Men
National League South Tue 31 January Crabble Athletic Ground
Dover
0
Worthing
  • Wills (11')
  • Pearce (26')
  • Kealy (69')
3
0-3

Set into a hillside on one side of a river valley, at the base of this hillside is the ‘lower pitch’ which is now used by Dover Rugby Club. A previous club, Dover FC, played matches here from 1897, before moving to the ‘upper pitch’ in 1951. It was then that the current main stand was opened. Running the full length of the pitch on one side, it is a small, covered, all seated stand, comprising five rows of seats. Opposite this is the new Family Stand that was built in 2016. This runs for half the length of the pitch, towards the Dover End. Smart looking and with a capacity of 500 seats, the stand is covered. On one side there is an unusual looking security control box, which looks out onto the stadium, whilst below the control box is the player’s tunnel. At both ends of the ground are similar looking covered terraces that have a number of supporting pillars. They are slightly unusual in that they are larger on one side than the other, as they have been built on a slope, which is evident from the pitch, which slopes up towards the Main Stand. There is a small scoreboard located above each end terrace.

Tickets

Tickets are only available to buy at the ground on the day. You can find more information on https://www.doverathletic.com/
  • Adults – £16
  • Over 60 – £14
  • U18s – £8
  • U11s – FREE, must be accompanied by a full-paying adult.

Travel

Address: Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent, CT17 0JB.

By Road: Follow A27 to A23 and then M23. Join M25 then take the M2/A2 (following the signs to Canterbury, then from Canterbury follow signs to Dover) as far as the Whitfield roundabout (there is a McDonald’s Drive-Thru on the left). Take the fourth exit at this roundabout, down Whitfield Hill. At the bottom of the hill turn left at the roundabout and follow this road until the first set of traffic lights. At the lights turn right (180 degrees down the hill) and follow the road under the railway bridge, the ground is a little further up the road on the left. There is no parking for supporters within the ground, although parking is available in the rugby ground, which is just inside the main entrance – stewards will direct you. If you have to take the M20/A20 leave the A20 in Folkestone (the exit immediately after the tunnel through the hill) and travel through the Alkham Valley (turn left at the roundabout at the end of the slip-road and then left again, following the signs for Alkham) which will eventually take you near Kearsney train station (turn right into Lower Road just before the railway bridge, before you get to the station).

By Rail: The nearest railway station is Kearsney which is around a 15 minute walk away from the ground. This station is served by trains from London Victoria and Dover Priory, although not all trains stop at this station, so check beforehand. Dover Priory Railway Station is also served by trains from London St Pancras (change at East Croydon if getting a train from Worthing). However, the station is over two miles away from the ground, so either take another train to Kearnsey or take a taxi up to the Crabble grounds. Alternatively you can take the 90 or 91 bus from Pencester Road in the town centre up to the ground.

If walking from Kearnsey to the ground, then on exiting the station entrance turn right and walk down to the end of the station approach road. At the bottom of this road turn right, proceed under the railway bridge and take the next left into Lower Road (signposted River). Continue along Lower Road, passing the Royal Oak pub on your left and at the bottom of Lower Road (with the river on your left), turn left at the t-junction. Follow the road alongside the river passing the Crabble Mill on your left. At the end of this road turn right into Crabble Road and the entrance to the grounds is up on the left.

Ground Facilities & Away Pubs

There is a sizable club house bar within the ground. When games are not segregated, it welcomes both home and away fans and enjoys some great views across the ground. The nearest pub to the ground is the Cricketers on Crabble Avenue, just across the road from the lower rugby pitch. If you arrive at Kearnsey Railway Station, then on the walking route to the ground above, you will also pass the Royal Oak pub that has real ale, offers food and has BT Sports. Otherwise, if you are spending a bit of time in Dover town centre beforehand, then near to the railway station on Cannon Street is a Wetherspoons pub called the Eight Bells. This pub is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

More Information

Enjoy your visit!