*BS*Book your seat on the Supporters Club coach to Lowestoft for the 1st round of the FA Trophy tie on Saturday 13th December.

Adults Members £25
Adult Non Members £30

Accompanied Child (under 16) £10

DASC Lotto Winner N/A

Departs Crabble @ 8:30AM*BF*

All coaches are covered by insurance, if the game gets called off you get a refund.
(Supporters Club Members only)

*BS*Please call or text Andy on 07934300335*BF*

*BS*Andy will be in the Centre Spot before & after every home game*BF*

*BS*Please book early so we know what size of coach to book as the larger one if needed may not be available later in the week*BF*

*BS*RULES FOR THE COACH TRAVEL*BF*

*IS*All vehicles are NON SMOKING
No alcohol will be permitted on our vehicles at any time (which means not just drinking alcohol but also taking it on the coach).
Any damage caused will be charged to the Supporters Club.
Any abnormal or excessive cleaning will result in a £50 fine payable by the Supporters Club.
No excessively rowdy behavior will be tolerated.

The Coach company runs a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY if any of the above restrictions are breached and any individual found to be flaunting the rules, they will be removed from the coach immediately, irrespective of the location of the vehicle.

It is obviously in everyone’s interest and to encourage people who are understandably wary about using the coach, that behavior is kept within the bounds of common sense.

Supporters Coaches are operated by the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club and are in no way organised by or the responsibility of Dover Athletic F.C.*IF

*BS*A last minute goal from Tyrone Sterling helped Whites share the spoils in a thrilling draw with Torquay United.*BF*

Left back Sterling scrambled home following a melee in the box with 93 minutes on the clock. Connor Essam had previously levelled matters in the second half from a corner, but Torquay looked to have won the match after an unfortunate deflection fell kindly for Yeoman to slot home with ten minutes to go prior to Sterling’s strike.*Q1*

Manager Chris Kinnear was pleased with the character his team showed to level and continue Whites ten match unbeaten run, which was hampered by some difficult circumstances prior to kick off. ‘The lads really did not want to lose and It was a good result. The lads showed unbelievable character to come back twice against a really good side, especially as a few of the players got here a little bit late due to a road accident and Connor Essam turned up at 19:35, so we did not have an ideal preparation.’*Lpic1*

He went on to add. ‘We had a chat at half time and we ran them over in the second half with the amount of chances and corners that we had. When they scored the second it was like last season when we were attacking and teams would break on us, which is something that has not happened to us for a long time. But we have talked about it with the players concerned and we will learn from it.’

The draw gave Athletic a healthy four points from two games as a win away at Gateshead preceded the home draw. ‘Four points against two massive sides in this league is great and we have just have to try and get everyone fit and move on.’

Attention now turns to Whaddon Road on Sunday as Whites will be looking to reach the holy grail of the FA Cup third round. ‘I cannot wait for the game Sunday and there is a big carrot at the end if we get there’ beamed Chris. ‘They are under a lot more pressure than us because they need the money, whereas for us it will be like every game and they are no different to Morecambe, Torquay or Bristol Rovers. Saying that it will be hard as they are a great club and full time in league two, so we will just have to apply ourselves and do as well as we can. We are staying in a nice hotel so they lads will be nice and rested for Sunday.’

One player Dover will definitely be without for the FA Cup trip to Cheltenham is Soloman Taiwo, as his loan has now expired, with Callum Davies a candidate to vacate his midfield role. Richard Orlu returns from a one match ban, whilst Sean Francis is sweating on a groin injury. ‘We will miss Soloman big time as he was great for us’ stated Kinnear’. We will have to see when we talk to him again at the beginning of January.

He added ‘Callum has been injured for a while and struggled today, but he will get better.’*Lpic2*

*BS*Book your seat on the Supporters Club coach to Lowestoft for the 1st round of the FA Trophy tie on Saturday 13th December.

Adults Members £25
Adult Non Members £30

Accompanied Child (under 16) £10

DASC Lotto Winner N/A

Departs Crabble @ 8:30AM*BF*

All coaches are covered by insurance, if the game gets called off you get a refund.
(Supporters Club Members only)

*BS*Please call or text Andy on 07934300335*BF*

*BS*Andy will be in the Centre Spot before & after every home game*BF*

*BS*Please book early so we know what size of coach to book as the larger one if needed may not be available later in the week*BF*

*BS*RULES FOR THE COACH TRAVEL*BF*

*IS*All vehicles are NON SMOKING
No alcohol will be permitted on our vehicles at any time (which means not just drinking alcohol but also taking it on the coach).
Any damage caused will be charged to the Supporters Club.
Any abnormal or excessive cleaning will result in a £50 fine payable by the Supporters Club.
No excessively rowdy behavior will be tolerated.

