MICK KEMP has today pledged to work to the very last minute to save Dover Athletic from going out of business.

The club this morning broke the news in the Dover Express that £48,000 has to be found by December 31 – or it is almost certain that Whites will be closed down.

It has been known for some while that the club could be forced to cough up £23,000 towards the CVA after creditors decided that Dover Athletic should have paid a chunk of their profits from the 2002-03 FA Cup run to accelerate their debt repayments.

In fact, Whites made no profit from the run, with all cash eaten up by running costs of the club.

But the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise view it differently and are the two major creditors who insist that £23,000 should be paid by December 31.

In addition to that, the VAT office has investigated the club’s accounts for the past three seasons.

Chairman Mick Kemp admitted: “The club have not been paying VAT on hot food sold at kiosks inside the ground. Dover Athletic were led to believe that this food is classed as takeaway food and, as such, we’d not need to pay VAT on what we sell.

“But the VAT office insists now that this food is not classed as takeaway food because it’s consumed on the club’s premises.”

This now means, with a shortfall in gates this season, the club must find a further £25,000 – making a total of £48,000 – by New Year’s Eve.

Kemp said: “We will almost definitely be closed down if we don’t reach the £48,000 target – only £23k of that goes to the CVA. The rest to the VAT office and obviously to make up for losses made on low attendances.

“I am going to go out there myself and will spend every last minute trying to collect money. We hope that the business community of Dover responds because we are now in the last-chance saloon.

“We are setting up a fighting fund, where people can pay into it. No money will be touched by the club. So if someone decided to give us £2,000, and we don’t reach the target and get closed down, the money will be refunded.

“Local businesses hold the key. If they can all rally around us now, along with the fans, we have a chance of getting to the target.

“We’d like to think that more than 1,000 fans can get through the turnstiles. If this was to happen, it will send out a clear message to the business community and football in general that Dover Athletic is a club worth saving.

“It’s come as a terrible shock to us all. We only got confirmation of this news on Wednesday. The Dover Express carried the story on the front page today. We are sorry for the bombshell nature of the way this news was released but it is a reflection of how serious the situation is.

“We think it’s a grey area, the VAT issue, and simply continued what had happened before on selling food on a takeaway basis.

“If we had a burger van outside the turnstiles, the food would be classed as takeaway. But, the VAT office insist, that by selling a burger inside the ground, it’s not takeaway food, unless it’s being taken outside the turnstiles to be eaten.”

Kemp insisted the club would make an appeal but said: “I doubt we will be successful. I don’t think we have any solid ground to make a good case unfortunately.”

Dover Athletic’s attendance figures have been the highest in the Ryman League Premier Division this season despite struggling at the foot of the table. It is clear that the club still has a loyal and passionate fanbase but the debts from previous regimes have now become too big a burden.

The Whites chairman added: “This club has had a real positive vibe in recent weeks, thanks to the arrival of Steve Browne. We feel we now have a realistic chance of fighting away from the bottom of the table to rebuild for the future.

“But we need a cash injection from somewhere. If the whole town can get behind the club, we can get out of this mess and at last get Dover Athletic heading in the right direction.

“It doesn’t matter what you can afford. If it’s only a pound, we welcome every pound that can be donated. If it’s £1000 then that’s great too. Rich or poor, we need all the support from everyone.

“Let’s show everyone that Dover can get behind its football club and dig it out of trouble once and for all.”

Supporters Trust chairman Simon Harris added: “As far as I’m concerned, our response must be that the Trust is here to support football in Dover.

“We’ve spent two and a half years struggling to keep the club afloat and we now look to the wider community to stand up and be counted.

“A town the size of Dover should have a football club, and it is up to the people of Dover to ensure that the football club survives what is its darkest hour.”

WHILE we are all very concerned about the job that we now face over the coming weeks, I sincerely believe that the future of the club depends on ALL of us working together to try to find solutions.

I do believe that the Trust should in no way give the slightest consideration to not backing the club in its efforts to achieve our mutual aim of survival, and believe it is up to Trust Board members to stress the importance of all of us working together.

To clarify things, the VAT assessment has arisen because food sold from our outlets are deemed not to be take-away, on the basis that it is eaten ‘on the premises’, which, in our case applies to the whole ground.

As such it is liable for VAT. We have consistently followed the basis that was previously utilised, as we had absolutely no reason to believe that was incorrect.

