Archives: News

Club Statement: Supporter Behaviour

It is with great disappointment that I have learned today that, despite all our efforts, a small number of spectators continue to behave in an unacceptable manner at both home and away games.

Moronic chanting, the use of vile language, and threats or intimidation towards fellow supporters are completely unacceptable, as is any form of physical aggression.

The club has made its stance on this issue very clear – I will not allow decent, long-term supporters to be driven away by the antisocial and idiotic actions of a handful of individuals.

This behaviour not only tarnishes the good name of the club but also discourages families and respectable fans from attending.

While this is a financial burden the club can ill afford, we will invest in increased security and enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy. If you engage in unacceptable behaviour, you will be ejected and issued with a lifetime ban.

Additionally, any individual excluded from the club will have their details provided to Kent Police and shared with all clubs, along with a recommendation to deny entry. If the offender is under 18, their parents will also be contacted.

If you are planning to attend a game with the intention of behaving in an antisocial manner, DON’T. We will take action.

Please come and support your team in a respectful and positive way. That is how we will succeed.

Jim Parmenter

Report – Dover Athletic 1-3 Carshalton Athletic

Dover Athletic suffered a frustrating 3-1 defeat against Carshalton Athletic at the Megger Community Stadium, despite controlling large portions of the match and creating multiple chances.

The match began with Dover on the front foot, controlling possession and looking the more dangerous side. Francis Mampolo had an early opportunity in the eighth minute, but his effort was well saved by Carshalton goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley.

Dover continued to press, with an audacious long-range volley narrowly missing the target in the 17th minute. The home side looked particularly threatening from set-pieces, with George Nikaj heading just wide in the 21st minute and Luke Baptiste also going close two minutes later.

Despite their dominance, Dover found themselves behind against the run of play in the 42nd minute. A cutback into the penalty area saw David Smith’s initial attempt blocked, but he reacted quickly to slot home from close range, giving Carshalton a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Dover had a golden opportunity to level the score early in the second half when they were awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute. Luke Baptiste stepped up to take it, but his low strike to Foley’s left was brilliantly saved by the Carshalton keeper, denying the Whites a crucial equaliser.

Carshalton doubled their lead in the 69th minute, capitalising on Dover’s attacking intent. Smith turned provider, beating his marker on the left and squaring the ball for Mason Saunders-Henry, who calmly slotted past Jordan Gillmore to make it 2-0.

Six minutes later, the visitors put the game beyond reach as Joshua Shonibare managed to squeeze the ball into the bottom corner from a tight angle, leaving Dover trailing 3-0.

Dover made a series of substitutions to try and change the game, but they could only manage a late consolation goal. In the 89th minute, Baptiste finally got his reward for a determined performance, finding the net to ensure the match ended 3-1.

Despite having numerous opportunities throughout the match, Dover were left ruing their wastefulness in front of goal. The Whites dominated for large spells but lacked the cutting edge needed to capitalise on their superiority.

Dover Athletic:
27 Jordan Gillmore, 2 Roman Charles-Cook, 3 Fuad Sesay, 6 Luca Cocoracchio, 7 Luke Baptiste, 8 Alfie Matthews, 10 George Nikaj, 14 Ruben Soares-Junior, 24 Francis Mampolo, 16 Harrison Pont, 26 Jacob Mensah, 4 Jeremiah Gyebi, 9 Eniye Amgbaduba, 15 Tamas Amgbaduba, 28 Kweku-Conrad Lucan, 23 George Wilkinson

Carshalton Athletic:
1 Mackenzie Foley, 2 Nathan Paul-Lavaly, 15 Luke Read, 6 Oluwafikayo Atewologun, 18 Abdul Sankoh, 16 Joshua Shonibare, 14 Fabio Camacho-Saraiva (C), 11 Mason Saunders Henry, 8 Kwaku Frimpong, 7 Sharon Ifeanyi, 9 David Smith, 19 Soul Kader, 10 Tommy Bradford, 13 Klevis Muca, 12 Darnell Goather-Braithwaite, 17 Sanchez Ming

Dover Athletic 1-3 Carshalton Athletic
Isthmian League – Premier Division
Venue: Crabble Athletic Ground
Attendance: 881
Referee: Steven Goldup

New Signing: Kweku Lucan

Dover Athletic are delighted to announce the signing of forward Kweku Lucan.

After signing for Slough last summer, Kweku has scored five goals in his 23 appearances this season.

Kweku’s career began as a youth player with Peterborough United before he moved on to play for several clubs. He joined Northwood in July 2018, where he became a fan favourite and was featured in their ‘Team of the Decade’ for the 2010s.

Kweku has also had spells at St Albans City, Biggleswade Town, Wingate & Finchley and Billericay Town.

