Alan Dowson sacked

[Park Life]

We need a proven non league manger with potential not internal recruitment with minimal experience. Their time will come.

Agree mate, it's not an old pals act.
I'm confident we'll get decent applicants to choose from as we are a much bigger club than we give ourselves credit for.
KTF & COYD

[PeteSamson]

The Board have been 100% correct to have taken the action they have. Taking such action is never an easy decision, and the excellent Club statement sums up the situation so very well. But really, Dowson has been the architect of his own downfall, for any number of reasons.

I have been able to watch more of the Darts this season from afar courtesy of the streamed games, including the Maidstone game, in which I voted for Sam Oduada as MoM, although closely contested by our latest 'keeper Billy Terrell, and indeed I hadn't even realised it was Terrell in goal, until part way through the game, thinking it was still Sandford in his orange shirt!! At times, the team has shown it can play well, but all too often have been very inconsistent, seemingly lacking any pattern of play and players not knowing each others movements. Maybe even a touch of lack of fitness.To me, that was down to team management, coaching and tactics. So much hoofball rather than trying to retain the ball and playing football.


So much has been made of the BudgeT, but the blame for that can be laid at the door of the management team themselves if that was the case, because if performances had been up to scratch and attracting fans, rather than the falling attendances, then there would have been more income coming into the club. Another reason in my mind why the Board were right to take the action they have taken. After all, in Princes Park, we have one of the best facilities in the league, deserving better than what has been on offer recently, and that includes last season as well. I have never before sensed such a disconnect between fans and the Club in all my 60+ years of supporting the Club.

As some others have expressed, I believe there are players in the squad who will now have more to give, and be allowed to play to their strengths, especially with playing for Tony, as team spirit and togetherness was always a strong point of his past teams. Hopefully, the players will be buying into this spirit, although it may take a couple of games to get into the rythym.

It will be interesting to see the size of the attendance when the Darts play their first home match v Weymouth under Tony and can't wait to hear the sound of 'Tony Burman's Black and White Army' coming over the airways when listening to the match commentary.

COYD

[Tall Dart]

I wish I had a like button Pete!!

I think was the best thing for the club, this season has been a massive step back when we should have been building on the previous season.

Douse had switched off from the players and the fans, i'm glad he has gone. The management team have failed and we cannot risk stopping the rot now. I'm convinced there must be some very interesting stories behind the scenes, why the disconnect with so many players?!?

Hope there will be plenty for the fans to cheer about soon.

COYDs

[tommytollbooth]

Alleluia, I was always sceptical about his appointment and his band of "Dads Army" advisors who he never appeared to listen to. Injury prone players like Tommy Block, dismal tactics. The writing on the wall for me was when we were stuffed by Beckenham Town in the FA cup they looked a better team than Dartford. A lot of his short comings were masked when Ebbsfleet surrendered to us in that seasons 2 xmas fixtures. But this season has largely been painful and like many of the Dartford faithful I stopped going to Princes Park. Tony I am sure will do his best in the short term' but get a younger manager in who knows Dartford FC. See you for the Weymouth game.

[Lars Resort]

A brave but correct decision by the board. Let's hope it's not too late and that the players respect it and TB coming in. I'm hopeful that supporters give the players their backing.
I'm sure that Dowse and the crew will go on to another club soon. I'd like to think that some of them might like to give staying a shot but feel they all may go with him.
I personally would have liked to see Christian Jolley stay but again I think he's a Dowse lad.

[KentC]

A brave but correct decision by the board. Let's hope it's not too late and that the players respect it and TB coming in. I'm hopeful that supporters give the players their backing.
I'm sure that Dowse and the crew will go on to another club soon. I'd like to think that some of them might like to give staying a shot but feel they all may go with him.
I personally would have liked to see Christian Jolley stay but again I think he's a Dowse lad.

Christian seems like a good lad and speaks well. I think he may do well in the future.
However this whole team need to move on.

Does anyone know who TB will have in his coaching and support staff

[M1 South]

Disco John Macrae is only a phone call away!!

[The Duke]

Christian Jolley is an intelligent guy with a good footballing background and has been under Dowse;s wing for a few seasons but he really now needs to cut loose , be his own man and develop a FEW good things he has has learnt from Dowse , forget the majority and ADD his own beliefs and I have no doubt he has the ability to become a decent [ modern] Manager

Good Luck Christian = will be watching !!!!!!

