Dover Athletic’s first home game in the Conference South next season promises to be a real pot boiler.

Chris Kinnear’s side will take on Ebbsfleet United at Crabble on Tuesday, August 20, after a frantic close season in which eight players from the clubs have switched their allegiances.

The interchange of players between the clubs followed the appointment of Steve Brown as Ebbsfleet manager last month after he had quit as Whites’ coach at the end of last season.

Five members of Dover’s squad from last season, Dean Rance, Daryl McMahon, Ben May, Billy Bricknell and Shane Huke have since signed for Ebbsfleet, while three Fleet players, Nathan Elder, Craig Stone and Liam Bellamy, have decided to make the journey in the opposite direction after being involved in Fleet’s unsuccessful fight to avoid relegation from the Conference Premier last season.

By another quirk of the fixture computer, all of Whites’ opening four matches will be against sides new to the Conference South. They open their campaign on Saturday, August 17, with a trip to newly-promoted Gosport Borough, who will be playing Conference football for the first time after beating Hemel Hempstead in the Southern League Premier Division
play-off final.

Then, following the Ebbsfleet clash, Dover will be at home again on Saturday, August 24, to Concord Rangers who won the Ryman Premier Division play-offs last season. Two days later, on Bank Holiday Monday, August 26, Kinnear’s side will travel to Brighton to meet Whitehawk, the Ryman Premier Division champions.

Whites’ first match against a side who they also played last season will be at home to Hayes & Yeading on Saturday, August 31.

Sat 17 Aug Gosport a
Tue 20 Aug EBBSFLEET UTD H
Sat 24 Aug CONCORD RGRS H
Mon 26 Aug Whitehawk a
Sat 31 Aug HAYES & YEADING H
Sat 7 Sep Farnborough a
Sat 14 Sep WESTON-SM H
Tues 17 Sep Sutton United a
Sat 21 Sep Bath City a
Sat Sep 28 FA Cup 2QR
Sat 5 Oct DORCHESTER H
Sat 12 Oct Eastbourne Boro a
Sat 19 Oct HAVANT & WAT H
Sat 26 Oct EASTLEIGH H
Sat 2 Nov Basingstoke a
Sat 9 Nov BROMLEY H
Sat 16 Nov FA Trophy 3QR
Sat 23 Nov Chelmsford City a
Sat 30 Nov SUTTON UTD H
Sat 7 Dec Eastleigh a
Sat 14 Dec FARNBOROUGH H
Sat 21 Dec Staines a
Thur 26 Dec TONBRIDGE H
Sat 28 Dec Ebbsfleet United a
Wed 1 Jan Tonbridge a
Sat 4 Jan BISHOPS STORT H
Sat 11 Jan MAIDENHEAD H
Sat 18 Jan Dorchester a
Sat 25 Jan Boreham Wood a
Sat 1 Feb CHELMSFORD H
Sat 8 Feb Weston SM a
Sat 15 Feb BATH CITY HSat 22 Feb Havant&W a
Sat 1 Mar GOSPORT BORO HSat 8 Mar BASINGSTOKE HTue 11 Mar Bromley a
Sat 15 Mar Maidenhead a
Sat 22 Mar EASTBOURNE BORO HSat 29 Mar BOREHAM WOOD HSat 5 Apr Bishops Stortford a
Sat Apr 12 STAINES HSat Apr 19 Concord Rangers a
Mon Apr 21 WHITEHAWK HSat Apr 26 Hayes&Yeading a