Many will recall from the last Trust meeting that Mick Kemp told us that a VAT inspection had been carried out and that the club were awaiting the result of this. We cannot now complain that we were not kept informed. The assessment arrived only last Tuesday, and since then Mick, Steve and John have been rushing to try and organise the details of the ‘rescue’ plan that has been announced today.

We have now received formal notice from the CVA supervisor on the position regarding Modification 5. We are required to pay over the proportion of the proceeds from the 2002/3 FA Cup run by 31st December 2004.

Together with an assessment arising from an inspection of the Club’s records by the VAT Office dating back to 2001 and other obligations arising from reduced gate receipts this season, we have to find £48,000 by the end of this year or face certain extinction.

The Supporters Trust and the fans on the terraces have already shown their support by selling out the forthcoming David Elleray evening while the public turned out in their numbers at the Fireworks display earlier this month.

We are now appealing to the businesses in the area to come forward and support the Club at its lowest ebb – if they feel it is worth fighting for. We at the Club feel it is; with all it represents in the community and what it has on offer to all ages from the under-8s to the semi-professional 1st team.

Several businesses have supported the Club for many years and contributed greatly towards the Club’s survival. The list is long, but many can be identified by the boards around the ground and the advertisements inside the match day programmes.

More recently, Hoverspeed became main sponsors and former chairman and local businessman, Jim Gleeson, wrote off a considerable debt.

With this in mind we have formed a fighting fund, which will be operated by Mr John Parsons (a retired local businessman who has no connection to the club other than as a supporter). No money will be touched by the club until sufficient funds have been raised to clear these obligations. Should this fail, then all monies will be returned untouched to the donors.

We have now received formal notice from the CVA supervisor on the position regarding Modification 5. We are required to pay over the proportion of the proceeds from the 2002/3 FA Cup run by 31st December 2004.

Together with an assessment arising from an inspection of the Club’s records by the VAT Office dating back to 2001 and other obligations arising from reduced gate receipts this season, we have to find £48,000 by the end of this year or face certain extinction.

The Supporters Trust and the fans on the terraces have already shown their support by selling out the forthcoming David Elleray evening while the public turned out in their numbers at the Fireworks display earlier this month.

We are now appealing to the businesses in the area to come forward and support the Club at its lowest ebb – if they feel it is worth fighting for. We at the Club feel it is; with all it represents in the community and what it has on offer to all ages from the under-8s to the semi-professional 1st team.

Several businesses have supported the Club for many years and contributed greatly towards the Club’s survival. The list is long, but many can be identified by the boards around the ground and the advertisements inside the match day programmes.

More recently, Hoverspeed became main sponsors and former chairman and local businessman, Jim Gleeson, wrote off a considerable debt.

With this in mind we have formed a fighting fund, which will be operated by Mr John Parsons (a retired local businessman who has no connection to the club other than as a supporter). No money will be touched by the club until sufficient funds have been raised to clear these obligations. Should this fail, then all monies will be returned untouched to the donors.

STEVE BROWNE held his first meet the manager evening on Thursday, which he hopes will take place once a month.

Here are the minutes from the evening.

What are the plans for the future?
Steve hopes to bring the PASE scheme back from the start of next season, but in the immediate future wants to reach as high up in the league as possible, and then challenge for the top next season.

Are you happy with the way things are going?
Performances have definitely improved, but silly mistakes have sometimes cost us. No side has outplayed us or looked better, and we’ve played three of the top teams away from home. However, it is currently about getting results rather than superb performances.

Are you building from defence?
Yes, with the acquisition of Lee Shearer on loan, and with Craig Cloke too, who has been learning from Shearer. Danny Braithwaite has done well too, though Dean Readings is not fully fit at the moment. Overall Steve feels we are missing two players throughout the side, a ballwinner and a goalscorer (which he thinks he has addressed by signing Paul Armstrong). With regards to wingbacks, Steve feels we haven’t seen the best of Nick Grimes yet, who will always give 150 per cent, and once Matt Carruthers is fit he could play wingback.

How is the morale in the team?
Fantastic. Craig Cloke has stated that he is really enjoying himself, and Matt Carruthers told Steve after the Hampton game that he doesn’t think we are far short. Warren Ryan has also stated that he wants to stay with the club.

What are the chances of keeping Lee Shearer?
The club has extended the deal by a month, however Lee is not performing the way that he can. However, Steve sees him as colossal, especially because he is a joker and brings the lads together. There is a lot more to come from him though. Steve is pleased that he is starting to get leaders within the team, as this makes his job easier too.

