Peter Crouch on his new docuseries highlighting the plight of non-league football clubs

Virgin Radio

15 Dec 2021, 11:15

The former England footballer joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about Peter Crouch: Save Our Beautiful Game, which focuses on the importance of Britain’s grassroots football clubs to the communities they serve. He also spoke about whether he plans to get his boots back on! 

The eight-part docuseries, which will be available to stream from Tuesday 28th December on discovery+, follows Peter as he returns to non-league, community-focused Dulwich Hamlet FC as a director. He told Chris: “After Covid, non-league football, grassroots football, just took a real big hit. The only financial way out for them is getting fans through the door, and obviously not being able to get fans through the door really hit them hard.” 

Peter added: “It’s just highlighting the plight, really, of the football clubs. They’re 100-year-old institutions that aren’t really protected much, you know? They got fined for not being able to complete the season.”

Dulwich is one of Peter’s former clubs; he played there on loan from Tottenham back in 2000. Now, he has a very different role. “I’m director of football at Dulwich Hamlet this year, and just trying to navigate the problems,” he said. “I played in the Premier League for 15, 16 years, and this is very, very different.

“It’s a proper job, and I’ll be honest with you, it’s the first proper job I’ve ever had! 

“It’s been tough, but it’s been really rewarding.”

The former Liverpool player continued: “It’s nice for me personally to be involved, because I haven’t been associated with a football club since I retired, and now I’m going to games, and it’s different. In the Premier League, you sort of sit there and you don’t really feel part of it, but non-league, you go there, you can have a beer, you can stand on the terraces, it’s like football used to be.”

In March 2018, Dulwich Hamlet were evicted from Champion Hill, their home ground for more than 80 years, after owners Meadow Partners accused them of repeatedly breaching their license. After months of protests and campaigning from fans and club officials, they returned to the ground in October that year, when a new agreement was reached between Dulwich Hamlet, Southwark Council and Meadow Partners. Talking about the people at the heart of the club, Peter said: “You get to meet people that are so connected to Dulwich Hamlet and the football club, and you realise that they are worth saving. 

“The people connected to it deserve so much credit, and they’re doing it for the love of football, you know?”

Between 2005 and 2010, Peter was capped 42 times for England, scoring 22 times. In this new documentary, his wife, Abbey Clancy, suggests that he should get his football boots back on, to turn out for the non-league team. Peter told Chris: “I was thinking, ‘I’ll definitely get the boots out. I’ll come on as a sub or something. I’ll save Dulwich Hamlet with my goals!’ And then I looked at them in the first game, and I went, ‘These are better than me now, I think.’" 

Dulwich Hamlet are currently sitting just two points off the top of the table in the National League South, which is the sixth tier of English football. Peter said: “They’re a good team. I’m looking at them, they’re all young players, flying around, and I don’t actually think they need me!”

Peter holds the record for the most headed goals in Premier League history (40). During his interview with Chris, the former footballer made a confession about his height, which is officially 6 foot, 7 inches. He said: “I think I am actually six-eight, six-nine, potentially. I say six-foot-seven because it just feels more normal!” 

Peter Crouch: Save Our Beautiful Game is available to stream from Tuesday 28th December On Discovery+.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.