One Town, One Team, One Dover. This is the story of a club that went 364 days without a win. Fans of Dover Athletic have been through a journey like no other as they look to return to old ways following a major setback.
Dover. A town famous for its white cliffs and ferry port. A town that welcomes thousands of people daily who embark on an adventure across the Channel. Many just see Dover as the ‘last stop’ before their holiday, all oblivious to what brings the town together, the football club. A few miles away from the coast stands Crabble Athletic Ground, known locally as ‘Crabble’, where Dover Athletic play their home games.
1983. The year Dover Athletic, nicknamed ‘The Whites’, were founded. Climbing up the football ladder can be challenging for many clubs across the country, both financially and practically. But not for Whites. They surged through the divisions and their popularity increased.
However, the club’s so-called ‘glory days’ have come in the last decade. A play off spot in the 2015/16 season paired with a number of mid table finishes in the National League placed the club in good spirits.
However, the unpredictability of the past few years has put Dover in a torrid position. COVID-19, as everyone knows, took a huge toll on businesses across the country, Dover Athletic was no different.
The lack of matchday revenue left the club with a mountain of debt, leading to players and staff becoming part-time workers. There was a fear amongst supporters that Dover Athletic could become the next ‘Bury’, a club that had been expelled from the English Football League due to financial difficulties.
Carrying on through the pandemic was not financially feasible for the Whites. Jim Parmenter, Dover Athletic chairman, took the decision to postpone the club’s matches midway through their 2020/21 season. He said: “For 15 years, I have run the club without debt, and I do not intend to change that now. The club will be unable to fulfil further National League fixtures.”
This was the start of the downfall of Dover Athletic. The National League fined the club £40,000 and handed them a 12-point deduction for the 2021/22 season. Undoubtedly, the Whites found it hard to withstand relegation the following campaign and ended the season on just 1 point.
With the Football League within arm’s reach for Dover Athletic only a few years ago, the club now find themselves battling at the depths of the sixth tier of English football.
From the stands
Fans are integral to any football club, but particularly to a club in disarray. Coined ‘the twelfth man’, fans are responsible for providing a positive atmosphere for players to flourish in. It seems cliche to say that Dover fans have been through it all, but it is the harsh reality. Terry Killeen, a 62-year-old lifelong Whites fan, has travelled home and away to follow his local club since he can remember. He admitted the recent downfall of the team has been a hard pill to swallow for the fanbase. Terry, of Lewisham Road, Dover, said: “To see the club I have followed my whole life be near enough destroyed before my eyes has been difficult. The last few seasons have been my worst moments as a Dover fan.”
As the standard of football started to decrease at Dover, so did attendances. Fans could not justify paying the same ticket prices for a lower standard of football. William Killeen, who still attends games at Crabble with his father, has said the atmosphere is unrecognisable to the one he experienced before the pandemic. “Not many are turning up to support nowadays, it’s a lot quieter. It must be quite disheartening for the players seeing the stands become emptier week by week,” he said
The pandemic did not only affect the football club, but also the local community. A study by Loughborough University revealed that 35% of children live in poverty in the coastal town that has a population of over 30,000. Families couldn’t afford to spend the extra money on the weekends to cheer on their local team and the stands at Crabble became sparse as each matchday passed. With the club in the National League South, the attendances have dropped below 700, a concerning number for a stadium that can house 5,745 supporters.
Former season ticket holder at Crabble, Ben Easterby, feels fans have had no choice but to prioritise other things above football after the pandemic. Ben, 19, said: “Obviously when you look at the numbers turning up to Crabble, it’s sad to see, but what can we do? We are stuck in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.” With season ticket sales making up 60% of Dover’s revenue, a diminished fanbase is not good news for the club’s financial situation.
A look inside the club
Football can always look different from the stands compared to what is really going on inside the dressing room. Supporters only get to see 90 minutes of their local club play each weekend, without gaining a perspective from behind the scenes. Speaking to Dover’s media manager, John McNicoll, opened our eyes to the reality of how the club is coping. ‘Harshly treated’ was John’s immediate response when asked how he felt the National League dealt with Dover’s financial troubles. The Whites chairman, Jim Parmenter, also expressed his concern and admitted that these penalties could deter people from putting their money into football clubs. He said: “This should be a warning to anybody that’s thinking of supporting a football club financially, I am disgusted.”
The feeling of discontent became a regular theme. The last few seasons of underachieving and nearly drifting into the seventh tier of English football did not bode well for those inside the club. A frustrated aura began to circulate the dressing room, unsurprising for a club who only have 14 wins in their last 90 league games. John admitted there was a feeling of dejection in a time of woeful form. “The mood has been more negative than positive, but that’s to be expected following poor results,” he said.
It seems like, amidst the chaos, the club always had one shining light, the fans. Starved of wins, the fans who travel with the team are credited highly by the players and staff. John said: “The fans have been amazing, following far and wide despite the setbacks.” The 6am wake ups, the endless train journeys and the battling through the rain. Every aspect of a fan’s loyalty is respected.
The main aim for everyone at Dover Athletic is to return to the glory days and revive the spirit of this town, with the hope of getting it rocking once again. A script like no other but one that seems to be holding on in there.
The important message still stands, without the fans, football is nothing. The power of the sport is unmatched. Fast forward a few months, as the summer sun fades away and the new football season approaches, there is no doubt that the passionate fans of the Whites will come back together once again. Their unwavering support will echo through the stadium as they look to steer their beloved team back to the glory days of old. It’s not just about winning matches or silverware; it’s about reigniting the fire that once burned brightly within the club.
This is Dover Athletic.
Love Island stars who have played in non-league
By Zak Wright