OFFICIAL PROGRAMME 2015/16

DORKING FC

Dorking FC v Banstead AthleticCOMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE

Tuesday, 25th August 2015

£1.00

Welcome to Dorking FC and The NewDefence, our home ground for the

2015/16 season.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark Sale and his team at Horley Town FC for their hospitality and I hope that you enjoy your visit with us today.

This is our second and �nal season here at The New Defence, ahead of our exciting move back to our old home in Meadowbank, which will be transformed into our

iconic new home. As we continue our development at Dorking FC the new leader-ship team are very excited about this, their second season. Our vision remains

focused on continuing to rebuild Dorking FC as a respected football club but also as a social enterprise by re-establishing Dorking FC as an iconic club at the heart of its

rural community.

The football management team have worked tirelessly over the summer and I would like to thank them for all their e�orts. A big welcome back to our squad of

players plus a number of exciting new players joining us. We have some bright young talent coming through our club and once again I expect we will see a good

number of our U18’s appearing for our �rst team.

A huge thanks go to my fellow Board members, all of our volunteer helpers, our football management team and of course our loyal supporters. We hope you will follow us on our journey, grassroots football is important to us all, and Dorking FC

hopes to make its own contribution to the bene�t of everyone.

To keep up to date with developments and news at DFC join us on Twitter @dorkingfc and on facebook.com/dorkingfc.

Kind Regards,Grant Ashley, Chairman

Johnston Sw eepers Ltd. Curtis Road, DorkingSurrey, RH4 1XF, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1306 884722 E-mail: recrutment@johnstonsweepers.co.uk

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DORKING FC

MANAGER: GLYNN STEPHENS

ASST MANAGER: STEVE HURD

PHYSIO: ANDREW BUSHE

GREEN & RED STRIPES

REFEREES: LEWIS GORDONASST REFEREES: TONY IRELAND & DAVID MAWBY

ANDREW OSEI 1

BRADLEY ALJOE 2

JIMMY BRAZIL 3

GEORGE COFFEY 4

CHRIS COLES 5

HARRY DALY 6

MATTHEW FINN 7

MICHAEL FOWLER 8

DANIEL GURNEY 9

LUKE HARMSWORTH 10

SANCHEZ HARRIS 11

RUSSELL HARTT 14

REECE JACKSON 15

DARYL JEEVES 16

JOHN JUPP 17

KIERAN LUNN 18

STUART RUSSELL 19

MARTIN SMITH 20

GLEN WRIGHT 21

BANSTEAD ATHLETIC

MANAGER: JAMES CAMERON

ALL RED

SEAN BRADLEY 1

HARRY WISE 2

TOM DRINKWATER 3

JAMES PAGE 4

BILLY FROST 5

ASHLEY THOMPSON 6

ZAC FOUNTAIN-MOORE 7

WILLIAM TARGETT 8

ROBERT GRIGGITHS 9

JOE PAYNE 10

BEN DREWETT 11

JACK WATRET 12

JAKE WILGOSS 14

TAYLOR HENDERSON 15

HAYDEN FLYNN 16

MARK DEACONS 17

COLIN HARRIS 18

ADAM GRANT 19

SEAN WHITE 20

LOUIS GLACE-PALMER 21

BYRON BROWN 22

MAX EDWARDS 23

MATTHEW O’BRIEN 24

ASST MANAGERS: ROSS WHITE &ROD DAVIS

COACHES: ANDY SMITH & SEAN BRADLEY

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MATCH REPORT:DORKING FC 0 - 2 EVERSLEY & CALIFORNIA

08/08/15The opening game of the season is unlikely to define Dorking's season, but it was a good indica-tor of the work that will need to be done if the Chicks are to fulfil their ambition of building on last season's takeover consolidation and competing in the top half of the league. Failure to score when on top and conceding soft goals against the run of play proved costly against an Eversley side fancied by many as promotion contenders this year.

