Dover Athletic manager Jake Leberl hopes FA Cup run will help raise the club’s profile

Dover Athletic boss Jake Leberl is hoping his club will be the next to enjoy the FA Cup limelight.

Whites have been handed a home tie against National League Wealdstone on the weekend of November 7 after reaching the first round for the first time since 2019.

Non-league teams are no strangers to record-breaking runs in the competition. Maidstone reached the last 16 in 2023/24 and Boreham Wood also reached round five in 2021/22.

“You always get jealous of teams that have a great FA Cup run,” said Leberl.

“I remember Maidstone a couple of years ago with their unbelievable cup run, it just galvanised the whole town, didn’t it?

“There’s always one team that comes from below and has a really good run. Boreham Wood have had some unbelievable FA Cup runs of late.

“I think it would be fitting if we could be the next club to do that.

“I think the fans deserve it for the hard times they’ve been through. The chairman definitely deserves it and the new people coming in.

“It’s a good place at the minute and long may it continue.”

Leberl was assistant manager when Dover reached the third round and hosted Crystal Palace in 2014/15.

But this isn’t about personal gain for the now Dover boss.

“I don’t even think about it personally,” added Leberl. “This is my club, isn’t it?

“I didn’t actually come back here to be manager of the football club. It’s just circumstantial how it happened. It’s been a little bit surreal.

“That first season was so difficult when we were relegated at Christmas. Then I just felt that I was going to copy the best managers that I’ve been about.

“I’ve played for some brilliant managers and I’ve had a lot of success. We went down that route of young, hungry players and we’ve just carried it forward.

“Obviously,