| History
The Formative Years
Dorking FC was formed in 1880, making it the second oldest football club in
Surrey after original FA Cup entrants Reigate Priory. In the early days the
club was based in Pixham Lane, with the club achieving some success in 1910
when losing 0-3 to a strong Old Kingstonians side in the Surrey Senior
Shield final. Dorking were founder members of the Surrey County Senior
League in 1922 but aside from winning the league in 1928/29 and 1929/30 the
club fell on lean times until 1948/49 when the club landed both the League
Charity Cup and the inaugural League Cup.
1955/56 was one of the most successful in the club's colourful history.
Dorking won not only the league and the League Charity Cup but also in
defeating Folkestone Town 3-1 became the first Surrey Senior side to defeat
a professional team in the FA Cup.
The change of ground in summer 1953 to the current site at Meadowbank (which
had been converted by the Council from an old rubbish tip) gave a boost to
the club's ambitions and in 1956 the club joined the Corinthian League. The
team reached the final of the Surrey Senior Shield in three consecutive
years (1959 to 1961) winning the first two finals (1-0 versus Kingstonian
and 3-0 versus Sutton Utd) but losing the third 0-1 to Tooting and Mitcham.
Following an amalgamation of leagues, Dorking joined the Athenian League in
1963/64 but the club did not prosper and 1974 saw the merger of the club
with Guildford City of the Southern League to form Guildford & Dorking
United. After just two sessions, however, the club collapsed in mid-season,
with another club being formed called Dorking Town in 1977 to complete its
predecessor's remaining games before joining the Surrey Senior League in
1977/78 and then the Athenian League.
Dorking in the Isthmian League
In 1981/82 Dorking were elected to the Isthmian League where the club has
remained ever since. Starting in Division Two South the team started
steadily (finishing their debut season in 9th place) and the club were soon
to adopt the name by which they are now known, Dorking. 1983-84 was notable
for Andy Bushnell's goal haul of 37 (the club's record scorer in a season
being Neil Goodman with 54). In 1986/87 and the following year Dorking
finished just outside the promotion places in 3rd spot, on the second
occasion losing out by one goal to Met Police and by a solitary point to
Chalfont St. Peter with the club gaining some consolation when winning the
Gilbert Rice Cup Final against Hastings Town.
Justice was finally done in 1988/89 when Dorking romped home as Division Two
South champions by a massive 16 points, amassing 100 points and over 100
goals in the process of winning 32 games, with only 4 games being lost. The
season also saw a notable Surrey Senior Cup win over Sutton United just days
after Sutton's famous FA Cup win over holders Coventry City. The club also
reached the last eight in the league cup.
1989/90 saw the momentum continued with Dorking challenging for promotion to
the Premier Division at the first attempt, eventually finishing in sixth
place. The club also reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup for the
first time since 1886, beating Sutton United en route for the second
successive season, but unfortunately they went down to Carshalton Athletic
2-4 after extra-time, despite leading 2-1 with only three minutes of normal
time remaining. Twelve months later Dorking fell away in the league after
spending much of the campaign among the front runners. The club eventually
finished tenth. The highlight of the season was reaching the 4th and final
qualifying round of the F.A. Cup losing 2-3 at home to Cheltenham Town.
Season 1991/92 saw Dorking slip down a place in the league, to eleventh, but
the club progressed further than ever before in the F.A. Trophy, making the
2nd Round Proper before losing 0-2 away to Bath City. The season culminated
in a second victory in the Gilbert Rice Cup, beating Havant Town over two
legs. Phil Grainger totalled 37 goals that term. 1992/93 was probably the
finest season yet in the club's history. The greatest prize was finishing
third and securing promotion to the Premier Division which was a tremendous
achievement in itself. Dorking also reached the 1st Round Proper of the F.A.
Cup for the first time, losing 2-3 at home to Plymouth Argyle, led by Peter
Shilton, in front of 3,200 spectators. In addition, the "Chicks" reached two
cup finals: they lost 0-1 to Tooting & Mitcham United in the Diadora League
Full Members Cup at Kingstonian, but won the Southern Counties Combination
Cup by defeating Epsom & Ewell 1-0 at Meadowbank.
Steve Lunn became the second player in successive seasons to equal the
modern scoring record of 37 goals, and also created an all-time appearance
record over the 350 mark.
The 1990s and early 2000s
Dorking's appearance in the Isthmian League's top flight was however
short-lived and relegation followed in the club's first season in the
Premier Division. With a financial crisis enveloping the club in season
1994/5, new chairman Jack Collins stepped into the breach to try to save the
club from liquidation, assisted by his son and vice chairman Ray Collins.
