Magician's Dover Saga | S3 e02 Transfers part 2, League Two

BACK TO NATIONAL LEAGUE

After their win against Gillingham, team morale skyrocketed. They followed it up with a dominant 5–0 victory over Oldham Athletic. Charlie Hole scored his first goal for the senior team and, impressively, he is only 16 years old. Meanwhile, Dillon continued his outstanding form, scoring six goals in seven matches.



Then we have won 1-0 to Sutton United and unlucky draw with Morecambe 1-1.



I guess the players were a bit annoyed with themselves over how they played, because they went on to demolish Tamworth 3–0, Gateshead 2–0, and then secured another 2–0 win against Braintree. I have to say, we are very strong defensively.





We are top of the league.

DECEMBER

Our first match in December was in the next round of the FA Cup, and we were lucky to draw Chesterfield.

The fans were in great spirits and once again decided to prepare a tifo banner to support the team.
I think they still remembered when the chairman wanted the team to play one of the tactics created by the mastermind Flashy Josh, so they decided to share their opinion.



Well, what more can I say? Just have a look at the result — we absolutely trashed them 5–0.



Then we played FA Trophy against Merthyr and managed a narrow 1–0 win. Job done, no drama.

The next match was against South Shields, and this time we had to settle for a 2–2 draw. We didn’t play badly at all, just a bit unlucky, I guess. Dillon scored twice, but his late goal in the 89th minute snatched the draw.



Then we go two more wins against Maidstone and Woking, both by 2-0.





* The club doesn’t have an Under-21 squad, so to keep the players sharp I sometimes arrange friendly matches and use those who lack match fitness.
* I do the same when the league schedule is light and we’re only playing once a week — or even less.
* In a normal scenario (not with this pack), these friendlies can also be a source of extra income.

Merry Christmas from Dover Athletic Football Club.



I would like to know your opinion.
https://www.fmscout.com/q-34331-Has-anyone-enjoying-my-Dover-Story--Poll.html

January

The chairman visited us during the first training session of the new year and told us he had a surprise. He asked whether we remembered that he had previously mentioned his plan to build new office rooms for rent in order to generate additional income. Then he said he had changed his mind and that the team deserved credit for the work they had done. Instead of offices, he had built two new dressing rooms.



We were delighted. If you’re wondering why there’s a sign on the floor saying “This is not a circus,” it’s because Gillingham fans called us clowns the last time we played them. It seems the Chairman wanted this to be a great reminder of what we’ve achieved this year and last year.

First match of the new year was against Southed. This is second team in the league so we have settle for a scoreless draw.

The next match was against Norwich in FA CUP. Unfortunately we lost 2-0. I quess we are not at that level yet.



We got to the winning way against Alfreton Town in FA Thorpy and beat them 3-1, unlucky scoreless draw with Boreham Wood, and three win in a row against Solihull 1-0, Rochdale 4-1



and Morecombe 2-1 in FA Throphy.

It was a tough match. We scored first in the 46th minute. They equalized from the penalty spot. It looked like the game was heading for a draw, but we kept attacking and scored the winner in the 85th minute.



FIXTURE



I’m quite surprised that everything has been working well in recent months. I thought the financial difficulties would make our progress more difficult. For some reason, money isn’t everything, and with the good cohesion in the squad, we can do great things this season.

February INFO
I think this is a good time to talk about our progress off the field. The financial restrictions this season (save) require me to focus not only on winning matches, but also on controlling expenses.

FINANCE:
Every year, each team has to submit a financial report from the season, and we are no exception. The report indicates that our finances are currently in proper order.



As I mentioned previously, Jim has been in a good mood, so I decided to take advantage of that and ask whether we could turn professional.
Unfortunately, Jim said that we can’t make that switch yet. I assume it was a more polite version of “no,” which isn’t surprising given that he still behaves like a politician at times.



