Archives: News

Club Statement: Citadel Partnership

Dover Athletic Community Trust in conjunction with Dover Athletic FC are delighted to announce that agreement has been reached with the Dover Citadel for the Trust to exclusively use the multisport artificial surface at the Citadel site for the next three years with an option to extend for a further two years,

The potential to extend the agreement to include the Sports Hall and Gym facilities exists subject to demand.

The all-weather pitch will become the centre of community activities which will extend beyond just football activities in conjunction with our grass pitch facilities.

We will soon make further announcements on pitch availability.

Dover Chairman Jim Parmenter said” I have been talking with David de Min, Graham Martin and Kim de Min for several weeks now, they are extremely enthusiastic about being involved in the community and helping Dover Athletic Community Trust and Megger achieve as much as possible within the community.

They have also become very interested in helping the football Club and I hope that this announcement is the start of a long and beneficial relationship.

I would like to thank David, Graham, Kim and Nigel for their positive approach during our discussions.

David de Min CEO and founder of the Citadel Dover commented.

“It’s a pleasure and an honour to be a proud sponsor of Dover Athletic and to assist with their community projects.

What Jim and Sally have achieved for the Dover Community is inspirational. I knew it was a good match when I walked in with one of my partners Graham Martin, an ex Crystal Palace stalwart and supporter and saw a Crystal Palace shirt signed by Ian Wright ( from the 2015 FA cup match) proudly displayed on the wall!!

I am very excited for the future and how we can collectively make #Destination Dover”

Ticket Prices to drop

We’re dropping ticket prices for the 2024/25 season with an adult able to watch Whites from as little as £11 per game.

We’ve listened to the fans and have done our very best to come up with ticket pricing, that will balance both the need to provide value to our loyal supporters, whilst ensuring the club can drive towards financial sustainability, as we rebuild our club with the community at its heart.

With all revenue from ticket sales going directly to the cost of running the club and our first team, it is an important income stream that enables our fans to directly impact the money available to support Jake in building a competitive team, thus success on the pitch.

Season Tickets

As always our season tickets are the most cost effective way to watch Whites play at home.   Our Early bird offer runs from May until the end of June and an adult will be able to watch for as little as £11 per match. 

We’ve heard you – paying a lump sum for season tickets makes them less accessible for some fans and so this year we are happy to announce that we have a facility to split the payment across 2 months (May and Jun) when purchasing online.  

You’ll be able to order or renew your season ticket at our club shop (dafcdirect.com) very soon.

As always our season tickets also include pre-season friendlies.

Early BirdFull Price
Adult£231£294
Concessions – O60£210 £273
Concessions – U18–£50
Under 11FREE with AdultFREE with Adult

Block-of-5

Our block of 5 tickets are back again this season, by popular demand.  An option for fans that can’t make every game, but are looking for a saving through a multi-buy offer.  

Adult£67
Concession£62

On the gate

As announced recently, to improve supporter experience and to reduce cash handling and banking costs, we will move to a cashless setup at Crabble. We will accept cards on all turnstiles, but don’t worry, if you have a need to use cash, we’ll be able to take payment at the club reception. We will also soon offer ‘game vouchers’ online, through our clubshop to allow payment in advance.

Our on-the-day pricing has been lowered as far as possible, but we hope that with the more attractive pricing and accessible offers, that fans will opt for an upfront commitment, whether that be a season ticket or Block-of-5.

Adult£15
Concession – O60£14
Concession – U18£9
Under 11FREE

We want to thank you all for, not only your support, but also your important input into our pricing for next season. We know that we will not be able to please everyone, but hope that by listening to the fans, providing cheaper and more accessible ticketing pricing, and improving purchasing options, you’ll get onboard and support Jake and the team (both on and off the pitch) – to re-build our club with the community at it’s heart.

We will have further updates on Hospitality packages and the extra value we will provide coming very soon.

Up the Whites!

Ground Plans for Next Season

Dover Athletic have announced changes to operational arrangements at the Megger Community Stadium for next season.

Chairman Jim Parmenter said, “We have listened carefully to suggestions and input from supporters as well as reviewing our operation with a view to modernisation.

Our aim is to improve supporter experience by reducing queues and waiting time and with the majority now wishing to use cards for payment making that process easier and quicker.”

All our turnstiles and catering outlets will be fitted with fast card readers and the bars with new card reading tills, the Stadium will become cashless (card only) in the turnstiles although a cash facility will be retained at reception for use by anyone who is genuinely struggling to pay by card for entry. Supporters will also be able to purchase programmes at the turnstile with one simple payment.

The turnstile for season ticket holders will become season tickets only in order to reduce queues there, which I know has caused some concern amongst our season ticket holders this season.

To improve hygiene and reduce queues our catering outlets will be card only as will the club shop and the bar. 

The 50/50 draw will remain a cash payment and initially it will remain possible to purchase a programme using cash .

We sincerely hope that supporters will work with on these initiatives, and we will welcome feedback so that we can further improve matchday experience for our supporters.  