The Coach company runs a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY if any of the above restrictions are breached and any individual found to be flaunting the rules, they will be removed from the coach immediately, irrespective of the location of the vehicle.

It is obviously in everyone’s interest and to encourage people who are understandably wary about using the coach, that behavior is kept within the bounds of common sense.

Supporters Coaches are operated by the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club and are in no way organised by or the responsibility of Dover Athletic F.C.*IF

*Link1*
*Link2*
*Link3*

*BS*Tyrone Sterling bundled in a dramatic injury time equaliser as Dover Athletic stretched their unbeaten Vanarama Conference run to seven games with an entertaining draw against Torquay United at Crabble.*BF*

Krystian Pearce headed the Gulls in front to finally end goalkeeper Andrew Rafferty’s amazing run of eight home clean sheets in all competitions as the visitors controlled the first half but Connor Essam’s superb header got Whites back on level terms in the second half.

However, just five minutes later, substitute Ashley Yeoman capitalised on a mistake by Tom Bonner as Torquay went back in front before Sterling’s goal sparked jubilant celebrations in the Port of Dover End.

Despite the result seeing Dover drop one place to 14th in the table, very few will be disappointed with this game which ended in dramatic circumstances in Whites’ favour in which was a fair result for both sides.

*Lpic1**BS*OTHER VANARAMA CONFERENCE RESULTS*BF*
Alfreton Town 1-2 Gateshead
Chester 2-0 AFC Telford United
Eastleigh 2-0 Dartford
FC Halifax Town 1-0 Forest Green Rovers
Kidderminster Harriers 3-1 Nuneaton Town
Woking 2-0 Altrincham
Wrexham 0-0 Bristol Rovers

*IS*Today is day two of the doverathletic.com advent calendar – each day, a new piece of content will be uploaded onto the site for fans to enjoy.

This will range from interviews with ex-players, fans and volunteers, to a more in-depth look at how the club is run behind the scenes and a 2014 year review – and more. If there is a player you would like to be covered then please do let us know.

Merry Christmas!*IF*

*BS*DAY ONE: RUSSELL MILTON*BF*
*BS**IS*”I will always have a soft spot for Dover. Sunday aside, I want them to do well…”*IF**BF*
*IS*Includes excerpts from feature written by the late Roger Jefferies*IF*

Ask any supporter of the club who followed the side in the 90’s who would make their list of best midfielders and I’m sure that the majority – if not all – would pick Russell Milton in their side.

Russell was arguably the most influential member of Chris Kinnear’s midfield engine room in the Dover Athletic side that climbed, painfully at first, out of the ashes of the defunct Dover FC to become the leading non-league side in Kent.

“I was back from Hong Kong one summer, at home in Folkestone,” he said, “When Dominic Castle (a reserve player at Crabble at the time) suggested that I look in at Dover.” And Chris Kinnear was a very good judge of football talent.

He made his first appearance for Dover against Crystal Palace in the Lennie Lee Testimonial Match just before the start of the 1992/93 season, the year of Whites’ successful second attempt to win promotion to the Conference.

“We were beating everybody in sight,” said Russell. “It seemed that we just couldn’t lose.”

The first attempt at promotion for Kinnear’s rejuvenated team had been at the end of the 1989/90 season when Dover had won the Beazer Homes Southern Premier League at a romp, with only four league defeats in the season, recording a record 102 points at the end of that campaign.

But, in a bizarre twist of fate, Bath City, recently relegated from the Conference and a club that would have an influence on Russell’s future career, finishing second in the league, were promoted instead due to Crabble being deemed “inadequate” for Conference football.*Lpic1*

This period of excitement and hope for Dover fans was to turn sour as the years went by.

But in that autumn of 1993, with newly promoted Dover Athletic riding high at the top of the Conference, Russell’s words, “We thought we could do anything,” seemed to have a prophetic ring.

The inevitable question resonated in all our minds: was Dover Athletic capable of going on through the Conference and into the Football League without stopping?

At that time, coming up to Christmas, 1993, it seemed possible. “We thought we could go straight into the Football League,” said Russell.

But, after a difficult mid-season, the championship challenge faded and the team finished a creditable eighth in the Conference.

Dover were a club that others were standing up and taking notice of, too. So much so that Russell, along with team-mates David Leworthy, Jason Bartlett and Corey Browne, were called up into the England semi-professional team.