Dorking FC started with five debutants, adding some experience to the local youth players being brought through to the first team as part of the club's commitment to developing talent from around the town. There was an air of expectation around the club and, indeed, it was the Chicks who made the early running, twice thwarted by the visiting keeper in the opening minutes.

But, on 10 minutes, it was Eversley and California who took the lead from the penalty spot, following a foul in the box by right back Michael Fowler.

Undaunted, Dorking continued to press with attacking flair on an excellent pitch at The New Defence but, despite all the possession and chances, the Chicks were unable to find an equalis-er. There was controversy on half an hour, when new striker Martin Smith appeared to have his standing leg taken away just as he was about to shoot inside the penalty area but, despite strong appeals from players and crowd, the referee declined to award a spot kick.

At half time and just a goal down, Dorking had every reason to believe they could get back into the match, but a sloppy goal conceded just three minutes into the second half put the game beyond them.

The match became bad-tempered and scrappy, with little more than half-chances at either end, and if Dorking felt harshly treated by the referee in the first half, they had reason to be grateful on 75 minutes when keeper Andrew Osei was fortunate to escape a red card for a rash two-footed tackle outside the box.

The resulting melee set a feisty tone that continued through the remainder of the game and concluded with a straight red for Sanchez Harris as tempers boiled over. The ensuing free kick was to Dorking and put Kieran Lunn through on goal, only for the referee to order the kick retak-en as Harris had not quite left the pitch.

It was a moment that encapsulated the frustrating afternoon for Dorking, with plenty of promise – particularly when going forward - but falling short when it mattered. Yet Manager Glynn Stephens will have seen that, with a full season ahead, there's plenty more to come from a team combining youth and experience, including two current league champions.

Dorking face two Friday night away games at South Park and Dorking Wanderers, before return-ing home for a testing match against Banstead Athletic on Tuesday 25th August.

Dorking FC: Osei, Fowler, Aljoe, Harmsworth, Hartt, Jeeves, Wright, Harris, Smith, Jack-son-Hughes (c), LunnSubs - Coffey, Finn, Jupp, Brazil, Coles

vs

MATCH REPORT:SOUTH PARK FC RESERVES 3 - 4 DORKING FC

14/08/15Dorking made the short trip in the pouring rain to nearby South Park – the Ryman League club now fielding their reserve side in the Combined Counties League, as permitted for the first time this season.

Keen to put their opening day defeat behind them, Glynn Stephens’ side played some of the best football seen by the Dorking faithful in a long time and, at 4-0 up with 20 minutes to go, the three points looked in the bag. However a lapse in concentration, the loss of keeper Andrew Osei to a red card and a superb South Park overhead goal, combined with the referee finding 7 minutes of additional time to play, made for a close and exciting finish as South Park fought back and the Chicks battled to eventually hold on by a single goal.

Dorking named a strong starting line-up that a strong side that included the welcome return of last season’s Players’ Player of the Year, Varron John, to the heart of midfield. With Kieren Lunn and Glen Wright providing pace down both wings, the Chicks dominated from the start, Martin Smith setting up a half chance for captain Reece Jackson-Hughes within the first minute.

Such was the visitors’ dominance that even central defender Russell Hartt was able to get into the opposition penalty box early on - only to see his far post volley go just wide of the upright.

By contrast, it took until the 26th minute for South Park to force Chicks keeper Andrew Osei into action, as he spread himself well to smother the ball from close range.

Meanwhile, a Dorking goal seemed inevitable. Young local talent Daryl Jeeves had already shown that he could be a threat from dead ball situations as his free kick to the back post was met by the head of Wright, who again was unlucky not to score.

The deadlock was finally broken on 40 minutes when another dangerous Jeeves free kick into the box was met by the head of Martin Smith, who flicked it into the net at the far post. Five minutes later, following a great interception from Smith and a through ball from Jeeves, Jack-son-Hughes was able to slide the ball coolly under the keeper to deservedly double Dorking’s half-time lead.

