Holmes out Flavin in, as Dover no2
Dover’s preparations for the upcoming National League South season suffered another setback as their player-assistant decided to depart, just weeks after his debut for the club.
Ricky Holmes, 36, had agreed to join forces with Whites manager Mitch Brundle earlier in the summer, following their successful collaboration at Farnborough. However, he became the third player to reverse his decision to sign with Dover, opting instead for a full-time position back at Farnborough. This unexpected turn of events occurred just before their friendly match against Enfield, an Isthmian North side.
Brundle expressed his disappointment in a statement posted on Dover’s official Twitter account, saying, “I have parted ways with Ricky Holmes as assistant manager. I’m saddened not only to see a friend go but also an exceptional coach. It was always going to be challenging for him, especially with his upcoming wedding and the opportunity to pursue a full-time role in football, which he has always aspired to do. I completely respect his decision, and given our current circumstances as a club, we cannot stand in his way. I sincerely wish him the best, and I am confident he has a bright future ahead.”
Holmes, a former winger/striker for clubs such as Portsmouth, Northampton, Charlton, and Sheffield United, departs just ten days after featuring in Dover’s initial friendly match, a resounding 9-0 victory over Aylesford.
This development follows the recent news of Myles Judd, the club’s player of the year, joining league rivals Hemel Hempstead Town during a warm-up game against Gillingham, which ended in a 4-0 defeat for Dover. Additionally, midfielder Ademola Shokunbi rejected an offer from Whites and chose to join Isthmian Premier side Dulwich Hamlet last week.
Lee Flavin, a former midfielder for Dagenham & Redbridge and previously a joint-manager at Sutton Common Rovers, has been appointed as Brundle’s new assistant.
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