SQUAD:
We are also dealing with some fatigue issues across the team. Several players have played a high number of matches, and it has finally caught up with them. I instructed the staff to adjust their training by removing gym and pitch work, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I suspect that low stamina levels, particularly among players at lower levels, may be a significant factor for the remainder of the season.



With this in mind, I went back to my office and, since we have some room in the wage budget, started looking for cheap reinforcements. I know the available funds don’t sound impressive at just €875 per week, but there are always unemployed players who might consider themselves lucky to play for my team.

I have also completed a couple of coaching courses, which at least shows some personal progress alongside the team’s development.





DYNAMICS:

Team cohesion was also high, which came as no surprise given that we have been performing well above expectations.



Bonus info:

Top transfers in January and February.
It looks like teams are still struggling financially on this Pack and unable to make big signings.

FEBRUARY

TRANSFERS:
Firstly we added Habeeb Ogunneye on loan from Portsmouth.



Then, February 4th, we signed Matthew Craig on a non-contract basis. He appears to be a good player, but at the moment we cannot afford his wages so he only gets pay when he plays.



NATIONAL LEAGUE:

In our first match, we drew 1–1 with Altrincham. We played well, registering 11 shots on goal compared to their 2, yet they scored in the 91st minute. I was not impressed with the result. I had to tell the players that we need to start killing games, as the season is far from over.



In their next match, we thrashed Truro City 5–1.



We then drew 1–1 with Yeovil, won 1–0 against Shrewsbury, and finally secured a 3–1 victory over Aldershot.



We are creating chances. That is not the problem. The problem is finishing them.
I have decided it is a time to look for a striker better than our backup, George Nikaj.
He is a club legend, yes, and I respect that. But in football, sentiment does not win matches.
Progress requires decisions, and sometimes sacrifices.

RESULTS:




Always try to improve your team during the winter break - loan players if their wages are low. It is unlikely they will be recalled, even if they are not playing.

END OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH

On February 23rd, we played Carlisle and won 2–1. We had to come from behind after they scored first from a penalty in the first half, but we managed to score twice and win the match. As in most games, our xG was high, but finishing continues to be an issue.



The next match was against Leamington in the FA Trophy, which we won 1–0.

Then came only our third loss of the season, a 2–1 defeat to Forest Green,



followed by a 1–1 draw with Scarborough. Rak-Sakyi missed a penalty and Habeeb Ogunneye picked up a red card.



I have to say, Habeeb annoyed me a bit. We hadn’t received a single card all season, and he comes in, plays a couple of matches, and manages to pick up two yellow cards and a red. He is lucky to be only on loan.



On top o that George Nikaj suffered an injury and will be out for 5weeks–2 months.



That made me even more motivated to bring in another striker, and we managed to sign Ronny Moncur from Spurs on loan.



Finally, we remembered how winning works, beating Scunthorpe 3–1 and Oldham 2–0. Calm was restored. For now.





RESULTS:

20 MARCH 2027

Our next match was against Hartlepool which we won 2-0.



It was a great game for us, not only because we won, but because we became CHAMPIONS AGAIN.
YES — BACK-TO-BACK PROMOTION! 🏆🔥

I could not believe we gonna make the promotion looks so easy this year.
It was a home match so the ceremony took place after that.






LEAGUE TABLE


It looks like the journey will continue.



Following the match, I was invited to attend the press conference.
Reporter. Good afternoon. Congratulations, You must be extremely happy.
Me. Happy and surprise I didn’t even realize we can gain promotion so early.
Reporter. Everyone is talking about your management skills and praising you for your financial management as well. How have you managed to be good at both?
Me. I have always been very good in those things. I was born with that.
Reporter Your arrogance is back.
Me No. It is called confidence.
Reporter: The board must be delighted with another promotion. Do you expect the chairman to finally invest more?
Me. Yes, but I haven’t had the chance to speak to Jim about it yet.
Reporter. “I know you’ll be keen to return to your players and continue the celebrations. Let me congratulate you once again, as back-to-back promotions are a rare achievement in football.”
Me. Thank you very much, and I’ll see you next time.