With the help of a small but dedicated band of helpers, Jack and Ray
successfully managed to keep the club afloat and turn the club around,
albeit the task proving to be a long and tough one. With attention being
focused on the very survival of the club, it was inevitable that
performances off the pitch were to suffer. With no player budgets in the mid
1990's, the club saw relegation from Division 1 and then after several years
from division 2 of the Isthmian League. With the onset of the new
millennium, and with stability reached off the pitch, Dorking enjoyed their
best season for some years in season 2001-2. The club finished 8th in Ryman
Division 3 and reached the fourth round of the FA Vase (Dorking's best ever
run in this competition), losing on penalties after a replay to one of the
competition favourites Burgess Hill Town after two games that attracted over
1,200 fans over the two encounters. Season 2002-2003 proved a disappointment
after hopes had been raised the following term. Despite some stunning
results (including a 9-1 and 5-0 double over Wokingham Town and a 6-3 away
win at Edgware Town) the side never recovered from a slow start and ended
the season in 14th place in the new 16 team Ryman Division 2 with Steve Lunn
assuming sole managerial responsibility during the course of the season.
Season 2003/4 season 2005-6
Dorking enjoyed their best season for a decade in the 2003/4 season.
Management team Steve Lunn (manager) and his brother Andy Lunn (assistant
manager), put together an exciting young local side and their efforts were
rewarded as Dorking started the season with a comfortable 3-1 win and showed
tremendous character to maintain their form throughout the season to finish
in runners up spot, 2 points behind champions Leighton Town who only
overtook Dorking on the last day of the season. Finishing in the top two
positions guaranteed Chicks a place in the newly constituted Isthmian
Division One with the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Dulwich Hamlet as well as
local rivals Leatherhead and Horsham. Promotion was secured thanks to a
fantastic off the pitch effort, led by chairman Jack Collins, vice chairman
Ray Collins and club man of the year Brian Cook, to obtain a grade B ground
grading with a select number of committee members and fans working
tirelessly to ensure the efforts of the team on the pitch were matched by
the efforts off the pitch. Dorking had a decent baptism to Ryman Division
One football following promotion, holding a comfortable mid table position
well into November 2004. However a winless run of 13 games from November to
February saw Chicks become embroiled in the relegation tussle although a 4
match unbeaten run in February/March saw Dorking improve their prospects
with two successive away victories at Molesey and Bashley. But an unexpected
spurt of form from second from bottom Ashford Town saw Dorking fall into the
relegation zone for the first time in the season on the penultimate Saturday
of the campaign, leaving Chicks having to win away at Whytleleafe to avoid
the drop. Chicks Surrey rivals produced an inspired display though to see
Chicks off by 3-1, leaving Dorking facing relegation back to Ryman division
2.
Season 2005-6 saw the club reach the Fourth Round Proper of the FA Vase
again but the team underperformed on the day in front of over 500 fans
against Mildenhall, who had knocked the holders out in the previous round.
The Ryman league season saw far too many draws, but a strong end of term saw
Chicks finish in the top half. Off the pitch Dorking were rocked by the sad
loss of many club stalwarts, including Jenny Collins, wife of long time club
chairman Jack, as well as Brian Cook and Bob Long, plus Geoff Tyler who had
passed away at the end of the previous season, individuals who had been the
bed rock of the club for so many years, and who are simply irreplaceable at
this level of football.
Season 2006/7 to today
Dorking joined a revamped and strengthened Combined Counties League in
2006/7 for the first time in their history following the disbanding, under
FA instructions, of Ryman Division 2 in May 2006. Dorking underperformed in
their first season at CCL level, finishing in lower mid table and exiting
the cup competitions at early stages. The season was overshadowed though by
the valiant fight against cancer of club captain Stewart Vaughan, who was
diagnosed in December 2006 with the condition, Stewart passing away in April
2007 shortly after marrying his long time girlfriend Heidi. A concerted
effort by the club, fans, players and staff alike, saw Dorking host 2
charity games in honour of Stewart and in support of Marie Curie cancer
care. The first saw Harry Redknapp pay his respects by bringing virtually
Portsmouth’s full first team premiership squad to Dorking, including the
likes of Lua-Lua, Glenn Johnson, Matthew Taylor, in February 2007 in a game
watched by over 2,000 fans including England internationals Sol Campbell and
Andy Cole, while a Crystal Palace X1 visited Meadowbank in April 2007
watched by over 1,000 fans. Soon after the end of the 2006-7 season, Steve
and Andy Lunn parted company with the club. Ex Tooting and Leatherhead
goalkeeper Tony Webb was appointed as manager in June 2007, Tony being
joined by Peter Augustine as his assistant. Dave Tuttle also joined the
management set up, Dave having played for the likes of Spurs, Sheffield Utd,
Crystal Palace and Millwall as well as managing Millwall in a caretaker
capacity in the championship in the 2005-6 season. Dorking enter the new
season with optimism, and continue to look forward to building on the new
friendships in the league as the season progresses
The club has in season 2007-8 re-entered an U18 side in the midweek floodlit
Southern Youth League, the side to be managed by Steve Upfold, a step seen
as extremely positive not just for the club, but also for local talented
youth players who will now have the chance to be against the likes of
Conference South Lewes’s best youngsters. The club continues to focus on
youth football, with the club’s successful girls football teams, Dorking
Girls FC, being complemented by the Dorking Colts team and by the growing
affiliation with well-respected local youth club Brockham Badgers FC who
compete from U7 to U18 in a mixture of the Horsham & District, Epsom &
District, West Surrey Boys and Tadworth district youth leagues and who have
over 350 boys and girls from Dorking and its surrounding villages on its
books.
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