Up Next – Dover Athletic v Eastbourne Borough (FREE ENTRY FOR ALL)

By George Cory

Dover Athletic return to the Megger Community Stadium this weekend for a festive National League South clash with Eastbourne Borough, as the Whites look to carry strong momentum into Christmas. Jake Leberl’s side sit 10th in the table after four league wins in a row, while Eastbourne arrive in 23rd place, second bottom, with 15 points and battling to climb out of the relegation zone. With free entry for all supporters, the club is opening its doors to the whole community for what promises to be a big pre-Christmas afternoon as Dover aim to keep their league run going.

Dover Athletic

Dover Athletic exited the FA Trophy at the third-round stage after a 4–1 defeat to National League South side Hornchurch at Crabble. Missing several first-team regulars, Whites went 2–0 down before half-time through Harry Gibbs’ free-kick and a Luke Baptiste own goal. Angelo Balanta added a third after the break before midfielder George Wilkinson scored a consolation with his first goal of the season. Any hopes of a comeback were ended when substitute Henry Sandat struck late on.

From the Management

“Saturday at home to Eastbourne should be a massive day, with free entry for everyone. Of course, you want as many people here as possible. It’s a great gesture from the chairman and the club to offer that to the local community, and I hope people really take us up on it. Hopefully, we can respond with a better performance than against Hornchurch, get a few of the boys back, and carry on pushing in the league like we have been.”

Eastbourne Borough

Eastbourne Borough were beaten 2–1 at home by Chelmsford City, despite a spirited second-half response. The Sports were caught cold early on, conceding twice inside the opening 10 minutes through Joe Grimwood and Jason Adigun. Eastbourne went close to an immediate reply and grew into the game, creating chances and applying pressure. Their efforts were rewarded on 66 minutes when Pemi Aderoju converted a penalty to halve the deficit. Despite pushing for an equaliser late on, Eastbourne were unable to break through again and slipped to defeat.

The sides last met at Priory Lane in August, when Dover Athletic claimed a hard-fought 1–0 National League South victory over Eastbourne Borough. After a goalless first half in which Borough threatened from set pieces and were denied by a superb save from Mitch Walker, Dover struck early after the restart. Decarrey Sheriff forced a defensive error and the ball fell to George Nikaj, who calmly finished to secure the points. Eastbourne pushed for an equaliser late on but were unable to break down a disciplined Dover defence, as the Whites saw out a professional away win.

Last Six

Eastbourne Borough 2–2 Chippenham Town (11 Nov, National League South)
Dorking Wanderers 3–2 Eastbourne Borough (15 Nov, FA Trophy 2nd Round)
Torquay United 7–0 Eastbourne Borough (22 Nov, National League South)
Eastbourne Borough 6–0 Hampton & Richmond (29 Nov, National League South)
Dorking Wanderers 4–2 Eastbourne Borough (6 Dec, National League South)
Eastbourne Borough 1–2 Chelmsford City (13 Dec, National League South)

The Venue

We look forward to welcoming Eastbourne to the Megger Community Stadium. More information on getting to the ground can be found here: https://doverathletic.com/visit-crabble/

Megger Community Stadium. Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 0JB.

Admission  

FREE ENTRY FOR ALL.

We only accept card on the gate and operate a cashless ground.

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)