Steve feels that the last third has let the side down, with the lack of quality balls into the box, and when corners cannot get past the near post.

He feels that the youngsters came in too early before. Yet he sees Craig Cloke as a big talent, as he has the right attitude and likes everything about him.

Is there any news on a new striker?
Steve is looking at a guy from Dunstable, but feels that the distance to travel could be too far, so he is also looking at Andy Douglas from Hornchurch. He signed Paul Armstrong on Friday.

Why did you choose Dover, Steve?
Steve sees Dover as a big club, with a great history, pedigree and huge potential. Any young manager would have taken it, as it is a huge stage. He travels 70 miles to be here, though is used to that as he travelled to Yeovil for two-and-a-half years.

He still feels that there is a lot of work to do though, and he wants to look at the whole structure of the club, and implement soccer schools and schools of excellence. His commitment can be shown by a £400 mobile phone bill last month as he tried to get players in, but he feels that he has been committed at all of the clubs he has been at. He states that we cannot look down on the clubs that we currently face due to where we used to be a few years ago, as this is the level we are at because of the past few years’ problems.

What do you think about the standard of refereeing at this level?
At Hampton there was a mix-up with the referee, as the game was not assigned one, and Steve was shocked by a comment when he argued with the referee there, as he said, “you’ve had all week to prepare for this game, I’ve had 20 minutes”. He therefore feels that the standard is not good, but believes that it is probably the same whatever level you are at.

How long are you committed for?
When he arrived, he was happy with the wage budget available, but not the players he inherited. We have good youngsters, but they are not ready yet. Players have to want to play for the club, and there are currently a couple of players playing that are not being paid, which shows their commitment. He is currently working on loaning some players out.

What are the views of the players that you have brought in?
There are players travelling here from as far away as Watford, which shows their commitment. The players want to play on the big stage, in front of the 800 people that turned up for Steve’s first home league game against Tonbridge. However, the minute any player stops producing, they won’t be here.

What is happening about the players under contract but not playing?
Two of them are currently under disciplinary procedures. They have been given every opportunity to be part of the club, but they need to begin to earn their money. Steve wanted them to honour their contracts, but they have to abide by the rules of the club.

Steve has shown his commitment with the fact that he has a two-year contract, but if we get relegated then the board is able to sack him without honouring the second year’s wages, as for him it is not about money. Some people seemed to think they were bigger than the club before he arrived, but this has changed now.

What is your view of the supporters at the club?
Steve feels that there will be a hardcore attendance of around 500, with up to 1,000 when we are winning, though Steve would like to get it up to 1,200. The attendance needed to remain on budget is 650. Overall, we need to be positive. Steve wants to be aiming at the top10 around Christmas. He has players ringing him all the time, as they want to come here.

Volunteers
He sees kitman Robin Hastie as “first class” and says it is like a pro-club behind the scenes, the players cannot ask for anything more, especially from Robin. Frank the Physio makes his job a lot easier too. Back at Boreham Wood Steve said players had to pay �1 for some tape to go around their socks, whereas everything is available to him now.
Marion and Dennis Hammond also got a mention, for such things as sandwiches on the coach, and he says that he has time for those that give time.

Goalkeepers
Steve felt that certain errors had cost us, especially goalkeeping errors, but you cannot blame one player, as they are a team. Dominique Jean-Zepherin is only 22 years old, and the best trainer he has seen that is a goalkeeper. He believes that the current players will improve with better players around them, but added that two players should leave by the weekend to keep to the budget.

The Under-18s
Steve is very impressed with the youth side, and said they were outstanding at Stevenage in the FA Youth Cup, and they play Wycombe in the next round, for the right to play Aston Villa. He feels that around six of the players will go straight into the reserve side.

The future is bright with regards to the youth of the club, with Sam Vallance, Nat Blanks and Nathan Ditchburn all getting special mention. Manchester United were looking at four of our players at the Stevenage game, which shows their potential.

Steve said that by the New Year, DAFC should be in 40 per cent of local schools, as he knows the importance of youth. All of his sides apart from his very first one have had an average age of 23/24, but an experienced spine is important.

The current finances
Mick Kemp stated that things are always tight, and that it is a balancing act as usual. At Yeading, it was noted that there were a number of big name companies with advertising boards, however Kemp made the point that we don’t know whether all of these had been paid for. He also stated that when trying to sell advertising boards, there are not a large number of local companies that are able to afford it.