The second half saw the Chicks carry on where they had left off. On 57 minutes, Smith secured his second goal of the match, cutting into the box and then letting fly with a shot that keeper Reece Oscar could only parry into the net.

South Park started to find bit more possession as the pace of the game slowed but were caught out when a superb passing move on the edge of their area, between Wright and Jack-son-Hughes, put Lunn through to lift the ball high into the net.

With the Dorking bench forced into substituting Lunn, Jeeves and Smith the home side pulled a goal back through Charlie Procter while the Chicks reorganised. Buoyed by their first goal, South Park reduced the deficit further within a minute of the restart, with a fine overhead kick.

As Dorking tried to steady the ship, keeper Osei was shown the red card for a foul on the edge of his area and, with all their substitutes used, defender Michael Fowler put on the green jersey. His first job as the stand in keeper was to face the resulting free kick; the ball eventually bundled into the Dorking net after the defence missed several chances to clear their lines.

Having seen their commanding lead reduced to just a single goal, Dorking regained their compo-sure and saw out the added time to secure a first win of the season – two games now played. Dorking have another Friday night match, visiting Dorking Wanderers on 21st August, befo¬re returning to their temporary home ground to host Banstead Athletic. Kick off is 7.45pm on Tues-day 25th August at The New Defence, Horley.

Dorking FC: Osei, Brazil, Aljoe, Harmsworth, Hartt, Jeeves, Wright, John, Smith, Jack-son-Hughes, Lunn.Subs - Coles, Russell, Coffey, Fowler, Finn.Report by Paul Killick

vs

Coco5 at Brockham Football Tournament 15

UPCOMING FIXTURES

AUGUST 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015

A

OCTOBER 2015

A

A

H

A

H

A

H

H

Sat 29, 15:00 Sandhurst Town League

A

Sat 05, 15:00 Deal Town Cup

Sat 12, 15:00 Epsom Athletic League

Sat 19, 15:00 Sheerwater League

Tue 22, 19:45 Frimley Green Cup

Sat 26, 15:00 Frimley Green League

Sat 03, 15:00 Farleigh Rovers League

Sat 10, 15:00 Staines Lammas League

Tue 13, 19:45 Knaphill League

Sat 17, 15:00 Abbey Rangers League

H Sat 24, 15:00 Bedfont & Feltham League

H Sat 31, 15:00 Ash United League

MEADOWBANK UPDATE No. 1: RISING FROM THE ASHES

It's o�cial! Dorking FC's ancestral home at Meadowbank is to be rejuvenated as a new centre of football for the whole of Surrey, complete with a 3G all-weather

pitch, new stand and two-storey clubhouse including a bar overlooking the action. And the Chicks will be o�ered a long-term lease to return home there in

time for the start of next season.

After formation in 1880, Dorking FC spent most of the early years in Pixham, but moved to a brand new ground in Meadowbank park in 1953. As one long-stand-ing Chicks supporter who was at the �rst game told us recently, with its grand-

stand and picturesque location within hearing of the church bells, Meadowbank was the pride and joy of the whole town.

The club remained there for the next 60 years, seeing glory days such as when thousands packed into the stadium in the early 1990s to watch the Chicks take

on Peter Shilton's Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup - a game marked with a goal by our very own youth team manager, Steve Lunn.

But at the end of 2013, after decades without modernising and many years with-out repair, the ground was �nally closed for safety reasons and the lease

returned to Mole Valley District Council. For many years identi�ed as a potential site for a new supermarket, the future of football in Dorking town centre looked

bleak.

A change of ownership last summer saw a new Board of local businessmen and grassroots football enthusiasts pledge to return Dorking FC to its traditional

home and preserve Meadowbank as one of the dwindling number of non-league football grounds in the centre of a market town.

