The Dart(s) Board

Babylon wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 7:18 pm For the last 10 years I have bought a season ticket but like a lot of other regular fans I am seriously
Thinking about not bothering to get one for the next campaign

I think this could very well be a reason as to why there will be no announcement on the manager position until at least new season ticket prices/sales have started. I myself am not willing to buy a new season ticket until I know who the manager will be so why would they announce it now or in the coming few weeks that Ady will be staying

Next season Dartford will be competing against two new teams with very deep pockets, Eastbourne and Maldon & Tiptree, on the back of two conflicting campaigns. Eastbourne spaffing cash on a full time model that they made a complete mess of and Maldon only just pipping Felixstowe for the Isthmian North title despite having a budget enabling them to pay their manager £75k, Freddie Sears £60k, their keeper £50k plus the remaining squad members all on a very decent wedge. Steve King, with his Yellow Pages sized contact book and a full close season to reinvigorate their squad will almost certainly have Eastbourne hammering on the title door. Ex Man City, Kevin Horlock, will be expected to compete for top spot, too, by Maldon’s publicity obsessed owner. Maldon won the Isthmian North title because of an almost perfect home record. Away from home they got found out a few times. I think the board will need quite a few more DJ days on the pitch to provide a significant increase in Ady’s promotion push fund…

I think skip that Eastbourne would be dropping into the Southern League maybe? I could be wrong.

https://dartfordfc.com/2026/04/im-bitte ... off-place/

Uh oh more talk of the B word…

DartfordHero wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 8:33 pm

Babylon wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 7:18 pm For the last 10 years I have bought a season ticket but like a lot of other regular fans I am seriously
Thinking about not bothering to get one for the next campaign

I think this could very well be a reason as to why there will be no announcement on the manager position until at least new season ticket prices/sales have started. I myself am not willing to buy a new season ticket until I know who the manager will be so why would they announce it now or in the coming few weeks that Ady will be staying

While not necessarily my personal choice, if I put money on this it will be on Pennock staying on as manager next season.

Lars Resort wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:34 am I think skip that Eastbourne would be dropping into the Southern League maybe? I could be wrong.

Eastbourne is further east than Burgess Hill, Whitehawk and Lewes. They'll definitely be in the Isthmian.

We'll also get Enfield Town, Three Bridges and whoever wins the D1SE play-off (Croydon Athletic, Whyteleafe, Jersey, Sittingbourne), Maldon & Tiptree from D1N and possibly Leatherhead from D1SC, depending on who wins the D1N play-off.

Lars Resort wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:34 am I think skip that Eastbourne would be dropping into the Southern League maybe? I could be wrong.

Possibly, LR, but the last unofficial lineup showed them in the IL Premier. Would be handy if they were diverted elsewhere, of course

I think we should look for an outside investor to come in and help run the club and have done so for a while. I brought it up at the last AGM (that went down well....)
Sure it doesn't guarantee success but it would improve your chances.

As for the b word....
I'm sick to death of hearing managers bringing it up and using it as an excuse. I dont recall Kingy ever publicly moaning about the budget and he assembled one of the best squads we've ever had with some quality players regularly competing for promotion to the NL. So it's possible.....

It must be discussed at interview and if the manager doesn't think he can put together a side to compete don't take the bloody job. The best players don't always make the best side so use your contact book, stop moaning and get on with it. To allow this constant moaning is imo harming the club and sending out a really negative message. The board should grow some and bloody stop it.

Reading Adys last interview I sense he will be here next season but from what im hearing, it could be another total rebuilding job........

Annoyed?? Yes i bloody am.
But i WILL be renewing my season ticket and be there supporting every week because it's still MY team.

If Pennock stays, it’s the biggest signal of negativity even before the season starts! He’s simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH. JFC - WAKE UP!

May I suggest that if you don't buy a season ticket because you don't believe in the set-up/manager but you still refer to DFC as your club, then take up sponsorship of a player.
I have done this for 10+ years because of work/travel to games/cherry picking my games (which started with the rule of Dowson, total waste of space).
I love the club and it's my way of supporting it. I don't have an opinion on who would make a good manager at this time but I seem to remember I had a good opinion of SK but was quickly put down with that.
I do think there will be an exodus of players this summer and if Ade is still here he has my full backing. But I do think he is up against it. He either has a thick skin or is totally unaware of what goes on on here.
Roland Edge also talks sense with me but if Ade goes I feel he would go also.
It could be a turbulent time during the Summer.
Have a good one, and see you next season. Whatever happens.
COYD's

Odd-ball wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 8:40 am

Undercover Elephant wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2026 11:01 pm

Bagdhad Billy wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2026 8:11 pm The big elephant in the room regarding budget is that we still pay TB as one of only 2 full time employees at the club which takes a massive chunk of budget away from management recruitment (Ady we could only afford to pay part time) and player budget.

When we were in the national they made TB a full time employee of the club which made sense in that situation. If I remember rightly back then we were paying him 50k a year to manage the club, if he is still on that or there abouts that’s a hell of a lot of money we aren’t using on the squad or management team.

The reason TB is still a full time employee is in my eyes another reminder of the “boys club” mentality within the board bcus nobody would ever tell there mate in the boys club he needs to lose his salary when he came away from the 1st team management.

Might be wrong but with how the club has been run over the past 10 years It still feels like a boys club mentality and everyone is just too nice to each other at board level.

I think you may find that TB is paid via the academy side of the football club and not directly effecting the playing side of the budget, you may want to confirm this with the club.

Talking of the academy....I heard because the men's have not been promoted the 2 year limit is now over and the academy will be relegated aswell !

Also heard this over the weekend. Ben does an amazing job with the academy, this will only make it harder to attract decent young players to the club.