Community Trust Update

As we have come to the end of the football season, although the results on the pitch may not have been what we all wanted, off the pitch we have been taking the small steps towards making Dover Athletic a more inclusive community club.

From quiz nights to raffles, community days to sponsoring books, launching a provision for girls’ football to matchday visits from local grassroots teams, creating a sensory room to hosting the Dover School Games Year 1 & 2 football tournament, donating various raffle prizes to other local causes and charities to craft fairs, attending community days to walking football and plenty more.

None of these things could have been achieved without the generous support from our club sponsor Megger, along with the amazing support from the fans and volunteers involved with each and every one of these activities.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for getting behind the Community Trust and the projects we are trying to make a success and I look forward to continuing building our community links with you all through the close season and into next season.

Vikki

Academy Update

As we close another season I want to thank all the supporters for your support for myself and the Academy once again throughout the season.

Looking back at this season it’s been pleasing to see another 3x Academy players progress into the first team.

Henry Young has established himself as a first team player this season still only aged 18 making 30 appearances scoring 1 goal. Youngy is a great lad who will only continue to improve this seasons experiences will be invaluable for his development.

Archie Hatcher has also come into the first team making 18 appearances across the season scoring 3 goals. Archie again will only continue to improve and we look forward to seeing him continue to develop with us.

Matty Holness has also come into the first team, making his debut against Yeovil and been gaining experience on a dual registration with Erith and Belvedere and supporters will get the opportunity to see him in action next season.

Once again this is fantastic to see these players come through and what our Academy is all about. We look forward to starting again next season and hopefully continue to develop and progress players into the first team.

Enjoy your summer!

Mike

A Message from the Manager

We look forward to welcoming you tomorrow for our final National League South game of the season, and ours in the competition.

I don’t think you can call it a relief. It’s done and dusted, but it’s never a relief to be relegated. You certainly don’t prepare for it, it’s certainly not what any of us wanted.

It’s certainly not what you, the supporters deserve, the way you have been with us all season.

We’ve got to dust ourselves down, we’ve got to regroup and make sure that we get a stronger group together that can give us an opportunity to bounce back straight away.

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome my Yeovil counterpart, Mark Cooper, his staff, his players, the directors, and of course, their fans, to Kent and congratulate them all on their promotion as NLS champions.

Although the season has come to an end, we all know that there is still a lot of hard work to be done. We have been here before as a club and rebuilt – we all want a positive environment, so let’s all work together to achieve it.

Finally – and this is definitely a case of last but not least – I would like to take this opportunity to thank our fans for the support that you have given us this season.

It would be fair to say that you could have asked for more from us and also that we will be asking more of ourselves going forward, but we could not have asked for more from you.

Home and away and in good times and bad, your backing has been incredible and I could not be more grateful.

Hopefully we can enjoy tomorrow together and start thinking about a brighter future.

Jake

Up Next – Dover Athletic vs Yeovil Town

Match Preview by Fred Deveson

One more game awaits Dover Athletic this season, as the Whites round off the season at home to the champions Yeovil Town.

The last time the two sides met in Yeovil, the game ended in a 2-0 defeat for Dover, but the Whites will be looking to end the season on a high this weekend and won’t be going down without a fight.

The visitors will be in good spirits, having just won the league last week after a win against Truro City, seeing them return to the National League at the first attempt.

Yeovil have had a rocky last 10 games, only winning 4 and losing 4, but they have won their last 2 games against Truro and Dartford.

They will absolutely be looking to end the season in style with a win this weekend to round off a fantastic campaign for them this season.

Meanwhile Dover will be looking to avoid a particularly bad record this season. If the Whites fail to win on Saturday, they will have recorded the lowest wins of any National League South side ever, which is something they will want to avoid.

There is sure to be a big crowd this weekend for the season finale, with fans keen to see a positive result to go into the next season in the division below, and the players themselves will be keen to turn around the recent disappointment at Gloucester on Tuesday night.

It’s the perfect opportunity for Dover to round off a disappointing season in style, and it will be one you do not want to miss.

We are expecting a big crowd and ask supporters to arrive early to prevent congestion at the turnstiles to make sure everyone gets in good time to see the game 

The game is not segregated and admission is by turnstile only. We accept both card and cash on the gate.

Supporters are invited to stay behind after Saturday’s match for our end of season awards with the DAFC Supporters’ Club!

The Centre Spot will remain open and supporters will have the opportunity to meet with the players and staff

Thank you again for your support this season.

Dover Athletic vs Yeovil Town. Saturday 20 April, 3pm:

Adults – £17

Over 60 – £15

Under 18 – £9

Under 11s continue to be free with paying adult

Truro City 1-0 Dover Athletic

Match Report by Fred Deveson

A beautiful evening in Gloucester saw Dover once again come away with nothing in a game that could have ended differently had some big chances been taken.

The game started with a mesmeric sunset behind the stadium on a chilly evening in Gloucester, and the Whites started the game on the front foot. The ball was laid off to Baptiste on the edge of the area but his effort went over the bar with three minutes on the clock.