Then, the wheels started to fall off. “There were several seasons in which Dover were perennial strugglers in the Conference, avoiding relegation one year, ironically, because another side could not go up. In fact, it was only because Boston United’s secretary “forgot” to post his club’s application for Conference membership before the set deadline that saved Whites from the drop.

Whites appealed – on the grounds that Crabble was going to be up to the required standard that summer (which it was) – but, in a decision that is still controversial today, the Conference upheld their ruling and the west country club was re-instated into the top flight of non-league football.

These days, Milton heads up Cheltenham Town’s academy and confesses he was pleased when the draw for the second round of the FA Cup set up a visit from his former side: “I was really happy with the draw when it was made.

“There were a few big League One sides in the draw who we could’ve been facing, like Bristol City, and I was hoping to avoid them. On the face of it, from Cheltenham Town’s point of view, we probably couldn’t have had a better draw. We know it’s not going to be easy and we’re under no illusions that it will be tough.

“Dover are on a great run of form recently and we haven’t exactly been firing, but I’m starting to see an upturn in our performances. Sunday will definitely be a tough game and we will have to play well to get through.

“For us, it’s about approaching it in the right way. Once you start underestimating a side or being complacent then you can be in trouble – like last season, we went to Tamworth who were bottom of the Conference at the time and we lost – so we know there’s a chance of an upset.*Lpic2*

“There is a big difference between League Two and the Conference but if you get a side on-form in the league below then they really can make life difficult for a professional side. We’ll certainly be giving it our best to ensure we get the right result.

“We have been looking at Dover ever since the draw was made and our manager is down there tonight watching the game against Torquay. We’re doing things the right way and not taking it lightly.

“I will always have a soft spot for Dover. Them, along with Arsenal, are the sides I look out for most as well as Cheltenham. I support all three clubs and have very fond memories of my time at Crabble. I know Jim and Chris well, and it will be good to see them again. I was really chuffed when they won promotion back to the Conference Premier last season and I am really glad they have started to pick up in the league and draw clear of the relegation zone.

“The game is potentially financially massive for the winner. The extra prize money, national coverage and chance of a big tie in the third round is very lucrative. We have been fortunate in recent years to play a couple of big sides at that stage – we went to Tottenham in 2012 and played Everton at home in 2013. They brought in a lot of money which really helps the club.

“When I was at Dover, we always struggled in the FA Cup. We never reached the first round and had a few disappointing defeats in the qualifying stages against teams we really should have beaten. Thankfully Chris seems to have sorted that all out now and it is great to see them in the second round for the second consecutive season.

“I’m looking forward to the game and seeing some old friends, I’m sure it will be a decent crowd and don’t worry – the ground has totally transformed since you last came here!”

*Link1*
*Link2*
*Link3*

*BS*Tyrone Sterling bundled in a dramatic injury time equaliser as Dover Athletic stretched their unbeaten Vanarama Conference run to seven games with an entertaining draw against Torquay United at Crabble.*BF*

Krystian Pearce headed the Gulls in front to finally end goalkeeper Andrew Rafferty’s amazing run of eight home clean sheets in all competitions as the visitors controlled the first half but Connor Essam’s superb header got Whites back on level terms in the second half.

However, just five minutes later, substitute Ashley Yeoman capitalised on a mistake by Tom Bonner as Torquay went back in front before Sterling’s goal sparked jubilant celebrations in the Port of Dover End.

Despite the result seeing Dover drop one place to 14th in the table, very few will be disappointed with this game which ended in dramatic circumstances in Whites’ favour in which was a fair result for both sides.

*Lpic1**BS*OTHER VANARAMA CONFERENCE RESULTS*BF*
Alfreton Town 1-2 Gateshead
Chester 2-0 AFC Telford United
Eastleigh 2-0 Dartford
FC Halifax Town 1-0 Forest Green Rovers
Kidderminster Harriers 3-1 Nuneaton Town
Woking 2-0 Altrincham
Wrexham 0-0 Bristol Rovers

*IS*Today is day two of the doverathletic.com advent calendar – each day, a new piece of content will be uploaded onto the site for fans to enjoy.

This will range from interviews with ex-players, fans and volunteers, to a more in-depth look at how the club is run behind the scenes and a 2014 year review – and more. If there is a player you would like to be covered then please do let us know.

Merry Christmas!*IF*

*BS*DAY ONE: RUSSELL MILTON*BF*
*BS**IS*”I will always have a soft spot for Dover. Sunday aside, I want them to do well…”*IF**BF*
*IS*Includes excerpts from feature written by the late Roger Jefferies*IF*

Ask any supporter of the club who followed the side in the 90’s who would make their list of best midfielders and I’m sure that the majority – if not all – would pick Russell Milton in their side.