In recent seasons, Kweku played for Hanwell Town in 2022/23 and Carshalton Athletic in the 2023/24 season.

Carshalton – VIP Style

Fancy watching the Whites take on Carshalton in style? Of course you do.

The boys will be looking to put on a show and where else would you rather watch it than here with us.

Watch the game from the best seats in the house and let our match day hospitality provide the ultimate way to spend your time with us.

The package includes:

Butler hosted lounge with large TVs and a projector showing the game
A three-course meal served at your table
Reserved undercover premium padded seating
Complimentary tea, coffee & mineral water, plus a dedicated paid bar before and after the match
Complimentary match day programme

The very special experience costs £29.95 per person and is available for individual and group bookings, or as a gift voucher.

Please note that this price does NOT include entry for non-season ticket holders who do attend, and they will still need to pay at the turnstile on the day.

On the menu for the game will be :

Starter:

Pate served with Melba Toast

Main:

Roast Beef, Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding, Vegetables and Gravy

Dessert:

New York Cheesecake served with Fruit Compote and Cream

There are only 64 spaces available, so all tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis.

The dress code is smart casual.

To buy your VIP ticket please email [email protected] or call the office on 01304 822373

John Husk Interview: Part 3

In this third part of a series of interviews, founding Dover Athletic chairman John Husk talks to Justin Allen about the managers from Chris Kinnear onwards he worked with. Also he discusses how the FA made an illegal approach for Peter Taylor to become England Under-21 boss before finally having to settle compensation with the club, why he sold star striker David Leworthy and how Bill Williams bought the good times back to Crabble. John also speaks about how the club was built by a collective effort of local businessmen who were all friends. Also incredibly the club used to attract the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Bobby Moore, Kevin Keegan, Denis Law, Jimmy Greaves, Jacky Charlton and others to star at sportsman’s evenings that raised the club money along with the successful Striker lottery. John has a fun story about how players and staff were woken up by screaming girls because of two huge TV stars.

Up Next – Dover Athletic vs Carshalton Athletic

Dover Athletic welcome Carshalton to The Megger Community Stadium.

Dover Athletic

On Tuesday night, Dover Athletic were denied victory by a stoppage-time equaliser as Lewes snatched a 1-1 draw at Crabble. Luke Baptiste put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the 26th minute, and Dover dominated, creating several chances. Soares-Junior struck the bar, Nikaj missed a golden opportunity, and Mampolo hit the post. Despite their control, Dover failed to convert their dominance into a second goal. Lewes applied late pressure and, against the run of play, Jack Meeres bundled home an equaliser in the 92nd minute. A frustrating night for Dover, who rued missed chances and dropped two crucial points.

In our previous encounter with Carshalton this season Dover secured a dramatic 1-1 draw at Carshalton Athletic with a stunning 92nd-minute overhead kick from Luke Baptiste. The visitors started brightly, with Nikaj heading just over early on. Carshalton settled and took the lead in the 54th minute when Tommy Bradford’s half-volley struck the crossbar and went in. Dover pushed for an equaliser, with Amgbaduba and Charles-Cook both going close, but Carshalton’s Foley made key saves. Just as the hosts looked set for victory, a long throw-in led to Baptiste’s acrobatic finish, earning Dover a well-deserved point in dramatic fashion.

From the Manager

“Again, Carshalton are very similar to Lewes, they play that particular brand of football. The defenders will have a lot of the ball and they can frustrate you. I think this game will be very similar to how it was on Tuesday and hopefully we can secure the full three points.”

Carshalton

On Saturday, Carshalton Athletic secured a 2-1 victory over Hastings United at Colston Avenue, thanks to a stunning late strike from Nathan Paul-Lavaly. David Smith opened the scoring just before halftime, netting his 14th goal of the season. The Robins controlled much of the second half, but Hastings equalised through Davide Rodari. Undeterred, Carshalton pushed forward, and in the final moments, Paul-Lavaly rifled home the winner. The victory extended their winning streak to four matches, lifting them to eighth in the Isthmian Premier Division.

Carshalton Athletic sits in 8th place in the Isthmian Premier League with 42 points from 28 matches. Their campaign has been fairly competitive, recording 11 wins, 9 draws, and 8 losses. At home, they have been solid, winning 7 of their 15 matches, while their away form has been more inconsistent, with 4 wins from 13 games. They have scored 39 goals and conceded 32, giving them a goal difference of +7.

Last 6

27/01 – Hastings United (H) – Won 2-1
25/01 – Hashtag United (H) – Won 1-0
18/01 – Hendon (A) – Won 3-0
13/01 – Whitehawk (H) – Drew 2-2
04/01 – Horsham (A) – Lost 0-3
01/01 – Cray Valley PM (H) – Lost 1-2

The Venue

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

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

Admission

Adults: £15
Concessions: £14
U18: £9
U11: FREE with a paying adult

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

Report – Dover Athletic 1-1 Lewes

Dover Athletic were left frustrated as a last-gasp equaliser from Lewes denied them a deserved three points at Crabble. The Whites had led from the 26th minute thanks to Luke Baptiste’s confident penalty, but despite controlling large parts of the game and creating numerous chances, they were punished for their profligacy in front of goal when Jack Meeres struck deep into stoppage time.