Player discipline
Steve feels that this has been improved since he has been here, with only around four bookings in his games compared to around 20 before. He stated that if someone got sent off for dissent, then they won’t get played, and if it recurs, then they may have to leave. Browne had to have a go at Victor Renner due to his dissent at the referee at Bromley, and said that if he does it again he may be forced to withdraw him from the game.
He feels that discipline has to run all the way through the club, but doesn’t want the players too become too nice.

James Rogers
Steve noted that he looked a real talent in his first match against Bishops Stortford, but that night he had to go to hospital, as he has some kind of condition but they do not know what it is yet. He was played against Bromley, but was taken off because he was complaining of stomach cramps. Steve feels he has done well though, and just needed some confidence and guidance.

He added that Chris Wright is also eager, and will do well, but needs to work harder.
The team lacked confidence and direction before, and so Steve has been trying to change this.

Troy Townsend
Steve says that he does 90 per cent of the coaching, and that he is first class. They worked together at Slough and Boreham Wood, and he makes Steve’s job easier.

The Website
Steve says that a lot of what is on the website forum is valid, but feels that many people hide on there. He says if people have something to say, then he is open to talk to people.

He noted that one post said that he is building a team, but the next post just said that he was c**p, and that he has just got his mates in. Steve states that he has no mates here, even though he has managed some of the players before.

Steve has been pleased with the fact that he has invited his family and friends down, and they have been made to feel very welcome, which is the way it should be at a football club.

The job
Steve admits that he only got the job because we are bottom of the league, but that he needs some time, things are not going to happen overnight, but they will happen. He has learnt from the mistakes he has made at other clubs, so will use this experience. He wants the best players here, he will not accept mediocre ones.

Although there were a number of Dover based players playing before, Steve said that you cannot have Dover based players if they are not good enough. Troy will get the players to play, leaving Browne to get the best players available on budget, and then motivate them.

The first team squad is currently only 17 players, which is much reduced from when he arrived.

Steve feels that the luck is changing for the club, but he has been instilled with the fact that unless you work hard you won’t get anything from life. The 16 that are in the squad each week will give everything, even if they do not win every week.

Corey Browne
He was been given two weeks to prove his fitness, and is not currently on the wage bill, and will not be until he proves himself.

The players
The team is fitter than they were, but need to be sharper. The spirit is good (which was said as the players were making a lot of noise whilst having fun training outside). The players really appreciate the support they get too.

Steve Browne’s career in football
Steve went straight from school to Charlton, where he made his debut in the first team at the age of 17 against Wrexham.

He then went to Fulham, and then to Reading, where he became disillusioned with football, so gave it up briefly and played for his brother?s side.

He then got back into the game, and joined Wealdstone, where he was then sold to Sutton for around � 10,000. Following this he went to Kingstonian, before joining Yeovil under Graham Roberts, and was there for two-and-a-half years.

He then followed Roberts to Chesham, and he looked after the side there for two weeks whilst Roberts went to the USA. When he returned, Browne worked with him in running the team, doing some of the man-management. He then followed Roberts to Slough, but, when he left, Steve took over the side, and was manager there for four years.

From there he went to Boreham Wood for six months, but his daughter got ill, so went to the USA to see her, and he found out that he had been sacked on the internet.

He was then at Hemel Hempstead for a short while, but did not like being assistant manager after being a manager, so was looking round at what jobs were available, when he saw ours.

He took both Slough and Boreham Wood to the FA Cup first round, and at the latter went 19 games unbeaten after he had only inherited five players when he joined the club.

Steve’s Final Comments
He wants to be a winner himself, he has done it as a player and now wants to win things as a manager, something that he is instilling into the players. He has told the players to aim for the top five, though he doesn’t guarantee that that is where we will finish.

Although he realises that it would be nice for the fans to beat Folkestone, like he would like to beat Slough as they are a former club of his, for him it is important to get wins, no matter who they are against.

STEVE BROWNE wants to play badly and win matches.

That was how the Whites boss felt after dominating an away match for the second week running but ending up losing by a single goal.

Eastleigh moved into fourth after pick-pocketing three points from their Kent visitors, meaning that Browne’s new-look Dover side have lost all four of their away
games against the top four teams in the division.

The Eastleigh officials, like those at Hampton the previous week, apologised for winning a match against a Whites side who controlled long periods of the game.

