The Dover Athletic FC Official Website Fans Forum has been upgraded with new and improved software to provide a better online experience for supporters. The old Network54 facility has been replaced with a faster, ad-free system. The new forum is hosted on the same server as the official website (in London) which means faster access times compared to the old forum hosted in North America. The new forum also means an end to banner adverts and pop-ups with completely ad-free pages that are under our full control. The new forum is here. If you have any comments of suggestions for improvements, please e-mail them to me.

It seemed that Indonesian club Persija jumped the gun when they stated that they signed Dover midfield maestro Jamie Day last September, in what would have been the first Dover player to be transferred abroad. The remarkable details found by Dover webmaster Dan Dyer today are indeed true, with the former Arsenal star admitting to talks. But the deal was nowhere near completion. Last year's double player of the year stated:

"It is well documented that at the end of the 2001-2002 season the club was in turmoil after relegation and that we had not been paid for months. I was keeping my options open as I did not know what was going to happen. I had a number of talks with them and I was quite keen on the idea as it would have been a fantastic opportunity for me. The stumbling block was that they wanted me to pay my air fare over there, but without any confirmation that I would be signed and I was not willing to take the risk as the season had started well for Dover."

Day, who admitted he did not have any talks with any other clubs, even when he had been transfer-listed by former boss Neville Southall, does not regret his decision. He continued:

"Last season was great for me on a personal basis and I am delighted that I stayed at Dover. I had forgotten all about it until I read the website and I had a good laugh when they quoted me as saying that I could not wait to join them! All my thoughts now are geared up for the Grantham game on the 16th when we are looking to get off to a good start, as I think we have an excellent chance of promotion this year."

As Paul Hyde hands over the managerial reigns to the returning Clive Walker, he believes he has given the squad an excellent pre-season which will benefit them throughout the long season ahead. Hyde who has been working hard with the players over the last two weeks felt that the draw with Calais showed the fitness of the side. He said "They were playing their sixth game of pre-season and I felt after we equalised we were the fitter side. We are a physically strong outfit and they could not compete with us at times and that was good to see. We can only get better as pre-season moves on."

Hyde was also pleased with how new signing Craig Wilkins fitted into the side, Wilkins who linked up well with Jamie Day for both of the Whites' goals showed enough with his vision and eye for goal that he can score goals that were seriously lacking last term.

"He is a confident lad" continued Hyde "He is a target man who has two good feet who can lay the ball off or have a go at goal which he did with his goal. We all know that we lacked a striker last season and from what I have seen we may have an excellent one with Craig. His link up with Tommy could be one of the most exciting in the league."

Hyde has also confirmed that the club will be taking a good look at Aengus Martin after he impressed in his 15-minute spell as a substitute against Calais. 23-year-old Martin, a tall left-sided midfielder is a former Northern Ireland U-19 international who has considerable Doc Martens experience after spells with Halesowen and Solihull Boro, has recently moved to the area and rang the club looking for a trial. He will be given the chance to impress further in this week's trip to Hemel Hempstead.

There has been money freed up in the squad after Kristian James' contract was terminated by mutual agreement. The 21-year-old former Welsh international who was brought to the club by Neville Southall struggled to force his way into the side only making eleven starts last season and was loaned to Folkestone for a two month spell but a permanent move failed to materialise. It is thought that he will be returning to Wales - with Newport County set to offer him a trial. Israel Amadi who impressed in his short spell with the reserves last season has signed Doc Martens non-contract forms and will be given his chance to shine in the upcoming friendlies.

Former Dover striker Leon Kelly who scored more than 15 goals last season despite playing for relegated Ilkeston has signed for Worcester City for an undisclosed fee. Dover will face another of their old boys in their first game of the season. Niall Inman, who was with the club for a short period in 2001-2002 has joined Grantham, who are the club's first opponents on August 16th. While cult hero Lee Shearer will be back in the conference next season after signing for Gravesend, where he will team up with fellow ex-whites Jimmy Strouts and Anthony Hogg.

Clive Walker's plans for the new season have been dealt a blow before a ball has been kicked with the news that influential midfielder Danny Chapman will be suspended for an additional three matches for his sending off against Worcester City in the final match of last season. The Dover player was one of three players shown red cards in the eventful 2-1 win for Athletic (two Worcester players were also dismissed).

Chapman, who had already been punished with the standard three match ban for his alleged headbutt, will now miss the first six matches of the new campaign and will not be available until the game at Bath City on 9th September.

Dover Finance Director Steve Cattermole has received confirmation from the Football Conference that the club will not be excluded for membership because of their CVA status.

Cattermole said: "We have confirmation from the Football Conference that clubs in CVAs will not be excluded from membership. Confirmation will be required that the terms are being met; our Supervisor's First Annual Report confirms our compliancy."

Dover Athletic and Margate have agreed terms for the Thanet club to stage their first six home Conference fixtures at the Hoverspeed Stadium while development work continues at Hartsdown Park. The matches will take place between 12th August and 27th September.

The first week of pre-season training went well for Dover Athletic's players after the summer break, as assistant boss Paul Hyde put them through their paces. The only two squad members who were missing were Tony Browne, who is still away coaching in Australia, and Kenny Dyer, who has returned to Cyprus for a mini-break.

There was good news for all concerned at the club with the return of Matt Carruthers who was at all the sessions and according to Hyde was "Enjoying being back with the lads".

The squad have been seeing the hills of Folkestone with some cross-country running, as well as some ball work as they look to do the training away from the Crabble pitch. The bonding trip to Bournemouth was also a success for the club as Hyde explained:

"Going somewhere for a mini-break is a great way to build team spirit and it was a worthwhile experience as we managed to train a couple of times. Though the majority of the squad have kept themselves fit over the close season, which is good to see. We worked hard and now we look forward to playing a few games to get used to playing football again."

