Boss Andy Hessenthaler gives his view on his his side’s 2-0 home defeat to FC Halifax Town on Saturday.
Archives: News
JEFFREY IS BACK AT CRABBLE
We are delighted to announce that winger Anthony Jeffrey has re-joined the club and is available for Saturday’s National League clash with FC Halifax Town at Crabble (5.20pm).
The 24-year-old Guyana international made 36 appearances in all competitions for us last season, scoring three goals, before his contract expired in the summer.
Jeffrey, who started his career at Arsenal, signed for Dover on a permanent deal in July 2018 from Sutton United after making 21 appearances during a loan spell with the club the previous season.
He has also spent time at Boreham Wood, Forest Green Rovers and Wycombe Wanderers.
Welcome back to the club Anthony!
WALKING CHALLENGE ENDS AT CRABBLE
Dover fans are being asked to support Kevin Webber’s magnificent walk this week.
Webber, ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK, arrived at Crabble on Friday afternoon after walking from Bromley Football Club to our home ground as part of the launch of the MANarama campaign.
His three-day journey started at Bromley on Wednesday and he also visited Welling, Dartford, Ebbsfleet and Maidstone during the challenge.
The football fanatic certainly enjoys a challenge. The torrential rain and wind battering the country is nothing – Let’s not forget in 2014 he was told he was likely to have two years left to live.
More than five years later the 54-year-old is still feeling like there are no life limits.
Webber will be officially ending his quest at Dover on Saturday.
“It’s quite fitting that I ended last season’s journey watching FC Halifax at home to Chesterfield and I will be doing the same this time with them down at Dover.
“Like last year, it’s not a fund-raiser as such, but every penny is always gratefully received.
“I hope a few people see me, take a second to have a chat and if one person goes to the doctor – or whose friend or family member is then encouraged to go to the doctor – then it’s all worth it.
“This is also about getting into clubs, and putting across the message of how important a trip to the doctor is and how speed is so crucial.
“If your club averages say 800 supporters, 100 will come into close contact with the disease. As things stand, 20 of them will die.
“That is a really big number of people. If we can go some way to getting that figure down by a little bit of raising awareness then it’s a fight we’ll win.”
Well done Kevin from all of us at the club!!
MIKE SANDMANN’S ACADEMY ROUND UP
It’s been another busy week in the academy with a mixed set of results for our boys.
Squad One registered their first away win of the campaign, winning 3-1 away to Chippenham to maintain their unbeaten run in the National League South Division.
After taking an early lead via Feliz Mesquita’s header, the lads were pegged back to 1-1, only to go ahead once minute later with Kumiranshe Bepe scoring from Zack Jobe’s cross. The third came through nice link-up play between Bepe and Rolando Onu, resulting in a good finish from Onu. That was it for the scoring and the adademy remained solid, limiting Chippenham to a few chances after the break.
Squad One will now prepare for the FA Youth Cup on Monday night having been drawn to face Tonbridge Angels.
Despite competing for long spells in the game, Squad Two were beaten 3-0 at home to Maidstone United and there were some valuable lessons learnt from the boys.
Our development squad remain unbeaten after beating Harris Academy 4-0, with Sobechi Nwaokolo, Alfie Gramson, Zak Benfield and Ben Malone all on the scoresheet.
The lads are in FA Cup Youth action on Wednesday 2nd October, so please come along to Crabble and support the boys. The match kicks off at 7 pm.
Mike.
VIDEO: PLAYER REACTION
Tuesday night’s goalscorer Kurtis Cumberbatch spoke to the camera following our 2-1 win at Maidenhead United on Tuesday night.
NATIONAL LEAGUE BECOMES MANARAMA
Vinnie Jones signs up to support life-saving partnership with Prostate Cancer UK which returns for a second season
- For a second successive season, the top two tiers of non-league football have been given a rebrand by Vanarama in support of Prostate Cancer UK
- The National League are charity partners of Prostate Cancer UK and sponsors Vanarama have signed up Britain’s favourite footy hard man Vinnie Jones to lead the fight against the most common cancer in men
- Drive to save lives: Vanarama and Prostate Cancer UK want to raise money to beat a disease that kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK
- Six-week name change sees Vinnie urge ‘proper football clubs’ and ‘proper supporters’ to raise ‘proper money’
The Vanarama National League has once again changed its name in the opening half of the season – all for a great cause – Prostate Cancer UK. For a second successive season, the fifth and sixth tiers of the English game, including clubs like Notts County, Barnet and Wrexham, will be known as the MANarama National League until 9th November.
The League’s sponsors, van leasing company Vanarama, long-time supporters of Prostate Cancer UK, have again agreed to use their sponsorship in support of the leading men’s health charity. Last year, in an award-winning industry first, the National League rebranded mid-season with the ground-breaking MANarama campaign raising over £150,000 to help stop prostate cancer being a killer and earning a host of industry awards. From September to November this year, the forward-thinking firm will reprise their striking MANarama branding and will be working with all National League clubs to help them smash last year’s total.