“Our latest promotion has gained national attention across leading sports news outlets.”

END OF MARCH





After winning promotion, things started changing very quickly.

Jim was the first to make a move, offering me a new contract. I tried to push for more than €900 a week, but he made it clear that this was the limit. I guess I’ll have to keep my side hustle going a little longer.


Soon after, the new transfer and wage budgets were set, which gave me a clear idea of how much I could spend on improvements. Those improvements would be needed, especially with several players returning to their parent clubs after loan spells, and others — like George Nikaj — being released.

Jimmy finally decided that this is the right time to turn the club professional. I’d been waiting for this moment, knowing it would help attract better players. Financially, we’re doing okay, although I’d still like to see more sponsorship income — unfortunately, someone has made that harder for us.




The transformation into a professional club was completed over the next few days.


After all the off-field drama, we were finally back where we belong — on the football pitch.

The fans decided it was time to show their appreciation for my work. They unveiled another tifo banner… but that wasn’t all.


Soon after, a brand-new chant started echoing around the stadium. It goes like this:

WHO’S GOING UP?
DOVER!
WHY WE GOING UP?
COACH A MAGICIAN — GAME OVER!
First time League Two, yeah we made that move,
Not finished yet, nah, we coming for more!
Hands in the air, let the whole place roar:
DO-VER! DO-VER!
WE! WANT! MORE!

The match was just a formality. We won 3–0 against Carlisle in a dominant performance from the players.


In the final match of March, we faced Sutton United. They’re a mid-table side, but they defended deep all match and we struggled to convert our chances. Fortunately, I made a tactical tweak late on, and it paid off.
In the 91st minute, we finally found the winner. Dillon scored the goal, with our super-talented youngster Finn providing the assist. If he stays with us, he’ll become a club legend. He’s still only 17 years old.

APRIL

Ever since we got promoted and my grumpy face ended up on the news, random people have started talking to me. It’s strange, because before that my tattoos made people think I was someone to be afraid of. It will take some time to get used to this new attention.

Our first match in April was away against Morecambe, and we won 2–0.


After that, we played Gateshead at home and won comfortably, 3–0. Dillon and Maher are developing a very good partnership; both of them scored and assisted in that match.


The next game was also at home, against Braintree. They were in the relegation zone, so they played very defensively, just as we expected. Once again, my players forgot about defending for a moment — Braintree only had three shots on goal, but still managed to score in the 53rd minute. It was up to me to help the team find their way back into the game. I switched to an attacking 4-2-4, and we scored in the 62nd and 82nd minute. The win was ours. Not pretty, but sometimes that’s enough.


Then we added two more wins: a 2–0 victory against Tamworth and a 1–0 win against South Shields.




That was our last match in the league.

RESULTS


The next post will be about the season recap and preparation for the next one.

BONUS: GAME STATUS WINDOW

I know I promised a season recap, but before we can reach that conclusion, there’s one more trip we have to make.



No, we’re not going on holiday. We’re going to Wembley to face Torquay United in the FA Trophy final.




The stats showed that we were in control but couldn’t find the goal. Like I always say, tactics are only a starting point for the match—it’s up to you to make adjustments based on the stats. I switched from a Positive to an Attacking mentality, and that ginger guy Dillon scored in the 70th minute, his first goal.


Then in the 92nd minute, he grabbed his second. The victory was ours.


Just look at the joy from my players. We are making history.




The players celebrated on the journey back to our beloved Dover. When we arrived, the fans were already there, celebrating. They’ve never been happier in recent years.




It was the first FA Trophy win in our history. In the process, we broke the consecutive wins record.
Bailey Wade summed it up perfectly when he posted: “It really doesn’t get much better than this.”
#DoverFC #FAT


We also earned almost £70k for winning it, which made it a huge success from a financial point of view as well.

SEASON RECAP

Personally, I’m still surprised by how we managed to get promoted. I like to think I’m a magician, but the size of the points gap caught even me off guard.