Dover started brightly, immediately forcing a corner in the fourth minute and looking to assert themselves early. However, it was Lewes who had the first real sight of goal, firing into the side netting a minute later. The game then settled into a cagey affair with little to separate the sides, but Dover were handed a golden opportunity midway through the first half when they won a penalty. A foul in the box saw Lewes’ keeper Toby Bull booked for a foul on Soares-Junior before Baptiste stepped up to convert from the spot for the second consecutive match, sending the Crabble faithful into celebration.

The hosts continued to threaten, with Luca Cocoracchio coming close to doubling the lead in the 31st minute, heading just over from an Alfie Matthews corner. Tolu Ladapo was then booked for the visitors as Dover held their advantage going into the break, having restricted Lewes to very little in terms of clear-cut chances.

The second half saw Dover start strongly once more, and they were inches away from doubling their lead in the 50th minute when Ruben Soares-Junior rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike from a tight angle. The momentum was firmly with the home side, and they came close again when Soares-Junior turned provider, setting up George Nikaj for what looked like a certain goal, only for the forward to fire wide. The Whites continued to push forward, with Baptiste and Francis Mampolo both seeing efforts narrowly miss the target, the latter striking the post from another tight angle in the 70th minute.

Despite Dover’s dominance, Lewes gradually grew into the contest as the game entered its final stages. They forced a dangerous corner in the 74th minute and began to apply late pressure. Dover still had chances to put the game to bed, with Nikaj breaking through on goal in the 76th minute, but he was denied by an excellent save from Bull. The home side looked to have weathered the storm and managed the game well heading into stoppage time, but disaster struck in the 92nd minute. A Lewes corner caused havoc in the Dover box, and Meeres reacted quickest to snatch a heartbreaking equaliser for the visitors.

It was a gut-wrenching conclusion for Dover, who had done enough to secure all three points but ultimately paid the price for not taking their chances. Despite a strong performance, the Whites were left to rue their missed opportunities, with two valuable points slipping through their fingers at the death.

Dover Athletic: 27. Jordan Gillmore, 2. Roman Charles-Cook, 3. Fuad Sesay, 26. Jacob Mensah, 6. Luca Cocoracchio, 7. Luke Baptiste, 8. Alfie Matthews, 10. George Nikaj, 14. Ruben Soares-Junior, 16. Harrison Pont, 24. Francis Mampolo SUBS: 25. Charlie Naylor, , 4. Jeremiah Gyebi, 9. Eniye Amgbaduba, 15. Tamas Amgbaduba, 23. George Wilkinson.

Lewes: 1. Toby Bull, 14. Shae Hutchinson, 3. Peter Ojemen, 4. Matt Warren, 5. Jack Meeres, 6. Marcus Sablier, 7. Danny Bassett (C), 8. Hamilton Antonio, 11. Tolu Ladapo, 15. Alfie Allen, 19. Josh Spinks SUBS: 18. Ethan Kaiser, 2. Izzy Jones, 12. Christo Nano, 10. Lewis Finney, 17. Calvin Ekpiteta.

Isthmian League – Premier Division
Attendance: 722
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Michael Butcher
Venue: Crabble Athletic Ground

Up Next – Dover Athletic vs Lewes

Dover Athletic welcome Lewes to The Megger Community Stadium.

Dover Athletic

On Saturday, Dover Athletic claimed a vital 2–1 victory over Bognor Regis Town in the Isthmian League. Tommy-Lee Higgs opened the scoring for the hosts in the 12th minute, but Ruben Soares-Junior equalized for Dover with a header in the 35th. The second half saw chances for both sides, but Dover found the winner late on. Francis Mampolo won a penalty in the 87th minute, which Luke Baptiste coolly converted. Jordan Gillmore made key saves to keep Dover in the game, while Soares-Junior and Baptiste shone in attack.

In our previous encounter with Lewes this season Dover secured a 3-1 victory at the Dripping Pan. George Nikaj opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a precise header from Ruben Soares-Junior’s cross. Soares-Junior doubled the lead minutes later, and Luke Baptiste’s penalty made it 3-0 before halftime. Lewes responded in the second half with Danny Bassett scoring in the 60th minute, but Dover’s defence, led by key saves from Walker, held firm.

From the Manager

“It’ll be another similar sort of game game to Bognor, with the brand of football they play. Obviously, we had a fantastic performance and result down there, but Lewes are not an easy side to play against. We definitely need to start a lot better if we’re going to pick up another result.”