This weekend's prestigious friendly against Calais will see the club play their strongest line-up for at least the first half with a number of trialists set to see some action in the second period. While Craig Wilkins, who has performed excellently in the training sessions according to Hyde, will make his first outing in a White shirt after his move from Gravesend in May, as fans have their first sighting of the man who they hope will solve their goalscoring problems.

Fixtures for the forthcoming Dr. Martens League Premier Division season have been announced. The schedule sees Clive Walker's team start their 2003/04 challenge on the road at Grantham on Saturday 16th August. The following Tuesday Crawley Town visit the Hoverspeed Stadium for Dover's first home match of the season, with newly promoted Weston Supermare visiting on Saturday 23rd.

The Whites will finish the season at home on Saturday 1st May with Stafford Rangers the visitors.

The first six fixtures of the season are as follows (the full list will follow on this site in the near future):

      Saturday 16/8/2003  Grantham Town (Away)
      Tuesday 19/8/2003   Crawley Town (Home)
      Saturday 23/8/2003  Weston Supermare (Home)
      Monday 25/8/2003    Eastbourne Borough (Away)
      Saturday 30/8/2003  Tiverton Town (Home)
      Monday 1/9/2003     Havant & Waterlooville (Away)
      

Local rivals Margate are set to stage matches at the Hoverspeed Stadium again this season following delays to the renovation of their Hartsdown Park home. Dover director Steve Cattermole and Margate chairman Jim Parmenter have been in discussions following delays caused by the discovery of archaeological remains (insert your own joke here) during rebuilding at the Thanet site.

Finance director Steve Cattermole explained: "As a precaution, I had already obtained provisional permission from the DML to enter a new agreement and our early season home fixtures have been programmed to avoid a potential clash. The resultant provisional agreement with Jim Parmenter, which has yet to reach a form of words, provides significantly better financial terms than those received last year, albeit there was still a degree of compromise exercised on both parts."

Dover return for pre-season training next Tuesday under the stewardship of assistant manager Paul Hyde. The experienced 'keeper has planned the whole of pre-season in the absence of manager Clive Walker who is away coaching in America.

The majority of the squad will be in attendance and Hyde is hopeful that transfer listed Matt Carruthers will be amongst them. A relaxed Hyde stated "I have spoken to Matty and I expect to see him. He is disappointed that nothing has come off for him regarding a transfer, but I told him that if he has a good pre-season and buckles down he may feel better and want to stay at the club".

A number of trialists are expected to train with the squad, including striker Israel Amadi who made an impact with the reserves at the latter part of last season, while an unnamed player who has played to a decent standard in America will also be given the chance to shine. The squad, who are off to Bournemouth next weekend for team bonding and golf, play their first pre-season friendly on the 19th July when they face Calais in the inaugural Hoverspeed Trophy.

One of the best things about being a Dover Athletic fan post-pantomime is that our views are taken seriously. If a good idea is proposed, it tends to be acted upon. So when Mick - who I'm sure to know but can't place him - came up with a plan of a 400 Club to wipe out Athletic's debts, I have to say it was an idea I was immediately taken with.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, Mick stated the fairly obvious in that if 400 Whites fans could stump up £240 each, Athletic's inherited debts could be wiped away at a stroke.

As I write these notes, I can hear the doubters also stating the obvious. And of course it is wildly fanciful to think that so many Whites diehards could all stump up in one go.

So in coughing up my £240 at the kit launch this very evening, I'd have to say that I'm being guided an economic principal known as Cattermoleian. Viz. That any money the club receives today is money that they didn't have yesterday.

So why am I chipping in? I have to admit to a little devilment here in that I'm testing the mettle of those that have said "I will if you will." That apart, it doesn't take a genius to work out that I've made far more money out of DAFC than I've ever put in, so this is just my way of putting something back. I suspect I'm not alone in falling into this category. It's also a vote of confidence in the likes of Messrs Kemp, Farringdon, Cattermole and Harris, without whose efforts my Saturday afternoons would be immeasurably bleak.

Another factor is that the only holiday I can afford this year would involve spending a week in some poxy caravan with the spawn of Satan. Happily, my donation makes that option a non-starter.

For the record, I've given my donation to the Trust on the understanding that it goes towards clearing the club's CVA debts. In time, the Trust will receive an appropriate number of shares direct from the football club. That's my choice, of course, though others might choose to make a payment directly to the club.

I appreciate, of course, concerns that the club might have more pressing things to attend to. We have four years to pay off the CVA and weeks to get the pitch and floodlights up to scratch, for example. To this I would say that with a little less to find for the CVA, it should be possible to channel funds into other areas. And in case anyone was wondering, this donation doesn't affect my monthly standing order with the Trust or my Striker membership. Both remain intact.

So how many of us have acted on Mick's idea? Just one day after starting the ball rolling, five of us have written cheques totalling £1200. And whilst I don't suppose for one moment that we'll reach the magic figure of 400 - though hope springs eternal - 100 contributors would ensure that the major concern of meeting our old debts would be eradicated for another season. Whichever way you look at it, we've already kick started the campaign with a not insubstantial donation - as was the case with last year's sponsored walk to Folkestone - and what could possibly be wrong with that?

Long term, if I might paraphrase Ashley Forecast again, "this issue is largely about the majority contributing a little than a few contributing a lot." And on that happy day when we have 800 Trust members chipping in just a couple of quid a week, we can seriously consider ourselves to be in business.

I'll look forward to that.

Dover Athletic have announced details of season ticket pricing for the forthcoming season, and as an incentive, if you buy before 25th June you will pay less. The prices are as below and include entrance to all 21 first team home league matches, first team home friendlies and reserve team home matches.

Money Saver tickets will again be available this season, allowing you to watch seven matches for the price of six. Prices are £48 for adults, £30 for over 60s and £18 for youths.

Individual match prices remain unchanged form last season at £8, £5, £3 and £1, for adults, over 60s, youths (aged 11 - 16) and under 11s respectively.