Council meetings in June, followed by the granting of planning permission in July, have ensured that will happen. But much more than that - the new Mead-owbank is to be something very special again. With a state-of-the-art arti�cial

pitch which can be used all-day, seven days a week, the ground will become not just the home of Dorking FC, but a hub for the whole of community football. We'll be joined at the ground by more than a thousand local young players -

boys and girls from grassroots youth clubs in and around Dorking who will at least have top quality training facilities to use each week. Clubs like Dorkinians,

St Paul's Panthers and Brockham Badgers, who have struggled to �nd usable pitches for good quality training on dark, damp winter evenings, will now be

able to make use of Dorking FC's restored home at Meadowbank, alongside our �rst team, Under 18s and Ladies.

POS P W D L F A GD PTS 1 CB Hounslow United 4 4 0 0 0 0 9 12 2 Staines Lammas 4 3 0 1 11 5 6 9 3 Eversley & California 3 3 0 0 7 2 5 94 Abbey Rangers 5 2 1 2 8 7 1 7 5 Bedfont & Feltham 2 2 0 0 8 2 6 6 6 Epsom Athletic 3 2 0 1 8 5 3 67 Cobham 3 2 0 1 6 4 2 6 8 Farleigh Rovers 4 2 0 2 8 10 -2 6 9 Dorking Wanderers Res 4 1 1 2 3 7 -4 4 10 South Park Res 3 1 0 2 8 9 -1 3 11 Frimley Green 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3 12 Dorking 3 1 0 2 4 6 -2 313 Sheerwater 4 1 0 3 5 9 -4 3 14 Sandhurst Town 4 0 2 2 6 14 -8 2 15 Worcester Park 2 0 0 2 2 4 -2 016 Ash United 2 0 0 2 3 7 -4 017 Banstead Athletic 2 0 0 2 0 4 -4 0

And it gets better. By moving the existing pitch location further west, the new ground will also accommodate a cafe and soft play area for visitors to the park -

attracting more people to Meadowbank - and some o�ce space. It has just been con�rmed that those o�ces will become a new headquarters for Surrey FA, who

will relocate from Leatherhead to make use of the new Meadowbank pitch for county matches, �nals, training sessions.

Dorking FC's Chief Executive, Jason Rabbetts, says "We are all running the club on an entirely voluntary basis so, while we always had long-term ambition to

develop Meadowbank as a hub for community football in the area, we thought it would take about a decade to achieve. The fact it will now happen in just two years and become the centre of football in the entire county, is a credit to the

vision of the Mole Valley O�cers and Councillors, along with Surrey FA and Sport England who have given a signi�cant grant. Just as it was 60 years ago, Meadow-

bank will once again be the pride and joy of the whole town."

Work is scheduled to begin at the end of September, with the demolition of the original buildings. The scale of the project means the Chicks will spend this

second season ground sharing at Horley Town, but we'll be updating you in each matchday programme on progress and plans as the countdown begins and

Dorking FC prepare to return home a year from now.

Before & After

POS P W D L F A GD PTS 1 CB Hounslow United 4 4 0 0 0 0 9 12 2 Staines Lammas 4 3 0 1 11 5 6 9 3 Eversley & California 3 3 0 0 7 2 5 94 Abbey Rangers 5 2 1 2 8 7 1 7 5 Bedfont & Feltham 2 2 0 0 8 2 6 6 6 Epsom Athletic 3 2 0 1 8 5 3 67 Cobham 3 2 0 1 6 4 2 6 8 Farleigh Rovers 4 2 0 2 8 10 -2 6 9 Dorking Wanderers Res 4 1 1 2 3 7 -4 4 10 South Park Res 3 1 0 2 8 9 -1 3 11 Frimley Green 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3 12 Dorking 3 1 0 2 4 6 -2 313 Sheerwater 4 1 0 3 5 9 -4 3 14 Sandhurst Town 4 0 2 2 6 14 -8 2 15 Worcester Park 2 0 0 2 2 4 -2 016 Ash United 2 0 0 2 3 7 -4 017 Banstead Athletic 2 0 0 2 0 4 -4 0

