Co-Chairmen SHARE THEIR PROGRAMME NOTES AHEAD OF Today’s clash with hampton & richmond…
Happy New Year
First and foremost, a very happy New Year to you all. We hope you’ve managed to enjoy the festive period, and we want to begin 2026 by thanking you for the loyalty and backing you continue to show our beloved football club — home and away.
A word on Dover late postponement
We also want to recognise the frustration and disappointment for those supporters who travelled all the way to Kent last Saturday, only to find the match postponed around midday. Many of you had invested significant time, money and effort to follow the team, and we know how deflating that is. We understand postponements happen for reasons beyond anyone’s control, but that doesn’t make it any easier when it happens so late in the day — especially for those who go the extra mile for the club.
Incredible away backing at Bath
While we’re on the subject of support on the road, we want to make a special mention of the incredible backing at Bath. By their own figures, 1,021 of you made the journey to Twerton Park — on a weeknight — and that is a remarkable showing. Our supporters have been immense, and it’s something the players and staff genuinely feel.
Resilience — and getting bodies back
As we look ahead, the word we’d use for the season so far is resilience. We’ve had bumps, but the group has stayed together and we’ve kept ourselves in the mix. As we look to build consistency, there’s been real progress in the standards — training, intensity, mentality — and when we’re on it, we look like a side that can hurt anyone in this league.
We’re also coming to the end of a long period where Paul has been denied the option of a full-strength squad through injuries. It’s tested the group and demanded flexibility, but the encouraging news is that we’re now moving towards the point where, within the next couple of games, every member of the squad should be available to the manager. That competition for places and depth across the pitch can be vital in a league as tight as this.
A pivotal run
And make no mistake — the next two months are pivotal. January and February bring 13 games, meaning 39 points to play for, and that is a crucial chunk of the season with just 10 games left at that point. The margins in this division are fine, and momentum can be built quickly, but it has to be earned. We’re not getting carried away, but we’re not hiding either — we believe we can have a strong second half of the season. The message is simple: stick with us. The players feel it, the staff feel it — and when Plainmoor is together, we’re a force.
Plainmoor attendances
We’d also like to say thank you again to everyone who joined us on Boxing Day, giving us our biggest attendance of the season so far. You can feel the momentum building at Plainmoor.
Comparing like-for-like up to New Year’s Day:
- 2024/25 (first 12 home league games): average 3,361
- 2025/26 (first 12 home league games): average 3,434
That’s an increase of +73 per game (around +2.2%) — the highest since 1993/94 under Don O’Riordan, when we finished 6th in Division Three. Across 12 games, that equates to a cumulative total of 41,208 so far this season compared to 40,332 at the same stage last season — a rise of +876 supporters.
Today’s match
Today we welcome Hampton & Richmond to Plainmoor. We want to be a team that nobody fancies playing — organised, aggressive, and hard to beat — especially here at home. Let’s make sure they know they’ve come to a place that demands everything from visiting teams. Bring the noise, get behind the lads from the first whistle to the last, and let’s attack this crucial run together.
Come on You Yellows!
Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Michael Westcott & The Board