[Old Woking United]

What no more 'Dowseball', and have you actually been paying old man Tyler as he wasn't paid at Woking?. Your better off without tbh , this season sounds very much like his last at ours. Crap but more importantly he's to thick-skinned and interviews just get worse. He didn't learn much from his eventual sacking at Woking. Hopefully we won't be playing eachother next season but the way our seasons going it's a definite possibility. Cheers

[rambo]

What no more 'Dowseball', and have you actually been paying old man Tyler as he wasn't paid at Woking?. Your better off without tbh , this season sounds very much like his last at ours. Crap but more importantly he's to thick-skinned and interviews just get worse. He didn't learn much from his eventual sacking at Woking. Hopefully we won't be playing eachother next season but the way our seasons going it's a definite possibility. Cheers

I think you or another Woking fan warned us of the potential “dowseball” risk. Personally I gave up with him in the first half of last season but felt that he may have proved me wrong after the two beatings of Ebbsfleet at the turn of the year. However , no worries he proved me right in the end. Even today I have no idea how we managed to finish 2nd last season last season
I have confidence that we cannot select another manager as bad as Dowse again

[Babylon]

Well done TB for stepping in , a DFC man through and through.

I don't expect miracles but hopefully we can all pull together and get up the table .
The average amount of points required to stay up in this league is 46/47 apparently and that has to be our 1st objective.
Get a good run going and who knows ?
COYDs!!!

[Kebabus]

Managers come and go don’t they but fans are for life, DFC life under Dowse this season was so bad that fans had stopped going.

Board saw sense as I’m sure the coffers were suffering and we lamely exited important cup competitions, league position this season way off what we are used to.

TB steadying the ship and my opinion, please don’t rush into the next appointment please, this club needs healing (including fans).

Agree with others that fans will start coming back again now.

My thoughts on Dowse? Our friends at Woking warned us and let’s face it he blew the play offs last season and his circus was just that, he had little respect for loyal fans venting frustration last season at Swindon, another lame excuse performance.

One chapter closes and another starts, really hoping for an upturn in results to give fans optimism

[Lennylenny]

Everyone going well done board for being brave and sacking him , but who is getting sacked on board for giving him a two year contract?

[Sleightly Deceptive]

Everyone going well done board for being brave and sacking him , but who is getting sacked on board for giving him a two year contract?

Mmmm. Poor one, Lenny. Sorry.

[KentC]

Everyone going well done board for being brave and sacking him , but who is getting sacked on board for giving him a two year contract?

I don’t think it was a brave decision at all, I think it was a tough decision because there’s lots of things to consider including finances.
I think they should have sacked him before now but I understand it’s easy to say but you’ve got to have your house in order for what comes next and a plan B.
In a perfect world being patient with him would work out but as Dowse just got worse and worse then it’s inevitable.

[Bagdhad Billy]

I think the fans saw it wasn’t right along time ago and we had
the board coming out in support and saying crowds are in line
with previous seasons etc etc.

There was an issue there from January last year and the board were in denial until quite recently…. Got to be honest as much as I love what the board have done to save our club etc and I was watching weekly in the Erith and Gravesend ground sharing days, I worry we need new ideas in the boardroom to really make the club reach its potential.

[Park Life]

Everyone going well done board for being brave and sacking him , but who is getting sacked on board for giving him a two year contract?

He may have a two year contract but like previous managers i'd be very very very very very very very very surprised if there wasn't a much shorter notice period.

And Lenny, do you remember your post:-

Re: NEW FIRST TEAM MANAGER: ALAN DOWSON
Post by Lennylenny » Fri Jun 03, 2022 11:09 am

"but the board it seems have made a excellent appointment"

So if there is a notice period no problem then?

[The Futures White]

From what I told the club would have to pay Dowson 6 months wages if he was dismissed.

[Tony H]

Everyone going well done board for being brave and sacking him , but who is getting sacked on board for giving him a two year contract?

Sorry pal, that is just a ridiculous statement.

[Lennylenny]

Yer was a ridiculous statement, one of my many