Russell was arguably the most influential member of Chris Kinnear’s midfield engine room in the Dover Athletic side that climbed, painfully at first, out of the ashes of the defunct Dover FC to become the leading non-league side in Kent.

“I was back from Hong Kong one summer, at home in Folkestone,” he said, “When Dominic Castle (a reserve player at Crabble at the time) suggested that I look in at Dover.” And Chris Kinnear was a very good judge of football talent.

He made his first appearance for Dover against Crystal Palace in the Lennie Lee Testimonial Match just before the start of the 1992/93 season, the year of Whites’ successful second attempt to win promotion to the Conference.

“We were beating everybody in sight,” said Russell. “It seemed that we just couldn’t lose.”

The first attempt at promotion for Kinnear’s rejuvenated team had been at the end of the 1989/90 season when Dover had won the Beazer Homes Southern Premier League at a romp, with only four league defeats in the season, recording a record 102 points at the end of that campaign.

But, in a bizarre twist of fate, Bath City, recently relegated from the Conference and a club that would have an influence on Russell’s future career, finishing second in the league, were promoted instead due to Crabble being deemed “inadequate” for Conference football.*Lpic1*

This period of excitement and hope for Dover fans was to turn sour as the years went by.

But in that autumn of 1993, with newly promoted Dover Athletic riding high at the top of the Conference, Russell’s words, “We thought we could do anything,” seemed to have a prophetic ring.

The inevitable question resonated in all our minds: was Dover Athletic capable of going on through the Conference and into the Football League without stopping?

At that time, coming up to Christmas, 1993, it seemed possible. “We thought we could go straight into the Football League,” said Russell.

But, after a difficult mid-season, the championship challenge faded and the team finished a creditable eighth in the Conference.

Dover were a club that others were standing up and taking notice of, too. So much so that Russell, along with team-mates David Leworthy, Jason Bartlett and Corey Browne, were called up into the England semi-professional team.

Then, the wheels started to fall off. “There were several seasons in which Dover were perennial strugglers in the Conference, avoiding relegation one year, ironically, because another side could not go up. In fact, it was only because Boston United’s secretary “forgot” to post his club’s application for Conference membership before the set deadline that saved Whites from the drop.

Whites appealed – on the grounds that Crabble was going to be up to the required standard that summer (which it was) – but, in a decision that is still controversial today, the Conference upheld their ruling and the west country club was re-instated into the top flight of non-league football.

These days, Milton heads up Cheltenham Town’s academy and confesses he was pleased when the draw for the second round of the FA Cup set up a visit from his former side: “I was really happy with the draw when it was made.

“There were a few big League One sides in the draw who we could’ve been facing, like Bristol City, and I was hoping to avoid them. On the face of it, from Cheltenham Town’s point of view, we probably couldn’t have had a better draw. We know it’s not going to be easy and we’re under no illusions that it will be tough.

“Dover are on a great run of form recently and we haven’t exactly been firing, but I’m starting to see an upturn in our performances. Sunday will definitely be a tough game and we will have to play well to get through.

“For us, it’s about approaching it in the right way. Once you start underestimating a side or being complacent then you can be in trouble – like last season, we went to Tamworth who were bottom of the Conference at the time and we lost – so we know there’s a chance of an upset.*Lpic2*

“There is a big difference between League Two and the Conference but if you get a side on-form in the league below then they really can make life difficult for a professional side. We’ll certainly be giving it our best to ensure we get the right result.

“We have been looking at Dover ever since the draw was made and our manager is down there tonight watching the game against Torquay. We’re doing things the right way and not taking it lightly.

“I will always have a soft spot for Dover. Them, along with Arsenal, are the sides I look out for most as well as Cheltenham. I support all three clubs and have very fond memories of my time at Crabble. I know Jim and Chris well, and it will be good to see them again. I was really chuffed when they won promotion back to the Conference Premier last season and I am really glad they have started to pick up in the league and draw clear of the relegation zone.

“The game is potentially financially massive for the winner. The extra prize money, national coverage and chance of a big tie in the third round is very lucrative. We have been fortunate in recent years to play a couple of big sides at that stage – we went to Tottenham in 2012 and played Everton at home in 2013. They brought in a lot of money which really helps the club.

“When I was at Dover, we always struggled in the FA Cup. We never reached the first round and had a few disappointing defeats in the qualifying stages against teams we really should have beaten. Thankfully Chris seems to have sorted that all out now and it is great to see them in the second round for the second consecutive season.

