is home to a more brand-oriented club of similar political persuasion, St Pauli, but not everyone falls for their pirate imagery, which is why so many embrace the more indie culture of Altona 93. Their fans started an anti-racist tournament, Cup der Angst – gegen die Festung Europas (‘Cup Fear – Against Fortress Europe’), reflecting the values shared with Hamlet and other like-minded clubs. Altona support anti-racist causes both financially and by expressing solidarity with refugee and migrant groups, in direct opposition to right-wing forces.
Mishi wrote about his surprise at witnessing the Old Firm connections of the Hamburg clubs. Celtic fans link with St Pauli and their raucous celebrations of their tradition of rebellion against elites; their Glasgow rivals find affinity with Hamburg SV.
Altona’s opposition to these ideologies would account for the many red, white and black stickers spotted around Champion Hill: ‘Hate Racism – Love Altona’, ‘Good Night White Pride’ and ‘Gegen Homophie’. Dulwich Hamlet donated the ‘Football fans against Homophobia’ flag, depicting players from each team kissing, which still flies proudly at home matches. Direct actions against poverty include period products, food banks and winter coat collections.
“It’s not like the friendship with Dulwich Hamlet,” says Jan, “but we do have good contacts with other clubs, too. Arminia Hannover and Altona 93 supporters have linked up for more than 20 years now, for example. Other friendly clubs include VfB Oldenburg and Bremer SV.”
Another experience both Dulwich and Altona will soon share is a move to new grounds. Jan again: “Our stadium was sold in 2006 and our latest departure date is 2026. The new stadium is being built by the estate, whom we pay, but they haven’t started work yet. So, we’re trying to persuade the buyers of the Adolf Jäger Kampfbahn for us to play there a little longer”.
As for Altona-born Adolf, Jäger served Altona for 20 years, from 1907 to 1927, during which time he became the first player to appear for Germany’s national team for more than 15 years, and the first to captain the Nationalelf ten times. World Cup-winning coach Sepp Herberger rated him as the best striker Germany ever had. He died in 1944, attempting to defuse a bomb on the banks of the Elbe. He is buried at Altona cemetery, where Dulwich fans will pay their respects this weekend.
Watch this space for updates on Dulwich Hamlet’s new ground, to be purpose-built but not in order to fleece supporters. Tradition still counts for something in Dulwich, as do old enmities. Mishi Morath managed to sneak in a quick anti-Tooting jibe in his 60 seconds of national fame, during the BBC’s coverage of an FA Cup tie at Champion Hill.
It’s a sentiment that should ring out at liberal-leaning Altona this weekend:
“Edgar Kail in my heart, keep me Dulwich, Edgar Kail in my heart, I pray. Edgar Kail in my heart, keep me Dulwich, Keep me Dulwich till my dying day. No Surrender! No Surrender! No surrender to the Tooting scum!” [Lyrics by Mishi Morath.]
Altona 93 v Dulwich Hamlet, Adolf Jäger Kampfbahn, Griegstraße 62, 22763 Hamburg. Saturday, July 12, 3.30pm. Supporters’ match 11am. Bus 1 to Griegstraße. Tickets here. For details of all centenary events in Altona, see here.