To obtain your season ticket either visit the club office at the Hoverspeed Stadium during office hours or send a self-addressed envelope and a cheque for the appropriate amount made payable to "Dover Athletic Football Club" to the address below. The club is unable to accept credit/debit cards.

      Season Tickets
      Dover Athletic Football Club
      The Hoverspeed Stadium
      Lewisham Road
      River
      Dover
      Kent
      CT17 0JB

Doesn't it seem an awfully long time since that fateful night at the Town Hall when we discovered that the solids had really hit the air conditioning. And if the ancien regime had told us there and then the full extent of Dover Athletic's problems, rather than admitting to barely a quarter of the debts, I suspect we'd all have given up the ghost there and then.

At the time, I recall saying that in close on 40 years of supporting my local team, I couldn't remember a worse time to be a Dover supporter. My how times have changed over the course of the last 18 months. For although it entails an awful lot more hard graft that it used to, I can't recall a time when following my side has been more fun. They say that Dovorians are at their best when the siege mentality sets in and that's a view I've always concurred with. And for my part, the best thing about 'the troubles' is that those I used to know as faces on the terraces are now people I can confidently call friends. This fact alone encapsulates why we're non-league football fans and not in the ranks of the 'passionate' for whom the word journey means a trip from the sofa to the fridge.

The 2002-2003 season proved one of many highlights. Happily, there were too many to list at any great length, but my overriding memory of the season is the sponsored walk to Folkestone. Irrespective of the fact that a great day was rounded off with a 2-1 win at Cheriton Road, what went on beforehand was remarkable. The 25+ that had donned their walking boots for the day had aimed to raise £500 to buy the club a new computer. In the event, almost eight times that amount was raised due to the remarkable generosity of a great many people. I don't think I'll ever forget how many complete strangers approached me with a brown note of the realm and wished us well. And whilst I suspect such actions were a vote of confidence in Messrs Kemp, Farringdon and Cattermole rather than myself, it nevertheless proved an emotional experience.

But let's move on and celebrate the fact that we're still alive and kicking. Believe me it was touch and go on one or two occasions and but for that memorable FA Cup run, B&Q beckoned for those without a team to follow.

Of course, it is well documented that Dover Athletic Supporters Trust have played a huge role in trying to reverse the fortunes of our football club. As some have been quick to point out, the Trust has made mistakes as one might expect from any fledgling organisation. But I would defy anyone to refute that the Trust has got much more right than it has got wrong.

Initially, I held back from putting myself forward for election to the Trust board. My reasons for doing so were many fold and I need not bore you with them. But having reconsidered and been elected at the recent AGM - thanks to those of you that voted for me - I should state that I did so for one very good reason.

I had always thought previously that I spend an extraordinary amount of time preaching to the converted. So it came as a great shock to me to learn that, in terms of Trust membership at least, I am not. For now that I have access to the relevant documents it transpires that just 200 of the Trust's membership is made up of Crabble regulars. So my task for the time being is to work on the premise that it's a case of 200 down, 400 to go. And over the course of the coming season, I will be aiming to approach each and every one of you and explain why your input is so vital, no matter how small your contribution, and why you should join.

Of course, there's no reason why we shouldn't look forward to the coming season with cautious optimism. The fact remains that, despite honouring our CVA commitments throughout 2002-2003, the club remain in debt to the tune of £96,000. That doesn't necessarily sound like a great deal. But for a club the size of Dover Athletic, finding £3,000 a month before a turnstile has clicked remains a massive undertaking and one that we simply cannot fail to meet.

No doubt some of you that are reading this will be among the converted. Others will doubtless tell me their reasons for not wishing to join the Trust. I don't do bullying and whilst I might not agree with your viewpoint, I will respect it. To the missing 400, let's just say that I'll be hoping to collect a few cheques and autographs.

In conclusion, I'll take you back a while to a home Conference game against Stevenage when the collection buckets are doing the rounds. It's a grim time for all of us that are resolute, but still in a state of shock. Inside the ground, my 9-year old asks me for money for chips. I offer up the required quid, but gently broach the subject of what happened to the £7 I gave her that very morning. "I put it in the bucket for our team, Dad." is her reply.

That's why I'm planning to get more involved and I hope you'll join me.

COYW

Mark.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested, in advertising on this website, please follow the link on the home page or e-mail me at rih2@kent.ac.uk.

It will cost £20 a year to advertise (your advert will appear on a separate page with a link to your website or have respective phone numbers/contacts). Alternative packages can be negotiated where appropriate.

Dover's want-away star Matt Carruthers has pleaded with the club's board to let him go cheaply or for free so that he can move on with his career. Matt, 26, has now settled in Warwickshire after deciding to leave the area because of personal reasons and has reiterated that he will not be playing for the Whites next season. Speaking to the Dover Express he stated:

"I have now settled in Warwickshire, it is a clean break for me and I want to start by getting myself a new club. I am aware that a few clubs are interested in me so hopefully something will come off, but that is only if Dover play ball."

The club are looking to receive a reputed £15,000 for the attacking midfielder who has a year to go on his contract but have yet to receive an offer. Manager Clive Walker is not surprised, he said "The list the PFA released last week shows the number of players without a job and clubs will be looking to pick players up for free rather than pay a fee. It may change at the beginning of the season but I would doubt it."

Conference side Chester are known still be keen on signing Carruthers, and that is the player's favoured destination as they would offer him a full-time contract.

"It feels that the club are holding me to ransom thinking that I will be coming back for pre-season but I have moved on. I am a Dover lad and have some great memories of my time at the club but my time as a Dover player is over. I ripped up a 52-week contract last season to go back to part-time wages and was not paid for around 3 months in spring 2002 but the club seems to have forgotten about that." he continued.

Chairman Mick Kemp - who Carruthers stated has not been in contact with him for more than a month - is keen to get the right deal for the club and Carruthers may have to start the season without a club while Dover hold onto his registration. It is unlikely that he would be paid if this occurs, as he would be in breach of contract for failing to attend training. Walker has pin-pointed a number of replacements for Carruthers but it is unlikely anything will happen until his return from his American Soccer School at the beginning of August.

