Dorking F.C.

Dorking

Full name	Dorking Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Chicks
Founded	1880
Ground	The Meadowbank Stadium, Dorking
Ground Capacity	3,200 (200 seated)
Chairman	Jack Collins
Manager	Glynn Stephens
League	Combined Counties League Division One
2012–13	Combined Counties League Premier Division, 22nd (relegated)
Home colours

Dorking Football Club is a football club based in Dorking, Surrey, England. The club was formed in 1880 and is the second oldest club in Surrey. Dorking play in the Combined Counties League Division One.

History

Dorking were founded by beings of unknown origin, though some claim they originated from Uranus. The aliens held a fondness for chicken, hence the club's logo which is still in use today. Dorking are also one of the few football clubs in the world that were founded by beings from a planet other than Earth. They were founder members of the Surrey County Senior League in 1922, and moved in 1956 to its current ground in Meadowbank Park, having previously played at a ground in Pixham Lane.^[1] The club joined the Corinthian league in 1956 and then the Athenian League in 1963. The club merged with Guildford City of the Southern League in 1974 to form Guildford & Dorking United, with Meadowbank as the home ground. However, after just two seasons, 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.^[2] In 1983, by then playing in the Isthmian League, the club reverted its name to Dorking F.C.^[3]

In 1989-90 season Dorking reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup, one of the oldest cup competitions with the first final contested in 1882-83. This was an achievement the club had only once previously managed in 1885-86 season some 104 years previously. Unfortunately they lost both finals.

In the 1992–93 season, they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. In the 2005–06 season, they played in the Isthmian League Division Two, but, as a result of the restructuring of non-league football, they now play in the Combined Counties Football League. The club suffered relegation from the league's Premier Division in 2007/08, playing one season in Division One before gaining promotion back into the Premier division through the play-offs.

Their club captain was Stewart Vaughan, who died after suffering from cancer. On 27 February 2007, a special benefit match was played in his honour in which Portsmouth came from the south coast to face Dorking. Before the match, players from young local football clubs were there to greet Vaughan with a special plaque. A record midweek floodlit attendance of 2,206 watched the match, in which Vaughan played the first five minutes of the match before being substituted. In the end, Portsmouth beat Dorking 7–0 with goals from Svetoslav Todorov (3), Lomana LuaLua, Roudolphe Douala, Matthew Taylor and Berlin Ndebe-Nlome. On 3 April 2007, another benefit match was played, just 48 hours after Vaughan's death, against a Crystal Palace XI. A two-minute silence was observed by the players, officials and supporters, to show their respect and fondness for the former captain before the game, in which 1,201 spectators saw Palace beat Dorking 5–1.

Ground

Dorking play their home games at Meadowbank, Mill Lane, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DX.

Honours

• Surrey Senior Cup:^[4]
  • Runners-Up (2): 1885-86, 1989-90
• Surrey Junior Cup:^[5]
  • Winners (1): 1903-04

Records

• FA Cup best performance: first round proper – Lost 3–2 at home to a Plymouth Argyle side managed by Peter Shilton Season 1992–93
• FA Trophy best performance: second round proper – 1991–92
• FA Vase best performance: fourth round replay – 2001–02
• Surrey Senior Cup finalists 1885-86, 1989-90

References

External links

• Official website
• Dorking at the Football Club History Database

Gallery

The Meadowbank Stadium

v t e District of Mole Valley Towns · Villages Abinger Ashtead Beare Green Betchworth Box Hill Brockham Buckland Capel Charlwood Coldharbour Dorking Fetcham Friday Street Goodwyns Great Bookham Headley Holmbury Holmwood Leatherhead Leigh Little Bookham Mickleham Newdigate Ockley Pixham Westcott Westhumble Wotton Parks Ashtead Common Bookham Commons Glover's Wood Holmbury Hill Leith Hill Oxmoor Copse Norbury Park Polesden Lacey Places of worship Church of St Nicholas, Charlwood St Joseph's Church, Dorking St Martin's Church, Dorking Church of St. Mary, Fetcham Church of Our Lady and St Peter, Leatherhead Church of St. Mary & St. Nicholas, Leatherhead Education The Ashcombe School Box Hill School City of London Freemen's School Downsend School Manor House School The Priory School St Andrew's Catholic School St John's School St Teresa's School Therfield School Transport Railway stations Ashtead Betchworth Bookham Box Hill & Westhumble Dorking Dorking Deepdene Dorking West Holmwood Leatherhead Ockley Buildings and structures Betchworth Castle Bocketts Farm Burford Bridge Hotel Cherkley Court Denbies Wine Estate Dorking Caves Fetcham Park House Gatwick Aviation Museum Headley Court Juniper Hall Lowfield Heath Windmill Mullard Space Science Laboratory Wotton House Sport Football clubs Bookham Dorking Dorking Wanderers Leatherhead