DOVER, England — There were only 486 supporters there to see it, on a night when the mist from the English Channel rolled in and out of the tiny Crabble Stadium, but after 364 days that have seen them become, statistically at least, the worst team in England, Dover Athletic finally won a game.
Alfie Pavey’s 59th-minute goal on Tuesday night was the first time Dover had taken the lead in front of their home fans all season — a season in which they’d lost 20 and drawn four of their previous National League fixtures and failed to win any of their three cup ties. In the end, Eastleigh became the first team to lose to Andy Hessenthaler’s side since Barnet suffered a 3-1 defeat here on Jan. 26, 2021.
Two fans were pictured wearing T-shirts under their coats bearing the words “I saw Dover win.” They’d been wearing them to games for the past three months, in hope rather than expectation, as the worst run in the side’s history grew longer and longer.
Despite the obvious punchlines, Dover’s predicament is no joke for those involved with the club. A team of part-time players, attempting to compete in a league that includes the likes of Wrexham, who are owned and funded by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Dover have been anchored to the foot of the National League all season. They were even deducted 12 points, and fined £40,000, for failing to fulfill fixtures last season due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
“We were set up to fail this season,” Jim Parmenter, the Dover chairman and owner, told ESPN. “So I decided that we would only spend what we could afford this year because we were never going to succeed with a 12-point deduction.
“This league is getting so tough now. The money being spent by some clubs is unbelievable. Wrexham have just paid £300,000 to sign a player from Wimbledon — two leagues higher than us — with a £200,000…
Source : espn