But Browne said: “I’m fed up with playing well and losing. It’s beginning to get boring. We need wins and playing well is of no consolation. I could accept losing, if we played poorly, but to dominate a match in the manner we did, and lose, is hard to take.

“The team put in another good performance. We played very well but our finishing let us down. I really do believe, like I said last week, that one team is going to be on the end of hammering.

“That’s the top four teams we’ve lost to away now. And with the exception of the 2-0 defeat in the FA Trophy, where we didn’t turn up on the day, we deserved something from all those games.”

Whites have played a staggering EIGHT out of their last nine games on the road – four out of five under the Browne regime. But now the club can look forward to playing three home games on the spin, starting against Harrow tomorrow night (Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm).

Home advantage, and a big crowd, could really give Dover an even bigger chance of grabbing three crucial points – like they did against Tonbridge in the last home game nearly a month ago.

Browne added: “The fans can play a big part for us and I hope we get a decent crowd. All the Champions League stuff is on television but I’d hope the public can come out to see us. We really are improving and have only lost by the odd goal against three of the top four teams away from home.

“I expect home advantage to help us even further and we really need to start collecting some points and these three games coming up give us a great chance of doing that.”

The Whites boss signed prolific striker Paul Armstrong, who was last week on trial at Bristol Rovers and also trained with Millwall earlier this season.

Browne said: “Paul’s scored goals everywhere he’s been and is a talent. He is a proven goalscorer and that was something we needed. There weren’t too many chances for him on Saturday but he will score goals.

“I’ve told him to come down and play for us for a month and we’ll see how things shape up from there.”

The Dover boss says players coming in has now come to an end for the time being and will now be looking to shift a number of players out – many of them on loan. Roni Joe has been released this week.

He said: “We’ve got to stick to a budget and I understand that. I am working on getting some lads out this week. A number of the boys who play in the reserves, but who are on contract, need to play at a higher level, so some loan deals will do them good. We can also save on their wages for a while.

“I am happy with the squad I’ve got and it is important now that everyone keeps the faith and continue believing that we will start winning matches. Once you stop believing, you’re in trouble.

“We’ve not stopped believing in ourselves. We’re outplaying the league’s top teams away from home. The results are surely going to start going for us.”

WHITES midfield ace Stuart Maynard says he is still hurting after Saturday’s defeat at Eastleigh – but insists: “We’ll climb out of the relegation zone.”

Maynard, one of the new players that Steve Browne has brought to Dover since becoming manager, believes the team has enough quality to be fighting towards the top end of the table.

He said: “Losing ruined my weekend. It was so gutting because we played well and dominated the match. We are just being let down in the final third at the moment, plus we’re not getting much luck, which always seems to be the way when you’re down near the bottom.

“But we played some good football and dominated against one of the top sides. At least, that is something to build on and we know that if we keep playing the way we are, results will come.

“We certainly have the players to get us right up the table and are very confident that we’re going to achieve it. Hopefully, we can get some more wins under our belts, now we’ve got some home matches coming up.”

Maynard is enjoying his time on the south-east coast and believes Dover Athletic are the biggest club in the Ryman League Premier Division in terms of stadium, fanbase and set-up. He cannot believe that Whites are even at this level but understands it has been a tough few seasons for the club.

He said: “Dover is a Conference club, when you look at the ground and fanbase. It’s all geared for the Football League to be honest. But of course we’re a Ryman side and have to get the club back to that level again.

“It’s great to be at a club that wants to go places. I can see that there is a lot of ambition at Dover and, as a player, that is great to see.

“I am really enjoying being at Dover. The journey down is a long one but it’s well worth it when you get to play infront of crowds not far off 1,000. Let’s hope the fans keep coming through the turnstiles. We are playing good football and believe we are going to get the results that see Dover climb up this table.

“Morale is high in the camp. Although we’ve been losing, we’ve been playing well and that has kept everyone’s spirits up.”

DEAN PALMER is looking forward to not only enjoying his football – but also being a winner.

The Whites defender, like all his team-mates, cannot believe that the club are still scratching around for their first away league win.

He said: “We pretty much outplayed Hampton and Eastleigh. They are two top sides and there’s no way either of those teams should have got anything out of the games, let alone win them.

“The boys are playing some entertaining football at the moment – and that’s a real Steve Browne trademark – and if we can start scoring, then the fans are going to be coming back to watch Dover in their droves.