OVERALL

THE COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUEDIVISION ONE 2015-16

Dorking FC vs. Ash United - K.O 3.00pmOUR NEXT HOME MATCH IS

Saturday 7th February 2015

(up to and incl. Sat 22 Aug 15)

CHICKS POWERED BY ALL NATURAL COCO5

Dorking FC’s players are getting an added performance boost as they return for the new season. The club has signed a major new three-year sponsorship deal with the rapidly growing All Natural Coconut Water Brand, Coco5, whose UK

distribution arm is based in the town.

The deal sees Coco5 become the O�cial Rehydration Partner to the Chicks, pro-viding performance drinks to teams at all levels, along with signi�cant �nancial

support as the club continues to rebuild in preparation for a return to our ances-tral home ground at Meadowbank in 2016.

Coco5 is an all-natural, coconut water based rehydration drink, originally devel-oped by US National Hockey League sports nutritionists, determined to help athletes at all levels improve performance with an alternative, healthy, addi-

tive-free �avoured drink.

With existing deals with shirt sponsors Johnston Sweepers and Number 12 sponsors Dorking Accident Repair Centre, Coco5 becomes the third major, local-ly-based company to provide backing for Dorking FC since the 135 year-old club

was rescued by a new community-based consortium just over a year ago.

Dorking FC Chief Executive Jason Rabbetts says, "The values of Coco5 are a per-fect �t for our club – a locally based company, with a strong vision and always looking to do things the right way. When we took over the Chicks, we vowed

make Dorking FC a new blueprint for running a local non-league football club. Similarly, Coco 5 are innovating and striving for excellence, o�ering the key 5

electrolytes naturally found in Coconut Water within a great tasting All Natural drink. We’re both looking for the small improvements that make a big di�erence

and I’m delighted we’ll be working together.”

Although the drink was developed in America, Coco5 already has a strong pres-ence in Surrey, partnering Dorking RFC, the Guildford Flames and Surrey Sports Park. The company also supplied this year’s Brockham Badgers World Cup tour-nament, the largest annual youth football tournament in the South East, which was started ten years ago by the Directors now running Dorking FC. The event saw phenomenal demand from players and supporters, with over a thousand

bottles sold in two days.

The partnership with Dorking FC will see all players in the Chicks’ �rst team, Under 18s and Ladies use Coco5 exclusively for rehydration in all matches over

the next three seasons. The tie-up is also good news for any Dorking supporters who overdo their victory celebrations – as Coco5 restores the electrolytes vital to

recovering from a hangover!

About Coco5

• Coco5 is available in six �avours on Amazon, Palmer & Harvey Direct, and in over 100 Elite Sports Centres and Universities. Coco5 can also be ordered directly from the Dorking-based UK distributors, within a 10 mile radius, by

emailing sales@coco5.co.uk

• Coco5 is an innovative all-natural coconut water hydration with absolutely no additives or preservatives. It contains only natural sugars and natural �avour-

ings.

• Coco5 helps athletes achieve peak performance, �tness enthusiasts replace �uids and restore critical electrolytes, and the healths conscious enjoy a

nutritionally balanced soft drink.

The first ever match between Dorking's two clubs attracted plenty of interest before kick off, but both managers had been keen to stress that, in the context of the season, it would be treated like any other league match.

Sure enough, Dorking manager Glynn Stephens announced an unchanged side from the team that had beaten South Park a week earlier. By contrast Dorking Wanderers, without a win in the Combined Counties Division One, brought in four first team players from their successful Ryman League squad - including keeper Slavomir Huk and defender Alex Rose - making their first appearances in the Re-serves.

