Whites’ fans might have noticed Dover players sporting some new training equipment in recent weeks.

Thanks to a £4,000 donation from the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club, presented to Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler and his first-team coaches Darren Hare and Nicky Southall prior to last Saturday’s National League match against Solihull Moors, Athletic’s management team have purchased 20 ‘Catapult’ GPS tracker vests.

The vests, used by 70% of Premier League and Football League sides, as well as 75% of National League clubs, will enable Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler and his team to assess the fitness of the squad.

Darren Hare said: “The vests will give us an indication of the distance players cover during games and will help us manage their workloads.

“It is so important to know if we are working the lads too hard or indeed hard enough during training, so the average workload statistics will help assess how we can help individuals prepare for matches and recover properly.

“They will also give us a distance per minute statistic to show us the effect of substitutes and their impact in matches, as well as help keep their fitness levels up.”

Athletic’s first-team coach concluded:  “I would like to thank the Supporters’ Club massively for their kind support.  The vests have added an extra dimension to the support and feedback the coaching staff can provide the players both in training and after matches.”