“A lot of teams in this division try and muscle you out of games – and smash the ball long. We pass the ball around a bit and can give as good as get on the physical side of things. too.

“The club get good crowds and it’s a great stage to play. We know that the fans will come out in numbers if we start to get some results. They want to watch a winning team and hopefully we can continue winning at home.

“We have outplayed the top teams in the division so I have no doubt in my mind that we will start converting these performances into wins.”

Palmer joined up with Whites from Hemel Hempstead and explained: “I wasn’t enjoying my football there and Steve gave me a call, asking me to come down and take a look at Dover.

“Once I saw the lovely ground, the set-up and stuff, my mind was made up. I had to go for it. I am really enjoying my football at Dover – but now want to start enjoying a few wins.”

STEVE BROWNE held his first meet the manager evening on Thursday, which he hopes will take place once a month.

Here are the minutes from the evening.

What are the plans for the future?
Steve hopes to bring the PASE scheme back from the start of next season, but in the immediate future wants to reach as high up in the league as possible, and then challenge for the top next season.

Are you happy with the way things are going?
Performances have definitely improved, but silly mistakes have sometimes cost us. No side has outplayed us or looked better, and we’ve played three of the top teams away from home. However, it is currently about getting results rather than superb performances.

Are you building from defence?
Yes, with the acquisition of Lee Shearer on loan, and with Craig Cloke too, who has been learning from Shearer. Danny Braithwaite has done well too, though Dean Readings is not fully fit at the moment. Overall Steve feels we are missing two players throughout the side, a ballwinner and a goalscorer (which he thinks he has addressed by signing Paul Armstrong). With regards to wingbacks, Steve feels we haven’t seen the best of Nick Grimes yet, who will always give 150 per cent, and once Matt Carruthers is fit he could play wingback.

How is the morale in the team?
Fantastic. Craig Cloke has stated that he is really enjoying himself, and Matt Carruthers told Steve after the Hampton game that he doesn’t think we are far short. Warren Ryan has also stated that he wants to stay with the club.

What are the chances of keeping Lee Shearer?
The club has extended the deal by a month, however Lee is not performing the way that he can. However, Steve sees him as colossal, especially because he is a joker and brings the lads together. There is a lot more to come from him though. Steve is pleased that he is starting to get leaders within the team, as this makes his job easier too.

Steve feels that the last third has let the side down, with the lack of quality balls into the box, and when corners cannot get past the near post.

He feels that the youngsters came in too early before. Yet he sees Craig Cloke as a big talent, as he has the right attitude and likes everything about him.

Is there any news on a new striker?
Steve is looking at a guy from Dunstable, but feels that the distance to travel could be too far, so he is also looking at Andy Douglas from Hornchurch. He signed Paul Armstrong on Friday.

Why did you choose Dover, Steve?
Steve sees Dover as a big club, with a great history, pedigree and huge potential. Any young manager would have taken it, as it is a huge stage. He travels 70 miles to be here, though is used to that as he travelled to Yeovil for two-and-a-half years.

He still feels that there is a lot of work to do though, and he wants to look at the whole structure of the club, and implement soccer schools and schools of excellence. His commitment can be shown by a £400 mobile phone bill last month as he tried to get players in, but he feels that he has been committed at all of the clubs he has been at. He states that we cannot look down on the clubs that we currently face due to where we used to be a few years ago, as this is the level we are at because of the past few years’ problems.

What do you think about the standard of refereeing at this level?
At Hampton there was a mix-up with the referee, as the game was not assigned one, and Steve was shocked by a comment when he argued with the referee there, as he said, “you’ve had all week to prepare for this game, I’ve had 20 minutes”. He therefore feels that the standard is not good, but believes that it is probably the same whatever level you are at.

How long are you committed for?
When he arrived, he was happy with the wage budget available, but not the players he inherited. We have good youngsters, but they are not ready yet. Players have to want to play for the club, and there are currently a couple of players playing that are not being paid, which shows their commitment. He is currently working on loaning some players out.

What are the views of the players that you have brought in?
There are players travelling here from as far away as Watford, which shows their commitment. The players want to play on the big stage, in front of the 800 people that turned up for Steve’s first home league game against Tonbridge. However, the minute any player stops producing, they won’t be here.

What is happening about the players under contract but not playing?
Two of them are currently under disciplinary procedures. They have been given every opportunity to be part of the club, but they need to begin to earn their money. Steve wanted them to honour their contracts, but they have to abide by the rules of the club.