Unsurprisingly, the opening minutes were cagey, but it was Dorking - the visitors - who gradually began to create the best chances. Without playing at their usual pace, the Chicks went on to dominate the first half with eight attempts on Wander-ers goal, including a fine far post volley from Russell Hart, Glen Wright's header pushed over the bar at point blank range by Huk's splendid fingertip save, and Reece Jackson-Hughes hitting the post after ever-determined right back drove forward to play the Chicks' captain through on goal.

With Wanderers restricted to just one chance - a Luke Hackett header hitting the post on 39 minutes - the Dorking faithful were concerned that the first half domi-nance hadn't been rewarded with a goal. There was also cause for concern on the Dorking bench at the break as the referee ended the first half while keeper Andrew Osei continued to receive treatment on the pitch for a groin injury.

The second half proved to be a much tighter affair, Wanderers putting the injured Osei under pressure twice in the opening ten minutes and Dorking replying with a long range effort from Daryl Jeeves. But as the half wore on and players tired, it was Wanderers who began to look the more threatening.

With ten minutes to go and having put in another great performance, the pain even-tually proved too much for keeper Andrew Osei who had to be replaced in goal by James Hodel-Murphy, returning from a long-term injury lay-off himself.

While Wanderers continued to press, Dorking still found opportunities to go forward themselves and thought for a moment that Kieran Lunn had secured the winner on 85 minutes - only to see his spectacular 30 yard drive thwarted by an equally impressive save to his right by Huk.

As the clock ticked down a draw seemed to be the likely and fair outcome but, two minutes into injury time, the Chicks paid a heavy price for failing to clear their lines

MATCH REPORT:DORKING WANDERERS 1 - 0 DORKING FC

21/08/15

as Alex Rose pounced on the loose ball to lift it high into the net for a 1-0 lead to the hosts.

With the referee playing an extraordinary amount of injury time, Dorking launched one final attack, ending with Jackson –Hughes scraping the top of the crossbar with a 25 yard free kick.

A thoroughly competitive fixture - if not always full of quality - between the town's historic club at the start of a rebuilding process, and the relative newcomers riding high on 15 years of excellent progress and taking advantage of new rules allowing reserve teams to compete in the Combined Counties League. The return fixture at The New Defence on 19th December, when the league table will have a more telling shape to it, promises to be an enthralling encounter.

Dorking Wanderers FC: Huk, White, Rose, Boulter, Hackett, Francis, Byrne, White, Fildes, Cousins, GrantSubs - John, Bryan, Law, Robey, Evans

Dorking FC: Osei, Brazil, Aljoe, Harmsworth, Hartt, Jeeves, Wright, John, Smith, Jackson-Hughes, Lunn.Subs - Hodel-Murphy, Coffey, Fowler, Gurney, Jupp

Report by Paul Killick

CLUB HISTORYBANSTEAD ATHLETIC:

as Manager with a new side we finished 6th. 2009/10 season Barry Barnes became Manager, but soon Paul Norris his assistant took charge, with Barry taking the coaching role. 2010/11 season new managers: Rus-sell Harmsworth & Bobby Knock & new first team including Coach Ben Murphy and Physio Denis Lawton.

2011/12 season Graeme Banyard takes over again as Manager. Graeme decides to call it a day. 2011/12 season 14 games in Dave Tidy takes over as Jt. man-ager with Perry Gough, In came Paul Elsey Assistant Manager left in March 2012. At the end of the 2011/12 campaign after a difficult season where the team finished bottom of the Pre-mier League Dave Tidy left along with James Deacons and all the management team. 2012/13 Andrew Tucker leaves. Also gone is Michael Watson, Michael Thompson. Danny Lee is installed as Manager. Along with his Assistant Manager Nicky Bolt Assistant Coach/Fitness Assessor is Darren Tomlin. Goalkeeper Coaches and Scouts are Steve Bennett and Arron Tarry. Nick Bolt decided he

Our club was founded during the second world war: In 1944/45 we began our foot-ball under the name of Ban-stead Juniors. 1946/47 saw us change our name to Ban-stead Athletic F.C. In our first season with the name we won the Surrey Interme-diate Cup. 1947/48 & 1948/49 in these next two seasons we won the League title. 1949/50 We joined the Surrey League. 1950/51 season we won the League title by 11 points. Harry Clark scored 81 goals in 26 games. We managed to win the League title in seasons: 1951/52, 1952/53 and 1953/54. In 1964/65 Gordon Taylor(our current President) won the League title With the club. During nine seasons our highest placing was 5th.