“I’m looking forward to the game and seeing some old friends, I’m sure it will be a decent crowd and don’t worry – the ground has totally transformed since you last came here!”

*IS*Today is day one of the doverathletic.com advent calendar – each day, a new piece of content will be uploaded onto the site for fans to enjoy.

This will range from interviews with ex-players, fans and volunteers, to a more in-depth look at how the club is run behind the scenes and a 2014 year review – and more. If there is a player you would like to be covered then please do let us know.

Merry Christmas!*IF*

*BS*DAY ONE: SIR LENNIE LEE*BF*
*BS**IS*”I still even pick my lottery numbers by the goals that I scored for Dover – 9, 16, 18, 21, 35, 38. They haven’t been lucky yet..”*IF**BF*

Born in 1959, Lennie Lee developed an early love for football, being introduced to the game by a Margate-supporting cousin. Travelling home and away to watch them play, it was not until he reached the age of sixteen that he set his heart on playing, rather than simply spectating.

Lennie was offered a trial by Monkton, a Thanet Premier Sunday League side who his brother played for, and quickly displayed the natural ability which Kent football fans knew he had within him.

A move to Margate FC materialised for the 1977/78 season. Despite mainly being used as a substitute during his first spell at the club, his first competitive goal came two weeks after joining, in a 2-1 victory away at Basingstoke Town. Lee said: “I was delighted after that game. Playing for the club I’d supported since a boy, and scoring on my debut – it couldn’t have gone any better.”

Whilst naturally on cloud nine after netting on his debut for his boyhood club, his emotions swiftly changed, as he admits: “My next game though, at home to Waterlooville, was different. I played poorly, and was down in the dumps. Alan Fagan, who was captain of the side and an ex pro, picked me up though – he reminded me that we don’t get paid any less for a bad performance than for a good one, and that I just had to deal with it and improve. That really stuck with me.

“I was really lucky at Margate. I was still very young but there were a few experienced guys there who looked after us.

“I knew I had to raise my game if I wanted to be successful. From an early age, I started to analyse my own games and work on my weaknesses, and was very critical of myself. That way, if I had a bad game I knew it myself – on the other hand, if I had a good game I knew about it.”

By the end of the season, Lee had played eleven games for the first team, and over a dozen for the reserve team – scoring sixteen goals for them in total.

Two seasons later, in the 1979/80 campaign, Lennie played in all but one of Margate’s 56 matches and was the club’s top goalscorer for the season, finding the net on fourteen occasions. The local press were quickly picking up on his natural ability; indeed, Lee finished the following season with a further fourteen goals and found himself at the top of the goalscoring charts once again.

Lennie moved to Folkestone Invicta during the summer of 1981, having been persuaded to join the club by then-manager Alf Bentley. Lee said: “Alf had been asking me for quite a while to join him, so I gave it a go. They were paying good money, but the style of play didn’t suit me.

“He wanted me to play wide right, hugging the touchline, and I was rarely touching the ball. I much preferred playing in the middle of the park, seeing a lot more of the ball and having more control over what happened – like I did at Margate.”

When speaking to Lennie, it was genuinely refreshing to hear this. So many players these days – in both the professional and semi-professional games – are likely to be happy simply to pick up their pay cheques every week, not overly worrying about their side’s style of play.

*Q1*But not our Lennie.

It was this frustration at his role in the side that saw him leave the club just three months later. Unhappy, and not feeling at home, he spoke to Bentley and requested that his contract be terminated – and his wish was granted.

Lennie continued to work his way around the Kent coast and soon signed on with Ramsgate, where he found his shooting boots once more. After scoring thirteen goals in 23 appearances for the Rams, who were playing in the Kent League at the time, Lee went back to Margate – who had now changed their name to Thanet United – on loan and scored two goals in five appearances.

This was enough for United to bring Lennie back to Hartsdown Park on a permanent basis. At this time, however, he was still playing Sunday League football for Monkton, which United manager Peter Donnelly was not happy about – indeed, playing two games every weekend is quite unimaginable in this day and age.

However, Lee’s passion for football and his dedication towards his first side was admirable: “I played for the two clubs simply because I could – I wasn’t under contract, and was very fit, so I played for both sides.

“I don’t understand how some professional footballers these days aren’t able to make it through 90 minutes. They have everything sorted for them – their fitness plans, nutrition and their diets. They’re only tuned to play for 90 minutes. If they tuned themselves to play for 100, or 120, minutes then they’d get through a game easily. In my day, we worked for a living, trained, and played twice a week.

“Football has definitely changed. Players now aren’t any more hard-working than we were – they’re just better at making the ball do the work for them. I helped lay the cables at Arsenal’s Emirates ground, and was amazed by the facilities they have there. We weren’t so lucky in my time!

