Dover Athletic Community Trust were delighted to welcome Club Brugge Foundation and Community Coach Philippe Servais to the Megger Community Stadium for Saturday’s game against Bath City.

Club Brugge Foundation is the official charitable arm of Belgian club Club Brugge and works as a non-profit organisation using football as a tool to connect and empower people. The Foundation delivers a wide range of projects focused on inclusion, health, education and community wellbeing, supporting young people and underrepresented groups through the power of sport.

Dover Athletic Community Trust is proud to be part of a growing network of clubs and foundations who believe football should be accessible, inclusive and a force for good. Hosting Club Brugge Foundation was not only a chance to showcase the work being done locally, but also an opportunity to learn from a foundation operating at a European level.

To mark the occasion, shirts and gifts were exchanged as a symbol of friendship and shared values. We hope this visit marks the beginning of a growing relationship with our Belgian counterparts and look forward to exploring future opportunities to collaborate and share best practice.

Back in August, the Community Trust launched a Crowdfunder page, with the hopes of raising money towards the £20,000 needed to instal 2 new LED Scoreboards at Crabble.

Many generous donations came in and we have currently, to date raised £1,330.

Not wanting to let this effort fall by the wayside, we have been looking into different ways to generate more fundraising for this project. In the New Year, we will be hosting more fundraising events.

In the meantime, we have received a generous offer of help with our fundraising efforts in the form of a visual fundraising thermometer, which has been paid for by one of our supporters. This is now pride of place on the pitch side wall outside the Centre Spot.

Donations can be made on a matchday by cash or card payment in the Club Shop, or if you would prefer to donate by Bank Transfer, you can use the account details:

HSBC
Dover Athletic Community Trust
Sort Code: 40-16-11
Account Number: 12613379

Every donation helps bring us closer to installing new LED scoreboards at Crabble — thank you for your continued support.

With just one week to go until our free-entry festive fixture against Eastbourne Borough, we’re sharing everything supporters need to know ahead of what promises to be a busy and memorable afternoon at the Megger Community Stadium.

This match has already generated huge interest, and with free entry for all, we’re expecting a large crowd. Whether you’re a regular supporter or visiting for the first time, we encourage everyone to arrive early and make the most of the full matchday experience.

Arrival & Entry

• Gates open: 12.00pm
• Kick-off: 3.00pm
• No tickets required – simply turn up and come in
• Season ticket holders should enter via their usual turnstile

Supporters are advised to arrive in good time to avoid queues and enjoy the pre-match activities taking place around the ground.

Festive Activities & Entertainment

There will be a full programme of family-friendly entertainment before and after the match:

12.00pm – 2.45pm | Santa’s Grotto
Younger supporters can meet Father Christmas and enjoy a festive moment before kick-off.

12.30pm – 3.00pm | Christmas Disco (Centre Spot)
Music and entertainment will be running in the Centre Spot as the atmosphere builds ahead of the match.

5.00pm | Fancy Dress Competition (Centre Spot)
Supporters are invited to take part in the fancy dress competition, with categories for:

• Under 12s
• 12–18 years
• Adults

Each winner will receive a replica Dover Athletic shirt, with runners-up receiving a club mug.

5.30pm | Christmas Raffle Draw (Centre Spot)
The Community Trust and Supporters’ Club raffle will be drawn, with a range of prizes available.

Food & Drink

To help manage demand, more food and drink outlets than usual will be open, including:

• Centre Spot
• River End / Centre Spot Tea Hut
• Bottle Bar (Centre Spot)
• Pizza the Action
• Snack Shack (behind the Dover End stand – usually only open during segregated fixtures)

On the Pitch

The Whites returned to the National League South this season under Jake Leberl and will be looking to end the year on a high in front of a big home crowd. The players and staff have spoken repeatedly about the difference a full Megger Community Stadium can make, and this fixture is a chance to show that support.

Matchday Summary

Dover Athletic vs Eastbourne Borough
Saturday 20 December
Gates open: 12pm | Kick-off: 3pm
Megger Community Stadium
Free entry – no ticket required
Season ticket holders: enter via your usual turnstile

With a week to go, now’s the time to plan your visit, invite friends and family, and help us make this a festive matchday to remember.

