DOVER chairman Jim Parmenter is prepared to underwrite the funding of a new clubhouse at SeaFrance Crabble – providing fans can raise £30,000 by April.

The existing Centre Spot clubhouse badly needs of replacing and the Whites board have drawn up plans for a £150,000 building, which will be built next summer providing Whites' fans and local businesses support the project.

Mr Parmenter said: "I was in the Centre Spot over the weekend. The roof is like a sieve and going to cave in at any moment. There are problems with the electrics and the whole place is on its last legs."

Initially, the club announced they needed around £100,000 from various fund-raising schemes to make the project viable but it soon became apparent that this figure was not going to be reached by the spring.

Mr Parmenter added: "The way the fund-raising was going, it was unlikely that we were going to be able to make a positive decision.

"We've taken the decision to go ahead with the project, find ways of financing it as we go along and personally underwrite the balance at the end.

"I'm hoping that this shows everyone that we mean business."