We collected 115 points and lost just three matches over the entire league season. Southend, who finished second, managed only 85 points. We were the league’s top scorers with 96 goals (Carlisle had 82) and also the best defensively, conceding just 29 goals compared to Southend’s 44. By every measure, we completely dominated the league.




The only statistic in which we did not outperform the rest of the league was possession. However, this reflects the style of play I employ with the players currently at my disposal. Perhaps in the future, when I am able to recruit more creative players, we will look to keep the ball more often .

Finn Maher has been a driving force behind our success, finishing the season with the highest number of key passes in the entire league. His development has been remarkable, and I will go into more detail on his progress later.

Osman Kamara scored 12 goals and provided 21 assists.


Toyo Singer, who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, scored 21 goals and added 9 assists.


Finn himself contributed 13 goals and 16 assists.


Cian Dillon, who was outstanding in several matches. He scored 21 goals and added 4 assists.


I can’t overlook the defenders, who played an equally important role in achieving these results.











As you can see, some of the players have been monitored by other clubs, and I anticipate some difficulty in keeping them around for next season.

FULL RESULTS


BOARD
There were also changes around the club. One of the most important was that Jim agreed with me that our facilities need improvement. There were also adjustments to the stadium capacity in order to comply with the new League Two regulations.





However, the most important change concerned ticket prices. Ticket prices were reduced by 22%. I’m not enjoying the financial hardship, but this is the Berserk way.



FINANCE




YOUTH
Unfortunately for us, this year’s youth intake was not very strong. We didn’t attract any high-quality players like we did last year.






I would therefore focus my attention on the ones from last season. As I’ve said before, Finn is developing very well, which is why I monitored his contract situation very carefully. He has now finally decided to sign a new contract until 2030.

Gary: Thank you for accepting our invitation. I know you must be busy these days. You have achieved great things with Dover over the last two seasons.
Me: Thank you. It was a project I found very interesting, so signing for the job felt right. When I took over, I didn’t know it would take only two years for us to make such progress.

Roy: Congratulations on your recent achievement—winning the double with Dover. I didn’t see it coming. I suppose people have stopped calling you the grumpy dwarf now?
Me: It seems people these days prefer to call me the Magician, but I can’t really do magic tricks. It’s just pure knowledge, determination, and leadership.
Roy: I love that answer. You sound like me back in the day.
Everyone laughs.

Ian: Let’s talk about some statistics. Your team scored the highest number of goals—96—and conceded only 29, the lowest in the league. How were you able to find that balance?
Me: I’m aware that most of my players are quite young, so they don’t always listen when I tell them things. But I speak to them very often and try to teach them that you win football matches not only by scoring goals, but also through solid defensive work. It seems they understood that in most matches.

Ian: The stats also indicate that there were a couple of matches where you conceded first and still managed to claim victory.
Me: Yes, like I mentioned before, sometimes the players enjoy going forward so much that they forget to keep the balance. In modern football, with many teams playing more directly, one long ball can easily lead to a goal. I try to avoid that by keeping the defensive line a bit deeper, but we also have to remember that we’re talking about players under 23. They haven’t yet had the chance to fully develop their mental strength and decision-making.

Jamie: Are you not afraid that overachieving could backfire in the long term, as expectations might grow and it could eventually lead to your departure?
Me: I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it sometimes. We do have some financial difficulties, so if there were any good offers for my players, I believe Jim would consider them carefully. That could make my job more difficult, as losing key players or first-team regulars can disrupt the team’s cohesion.
It only takes a couple of bad results for people to start talking. I just hope the boys will keep fighting until the end to keep me here as long as possible.

Jill: The fact that your squad is young and some players could improve significantly — could that make it harder to keep them?
Me: Yes, I’m aware of that. They’ll need to decide what matters most to them. Staying in Dover means they will get playing time, but if they leave, they might end up on the reserve team, which could slow their development.
I always remind them that football is a team game — teams win matches, not individuals. The reason we are where we are today is because we are a collective.

