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'Alan Pardew can't change Palace in two days' says Dover boss

Alan Pardew "cannot change Crystal Palace in two days", according to Dover boss Chris Kinnear.

Conference club Dover host Palace in Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie, aiming to ruin new manager Pardew's first match at the Eagles helm.

Pardew had a hand in Palace training on Friday before finally completing his move from Newcastle in time to coach Saturday's last session before the Dover trip.

Dover will make club history if they reach the fourth round, and manager Kinnear believes Pardew's arrival will have little bearing on the clash.

"It doesn't matter who the manager is, ultimately it's down to the lads on the pitch," Kinnear told Press Association Sport, after Pardew assumed control form caretaker Keith Millen.

"He can't change Crystal Palace in two days; the players can't change the way they play in two days. Everyone around the country will be willing us to win, unless you're a Palace supporter of course. And who knows, maybe the Newcastle supporters will be on our side as well!

"They are relatively local to us, we have some players who live in that area. Alan's arrival means more attention on the game, we've got a capacity crowd and we can't wait. We won't change how we play, yes we'll have to defend of course, but we are still going to go for it. And why shouldn't we? Wrexham beat Arsenal, Sutton beat Coventry, so maybe now it can be Dover beating Palace -- there's a chance."

Dover have already seen off League Two opponents Morecambe and Cheltenham to reach the FA Cup's third round for a second time.

The Crabble Athletic Ground already meets league requirements, and chairman Jim Parmenter admits promotion from the Conference remains the long-term aim.

Parmenter intervened when Dover were 48 hours from administration, taking control despite a debt spiralling past 400,000 pounds and four years of missing accounts.

Now the club are debt-free and Parmenter is ready to reinvest the FA Cup revenue to manager Kinnear's long-term transfer kitty, with at least 250,000 pounds expected whatever Sunday's result.

"I had a phone call saying that the club were in trouble and that they owed 48,000 pounds in VAT," Parmenter told Press Association Sport.

"They asked if I would come in and help them out, and I said no. They kept trying and trying and I eventually said 'OK, send me the accounts.' And they said 'Well, we haven't got any accounts.'

"I ended up four-year old accounts, and I estimated the debt was probably 150,000 pounds, but when it came to it, it was actually more than 400,000.

"They were within 48 hours of being wound up and about to face their third relegation in four years.

"We ended up in Ryman's South, so it was quite a big job.

"Gradually we've refinanced the budget, gradually worked our way up the leagues. "It's been a pretty good record, and it's 10 years this week that I took over as chairman, so this game has come at a great time, to cap that decade.

"It's my local club and I didn't want to see it disappear. Had I known the real size of the debt maybe I would have thought differently, but once you're in, that's it.

"We were tipped for relegation this year but now we're four points off the play-offs. If we make the play-offs we'll go all-out for promotion to the league, and in the long run that's what we'd all love.

"But everything we do here is about prudence and progressing gradually."

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