Baptiste was at it again a few minutes later with an effort that went much closer, and got a touch on the way for a corner. He and Dover had started well.

Truro started to form some attacks of their own, firing the ball into the front men who held it up and linked the play well.

The “home” side forced a good save by Rowley on minute 20, and the ball fell for the attacker but Oyenuga was there to stop it going in for Dover.

The Whites did not let this get to them, however, as Nikaj had a superb chance to put Dover in front but hit the bar from relatively close range.

It only took Truro 5 minutes after this scare to score the first and only goal of the game. It was a well worked goal with number 9 Harvey finishing well into the bottom corner past the outstretched Rowley.

Soon after, it was Harvey again who attempted a chip on Rowley but the ball bounced back off the bar. The rebound also hit the woodwork and Dover survived.

The second half started poorly for Dover, with the hosts dominating. No notable chances came until the 61st minute, with a flowing move ending in a shot going wide from a good position.

Baptiste was still looking lively and his shot from range went just past Hamon’s goal. Stewart had a shot from a similar position soon after, which was saved well by the goalkeeper.

Substitutions were made during the second half, with Wilkinson and Drakes-Thomas coming on to sure up the midfield, but these did little to impact the game.

The game gradually drew to a close with Truro defending their lead very well and seeing out the 1-0 win to make it back-to-back wins for the team.

A special thank you to the 15 travelling Dover fans who made the journey, a fantastic commitment and the support is hugely appreciated.

The champions Yeovil await Dover on Saturday for the final game of the season.

City: Hamon, Palmer, Adelsbury, Dean, Riley-Lowe, Rooney (Palfrey, 52), Melhado, Porter, Law, Harvey (Brett, 70), Neal (Hinds, 60). Subs not used: Johnson-Fisher, Buse.

Dover: Rowley, Charles-Cook (Drakes-Thomas, 82), Mensah, Holding, Naylor (Wilkinson, 71), Oyenuga, Oliver, Baptiste, Nikaj, Akehurst, Stewart. Sub not used: Young, Neil-Gray, Garrett. 

Referee: Stacey Pearson
Attendance: 73

Up Next – Truro City vs Dover Athletic

Match Preview by Fred Deveson

Dover travel to Gloucester for their final away game of the season, as the Whites face Truro.

Truro have had a torrid time of late, with their crazy fixture schedule making the BBC news. So far, they have handled their fixtures superbly well and have had to squeeze in an immense amount of games.

Despite the inevitable tiredness, the team have only lost 4 of their last 10 games, which is a great achievement for a team in their position.

Their spirits will be especially high, as they beat high flying Maidstone 3-1 this weekend. They will be looking to take that performance into the final week as they look to mathematically secure safety.

As for Dover Athletic, they will be looking to turn the good recent performances and the positive atmosphere around the club at the club into another well deserved win, after the one recently against Chelmsford.

The last time the two sides faced off was at the beginning of the year, and Truro ran out 0-2 winners in that one, having dominated the game.

The team from the south west will be looking to get a similar result on Tuesday night, although this time they will be up against a much-improved Dover side.

Tuesday 16 April, 7.45pm. Truro City vs Dover Athletic:

ADULTS: £11
CONCESSIONS: (over-65s): £9
UNDER-16s: £6
UNDER-10s: FREE

TigerTurf Stadium, Sudmeadow Road, Gloucester, GL2 5HD

Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-0 Dover Athletic

Match Report by Fred Deveson

It was a beautiful sunny day for it in Hampton as the Whites were unlucky to leave the game with nothing, while the hosts take all 3 points in a 1-0 win.

The game started fairly evenly, with little action to report for the first 20 minutes. Dover had had a lot of the ball in the opening exhanges, however, and were looking the most likely team to score.

The first chance for the Whites did eventually come in the 24th minute when Wilkinson had a shot saved after a good move by the away side.

The hosts went up the other end from this move, and hit the bar after working their move nicely on the left-hand side. Despite the two chances, the game remained level.

Hampton did turn up the heat from this moment, with a corner coming in and a header being well saved by Rowley. The rebound was then blocked on the line by Naylor who kept the score 0-0.

The visitors came back from this well. Baptiste sees his effort blocked in the box after another good move by Dover, and then the rebound was put over by Nikaj.

Dontai Stewart had been working hard this first half, and his efforts were paid off when he won a header to set himself in behind the defence. His effort then hit the foot of the post and bounced clear.

The second half started much like the first, with little happening in the opening 15 minutes.

The first and only goal of the game came in the 61st minute for the hosts and it was another set piece that carved Dover open again. Hampton had got themselves a lead which was perhaps against the run of play.

George Nikaj had a chance to equalise as the game progressed towards the latter stages. His spin and shot in the box went just wide of the goal.

He then had another chance soon after, getting in behind the defence but he took too long and his effort was blocked the defender as the hosts survive another attack from Dover.

Some late substitutions were made by Dover but these made little impact and the game gradually came to a close, with Hampton and Richmond sealing an important win for their playoff hopes.

It’s a long trip to Gloucester for Dover up next, with the Whites facing Truro in their last away game of the season.