Gary: What are your plans now?
Me: First of all, I need to start looking at reinforcements. Some of the players in the squad are only here on loan and will be returning to their parent clubs. I need to see who might be interested in joining us and whether we can meet their demands.

Gary: Have you sent scouts out?
Me: Scouts? We don’t really have the money for that. Instead, I use data websites to analyze player performances and then contact agents directly to see if their players would be interested in joining us.
So far, we haven’t been able to secure specific transfer targets, but every year there are plenty of young players released by big clubs — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, and others — so we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on those opportunities.

Jamie: You did the same thing last season and it seemed to work well.
Are you planning any holidays?
Me: Yes. The fans have been great, but lately there’s been a lot of intrusion into my privacy. Someone even published my home address online, and people have been shouting outside the apartment complex. It’s starting to cause problems for my neighbors, so it’s something I’ll need to address sooner rather than later.
Once things settle down, I’m planning to go back to Vegas to visit some friends.

Gary: Thank you for your visit. I hope you’ll be in the same mood next year. Congratulations, and all the best on your journey. Salford is waiting for you. 😉
Me: Thanks! So I take it that your team is not planning to get promoted next year?
Everyone laughs.

Before the players went on holiday, there was a celebration organized for them on Jim’s boat. We had reasonable fun, as it was a non-alcoholic party :)



The season ended with the National League awards, and it came as no surprise that I was named Manager of the Year.





I mentioned in my interview on The Overlap show that I’ve been dealing with ongoing complaints from my neighbors about noise pollution. Unfortunately, I have no control over other people’s behaviour, so I’ve decided that it’s time to change my address. To avoid similar problems in the future, I’ve decided that buying a boat will be the best option.





Once I’d taken care of all of that, I was finally able to go on holiday. Vegas, boys.

Jim says if we’re this lucky this season, maybe we can win something at the casino.


No we didn’t.

After that, we parted ways and I went to see my friends. I don’t like Las Vegas very much, as the city is too noisy, too crowded, and there’s the smell of urine everywhere. I’ve been to Vegas before, so it’s not a big deal for me. I actually prefer a place called Goodsprings, which is on the way to Los Angeles.

I love the local pub there, the Pioneer Saloon, which was established in 1913 and is the oldest continuously operating bar in the Las Vegas area. It’s not too crowded in the morning, so it’s the perfect place for a coffee.



One of my friends lives there as well, so we went buggy racing around the Nevada desert.

Hello everyone,

I’ll be launching Season 3 of the Dover Story tonight. I have a concept in mind, but it may change depending on how the story develops both on and off the field.

If you’d like to suggest adjustments to the storyline, please use the other post to make your requests. I’m an extremely busy man, but I’ll do my best to find time for you.

Holiday is over. It is time for business.

JULY:



On the first day back at the club, I met with Jim and the board. We spoke about expectations for next season, and I was a little surprised when they said they wanted a top-half finish. But this is probably my own fault — I shouldn’t have got promoted so quickly.

The expectations are high, yes. But at least they made one thing very clear: they will not interfere with my transfers. And for a manager, that is very important.



I asked the board if they consider a senior affiliate club that could provide us with some cash and possibly send a few good players on loan. This request was granted, and three clubs showed interest: Doncaster (League One), Sheffield United, and Leicester City (both Championship).



I browsed through their U21 squads and decided that Leicester City would be the best choice. After the deal was concluded, I made four loan approaches, all of which were accepted. I thought it would be a formality to bring those players in, but later it turned out they chose other clubs, as they wanted to play at a higher level. It wasn’t very professional, but we had to move on.

I have added them to my blacklist — a list of players I will never sign for Dover, because they showed disrespect to me and the club.

Then I got the news from the groundman that the work on the stadium capacity had been completed.



On top of that, we received £351k from the EFL League Two TV rights. Finances were looking strong, and everything was starting to fall into place.



TRANSFERS

I needed to sell before we could buy.