To monitor fundraising progress, Vanarama has set up an alternative MANarama League table, which will track each National League club’s fundraising over the course of the campaign. In the drive to save lives, clubs raising cash for the cause will be in with a chance to win a brand-new minibus for the next three seasons. Hollywood hardman Jones, a former Wealdstone midfielder, has been signed up by Vanarama Chief Executive Andy Alderson to support the campaign this year.
Speaking about the campaign, Vinnie says:
“I am beyond proud to back this MANarama campaign. It combines two things which are so important to me; grassroots football and fighting cancer. I started playing football in non-league so I know that these clubs are at the heart of local communities. I don’t need to explain why the fight against cancer is so important for me.
“Non-league football is proper football and I’d urge all non-league clubs and all the proper supporters out there to raise some proper money for this brilliant cause.”
Jones was at Vanarama’s head office in Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday afternoon with Prostate Cancer UK ambassador Kevin Webber and Errol McKellar, two men affected by the disease, who will play a key role in the campaign in another industry first in October.
The former FA Cup winner was visibly touched after hearing former mechanic Errol’s story and waved off ultra-marathon hero Webber as he set off on an epic walk to the live-on-BT Sports MANarama opener between Dover Athletic and FC Halifax Town on Saturday evening (5.20pm).
Webber will be a familiar face to BT Sports viewers after delivering the match ball on the final day of the MANarama campaign in October 2018, at Halifax, so in a fitting narrative will help kick off this season’s campaign.
Vanarama Chief Executive Andy Alderson, says:
“The National League is the backbone of English football and we’re delighted to once again re-name it the MANarama League in support of our long-term partners Prostate Cancer UK. For many years we’ve stood side by side in the fight against prostate cancer and want the football world to come together and raise more money than we ever have before to help beat a disease killing one man every 45 minutes in the UK.”
National League Chief Executive Michael Tattersall, comments:
“We were extremely pleased with the reaction to our temporary – and historic – rebranding to the MANarama National League during the 2018/19 campaign. It was fantastic to see so much money and awareness raised to aid the fight against prostate cancer.
“We are proud this will be taking place over a 45-day period for a second season.
“Prostate Cancer UK are our official charity partners and we couldn’t think of a charity that better reflects our football values.
“This deadly disease has no boundaries, so it’s been incredibly inspiring to see Kevin Webber raise so much awareness. He’s a remarkable man doing remarkable things and we will continue to stand alongside him, and everyone affected by prostate cancer.”
Prostate Cancer UK Chief Executive Angela Culhane, adds
“Last year’s brilliant MANarama campaign really caught the imagination and we’re delighted to strengthen our long-standing relationship with Vanarama ahead of another exciting few months.
“The fight against prostate cancer, a disease that kills one man every 45 minutes, is a purpose worth uniting for, and this fits in perfectly with our ‘Men, we are with you’ mantra; Vanarama, The National League and the Non-League community getting together to do something amazing in our quest.
“Money raised will help us fund more ground-breaking research and find the tools needed for a screening programme, in order to catch more prostate cancers early and save more lives.”
One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer meaning a staggering 1440 men will die from the disease during the MANarama campaign, highlighting just how important it is that more people are made aware of the most common cancer in men.
The campaign will also encompass Non-League Day on 12 October, an annual date on the football calendar, backed by Premier League and Championship clubs which this year celebrates a tenth anniversary. The day is always scheduled to coincide with an international break and provides a platform for clubs to promote the importance of non-league football.
For more information about the MANarama campaign, fundraising activity taking place through your local non-league club and prostate cancer information, visit the Vanarama (@Vanarama) and Prostate Cancer UK (@ProstateUK) Twitter feeds and the #GiveandGo hashtag. There are also three ways people can donate to the campaign using their mobile phones:
Text MAN £3, MAN £5 or MAN £10 to 70004 and help stop prostate cancer from being a killer.
Texts cost £3, £5 or £10 plus network charge. Prostate Cancer UK receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payers permission.
Customer care 0800 082 1616. Charity No 1005541
VIDEO: FIRST TEAM COACH REACTION
Nicky Southall shares his thoughts his side’s 2-1 win at Maidenhead on Tuesday evening in the National League.
CLUB STATEMENT
The Board, Management and Players of Dover Athletic FC stand together, shoulder-to-shoulder against Racism. Racism has no place in our society, full stop.
Dover Athletic FC promotes inclusivity and does not tolerate any form of discrimination.
This is not the first time that our players and staff have had to contend with racial abuse during a National League fixture.
The latest events at Hartlepool yesterday were inexcusable and we will support the authorities in any way we can to help bring the perpetrators to justice.
We will also be submitting our own reports to the National League and Football Association. We firmly believe that action needs to be taken – to demonstrate that the football family DO consider this type of intolerance to be completely unacceptable.
Incidents of this nature cannot be ignored, too often excuses are used to downplay such events and to even pass blame back to the victim – this cannot stand!
At Dover we are One Team and will support each other and in particular the players and staff affected by yesterday’s events, through this difficult time.
We are strong together and will continue to fly the flag for inclusivity and respect for all.