Saturday 20th December | Kick-off 3pm | Megger Community Stadium

With just a month to go until our free-entry fixture against Eastbourne Borough, we are delighted to share more details about the festive activities taking place around the Megger Community Stadium on Saturday 20th December.

We want this to be a special day for the whole community, so supporters are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy the build-up to kick-off. Gates will open at 12pm with a full schedule of family-friendly entertainment throughout the afternoon.

Activities and Events

• 12.00pm – 2.45pm
  Santa’s Grotto will be open before the game, giving younger supporters the chance to meet Father Christmas and enjoy a moment of festive magic.
• 12.30pm – 3.00pm
  The Centre Spot will be hosting a Christmas disco, providing music and entertainment as fans gather ahead of the match.
• 5.00pm
  A fancy dress competition will take place in the Centre Spot following the final whistle. There will be three prize categories: Under 12s, 12–18 years, and Adults. The winner in each age group will receive a replica Dover Athletic shirt, with runners-up receiving a club mug.
• 5.30pm
  The Community Trust and Supporters’ Club Christmas raffle will be drawn in the Centre Spot, with plenty of prizes on offer.

Food and Drink

To help keep everyone fuelled throughout the day, there will be more food and drink outlets open than usual, including:

• Centre Spot
• River End / Centre Spot Tea Hut
• Bottle Bar (Centre Spot)
• Pizza the Action
• Snack Shack (behind the Dover End stand – only usually open during segregated fixtures)

We look forward to welcoming supporters, families, and visitors from across the town for what promises to be a memorable and enjoyable day.

Free entry. No tickets required.

Free Entry for ALL
Dover Athletic vs Eastbourne Borough
Saturday 20th December | 3pm kick-off | Megger Community Stadium

Dover Athletic Football Club is giving something back to the town this Christmas.

In recognition of the challenges many local families face during the ongoing cost of living crisis, the Club will open its doors free of charge for the home fixture against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday 20th December (3pm kick-off) at the Megger Community Stadium.

The initiative, led by Chairman Jim Parmenter, aims to bring the community together in celebration and solidarity ahead of the festive season.

Chairman Jim Parmenter said:
“Times are tough for everyone right now, and while the club isn’t immune to those pressures, we wanted to give something back to the town. Dover has always stood together through difficult moments, and this is our way of saying thank you for your loyalty and support. We’d love to see the ground full of local families enjoying a great afternoon of football.”

The Whites returned to the National League South this season under Jake Leberl, and this fixture offers fans a chance to show their backing for the team as they look to finish 2025 on a high.

Manager Jake Leberl added:
“It’s a brilliant gesture from Jim and the club. The support we’ve had home and away has been fantastic, and the players really feed off that. Hopefully, with free entry, we can pack the ground, create a great atmosphere, and give everyone something to cheer about before Christmas.”

Dover Athletic is encouraging everyone – supporters, families, schools, community groups and first-time visitors – to come along and be part of a special day that highlights what makes this club and town so unique.

Fixture Details

Dover Athletic vs Eastbourne Borough
Saturday 20th December, 3pm Kick-Off
Megger Community Stadium
Free Entry for All

Let’s fill the stadium and show what Dover can do together.

As the Lionesses take centre stage in the UEFA Women’s EUROs 2025, playing France on Saturday, Dover Athletic Community Trust along with Dover Athletic Girls’ Youth Teams will be hosting a Big Football Day powered by The National Lottery. 

From 4pm-6pm, on the community training pitch, there will be various opportunities to test your skills, learn new skills and participate in fun activities and mini matches.  We are inviting females of any ability to come along.  There will be food and drink available in The Centre Spot from 4pm. 

In the lead up to the 8pm match, being shown on the big screens in The Centre Spot, there will be a fun football quiz from 6:30pm-7:30pm

After another successful community day both on and off the pitch on Saturday 22nd March, here is a round up of the day from Community Officer Vikki Pawley.

Supporters, players and staff donated a whopping 261kg of food to Dover Food Bank as part of our food bank fixture. This is an amazing show of support for a local cause and shows just how fabulous you all are. Thank you!

