Isthmian Premier League and former Conference club Dover
Athletic have been given the task of finding £48,000 by 31st
December 2004 if they are stay in existence. The Kent club still has
£23,000 owing as a result of a debt consolidation agreement after the 2002 FA
Cup run, and a further £25,000 has to be paid to the Inland Revenue in VAT
arrears. A winding-up petition served against the club is due to be heard early
in the New Year.
The Dover appeal got off to an excellent start, with £10,000
being raised in the first six days after its launch near the end of November.
However, the Trust Fund co-ordinator, Mike Webb, was quick to stress that this
gave the club’s supporters and well-wishers no cause whatever for complacency
– almost £30,000 was still needed at the time this article was being written,
with only around three weeks to go. Donations to the Trust Fund can be made
either through the on-line Pay-Pal facility which can be found by visiting http://www.doverathletic.com/index2.html
or else by cheque payable to “Trustees of Dover Athletic Football Club” and
sent to:
The Trustees of DAFC
c/o Mike Webb
Town Centre Management
21 Pencester Road
DOVER
Kent
In the event of the appeal being unsuccessful and the club
folding, the Trustees have undertaken to refund all donations (excluding the
3.4% Pay-Pal handling fee, where applicable). Alternatively, non-refundable
donations can be sent to:
Dover Athletic
Supporters' Trust,
PO Box 325,
DOVER,
Kent
CT17 0XG.
Football
in Dover has had an extremely troubled history. The present Dover Athletic FC is of comparatively recent foundation, dating only from 1983. It was formed soon after the demise of Dover FC, which itself was closed down by the Inland Revenue as a result of inability to meet a tax bill. Various earlier attempts to establish a senior football club in Dover were similarly beset by financial difficulties which eventually caused them to go out of business.
With
the demotion of Dover Athletic’s rivals and former tenants, Margate, from the
Conference at the end of last season on account of their own continued ground
problems, these are troubled times indeed for non-League football clubs located
at this south-eastern corner of Kent.
CJ. 7-12-2004
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