Steve has shown his commitment with the fact that he has a two-year contract, but if we get relegated then the board is able to sack him without honouring the second year’s wages, as for him it is not about money. Some people seemed to think they were bigger than the club before he arrived, but this has changed now.

What is your view of the supporters at the club?
Steve feels that there will be a hardcore attendance of around 500, with up to 1,000 when we are winning, though Steve would like to get it up to 1,200. The attendance needed to remain on budget is 650. Overall, we need to be positive. Steve wants to be aiming at the top10 around Christmas. He has players ringing him all the time, as they want to come here.

Volunteers
He sees kitman Robin Hastie as “first class” and says it is like a pro-club behind the scenes, the players cannot ask for anything more, especially from Robin. Frank the Physio makes his job a lot easier too. Back at Boreham Wood Steve said players had to pay �1 for some tape to go around their socks, whereas everything is available to him now.
Marion and Dennis Hammond also got a mention, for such things as sandwiches on the coach, and he says that he has time for those that give time.

Goalkeepers
Steve felt that certain errors had cost us, especially goalkeeping errors, but you cannot blame one player, as they are a team. Dominique Jean-Zepherin is only 22 years old, and the best trainer he has seen that is a goalkeeper. He believes that the current players will improve with better players around them, but added that two players should leave by the weekend to keep to the budget.

The Under-18s
Steve is very impressed with the youth side, and said they were outstanding at Stevenage in the FA Youth Cup, and they play Wycombe in the next round, for the right to play Aston Villa. He feels that around six of the players will go straight into the reserve side.

The future is bright with regards to the youth of the club, with Sam Vallance, Nat Blanks and Nathan Ditchburn all getting special mention. Manchester United were looking at four of our players at the Stevenage game, which shows their potential.

Steve said that by the New Year, DAFC should be in 40 per cent of local schools, as he knows the importance of youth. All of his sides apart from his very first one have had an average age of 23/24, but an experienced spine is important.

The current finances
Mick Kemp stated that things are always tight, and that it is a balancing act as usual. At Yeading, it was noted that there were a number of big name companies with advertising boards, however Kemp made the point that we don’t know whether all of these had been paid for. He also stated that when trying to sell advertising boards, there are not a large number of local companies that are able to afford it.

Player discipline
Steve feels that this has been improved since he has been here, with only around four bookings in his games compared to around 20 before. He stated that if someone got sent off for dissent, then they won’t get played, and if it recurs, then they may have to leave. Browne had to have a go at Victor Renner due to his dissent at the referee at Bromley, and said that if he does it again he may be forced to withdraw him from the game.
He feels that discipline has to run all the way through the club, but doesn’t want the players too become too nice.

James Rogers
Steve noted that he looked a real talent in his first match against Bishops Stortford, but that night he had to go to hospital, as he has some kind of condition but they do not know what it is yet. He was played against Bromley, but was taken off because he was complaining of stomach cramps. Steve feels he has done well though, and just needed some confidence and guidance.

He added that Chris Wright is also eager, and will do well, but needs to work harder.
The team lacked confidence and direction before, and so Steve has been trying to change this.

Troy Townsend
Steve says that he does 90 per cent of the coaching, and that he is first class. They worked together at Slough and Boreham Wood, and he makes Steve’s job easier.

The Website
Steve says that a lot of what is on the website forum is valid, but feels that many people hide on there. He says if people have something to say, then he is open to talk to people.

He noted that one post said that he is building a team, but the next post just said that he was c**p, and that he has just got his mates in. Steve states that he has no mates here, even though he has managed some of the players before.

Steve has been pleased with the fact that he has invited his family and friends down, and they have been made to feel very welcome, which is the way it should be at a football club.

The job
Steve admits that he only got the job because we are bottom of the league, but that he needs some time, things are not going to happen overnight, but they will happen. He has learnt from the mistakes he has made at other clubs, so will use this experience. He wants the best players here, he will not accept mediocre ones.

Although there were a number of Dover based players playing before, Steve said that you cannot have Dover based players if they are not good enough. Troy will get the players to play, leaving Browne to get the best players available on budget, and then motivate them.

The first team squad is currently only 17 players, which is much reduced from when he arrived.

Steve feels that the luck is changing for the club, but he has been instilled with the fact that unless you work hard you won’t get anything from life. The 16 that are in the squad each week will give everything, even if they do not win every week.

