Dover chairman Jim Parmenter has been encouraged by the positive response to his impassioned plea for support from the community.

Mr Parmenter spoke out in the wake of just 588 people attending Dover’s 2-1 defeat to Southport at Crabble last week, threatening to “walk away from the club entirely unless people get behind the club and give us some support.”

Speaking after a crowd of 726 watched Tuesday night’s 2-1 win against Welling, Mr Parmenter admitted: “A few people with personal axes to grind are using it as an opportunity to have a pop at me personally but that’s fair enough.

“I’ve been encouraged – firstly by the crowd on a cold, wet Tuesday, a few days before a big game on Saturday – but also by the number of people who have come up to me and offered support and the number of messages of support I’ve had. It’s been fantastic.”

Dover play host to former League side and play-off chasing rivals, Tranmere on Saturday and Mr Parmenter said he was hoping for a crowd of more than 1,200.

He said: “We have got a massive raffle on the pitch on Saturday and lots of local businesses have donated good prizes as a way of trying to help the club get the people in. It’s positive and we’re all encouraged by that."

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK'S DOVER MERCURY