Leicester will face Dover Athletic in the 2nd round of the FA Cup. This is another team competing on the 6th level of English football, in the National South, currently 12th in the table, with a total of 24 teams.
This is a new away event for Leicester, having defeated Oxford City 4-2 in the 1st round of the tournament, played on an artificial turf. This game will be played at Crabble Athletic Ground, with a natural grass surface.
Dover Athletic are a semi-professional football club from Dover, Kent, England. They play in the National League South, the sixth level of English football. The club was formed in 1983 after Dover F.C. closed, and took its place in the Southern League.
In 1989–90, Dover Athletic won the Southern League title but could not be promoted because their ground did not meet the required standards. They won the title again three years later and reached the Football Conference, where they spent nine seasons before being relegated in 2001–02. In 2004, Dover moved to the Isthmian League. After one season in its Premier Division, financial problems led to relegation. Dover won Division One South in 2007–08 and the Premier Division in 2008–09, earning promotion to the Conference South. After five seasons and three play-off appearances, they beat Ebbsfleet United in the 2013–14 final to return to the Conference Premier. Dover were relegated to the National League South at the end of the 2021–22 season after earning just one point.
The team usually wears white shirts, so they are nicknamed the Whites. They have played at Crabble Athletic Ground since the club was formed. Their best FA Cup runs were reaching the third round in 2010–11 and 2014–15. In the FA Trophy, their best result was reaching the semi-finals in 1997–98.
🏆 The moment we found out we’d be facing Leicester City at Crabble!
— Dover Athletic FC (@DoverAthletic) November 9, 2026
Safe to say the Centre Spot enjoyed that one! 🤩#DAFC | ⚪⚫️ pic.twitter.com/ZVXyHuBH7F
They entered this season’s FA Cup in the second qualifying round, beating Folkestone Invicta 4–2 at home. They then defeated Hanwell Town 2–1 away in the third qualifying round and Dorking Wanderers 3–2 in the fourth. In the first round, they beat Wealdstone 2–0.
Looking at their history, former Leicester manager Peter Taylor also had a short stay at this club. Taylor took on the job as manager of then a Conference (National League) club in 1995–96 season and guided the club to 20th, enough to stave off the threat of relegation as only two clubs were relegated that season.
This was in fact the first time he bumped into Junior Lewis who represented Dover Athletic from 1993 to 1996, playing 84 league games for the club. Lewis later became a player at Leicester, being brought in by Peter Taylor, the two build their relationship over a number of seasons as a successful pair at different clubs.
During the 2020–21 season, the team played only 15 matches, with none after 30 January 2021, because staff were furloughed due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The club’s results were later cancelled, and it was fined £40,000. It also received a 12-point deduction for the 2021–22 season and another £40,000 fine from the National League. By 29 May 2021, all but four players had been released, and the remaining players had moved from full-time to part-time contracts. Dover began the 2021–22 season with the points deduction and earned only eight points from 33 matches. A 2–0 home loss to Yeovil Town confirmed their relegation to the National League South after eight seasons in the top tier of non-league football. Two seasons later, Dover were relegated again to the Isthmian League after finishing bottom of the table with only four wins. They returned to the National League South in 2024–25 after beating rivals Dartford in the play-off final.
There are also a few other fun facts regarding the Leicester City / Dover Athletic relations, with the former Leicester defender Clive Walker, playing 17 league games between 1962 and 1966, later to become manager of Dover Athletic, being in charge from 2002-2003, and for a second spell 2005 to 2007.
The game is scheduled to take place in the first week of December, but an exact date is not yet set.
Leave a Reply