“If you compared the fitness of players now against when we were playing, I’d like to think we were fitter but in all honesty we probably weren’t. Players look after themselves much more now, especially with regards to the way they treat their bodies. We had fish and chips and a pint after a game, now it’s probably M&S salads.”*Ppic2*

The situation escalated when Lee suffered an injury whilst playing for Monkton: “I pulled my hamstring slightly, but Peter wasn’t happy. I had physiotherapy at Margate on the Thursday, and it was then that he said I wouldn’t be playing in the game on the following Saturday.

“I wasn’t offered a fitness test, which was gutting – I felt I was fit enough to play. I’d brought my own ultrasound machine so was doing my own physiotherapy work. I wasn’t selected for the game on Saturday so turned out for Monkton on the Sunday – Peter fined me a week’s wages and wrote about what had happened in the club’s programme.”

It was this disagreement that largely caused Lee to leave the club in February 1983, moving to Herne Bay, but he was back at United just a few months later.

Alan Fagan had brought him back for his fourth spell at Hartsdown, and made the kind of impact that everyone knew he could – seven goals in 20 appearances meant Lee had started to find his old form. Fagan left the club in November 1983 and was replaced by John Wickens, who had managed Lee during his short spell at Herne Bay.

Lennie decided to once again leave the club and joined Dover, making his debut in the side’s home match against Poole Town FC on December 10th 1983.

Lennie played 25 games in that season, scoring 9 goals. Despite this, his first spell at Crabble lasted only nine months and he left the club in August 1984 in a dispute over wages: “I joined them nearly halfway through the season and had a decent few months. During the following season I was negotiating my wages with then-chairman John Husk. I asked for a slight pay rise to cover my increased travel costs from my house to Dover, but he rejected this.

“It was a matter of principle. Neither of us would budge on what we thought was right, so I ended up leaving.”

Lee returned to Thanet and made 43 appearances under John Wickens, but he was soon back at Crabble.

Alan Jones brought Lee back in the summer of 1985, and it was here that he reached his obvious potential. His first season back in a white shirt saw a return of 21 goals in 51 starts. Lee recalls a conversation he had with John Husk upon his return: “He told me that he was regretful that our first negotiations broke down.

“He was new to the role at the time and hadn’t had to deal with wage negotiations before, and wasn’t sure how much flexibility he had – he told me that, if he had been more accustomed to the role, he would’ve paid the extra money I was asking for at the time.”

The following season – 1986/87 – saw Lee fire 18 goals in 50 starts, and he was voted as the club’s player of the year.

Kinnear was evidently getting the best out of his striker and his return of 38 goals in the 1987/88 season went a long way to him winning the player of the year award once more. It was this fantastic return which saw the club promoted to the Southern League Premier Division.

Lee highly rates Kinnear as a manager, but confesses the two didn’t always see eye to eye: “We had our ups and downs, especially towards the end of my time at the club.

“He was fantastic at getting players in and playing them to the best of their ability though, and was a great scout. Some of the players he got in to play around me – Frank Ovard, Timmy Dixon – we all complimented each other perfectly and our success came from that.*Q2*”

In seven games between March and April of 1988, Lee scored sixteen goals, including three hat-tricks. He scored in seven consecutive games, a record which stood until it was broken by Adam Birchall in the 2010/11 season.

He netted another 35 goals in the 1988/89 season, cementing his place as a vital cog in Kinnear’s side. The 1989/90 season culminated in another 29 goals for The Whites as they finished top of the division, but grading issues with Crabble meant that promotion was not forthcoming.

The 1990/91 season should have seen Lennie as a Conference player. We can only wonder if his incredible goalscoring record would have continued at this higher level. The 1990/91 season saw Lee ease past fifteen goals for the sixth season in a row – until injury struck. Lennie broke his leg in a match against Hythe on March 28th 1991, but recovered from this relatively quickly – having made a comeback for the reserves in October of the same year, later in that month he suffered another broken leg in a match at Folkestone Invicta on October 26th.

Kinnear released Lee at the end of the 1991/92 season, primarily down to the striker’s injury problems: “I had fallen out of favour. It was largely down to my fitness, and I asked Chris if I could leave the club. He wanted a fee for me, and Margate had been interested for a while, but an agreement couldn’t be reached. Once I broke my leg again, though, the fee was waived and I left the club.”

By this time, Lee had become Dover’s all-time record goalscorer, scoring 166 goals in 373 games. His partnership with Peter Kemp was of special mention, with many of Lee’s goals during this period being assisted by Kemp.

