CHAMPIONS: Hessenthaler will guide us to the Football League - Parmenter

DOVER ATHLETIC chairman Jim Parmenter paid tribute to Andy Hessenthaler after the manager guided the club to back-to-back titles yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Whites will be playing Blue Square South football in August, having romped to a 6-0 home win over play-off chasing Sutton United yesterday, which clinched the Ryman Premier League title by SEVENTEEN points on the day when the clocks sprung forward.

Hessenthaler’s men put on a purely scintillating, magnificent and awesome display which saw the Hess Express rip Sutton to shreds as the Kent side turned in arguably their best performance of a truly incredible season.

Dover Athletic’s title was confirmed after Sam Adams scored a late penalty for Hastings United, who held second placed Staines Town to a 1-1 draw at The Pilot Field.

“I stood over by the tunnel there and when I heard the crowd cheering for no particular reason, I realised Hastings must have got an equaliser,” Mr Parmenter told BBC Radio Kent yesterday.

“Up until that point, I wasn’t sure we were going to do it today.”

Mr Parmenter said it was the best performance from any Dover side since taking over the club four years ago.

“What a fantastic performance, probably the best performance I’ve ever seen from a Dover Athletic side,” he said.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I was with that performance. It’s great to win two promotions in two years. It’s fantastic to do it at home in front of our home crowd and with a real champions'
performance.”

Mr Parmenter heaped praise on former Gillingham ace Hessenthaler from taking the club from Ryman League Division One South to Blue Square South in his first two seasons at the helm.

“We took over the club (in 2005), we all know what sort of mess it was in at the time and it’s been a gradual progress,” explained the chairman.

“Andy came on board two years ago and it’s been upwards and onwards since then.

“Andy’s a fantastic professional, we’re very like in character as well. We get on very well, we have the same views on discipline and how the club should be ruin and the professionalism we should bring into it.

“I’ve never worked with a manager like Andy, he does a fantastic job and he fits in Dover Athletic like hand and glove really.”

Despite winning the title at ease, Mr Parmenter insists standards won’t drop for their remaining five league games.

They travel to basement boys Heybridge Swifts next Saturday, and they will be presented with the trophy following their home game against Boreham Wood on Easter Saturday, before travelling to Bourne Park to lock horns with Maidstone United two days later.

Wealdstone, who have climbed up towards the play-off’ reckoning, visit Crabble for their penultimate game before Dover Athletic play their last game as a Ryman League club at Kent rivals Tonbridge Angels on the final day of the season.

“We’ll be receiving the trophy next home game I believe,” said Mr Parmenter. “Then, the last home game of the season I think we’ll be unveiling our new kit for next year and our sponsor for next year so there’s going to be a lot going on in our last two home games.

“We’ll be seeing a few players trying for new contracts for next year, maybe see one or two new faces coming into the club, just to see we’ve got some talent on display for next year.”

The chairman added, “It’s a testament really to not only the management team but also the squad of players we’ve got here - a fantastic bunch of lads really, professional from all the way through the squad.

“They are all very talented and we’re really pleased to have them here at the club.”

All attention now turns towards preparing for next season’s Blue Square South campaign.   The Kent club are now only two more promotions from League Two - the club's ultimate goal.

“It’s no secret Andy has said he’d like to manager at League level again,” said Mr Parmenter. “I think it will be great if that was at Dover Athletic in a couple of years time.

“I think Andy’s happy here, he’s got an affinity with the club and I think it will take a good offer to prise him away.”

Hessenthaler, also speaking to BBC Radio Kent, following’s his side’s champagne performance, was feeling emotional at the final whistle.

“The effort the players have put in this year has been phenomenal,” he said.

“To put in a performance like that, we also had the Sky Sports cameras here today as well, because they can see something’s happening down at Dover.

“The performance was outstanding! Six-nil, I think that’s the right scoreline, the way we played today was tremendous.

“We put a performance on today which epitomises this football club from the day I walked in. We want to pass the ball from one, not just 1 to 16, the whole squad and I think that’s what it’s all about.

“A tremendous effort, great effort, pleasing on the eye, in front of the home fans and we’ve won it so I’m absolutely delighted.”

Hessenthaler was also proud that his side have scored over 100 competitive goals, but with his side now on 94 points, he wants to break the century mark points wise as well.

“That’s tremendous. The players are going off (the pitch) and they deserve all the accolades as far as I’m concerned they were tremendous.

“To get to 100 goals, we now want to get to 100 points. I want to win the next five games, as simple as that. There’s no reason why we can’t, playing the way we did today.”

Quotes courtesy of BBC Radio Kent - www.bbc.co.uk/kent

Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com

To watch highlights and listen to interviews, please visit www.dafctv.co.uk