Dover boss Clive Walker has been rocked by the news that influential attacking midfielder Matt Carruthers is set to leave the club. 26-year-old Carruthers, who adds much needed pace down either flank, is moving from the area due to personal reasons and relocating to the Midlands. This leaves Walker with the problem of how to replace the Whitfield-based player.

Carruthers, who is in his third spell with the club after originally signing in 1994, returned in 1998 after a short spell in the marines before moving onto Mansfield, but returned a couple of months later after the Nottinghamshire club failed to offer him a full-time contract. He has been a virtual ever present since and notched 10 goals last season, including the last minute equaliser against Scarborough where he produced his best performance of the season.

A number of clubs were rumoured to be interested in him last season including Conference sides Barnet and Chester and their interest may be ignited once again, though with the number of sides around the Midlands, Carruthers could be playing at the Hoverspeed Stadium against Dover next season. The club have confirmed that they will be hoping to receive a "five figure fee" for the player who still has a year to run on his contract.

As those of you that know me will probably be aware, I've spent all but five years of my life living in Dover. Under the circumstances, you might think I'd have been across on the Seacat, particularly during those dim and distant days when I worked at the Hoverport in the days when it was owned by British Rail. Well you'd be wrong.

So given Hoverspeed's sponsorship of Dover Athletic and the fact that I'm bored senseless on a Saturday afternoon at this time of year, I thought I might try out what the company had to offer. There were a couple of main reasons for doing so. The first was that daughter Meghan has just passed her tenth birthday and hadn't crossed the channel via the sea route. The second was that my elderly accomplice James "Margate my *****" Archibald is even grumpier than usual if he has to pay full whack to satisfy his 60-a-day habit and I thought I'd cheer the old boy up a bit.

I have to say at the outset that I'm the world's worst sailor. During my brief and spectacularly unsuccessful career at sea, which I still like to think of as my national service, I was known as Sinbad. From a seasonal intake of a few hundred, my services were the first to be dispensed with towards the end of the summer season. Since that time, almost ten years ago, I haven't set foot on a ferry owned by a company that never failed to treat me as one of the lowest of the low.

So although, I boarded the 12:00 Seacat Scotsman will more than a little trepidation, I'd have to say that I found the whole experience enjoyable and hugely relaxing. And if you take Burlington House out of the equation, I really can't think of a more spectacular sight than looking back at Dover from the sea.

The service itself proved particularly easy to use. Check-in was both friendly and efficient and in these troubled times it's always a comfort to know that security is taken seriously. On board, my fears regarding sea sickness proved unfounded. Though the sea was flat calm in the harbour, it proved moderately choppy in the middle of the channel yet the crossing remained smooth on both legs of the journey.

What impressed me most, however, were the retail outlets. Like most chaps, I like to know what's on offer without anyone getting in my face. And having chosen not to pre-order anything prior to boarding, I opted to mooch round both on board and in the Calais terminal. There were plenty of good deals to be found. Although I predictably stocked up with fags and chocolate, something that did catch the eye was the sale of Gucci sun glasses. I've seen these retail at over £100 elsewhere, but on board they were selling for a shade over £20.

A short while ago, Meghan, who's always travelled under the sea on previous trips abroad, asked "Dad, what's a ferry?" whilst doing her homework. Happily, this was something I was able to clarify as we shot past a few of them during a pleasant couple of hours.

So whilst I might be the first Trust member to take advantage of the new deal, I suspect I won't be the last. Full details of what's available to Trust members will appear on this site shortly.

For the time being, I offer the strongest recommendation.

Dover Athletic will be facing French Cup giant killers Calais in a pre-season friendly at the Hoverspeed stadium as the Cross channel challenge between the two sides is resurrected after an absence of a number of years.

The clubs will meet for the first leg of the Hoverspeed Trophy on Saturday 19th July with the second leg at Calais' Stade Julien Denis later in the season. The idea has come about after the Whites' new sponsors Hoverspeed thought that the links between the clubs should be enhanced. Head of Sales and Marketing Trevor Bond stated "It is crazy that Dover play friendlies against teams 60-100 miles away when there is a really interesting challenge right on the doorstep. There is a massive link between the two towns and we are hopeful that with this fixture we can bring it even closer together."

Dover officials have already been to visit their illustrious opponents, who in 2000 created football history by becoming the first amateur side in French history to reach the Cup final, before losing to a last minute penalty to Nantes, and they were suitably impressed with what they saw. "Calais are a very good side and we were all impressed by the manner they thumped Cambrai 5-0 to win their league and some of the players' movements and touch were first class. They train four times a week and have a number of talented youngsters, it will be a tough but enjoyable encounter and a real clash of styles." said Director Steve Cattermole.

Dover who have agreed a 25% discount for members of the Supporters Trust when they travel with Hoverspeed are delighted with what the Ferry giant is doing to help the club in the community. "We have to thank our sponsors and particularly Trevor who has done everything he can to help the club and I think the game in July will be a day to remember for both sets of supporters. We are expecting Calais to bring around 200 fans, a not-insubstantial band and some rather large flags. It will be a party atmosphere at the ground and something I hope the whole town will get behind." continued Cattermole.

The club will also be spending a number of days with their counterparts in France as they try and learn further differing ways to run a football club and have also received an invitation for their under 12's side to take part in a prestigious indoor event in Calais in February next year, as the Whites look to the continental approach to build further on the progress they have made on and off the pitch in the last 12 months.

New Whites' signing Craig Wilkins does not feel any pressure on his shoulders despite being dubbed the man to score the goals to bring Conference football back to Dover. 29-year-old Maidstone-based Wilkins - who signed a two year contract - has set himself a target of 20 goals and is confident he can achieve that aim.

"I jumped at the chance to come to Dover as it gives me the chance to play up front, which unfortunately I was unable to do at Gravesend as I was always playing at centre half. It became more and more difficult to combine the two roles and that affected my game. Clive is going to use me as a front man and I want to repay him with at least 20 goals."