One of Lee’s more memorable goals came in a home match against Moor Green: “I remember it well. I was coming down the left hand side, and cut inside into the box, and hit the ball. It went wide, but ended up going through the side netting and hit the back of the net.

“I half-celebrated, more sarcastically than anything – but Nigel Donn came over to me, saying “come away – the ref’s giving the goal!” The Moor Green players were, rightly, furious – they were complaining and pulling at the net, showing the gap it had gone through. The ref told them that their pulling the net made it come away further, so he was giving the goal. Thankfully, every other one of my goals was more legitimate!”

Lennie was awarded a testimonial shortly before his departure, which was against Division One side Crystal Palace. A friend of his, Mick Beer, was commercial manager at Leeds United – the club Lennie supports: “Mick was a great bloke and said he’d help out with my testimonial. He tried to get Leeds, and a few other big sides down, but they couldn’t fit another game into their schedules.

“In the end, we got Palace – they sent a team out of mostly reserves and fringe players, but they were a fantastic side. Gareth Southgate played for them that day, and he went on to have a fantastic career.”

A crowd of 1,796 saw The Whites win 3-2, a game refereed by Dover-born David Elleray.*Ppic1*

It was evident throughout my time speaking to Lennie that he considers his time at Dover to be the pinnacle of his career: “Football at Dover was the best period of my life. It was, and still is, a great club with great fans and I made some very good friends.”

On a personal level, I’m somewhat disappointed that I don’t have more memories of Lennie during his time at Crabble. Despite attending my first game in 1989, my footballing memories don’t really start until around 1993 and my era was much more Leworthy than Lee. My father, and those I have spoken to over the years at the club, have recalled many tales of Lennie’s ability and his eye for goal was seemingly crucial during his time at the club.

We were certainly blessed during Chris Kinnear’s first spell at the club to have a string of top quality strikers. Lee and Kemp were a menace to opposition defences, and the aforementioned David Leworthy – who scored 61 in 127 between 1993 and 1997 – continued the tradition of a menacing centre forward.

The afore-mentioned Adam Birchall is arguably the only striker in recent times to rival Lennie for his prowess. Birchall’s 64 goals in 78 appearances certainly gave him a better goals-per-game ratio and many rate him as the best player in Dover Athletic history, however it’s difficult to compare the two.

Playing in different eras, with different styles of football, and a good 20 years between the two – who knows. What I’m certain of though, through personal memories and recollections of others, is that both Birchall and Lee would make it into many all-time Dover Athletic best XI’s.

His desire to play football was still evident. Mark Weatherley was now in charge of Margate and brought Lee back to the club for the 1992/93 season, over seven years since his last appearance for Thanet United.

Lennie’s spell at Hartsdown Park was brief and he made just three appearances before leaving the club for Ramsgate in September 1992.

Ramsgate’s chairman at the time was Richard Lawson, who Lee had been friends with since childhood. His return to Ramsgate, where he played for them eleven years before, was fruitful. He scored 25 goals before the end of the 1992/93 season, and ended the season as the club’s top scorer.

It was then that he made his step into management: “Paul Rimmer was in charge, but one day Richard and his wife turned up at my doorstep and asked me to take over. I had a good time at the club, but it was an eye-opener as to how a club is run. I had a low budget and trying to keep everyone happy was tough.

“When you’re a player, you’re only focused on your own wages and you want the best you can for yourself. When you’re on the other side of the table, though, it’s different – it’s about what’s best for the club. I won the Kent League Cup three seasons in a row, which hadn’t been done before and hasn’t since.

“Football fans can be fickle, though. I remember a game against Waterlooville – a side I always seemed to score against – I was playing down the right hand side and having a bad game. There was one guy, I could pick him out so clearly from a 2,000 crowd which was strange – he was berating me throughout the whole game. I scored the winner late on, and came off feeling good that I’d score but disappointed with my overall game.

“I saw him after the game and he was full of praise, congratulating me on my goal and saying how well I’d played. It’s like he thought I couldn’t hear him throughout the game. I believe that if you criticise players in a game, they won’t play any better – quite the opposite. I’ve played with guys that regularly only played at 30% of their ability, when they raise that to 70% in one game they’re heralded for playing very well.

“If your normal level is around 80-90%, as I feel mine was, and you drop down to 50% in one game then it’s much more noticeable.”

Determined to continue playing, Lee played Sunday league football all the way up until the age of 51 until a third broken leg in November 2010 caused the prolific striker to finally hang up his boots: “I was still fit, all the way up until my retirement, but the aches and pains were lasting longer. When I broke my leg for the third time I decided that was it.

