Before when the servers weren't fully updated we were able to run it because of how outdated everything was, this was easier for us to get a compatible version at the time. I know that once we start rolling out a few more changes from the tech side of things; we'll be working towards getting Dedicated Supporters more perks/features that had to be removed due to the updated of SM. Most due to the stability of the servers, Simon said so nicely, in which we're working to get it optimized also.
Hats is one of the many things we're hoping to bring back for everyone because of how people enjoyed it so much, as I know Counter-Strike Leadership really liked this. We're making efforts to push to getting hats brought back onto the server.
~SmeaR