Wilkins, who is renowned for his heading and the ability to bring other players into play, knows a number of the Whites' players including Lee Spiller and Tony Browne from their spells with the Fleet and can now not wait for the season to start. He continued "This is a fresh challenge for me, I have heard from Spills the great spirit at the club and I am confident we will be challenging at the right end of the league and my break from the Conference will only be for one year."

A number of ex Dover players have been in released or transferred in the last week as the transfer merry-go-round starts in earnest. The biggest surprise was the departure of former River End cult hero Lee Shearer from local rivals Margate. Shearer who still lives in the town and was a regular visitor to Crabble last season was released after Chris Kinnear decided not to take up the option of a further year on his contract. He has been linked with a move to Gravesend or Woking, though when asked if he would like a return to the Crabble he was unwilling to comment.

Other departures have seen Danny Hockton and Neil Le Bihan leave Crawley after a poor season while former reserve midfielder Anthony Hogg has moved to Gravesend from Welling, who have replaced with him another former Whites' reserve in Tim Hambley from Havant. Also linked to Welling, who have replaced Bill Williams with Chelmsford boss Park Parker, is wing- back Steve Norman who was released by Dover at the end of the recent campaign. While Parker looks set to raid his old club to bring highly rated Danny Slatter to Park View Road.

Dover manager Clive Walker has made an early closed season signing by capturing Gravesend & Northfleet striker Craig Wilkins on a free transfer. 29-year-old Wilkins, who was out of contract at Stonebridge Road, is a big boost to a Dover squad who were the lowest scorers in the Dr. Martens Premier Division this season.

Whites boss Walker made the signing of a proven goal-scorer his top priority for the summer and has wasted no time in getting his man. He can now jet off to his summer coaching in the US with next season's squad already in place.

Dover's midfield play-maker Jamie Day capped a memorable season by collecting three awards at the club's end-of-season presentation. The ex-Bournemouth man, in his second season with the Whites, was voted Players' Player Of The Year by his team-mates and was the clear winner in the Supporters' Player Of The Year vote as well. In addition Day, who finished joint leading scorer with Tommy Tyne, was awarded the Goal Of The Season title for his stunning strike against Bath City in December.

Captain Andy Arnott was also a winner, he picked up the Dover Express Player Of The Year trophy.

There was a big crowd of supporters in attendance at the Centre Spot on Friday when Dover Athletic announced their main sponsor for the 2003-2004 season as ferry company Hoverspeed backed the new regime at Crabble.

The deal that is initially for one year only (this is standard Hoverspeed policy) will see the Hoverspeed brand name across the home and away shirts and also see the Crabble Athletic Ground renamed the Hoverspeed Stadium.

Hoverspeed's Head of Marketing, Trevor Bond, explained why the company was keen to come on board:

"We have been thinking of getting involved with the local community for a long time and felt getting involved with the football club would be a good way of doing that. Hoverspeed look at it as a partnership and we are now hoping that other local companies will get involved to help the club."

The financial implications of the deal were not released, but Mr Bond confirmed it was for a "five figure fee" and will see discount trips on Hoverspeed's Sea Cat for all members of the Supporters Trust, plus prizes at games and other events organised by the club, kindly donated by Hoverspeed.

Financial Director Steve Cattermole explained how this exciting sponsorship deal came about:

"Mr Bond contacted the club and we were very keen for them to come on board and we are delighted that we managed to negotiate a deal that we think will benefit the whole of the club. It is a springboard for next season which I think all supporters can now not wait to start."

Cattermole also thanked the club's outgoing sponsors, AJ Simmonds and Heritage:

"They helped the club through a difficult spell at the start of the season and all concerned at the club send a great deal of gratitude to Kevin and Peter. We are hoping that they will want to stay involved with the club at some level and we will be looking to have some talks with them at a later date."

The club will be launching new kits shortly and they are hopeful that they will be available in the Club Shop for the first pre-season friendly, against Gillingham, in July.

Dover Athletic have confirmed that wing-back Steve Norman and forward Paul Sykes have been released.

Norman was brough to Crabble from St. Leonard's in 1999 by then manager Bill Williams. He initially played on left of midfield but soon moved to an attacking full-back position and this season has also played in the centre of defence. He made almost two hundred first team appearances and scored 6 goals.

Sykes signed at the beginning of the 2002-03 season having been released by Margate. Injuries, suspension and a loan spell at Dartford restricted his first team appearances but he still managed 5 goals from his 7 starts and 19 substitute appearances this season.

All other members of this season's first team squad are now under contract for next season and will be reporting for pre-season training in July. Clive Walker will be looking to bring in one or two new faces over the summer with a goal-scorer being the main priority. Long-term injury victim Nick Humphrey, who has been sidelined since November, is expected to be available for selection again early in the new season.

Dover Athletic have unveiled their new sponsors, cross-channel operators Hoverspeed. The company who operate fast ferries between Dover and France have signed up as main sponsors with an initial one-year deal. The Whites will wear the Hoverspeed name on their home and away shirts next season and as part of the deal the Crabble Athletic Ground will be rebranded as the Hoverspeed Stadium. More details will follow shortly.

The club would like to thank home shirt sponsors Simmonds the jewellers and away shirt sponsors Heritage International Transport for all of the help and support they have provided this season.

Dover Athletic will reveal their new sponsors this Friday evening, 2nd May, and supporters are invited to witness the signing of the deal at The Centre Spot between 6:30pm and 7:00pm. The bar will be open from 6:00pm and food will be available. Why not make an evening of it and stay for the General Knowledge Quiz at 8:00pm (£2:00 per person for teams of up to eight)?

There was only one addition to the Dover squad before the transfer deadline on Monday with boss Clive Walker signing Israel Amadi on non-contract forms till the end of the season. The 21-year-old striker from London comes on the recommendation of midfielder Kenny Dyer and immediately made an impact scoring in the reserves 3-1 win against Ashford last Wednesday. He has recently been playing local football in the capital, but prior to that had a spell with Ryman League Boreham Wood.