“I knew that if I carried on playing and broke my leg again, I was risking amputation. I’m still having physiotherapy and corrective surgery now, and had to put my family first. It was a tough choice but one I had to make.”

Lennie is currently self-employed, working as a window installer. His work schedule means that he doesn’t get to many Whites games, but still keeps an eye out for how the side are performing. He’s more than aware of how different the matchday experience is for players now, though: “It’s certainly a bit different to my time at the club – we had the old cage as our tunnel, and the showers? Don’t even get me started..”

*Lpic1*

*IS*Vanarama Conference*IF*
*IS*Tuesday 2 December @ Crabble*IF*
*IS*Live text commentary on Twitter (*Link3*)*IF*

*BS*With half of the Vanarama Conference played, Dover Athletic enter the second half of the season looking to continue their remarkable unbeaten run as they host Torquay United on Tuesday night.*BF*

*Link1* was their ninth game unbeaten (excluding Kent Senior Cup) and their second consecutive away victory.

In-form striker Stefan Payne netted for the ninth time of the season. He has scored four in his last four games.

Sean Francis scored what turned out to be the deciding goal against Gateshead, which was his second goal for the club – his other secured a point against Southport.

*Lpic1**BS*TEAM NEWS FOR DOVER*BF*
Ever present Richard Orlu will be suspended for the visit of Torquay after picking up his fifth yellow card at the weekend. This will be the first league game Orlu has missed so far this campaign.

Recent loan recruits Callum Davies and James Poole both made their debuts against Gateshead coming off the bench. Davies may get an opportunity to start as Orlu is unavailable.

Christian Nanetti was not in the squad last Saturday, and he may not be risked on Tuesday having just recovered from an injury.

Goalkeeper Andrew Rafferty will aim to keep seventh home league clean sheet in a row on Tuesday night.

Defender Connor Essam scored an own goal the last time the two teams met. He is expected to keep his place in the starting XI.

*BS*TEAM NEWS FOR TORQUAY*BF*
Midfielder Jordan Chapell played 80 minutes in Torquay’s last game. He recently recovered from an injury but will be match fit on Tuesday.

Ryan Bowman scored his 8th goal of the season in their last game and is expected to start up-front on Tuesday night.

Bowman’s striker partner is expected to be Louis Briscoe, who has scored six goals so far this season.

Defender Angus MacDonald has recovered from a knee injury and was a second half substitute in the last game. He is in contention to start against Dover.

Midfielder James McQuilkin joined the Gulls as a free transfer on a non-contract basis last week. He left league one club Walsall in the summer and was without a club since joining Torquay.

The 25-year-old recently made his second appearance since joining the club, coming off the bench in the last game.

*BS*OPPOSITION FORM*BF*
Chris Hargreaves’ Torquay United picked up their first win (2-0) in four games which ended Eastleigh’s six-match unbeaten run last Saturday.

The visitors are currently seventh in the league table and have scored the second most goals in the league to date (40). Only leaders Barnet have scored more (53).

The Gulls have managed to pick up some fantastic victories so far this seaon, noticeably against high flyers Barnet and Grimsby.

However, they have lost to league strugglers Alfreton in October and Telford in September.

As we end the month of November, the visitors to Crabble on Tuesday have secured eight points in the month, including an impressive 2-3 victory at Barnet which was live on BT Sport. Dover picked up 14 points in the month of November.

Hargreaves side have had problems letting in goals of late, conceding 24 goals in their last 11 games. That’s averaging 2.18 goals every game.

Despite this, they did keep eight clean sheets in their opening 11 games.

*BS*MATCH INFORMATION*BF*
Dover’s results have changed drastically since the last time these two clubs played on September 20.

*Link2*, which back then was the clubs eighth defeat of the season in the opening 11 games.

Since that defeat, Dover have lost just two out of 12 games in the league.

No team in the Vanarama Conference has picked up more points than Dover in the last six games.

*Lpic2*Goalkeeper Andrew Rafferty and the Whites defence have not conceded a home goal in the league since Chris Holroyd scored a late winner for Macclesfield Town on September 13.

Another home win on Tuesday could potentially see Whites climb as high as 10th in the table.

As usual, @DAFCLiveText will provide all the latest team news and match action for those who cannot make the game.

*BS*OTHER VANARAMA CONFERENCE FIXTURES*BF*
Alfreton v Gateshead
Chester v Telford
Eastleigh v Dartford
Halifax v Forest Green
Kidderminster v Nuneaton
Woking v Altrincham
Wrexham v Bristol Rovers

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