Kentish Football 
Darts "advised" to keep rival fans apart - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
Dartford bosses have put in place measures to ensure Saturday’s derby with Dover Athletic is another excellent football occasion at their stunning Princes Park Stadium, writes Stephen McCartney.
A crowd of up to 2,000 fans are expected at the £6.5m stadium, which stages it’s second Kent derby.
Both sides are in the top four in the Ryman League Division One South table but Darts’ co-chairman Mr David Skinner has put in place measures so both sets of fans can enjoy the occasion.
“The game will be segregated,” he confirmed to www.kentishfootball.co.uk in an EXCLUSIVE interview tonight.
But he confirmed that Dover Athletic fans cannot access the two bars at the stadium, but they will have food and toilet facilities at their end of the all-covered stadium.
“It’s too much to get them in and out of the bar again and stewarded,” was Mr Skinner's reply as to why travelling fans cannot access bar facilities.
“They will have their own toilets and food facilities on that terrace. There is a pod so they will have all that.”
Mr Skinner explained why both sets of fans have been kept apart.
He explained: “On the advice of the safety advisory group, their advice was that they haven’t got any hard intelligence of any problems but there was a few people on websites that did have information from Dover supporters that there could be quite a few people that could cause problems.
“The advice was to segregate and that was agreed by the safety advisory group, which is the three emergency services, the contractors, architects, council and everyone involved at the stadium.
“We don’t expect any problems to occur but we thought it would be best to segregate just to ensure there won’t be any problems.
“We’ve got something like twenty stewards plus a dozen people for the car park and seating areas etc.”
Mr Skinner reminded fans that Princes Park (including bar areas) is a non-smoking stadium and fans must not stand in the walkway at the back of the terracing/seating areas.
He said: “The walkway must remain clear as that’s the main emergency route out and having those walkways clear means we can exit the entire stadium of 5,000 people in two and a half minutes, which is the recommended time to evacuate the stadium so you can see now why it’s essential for people not to block the gangways.”
Dartford’s last home game at Princes Park, against Kent rivals Sittingbourne, was brought forward two hours after issues with floodlighting.
“The floodlights have been fixed,” said Mr Skinner. “The (Ryman) League were given the new certificate on Monday which satisfied their requirements and assuming it stops raining the pitch will be ok.”
On homecoming day, an emotional 4-2 win over Horsham YMCA last month, loud music was pumping out from loud speakers, but ever since then no music has been allowed to play at the stadium.
“At the moment we’re not allowed music because of the planning restrictions to play music but we are looking to get that changed in the future,” said Mr Skinner.
Back on the pitch, manager Tony Burman knows the importance of keeping calm against a side that are three points below his second placed side.
“Obviously it’s a big game because it’s involving two teams in the top five,” he said. “It’s a Kent derby, which again, is a little bit more intensive.
“We’re weary of their strengths. Dover are a good side and the favourites to go up.
“It’s going to be a difficult game for us but if we want to improve we have to put in good performances against Dover and hopefully get the result that we want.”
Former Dover Athletic man Steve Norman is expected to be in the sixteen-man squad in his first game for the Darts, having signed from Folkestone Invicta earlier in the week.
And striker James Carter, could also feature in the squad if Tunbridge Wells’ game at Deal Town falls victim to the weather.
Carter is on loan at Culverden Stadium at present and Burman added: “Jim will be playing for Tunbridge Wells if their game is on. If not he will be with us anyway. I haven’t made my mind up on my sixteen (man squad) just yet.”
With so much at stake, Burman is keeping a calm.
“If we win, lose or draw it doesn’t mean that the team is going to be promoted,” he said.
“It’s another game which we will be trying our best to get three points. It’s still December and as far we we’re concerned we want to get a little run going.”
Dartford v Dover Athletic
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 9th December 2006
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT
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