Lewes

On Saturday, Lewes salvaged a point in dramatic fashion with a last-gasp equaliser from Danny Bassett in the 94th minute, drawing 1–1 with Bowers & Pitsea at The Dripping Pan. After a goalless first half, Luke Reeve gave the visitors the lead in the 57th minute. Lewes pressed for an equaliser, making several attacking substitutions, but struggled to break through a resilient Bowers & Pitsea defence. Deep into stoppage time, Bassett, the captain, rescued a point for the hosts in front of 561 fans at The Dripping Pan.

Lewes have 8 wins, 10 draws, and 8 losses across 26 games, placing them 13th with 34 points. They have shown a balanced record at home and away, scoring 34 goals but conceding 37. Lewes began the season strongly, with key victories against teams like Chatham Town (2-0) and Bognor Regis Town (4-1), but they’ve struggled to maintain form.

Last 6

25/01 – Bowers & Pitsea (H) – Drew 1-1
21/01 – Whitehawk (A) – Lost 1-2
18/01 – Horsham (H) – Lost 0-2
04/01 – Cheshunt (H) – Drew 2-2
28/12 – Hashtag United (A) – Lost 1-2
26/12 – Folkestone Invicta (H) – Drew 0-0

The Venue

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

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

Admission

Adults: £15
Concessions: £14
U18: £9
U11: FREE with a paying adult

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

Report – Bognor Regis Town 1-2 Dover Athletic

Dover Athletic snatched a dramatic late victory at Nyewood Lane, overcoming an early deficit to secure a crucial 2–1 win against Bognor Regis Town. A penalty from Luke Baptiste in the dying moments sealed all three points for the visitors in a tightly contested Isthmian League encounter.

The match began in a cagey fashion, with Dover enjoying the lion’s share of possession in the opening exchanges. Despite the visitors’ control, it was Bognor who struck first against the run of play. In the 12th minute, Tommy-Lee Higgs capitalised on a defensive lapse, slotting past Jordan Gillmore to give the hosts an early lead.

Dover, however, showed resilience and steadily grew into the game. A series of chances went begging before Ruben Soares-Junior delivered the equaliser in the 35th minute. A swift counterattack orchestrated by Baptiste saw his cross meet Soares-Junior, whose initial header struck the post. Undeterred, Soares-Junior reacted quickest to head home the rebound, bringing the scores level.

The remainder of the first half saw both sides trading chances, with Dover goalkeeper Gillmore making a crucial save to deny Bognor a second goal. The visitors entered the break on level terms.

The second half was a tense affair, with both teams creating opportunities but struggling to find the finishing touch. Soares-Junior continued to torment the Bognor defense, coming close to scoring again with a clever chip that narrowly missed the target in the 60th minute. At the other end, Dover’s backline dealt admirably with several dangerous corners from the home side.

As the clock ticked toward full-time, Dover pressed hard for a winner. The decisive moment came in the 87th minute when Francis Mampolo was brought down in the box, earning Dover a penalty. Luke Baptiste stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick, sending Ryan Hall the wrong way and sparking celebrations among the travelling supporters.

Despite some late pressure from the home side, Dover held firm to secure a vital victory. Whites retake top spot and look ahead to Tuesday’s home match against Lewes.

Bognor Regis Town:
1 Ryan Hall, 2 Spencer Spurway, 3 Dion Jarvis, 4 Calvin Davies, 5 Harvey Rew, 6 Chad Field, 7 Preston Woolston, 8 Matt Burgess, 9 Dan Gifford, 10 Tommy-Lee Higgs, 11 Jasper Mather, 12 Lewis Beale, 14 Harvey Whyte, 15 Rio Long, 16 Lennie Smith

Dover Athletic:
27 Jordan Gillmore, 2 Roman Charles-Cook, 3 Fuad Sesay, 6 Luca Cocoracchio, 7 Luke Baptiste, 8 Alfie Matthews, 10 George Nikaj, 14 Ruben Soares-Junior, 24 Francis Mampolo, 25 Charlie Naylor, 26 Jacob Mensah, 4 Jeremiah Gyebi, 9 Eniye Amgbaduba, 15 Tamas Amgbaduba, 16 Harrison Pont, 23 George Wilkinson

Isthmian League – Premier Division
Attendance: 790
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Lawrence Torz-Brown
Venue: Nyewood Lane

Jake Leberl Interview: Jan 2025

Jake Leberl catches up with DAFCtv for a natter about the past month of games.

He tells Justin Allen that he has been pleased with some of the performances even though the form has dipped a little.

Jake also reflects on a difficult afternoon at Hashtag, marred by a small minority of spectators after our away defeat of the season in January.

He also talks about the upcoming games and expectations.