The much needed home win against Grantham was pleasing for Walker and he was impressed with the workload of two-goal hero Tommy Tyne. Walks stated "The whole team was pleased for Tommy and he took both his goals well and he was unlucky not to grab a hat-trick. He is only 21 and I think will only get better. He has an excellent strike rate this season with a goal nearly every other game and I think that is a sign that he will score goals. Like all strikers he is a confidence player and those two goals will hopefully spur him on for the rest of the season".

Walker has a fully fit squad ahead of this weeks encounter with Chelmsford City with Nicky Dent fit to return after a toe injury and with the club being without a first team game in midweek, various knocks picked up against Grantham can also be rested. Meanwhile Mark Munday, who was on loan from Margate, has been sent back after the ending of his loan, with Walker yet to decide if he will go back in for the player when his contract expires at the Gate in the summer.

The club has 20 players to choose from for the final eight games of the season and Clive is hoping that he will able to blood some of the up-and-coming youth players in those games. He added "We have eight tough games to come and our aim is to win as many as possible but I am hopeful that players such as (Michael) Smissen, (Craig) Cloke and (Danny) Welch will be given a chance, they have been chomping at the bit for their chance and I think they will get the opportunity to shine ahead of next season".

Highly rated Smissen who has been in prolific goal scoring form for the reserve and youth sides once again this season is the one player the River End are keen to see pull on the White shirt, to see if the natural goalscorer can add extra potency to the attack.

The Non-League Paper is today reporting that the FA is likely to give the go ahead for the proposed Conference 2, to be made up of two divisions (North and South) of 24 teams each. Representatives from the three feeder leagues and the Nationwide Conference have thrashed out the proposal over recent weeks for the new set-up, which will take effect at the beginning of the 2004/05 season and is likely to be ratified over the summer by the Football Association.

Meanwhile, the chairmen of the Nationwide Conference have voted in favour of a proposal to increase the Conference from 22 clubs to 24 for next season, bringing it in-line with the three divisions of the Football League. The scheme, put forward by Phil Wallace, chairman of relegation-threatened Stevenage Borough and Conference spokesman in the restructuring discussions with the feeder leagues, would mean only one club would be relegated from the Conference at the end of this campaign. Promotion from the feeder leagues would be unaffected. The decision has to be approved by the National Leagues Sanctions Committee of the FA at their meeting in May, and is likely to meet more opposition than the proposal for the regional Conference 2.

Dover go into this week's two home games against relegation threatened Ilkeston and Halesowen with serious injury and suspension worries. Definitely missing from the two games are the suspended trio of Nicky Dent, Lee Spiller and Andy Arnott. Skipper Arnott is starting a four match ban after his second sending off of the season against Forest Green, while Dent and Spiller miss out after reaching eight bookings for the season.

On the injury front, a pulled hamstring by Mark Patterson looks like sidelining him for a couple of weeks, while key-man Matt Carruthers was waiting for a scan on his knee after being on the end of some heavy tackling in the draw at Hastings.

This will leave the Whites short at the back with Danny Chapman likely to have to revert back to central defence to partner Dean Readings, where a lack of numbers may see Walker having to revert to a flat back four.

The injury problems do not end there with in-form Paul Sykes set for a late fitness test after being forced off at Hastings with a sore ankle, while squad players Craig Cloke and Michael Smissen are struggling with knocks picked up while playing for the reserves.

This has given boss Clive Walker a problem "We are down to the bare bones for these two games and it is highly unlikely to get any better as from now until the end of the season we are playing three times a week. There is no use in complaining and we will have to get on with it, though I am hopeful that I may be able to bring in a loan player to help us out through this". Walker was not willing to name his man but it could well be that Margate utility man Mark Munday is the man he is after. Munday - a target for Walker earlier in the season - has failed to force his way into Chris Kinnear's plans recently and with him being out of contract at the end of season, a loan move could well benefit both parties.

With all the problems Walker looks certain to give debuts to Steve Hafner and highly rated reserve team skipper Danny Welch as he tries to look ahead to next season after seeing Tamworth's march to the title look more and more unstoppable. There have been some incomings at Crabble this week with 19-year-old keeper Peter Jeffs signing on Doc Martens forms until the end of the season. The Maidstone-based former Charlton and Gillingham shot stopper will provide cover with Dave Wietecha's knee injury causing concern, with worries that an operation is required to get the former Folkestone man fully fit for next season.

Dover Athletic are offering free admission for the final home game of the season, against Worcester City on 3rd May, to supporters who collect tokens from the programmes for forthcoming fixtures at Crabble.

This Monday's programme for the game against Halesowen, and the following 5 home programmes (Tiverton, Grantham, Cambridge, Hednesford and Havant), will include differently numbered vouchers. Any adult able to produce all 6 vouchers will be admitted FREE to the Worcester match on 3rd May.

Any adult able to produce 4 out of 6 will be admitted for half price.

SeaFrance have made available to Dover Athletic 9 places in their executive box at Priestfield for Gillingham's First Division game on 15th March. Food, refreshments and a tour of the stadium are included. The club are inviting bids for this package. Interested parties should phone 01304 821030 by mid-day on Thursday 6th March, leaving their name address and phone number.

In light of the recent ITV digital fiasco, the funding of Football Clubs all the way down the pyramid has come under the spotlight. In our particular hemisphere, it's felt that to sustain a challenge for the Conference, a turnover in the region of £1m per annum is required, and upward of £600k purely to survive.

When we took over running the Board of Dover Athletic, it was clear that we would struggle to achieve £400k, and it was not surprising, therefore, that the Club surrendered its Conference status after nine years last season.

We felt we had to find the correct level for Dover Athletic to operate given the demographic logistics of the Club (i.e. we are not in a great catchment area, we have our backs to the sea and just about every away match presents a journey of more than 2 hours).

