More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Dover new boy Marvel Ekpiteta discovered his previous club Macclesfield had been wound up when he read about it online.
Ekpiteta had only just joined Macc from Newport when the High Court called time on the Cheshire club over debts of more than £500,000.
The defender had cut short a second loan spell at Ebbsfleet to move to Moss Rose on a 12-month deal but was soon looking for another club, with Macclesfield subsequently expelled from the National League.
Dover stepped in and Ekpiteta made his debut on Saturday as Andy Hessenthaler’s side upset Notts County 1-0 at Crabble.
He’s just happy to be playing after a pre-season like no other.
“I had another year left at Newport but they told me I wasn’t in their plans so I went looking for a loan and got one at Ebbsfleet,” said Ekpiteta.
“An opportunity then came up to sign a permanent contract at Macclesfield - which Ebbsfleet were really good about - and I thought everything was fine because they were signing so many players.
“I literally saw on the internet on our day off that the club had been wound up.
“We went in the next day and the gaffer (Tim Flowers) and everyone spoke to us.
“I thought they’d sort it out but when I went in it seemed serious.
“They were still confident they’d be OK but then the next week everything started going downhill, so I knew it wasn’t going to end well.
“I was quite worried because it was the last week of pre-season and it’s hard to get a club so late but luckily Dover came in for me.
“A few of the boys still don’t have clubs.”
Dover have had much-publicised financial problems of their own this summer, with the impact of Covid-19 hitting club coffers.
But they’ve managed to keep going, with Ekpiteta one of four new signings unveiled on the eve of the new season.
Another new recruit, on-loan Millwall defender Harry Ransom, scored the 89th-minute goal that sunk Notts County.
It was the perfect start for a Whites side whose boss Hessenthaler is focused solely on keeping them in the division.
“I’ve been training but I didn’t play any pre-season games, so Saturday was my first game since March,” said Ekpiteta.
“It was good, the boys played really well and worked well as a team.
“It was a good performance - we deserved to win.
“The boys have helped me settle in and the gaffer has been really good with me.
“He’s a good man-manager. Kevin Watson was as well at Ebbsfleet last season.
“When the gaffer’s like that you’re not afraid to ask them anything and they tell me what I can do better.
“You play better when you’re comfortable with the gaffer.
“We’re going to see how the season goes but survival has to be the aim and hopefully we end up as high as possible.”
Dover travel to Bromley tonight looking to build on their Notts County win.
It will be hosts’ first game of the season as they had been due to start against Macclesfield.
“I’ve not been to Bromley before so I’m looking forward to that,” said Ekpiteta.
“They’re a good team but hopefully we can go there and get a result.”
