Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter says 'it's going to be very hard for us to get back to the National League' - without significant investment

Dover chairman Jim Parmenter thinks it will be tough for the club to return to the National League - without significant investment.

Their eight-year stay in the league ended on Saturday, as they lost 2-0 to Yeovil.

It was always going to be an uphill task for Dover to avoid relegation this season but they have endured a miserable campaign, winning just once so far.

He said: “We have got to compete with the multi-million clubs, we have got to compete with the relegated clubs with the parachute payments and the big crowds so, unless there’s a big investment in Dover, I think it’s going to be very hard for us to get back to the National League.”

Even before a ball was kicked, Dover suffered a major blow as they were fined £40,000 and handed a 12-point deduction.

After relegation was confirmed, Parmenter reflected: “I think it has been confirmed for a long time, to be honest.

“We were served up a pretty impossible task by The FA and the National League at the beginning of the season. We have done our best.

“I don’t think we could have done more, given the budgets that we had to work with and the fine we had to pay.

“I think we have been drastically unlucky in some games and I just think it was inevitable, and I think we have gone down fighting.”

Parmenter vowed he wouldn't spend money the club didn’t have to try and stay in the National League but believes a competitive playing budget in National League South would be just a tenth of what clubs need to compete in the National League.

He commented: “To compete in the National League now, you need £3 million to £4 million. The average playing budget in National League South I know is little more than £350,000 to £400,000.

“That’s about half what our playing budget would be in