An ideal template for financial stability, and in that I infer a break-even trading position, is to subdivide the key areas of income into four, against which we required £100k of revenues from each of:-

1. League Gates
2. Sponsorship & Advertising
3. Centre Spot & Events
4. The Striker Lottery

At present, we look set to achieve the first. We average around £4.5k per home fixture and the 21 games look set to see us through there. In cash terms, this is more or less sufficient to pay a week's wages but then we're not at home every week!

What doesn't help, however, is the league's insistence on playing half the fixture in the first third of the season and then to have a mid-Winter deluge and finish up playing the other half of the fixtures during the final third of the season.

While the Cash Flow ramifications are obvious, the local economy does not sit well with four matches in 12 days and this has reduced the attendances on occasions and will doubtlessly do the same as we near the end of the fixture list.

In terms of Sponsorship and Advertising, this aspect of a Club's finances needs to begin rolling after Christmas in order to negotiate with businesses and individuals. As we did not receive clearance to play football until 29th June and nothing seemed to have been put in place by the previous Board, we were always chasing shadows in this area.

We were also disappointed by a number of sponsors and advertisers who felt they had been treated badly in the past and were looking for "something for nothing". This was obviously an impossible task and some advertisers hoardings are notably conspicuous by their absence.

However, we are already contacting local businesses, have hired a professional on a commission basis and are attempting to forge closer links with the Town Centre Management to see whether we can be more successful as a group.

The fledgling Supporters Trust has put considerable weight behind the Centre Spot and its use for events ultra-Football. Aside from the efforts of various members to spruce up the premises during the summer, it will take time before the Club House is seen as a regular venue and this is more likely to come fully on stream next season.

One area of considerable disappointment is the Striker. Two Trust members (I won't name them) recruited more than 500 new members for the Striker during the summer, yet the weekly take has actually fallen back.

This is due to the failure of the local community to put themselves forward to collect the money, even though this is a paid function. We have now recruited a full time canvasser who will work closely with the promoter to retrieve some £50k of annual income that is there for the taking but simply needs collecting.

Dover Athletic as a community-based, Supporter-funded Club is probably no different than any other in that it is the few that do the work of many and a similar relatively small cache of people contribute to and support just about everything.

While I'm sure everyone in the town (fans and non-fans alike) were delighted when the Whites appeared for the first time this season (albeit in light blue as the new kit had not arrived), many believed the hard work was over and survival was just a matter of kicking a ball!

When we felt there was no alternative left other to opt for a CVA, in view of the demands being placed by the Inland Revenue following a whole succession of broken promises, we recognised that this would be a long haul and not until we come out the other end in 5-years time would we feel any respite.

We have been fortunate in that the squad assembled by Clive Walker, a manager seemingly content to remain in the background but (in truth) whose pedigree remained largely overlooked by previous administrations, attained the dizzy heights of the 1st Round proper of the F.A. Cup, for the first time in this Club's history.

For a few weeks in November, the town was abuzz and offers of assistance came thick and fast, every one keen to be associated with the (relative) success. Unfortunately, a lucky goal ended a dream but still made sure that our finances were intact and the proceeds will hopefully see us through to the end of the season.

Without this, we may have been dead in the water by Christmas, before approaching certain individuals who have backed the Club previously and may have once again stepped in to save the Club.

There is no magic formula for funding a football club and fairy tales rarely manifest themselves at this level of football. Sanity is survival and comes through sheer hard work.

The Club's supporters voted for a stake and a say in the how the Club operates. Every man jack has a responsibility to ensure their club remains the focal point of a town probably going through its worse period both socially and economically since the War.

We all need to be proud of something - be proud of the Whites!

Steve.

A year is a long time in football and for striker Tommy Tyne in particular. The former Millwall man who joined in last season's ill-fated relegation campaign and was farmed out on loan to Welling for the last third of the season, is really enjoying his renaissance at the Crabble and can not believe the change in the club's fortunes. The 21 year old stated "This season has been brilliant for us all, better than any of us expected. The spirit of the team is fantastic we were all good mates off the pitch and that helps on the pitch. We have no big time charlies at then club anymore. We are enjoying our football and we have the basis of a good young side developing. Last year the club was not a great place to be but this year we are flying and we are hopeful it can continue".

He is also hopeful that he himself will find himself more and more on the scoresheet "Scoring goals is all about confidence and I am getting it back, but as long we carry on winning none of us cares who scores".

Clive Walker's latest signing, 19-year-old Steve Hafner, could be involved in today's match against old rivals Welling United, manged by ex-Whites boss Bill Williams. Hafner, signed until the end of the season having been released by cash-strapped Folkestone Invicta, can play at wing-back or in midfield and previously played for Sittingbourne.

Meanwhile, Walker's options are further strengthened by the return from suspension of Steve Norman and Danny Chapman's recovery from the injury that kept him out of Tuesday's draw at Scarborough.

Dover's Dr. Martens League match at home to Hednesford Town, which was postponed on Sunday, has been rescheduled for Monday 14 April.

Influential Dover skipper Andy Arnott has been handed a further two match ban by the FA for his sending off in November against Newport. Arnott, who was ordered off for striking counterpart Jason Perry received an original three match ban for a straight red but was shocked to hear that he had to face a further two match ban plus a £150 fine after the referee noted in his report that Arnott used "abusive language" after being ordered off.

A gutted Arnott stated "It is so frustrating as I have been out injured for six weeks and the ban starts when I am back. There is no room for appeal as I did not appeal over the original red card but all at the club think that the decision is a disgrace. They have not informed anyone about this, the first we knew about it was the letter arriving at the club last week."

Arnott's ban starts on February 10, making him available for this Sunday's clash against Hednesford at Crabble. Meanwhile, striker Paul Sykes has been handed a four match ban after his sending off against Chippenham, making him likely to be unavailable for the rest of February.

