More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler doesn’t think it’s right to be playing football now Kent has been placed in Tier 4.
Hessenthaler’s Whites squad will carry on playing until they are told to stop but the former Gillingham boss admits it’s strange to continue while so many other parts of society are in lockdown.
Dover are struggling at the wrong end of the National League after a stop-start three months but that’s got nothing to do with Hessenthaler’s thinking.
“It’s strange that we’re in Tier 4 and still playing football when everything else is shut down,” said Hessenthaler. “Even the gyms are locked and we’re still playing.
“It seems strange but if that’s what we’ve got to do then we’ll carry on.
“Personally, perhaps we shouldn’t be playing but if we’re told to carry on then we will do.
“I’m not saying that because of our position in the table. It’s been a stop-start season, we’ve now got to fit the games in and there’s a real in-balance about it.”
Dover have played just nine league games so far. The season has already been extended to the end of May and Whites have a busy schedule ahead in 2021.
There are genuine fears that another lockdown will mean the campaign cannot be completed.
“I’m nervous that we will finish the season or not,” added Hessenthaler. “I think January and February will be key to that.
“If you have more and more games called off and Tier 4 becomes worse then I don’t know where we stand.
“It’s worrying times for us in terms of whether we finish or not. I appreciate it’s only a game of football, however it is also our livelihoods. But people have to make the right decision and too many people are losing their lives at the moment.”
Dover’s scheduled home clash with Chesterfield on Tuesday night was postponed after a Covid outbreak in the Spireites squad.
It was the eighth game this season that Dover have had postponed, mostly for Covid-related reasons.
“We’ve got the fixtures up on our board in the office and it looks like we’ve still got the whole season to play yet – it looks quite daunting,” said Hessenthaler.
“I’m disappointed that the game was off because we wanted to get going again and we knew that three points would take us out of the bottom three before the Dagenham game (on Boxing Day).
“Does it surprise me? It’s going to happen again and again unfortunately.
“It worries me that we’re going into the Boxing Day game versus Dagenham now and I’ll get another phone call from Frank Clarke, our secretary, about a Covid test or problem.
“I’m worried that my phone is going to ring from him as it seems to be bad news at the moment – let’s hope that’s not the case this week.”
Dover’s prospects on the pitch don’t look any easier with much-fancied Dagenham and Sutton next on their schedule.
Whites host Dagenham on Boxing Day before travelling to Sutton less than 48 hours later. The Dagenham game is being televised by BT Sport but a late kick-off and still no fans at Crabble adds up to an unusual experience for Hessenthaler.
“It’s going to be a strange Boxing Day,” he admitted. “We’re kicking-off at 5.20pm which is unusual in itself, we’re playing behind closed doors and we’re on television – plus by the time we kick-off we will be five or six games behind most teams.
“They are two tough games. Dagenham are starting to get going now. They’ve had a slow start which can happen sometimes but it’s not a surprise given their squad to see them picking up results.
“I know some of their players, I think Mitch Brundle will be suspended as he was sent-off recently but I know Paul McCallum really well and he is a goalscorer at this level.
“Sutton are in really good form. Matt Gray has done a fantastic job and they haven’t changed that many players from last season.
“We’ve got some tough games coming up and it’s a great challenge but we also know that it’s in our own hands. We’ve got to embrace what’s ahead of us and see what we can do.”