At the beginning of the month, when the transfer window opened in England, I received offers for Harrison Murray-Campbell — the initial bid was £775k. Since four clubs were interested and his value was around £850k, I increased the offer to £1.1 million, and both Hull and Sunderland agreed. On top of that, they wanted to loan him back to Dover for the rest of the season — very good news.

Just when I thought Hull would get him, Leeds came forward with a £1.2 million offer. I didn’t hesitate and had it accepted. The deal was finalized on 16 July, and Harrison was also sent back to Dover for the rest of the season.





On 21 July, we received an offer for Mofe Jemide from Bolton. He is a good defender at that level, but my coaches told me he has problems with consistency. I had someone else in mind to replace him, so it wasn’t a big deal. I accepted the £400k offer, and he was also sent back to us on a season-long loan.



Tip: English players always sell for more.

It was time to bring in new players, so I started convincing targets to join the team on trial. I set my sights on Alex Campos, Pedro Rodriguez, Oscar Gistau (ex-Barcelona), and Landon Emenalo (ex-Chelsea). I made offers and waited to see what would happen.



I was temporarily blocked from making more offers because I needed to finalize Harrison’s deal first, to adjust the transfer and wage budget. I was also working on bringing in Filippo Distefano (ex-Fiorentina), but he had issues with WP.

Alex Campos and Landon Emenalo accepted my offers, but I had to delay signing due to cash flow issues. They are very good signings, but there is a small problem with their contracts: both have release clauses of £300k+ from clubs in higher divisions. Unfortunately, these clauses were non-negotiable.

I will try to sign new deals with them if they perform well and remove those clauses.

Eventually, after selling Harrison, we finalized the deals. I’m happy to announce our first signing for this season.

On 16 July, we signed Filippo Distefano, an attacking midfielder and striker. He didn’t qualify for WP, so he was allocated one of our ESC spots. He was previously a Fiorentina player but spent most of his time out on loan at other Italian clubs, with his last loan at Carrarese.



On the same day, Alex Campos joined us — a centre-back who is comfortable on the ball and a genuine La Masia prodigy. He’s exactly the kind of player we need.



Pedro Rodriguez and Oscar Gistau chose to join other clubs.

On 18 July, we re-signed Ginger Cian Dillon on a free transfer after he was released by his parent club. I will need a better striker for this league, but he will serve as backup. He signed a one-year deal, with an option for the club to extend.



On 20 July, we confirmed two more signings. The first was Italian Thomas Lissi, who was released by Inter Reserves. He will be our first-choice right full-back. He is quite fast, but his Off the Ball rating is low, so we need to consider his tactical position carefully.



Finally, we confirmed the signing of Landon Emenalo. He is a defensive midfielder and very good at this league level. I expect him to be a star, even though he is only 19. He was released by Chelsea.



A day later, we signed another right-back from Inter Reserves, Mike Aidoo. At this rate, it looks like the Italians are taking over Dover.



On 24 July, we strengthened the squad by signing James Scanlon from Manchester United and Cole Brannigan from Aston Villa, both available after being released by their clubs.





The squad was looking stronger, but I still needed a few players — especially a goalkeeper. I made a loan offer for Kornel Miściur from Liverpool, and they agreed to send him on loan. I temporarily delayed confirming the deal because I preferred to sign someone on a free transfer.



Remember the players I had on trial? Many chose to go elsewhere. It’s disappointing, as I wanted them to help take the club forward, but I suppose our reputation wasn’t enough to attract everyone.
There were some friendlies played, but I asked one of the coaches to handle them while I focused on improving the squad.



I didn’t just focus on signing players — I also strengthened the coaching staff. I successfully signed contracts with Jake Buxton, Paul Wotton, Andy Parslow, and Sime Vrsaljko, who all join us as coaches.









Eden Allison has joined us as our new Goalkeeping Coach.



Finally, we completed the staff rebuild by signing Ben Harrington as Physio and David Momoh as Sports Scientist. The team is now ready for action.