Scarborough and Dover Athletic will try again to play their Fourth Round FA Trophy tie next Tuesday (11 February). The game has been postponed twice already and also caused Dover to again reschedule their Dr. Martens League game at Havant & Waterlooville, which was originally to have been played on New Year's Day and then had to be moved from this week to avoid clashing with the Trophy tie. This game will now be played on Tuesday 8 April.

Forest Green Rovers are guaranteed a trip to the seaside in the Fifth Round of the FA Trophy but will have to wait at least until tomorrow night to find out whether they will be visiting Scarborough or Dover.

The winners of Tuesday's Fourth Round tie between the ex-league side and the Whites, rescheduled from Saturday because of bad weather, will play hosts to the Gloucestershire side in the next round.

Dover's league match at Havant & Waterlooville, originally scheduled for Tuesday evening will now be rescheduled.

Dover central defender Nicky Humphries has started the slow recovery back after his horrific leg break in November. The talented youngster who was forging an excellent backline alongside Andy Arnott and Dean Readings landed awkwardly on the sodden Crabble turf and broke his leg and fractured his ankle in the clash against Tamworth. He admits it is likely to be a long time before he pulls on the White shirt again.

"I am currently undergoing physio and doing a great deal of swimming which will hopefully strengthen the muscle. I do not want to rush it however and it is highly unlikely that I will be training with the rest of the lads before next season. There will be a great deal of hardwork to be done but I am certain it will be worth it in the end as I want to be back in contention for the first team in August".

The City banker, who admits that he misses the banter with the lads and is not a great watcher of the game, made his first trip back to Crabble for the Trophy victory over Gravesend and is pleased with how the side is faring.

"We have got some good players at the club and hopefully we can improve and push up the league further and hopefully challenge for promotion".

The Board are investigating certain alleged incidents towards the end of the recent match with Worcester City. While nothing has been received of an official nature, both Dover Athletic and Worcester City are concerned that the alleged incidents (including remarks of a racist nature) that are largely unwitnessed are being exploited by those who are keen to use Football as a means to further their own agendas.

We can state that Dover Athletic is not prepared to tolerate any form of racist activity or abuse either inside or outside of the Club and will do everything in our power to ensure it is driven out of football.

Dover Athletic's reward for this evening's FA Trophy Third Round victory over Gravesend & Northfleet is a tie against another Conference club. The Whites must travel to Scarborough for a Fourth Round match at the McCain Stadium on Saturday 1st February. Because the squad will have to travel up North on the Friday, the Clive Walker evening that was scheduled for 31st January has been postponed.

Dover's FA Trophy Third Round match against Gravesend & Northfleet at Crabble, postponed on Saturday because of the pitch condition, will now be played on Tuesday evening (14 January), kick-off 7:45pm. The Reserve Team's KCFA Intermediate Cup tie against Ashford Town will now be played at Crabble on Thursday, kick-off 7:45pm

Dover Athletic's postponed game away at Havant & Waterlooville in the Dr. Martens League Premier Division has been rescheduled for Tuesday 4 February. The game originally should have been played on New Year's Day but was called off because of the bad weather.

It seems that the quote from chairman Micky Kemp in Thursday's Dover Mercury, and the subsequent report based on it on this website, were inaccurate and the club have not yet made a decision to resign from the Dr. Martens League.

"We have applied to join the proposed North and South Conference feeder league" was the comment from Dover's Financial Director Steve Cattermole, but he admits he is still waiting for more information to see if the club will go ahead and resign from the Doc Martens League. The proposal which was revealed in the Non League Paper would see clubs who are in the feeder leagues to the Conference (Doc Martens, Unibond and Ryman) resign from the league and form regionalised leagues below the current Conference league. The board of directors held a meeting at Crabble last week to discuss the matter and Cattermole stated "We have to be interested in pushing the club forward, but we are vary wary of putting all our eggs into one basket. We have not resigned from the Doc Martens league as we have not received all of the information in how this would affect a club in our position, which is only eight months into our five year CVA agreement". The Whites had until January 1st to resign from the Doc Martens league but as this proposal still has to ratified by the FA they were waiting further developments. "The feeling from our meeting is that this is could be an exciting proposal, but it has been put together very quickly without the full story being told. We got the details on the 23rd December and have to make a decision days later. The club has had its fairshare of turmoil over the last 18 months without making a decision which could affect the long term future of the club".

Due to technical problems beyond our control this website has been unavailable for the last three weeks. This was due to our web hosting provider, Square Internet (a.k.a StarHosts), failing to provide the service which we had paid for. Because the issue was not been resolved and we were unable to contact the company at all (it seems their website has suffered the same fate as ours), we have now arranged alternative hosting provided by WebMania, this is the site you are looking at now. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the unavailability of the website and ask you to bear with us while we finish transferring all areas of the site to the new server. As you will see, only a few features are available from the left-hand menu at the moment, expect some broken links and errors over the next few days while the rest of the site is made available again.

Another Dover fixture has fallen victim to the recent heavy rain, this time the home fixture against Halesowen Town scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed.

Dover Athletic have accepted an invitation from the Nationwide Conference to join an expanded Conference next season. The Conference have issued invitations to all 69 clubs in the Dr. Martens League Premier Division, Unibond Premier Division and Ryman League Premier Division. There are two proposals on the table, the first is for up to 22 clubs to join a second division of the Conference. The second is for up to 44 clubs to form two regional (North and South) feeder leagues for the Conference.

Chairman Micky Kemp told the Dover Mercury that the club is in favour of the second proposal and will be voting in favour of it but believes a national Conference 2 is not viable because of the increased travel expenses for the clubs that would be involved.

In order to be able to join the new set-up next season without being fined, the club had to resign from the Dr. Martens League by January 1st, which it has done. There is an element of risk involved because if the Whites do not win promotion to the existing Conference and the plans for expansion do not go ahead they could possibly be forced to play in the Eastern Division next season if the Dr. Martens League refuses to readmit them to the Premier Division.