Corey Browne
He was been given two weeks to prove his fitness, and is not currently on the wage bill, and will not be until he proves himself.

The players
The team is fitter than they were, but need to be sharper. The spirit is good (which was said as the players were making a lot of noise whilst having fun training outside). The players really appreciate the support they get too.

Steve Browne’s career in football
Steve went straight from school to Charlton, where he made his debut in the first team at the age of 17 against Wrexham.

He then went to Fulham, and then to Reading, where he became disillusioned with football, so gave it up briefly and played for his brother?s side.

He then got back into the game, and joined Wealdstone, where he was then sold to Sutton for around � 10,000. Following this he went to Kingstonian, before joining Yeovil under Graham Roberts, and was there for two-and-a-half years.

He then followed Roberts to Chesham, and he looked after the side there for two weeks whilst Roberts went to the USA. When he returned, Browne worked with him in running the team, doing some of the man-management. He then followed Roberts to Slough, but, when he left, Steve took over the side, and was manager there for four years.

From there he went to Boreham Wood for six months, but his daughter got ill, so went to the USA to see her, and he found out that he had been sacked on the internet.

He was then at Hemel Hempstead for a short while, but did not like being assistant manager after being a manager, so was looking round at what jobs were available, when he saw ours.

He took both Slough and Boreham Wood to the FA Cup first round, and at the latter went 19 games unbeaten after he had only inherited five players when he joined the club.

Steve’s Final Comments
He wants to be a winner himself, he has done it as a player and now wants to win things as a manager, something that he is instilling into the players. He has told the players to aim for the top five, though he doesn’t guarantee that that is where we will finish.

Although he realises that it would be nice for the fans to beat Folkestone, like he would like to beat Slough as they are a former club of his, for him it is important to get wins, no matter who they are against.

STEVE BROWNE wants to play badly and win matches.

That was how the Whites boss felt after dominating an away match for the second week running but ending up losing by a single goal.

Eastleigh moved into fourth after pick-pocketing three points from their Kent visitors, meaning that Browne’s new-look Dover side have lost all four of their away
games against the top four teams in the division.

The Eastleigh officials, like those at Hampton the previous week, apologised for winning a match against a Whites side who controlled long periods of the game.

But Browne said: “I’m fed up with playing well and losing. It’s beginning to get boring. We need wins and playing well is of no consolation. I could accept losing, if we played poorly, but to dominate a match in the manner we did, and lose, is hard to take.

“The team put in another good performance. We played very well but our finishing let us down. I really do believe, like I said last week, that one team is going to be on the end of hammering.

“That’s the top four teams we’ve lost to away now. And with the exception of the 2-0 defeat in the FA Trophy, where we didn’t turn up on the day, we deserved something from all those games.”

Whites have played a staggering EIGHT out of their last nine games on the road – four out of five under the Browne regime. But now the club can look forward to playing three home games on the spin, starting against Harrow tomorrow night (Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm).

Home advantage, and a big crowd, could really give Dover an even bigger chance of grabbing three crucial points – like they did against Tonbridge in the last home game nearly a month ago.

Browne added: “The fans can play a big part for us and I hope we get a decent crowd. All the Champions League stuff is on television but I’d hope the public can come out to see us. We really are improving and have only lost by the odd goal against three of the top four teams away from home.

“I expect home advantage to help us even further and we really need to start collecting some points and these three games coming up give us a great chance of doing that.”

The Whites boss signed prolific striker Paul Armstrong, who was last week on trial at Bristol Rovers and also trained with Millwall earlier this season.

Browne said: “Paul’s scored goals everywhere he’s been and is a talent. He is a proven goalscorer and that was something we needed. There weren’t too many chances for him on Saturday but he will score goals.

“I’ve told him to come down and play for us for a month and we’ll see how things shape up from there.”

The Dover boss says players coming in has now come to an end for the time being and will now be looking to shift a number of players out – many of them on loan. Roni Joe has been released this week.

He said: “We’ve got to stick to a budget and I understand that. I am working on getting some lads out this week. A number of the boys who play in the reserves, but who are on contract, need to play at a higher level, so some loan deals will do them good. We can also save on their wages for a while.

“I am happy with the squad I’ve got and it is important now that everyone keeps the faith and continue believing that we will start winning matches. Once you stop believing, you’re in trouble.

“We’ve not stopped believing in ourselves. We’re outplaying the league’s top teams away from home. The results are surely going to start going for us.”