1999/2000 season Chick Botley took over he lasted eight games, Langford was recalled along with Ray Best. Finished 10th, but it was a struggle. 2001/02 season we managed to finished 5th in the League. 2002/03 season we flirted with relegation but finished 16th.

2006 season we joined the Combined Counties League. 2006/07 season saw Graeme Banyard take over

wanted to leave. After a diffi-cult season in the First Divi-sion the football club finished 2nd from bottom.

The club committee decided to have a change of manag-er and backroom staff. Out went Danny Lee, Steve Ben-nett & Arron Tarry. In came Jack Johnson as manager, also in Gary Ring and Ross Birch as his assistant man-agers. Lee Malyon is the Match day preparation man-ager.June 2014 James Cameron comes in as assistant man-ager alongside Gary Ring.Lee Malyon decides to leave.Our club wins the award of best match day programme for 2013-2014 at the agm of the Combined Counties League.August 2014 Additions to existing management. Steve Tyson in as head coach, and Ross Birch as coach along with Gary Ring.

May 2015, our manager Jack Johnson resigns, and James Cameron steps forward for the job. Ross White and Rod Davis are his assistants, Sean Bradley as assistant head coach and Andy Smith as the A’s goal-keeping coach.

THE HISTORY OF DORKING FCFootball has been played in Dorking since the 1830’s. It was first played in the street, and an annual ‘match’ took place every Shrove Tuesday in

Dorking’s High Street. Those on the east of St Martin’s were one team known as the East-enders and those to the West, on the opposing team, were the Westenders. The “pitch” extended all the way from London Bridge Road to the Washway Bridge in Station Road.

The match was preceded by a procession led by a band and men dressed as women collecting donations and carry-ing a cross inscribed with words “kick away both Whig and Tory, wind and water, Dork-ing’s glory”. On the left of the cross was a red, white, and blue ball representing the Union, on the top a gold ball representing the winners, and on the right a red and green ball representing the ‘cockerel colours’ of Dorking. Celebra-tions went on well into the evening when pre‐match collections were first distributed to shopkeepers for window damage and the balance con-sumed in beer at The Sun.

This tradition continued until 1905 when it was outlawed after ten years of suppression, and by which time Association Football had defined formal

rules for the game in 1863 (dic-tating kicking only) when rugby went one way with hands, and “soccer” (abbreviation for Asso-ciation Football) went the other with feet. By now Dorking Foot-ball Club had formed in 1880, establishing itself as the second oldest football club in

Surrey and one of the oldest in the country. The club originally played in green and red striped shirts with white shorts – the three colours representing the famous Dorking cockerel.

The cockerel was also very apparent as the main feature of the club’s badge, and hence the club soon became affec-tionately known as “the Chicks”.

The team first played at a site on West Bank before moving to a pitch off Fairfield Drive and then later to Pixham Lane in the 1920s. The Chicks didn’t move to its current location at Meadowbank until 1953 when their success demanded better facilities and a new ground was built on an old dumpsite.

The new Meadowbank had a capacity of 5000 and a stand that accommodated 700. The ground was opened by the then FA Secretary Sir Stanley Rous and was inaugurated by an exhibition match against Corin-thian Casuals. Dorking’s most successful FA Cup run followed in 1955 when they beat Folkestone 3 – 1 in front of a home crowd of more than 4000 before going out in the next

round to local rivals Epsom. In the 1950s annual spectator club membership stood at more than 1000.