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you from all of us at the Dover FB on how you and the club supported us at the weekend. We had a great day as I’m hoping the club did in its support of the Dover community. With your help our donations weighed in at a massive 261kg which certainly exceeded our expectations.It was great how the club, supporters club, players and the public all helped in donating towards the event, we are most blessed.” Steve Ford – Dover Food Bank

Live music in the Centre Spot, from local musician Taylor Clark Proved popular. Thank you Taylor for joining us again and keeping us entertained.

Up on the community training pitch, we welcomed some of the Community Team from Dover District Council, with their Community Roots Van and Football Speed Cage. Thank you for giving up your time to provide an extra activity on the day.

Our resident face painters, Tracey and Claudia, were as always very busy in the lead up to kick off. It was great to see so many painted faces around the ground. We hugely appreciate you both giving up your time to help us at Community Days.

Collection tins around the ground for Prostate Cancer UK, partner charity for Non League Day, raised £58. Thank you to those who donated.

Players from our youth section U14 boys and U15 girls came along to hand out giveaway bags. It was lovely to see you here supporting your club. A special thank you to the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club for their donation towards purchasing items for the giveaway bags.

So, another huge thank you to everyone involved in our Community Day, we couldn’t do any of this without you.

Vikki

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Megger Community Stadium for Non-League Day on Saturday 22 March against Dulwich Hamlet.

The day kicks off with the gates at Crabble opening at 1pm. We have live music in the Centre Spot courtesy of Taylor Clark and free face painting!

1000 adult and child tickets have gone out to local primary and secondary schools and also to other community groups in the Dover area. Every child attending the match will also receive their own DAFC goodie bag with plenty of treats and merchandise inside.

This is also our ‘Food Bank Fixture’ – working in partnership with Dover Food Bank. We encourage spectators to bring a food donation item to the game if they are able to. There will be food donation points within the ground. Find out more about the items they require here.

There is still time to book on to our match day hospitality package which includes a butler hosted lounge and three course meal, whilst watching the game from the best seats in the house.

For the last decade the leading men’s health charity, Prostate Cancer UK, has worked side by side with Non-League Day, raising funds and awareness for and about the most common cancer in men. We will have donation buckets around the ground.

After the game, our players will be in the Centre Spot ready to meet and greet our young fans, sign autographs and have their pictures taken.

And how can we forget, Dover Athletic mascot Captain Crab will of course be making an appearance.

See you there!

Book your Christmas Party with us now.

As we kiss goodbye to summer, it’s now full speed ahead to the festive season as we look to host four Christmas Dinner events at the Centre Spot. Eat, drink and be merry as well as dancing the night away to your favourite yuletide classics. We are taking bookings now so don’t hesitate. Further details are on the flyer below, but hurry before we sell out. We look forward to welcoming you and your party.

Enjoy a welcome glass of fizz on arrival, three course meal served at your table and party the night away at our disco

Fri 6, Sat 7(SOLD OUT), Fri 13, Fri 20 Dec | Doors open 7pm | Dinner served 7.30pm | Party until midnight

Fully licensed bar (Card only). Wine list available with 10% discount when ordering in advance. group bookings welcome – tables of 8

£31.95 PP

Book today – call 01304822373 or email gavin.hughes@doverathletic.com

Starters

Prawn Cocktail

Homemade Broccoli & Stilton Soup

Duck & Orange Pate served with Melba Toast & Salad

Main course

Traditional Roast Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Stuffing, Chipolata Sausages served with Seasonal Vegetables

Roasted Beef Sirloin, Roast Potatoes served with Seasonal Vegetables

Chestnut Roast topped with Cranberries & Cashew nuts, Roast Potatoes served with Seasonal Vegetables

Dessert

Traditional Christmas Pudding served with a Brandy Sauce

Belgian Chocolate & Raspberry Torte

New York Cheesecake served with a Fruit Coulis

Coffee served with Mints

Watch it here – https://youtu.be/5AKIQUagEwU

Vikki Pawley chats with Justin Allen about her work in the community with Dover Athletic, some of the exciting things going on including the upcoming community day plus the challenges of fighting hard for better and affordable sporting facilities in the town.