Dorking Wanderers were founded back in 1999, by Marc White and his friends Peter Buckland, Mark Lewington, Ian Davidson, Lee Spickett and Penny Gregg. The club initially started in the lowest league of English football, slowly climbing season by season as they moved further up the leagues.With the promotions, Marc White would have to continue to make improvements on the club and its facilities to meet requirements. They did this little by little, slowly turning from what was a little bit of fun into something more serious and costly.
Owner and founder Marc White also managed the side, and what he was doing with the team was almost unthinkable. Just 18 years after the club was founded, they found themselves in the Isthmian Premier League, just one promotion away from the National League South.
Dorking relocated to Meadowbank Stadium in 2017. This was significant. It was a statement of intent rather than merely a new pitch. The new stadium represented a significant advancement for the team, which was committed to rising through leagues. Just a few years on, and they had won the league by 22 points and were well on their way to a level Marc White wouldn’t have even believed was possible after just 20 years of the club being founded.
The club was generating more and more interest as Marc White’s name began to gain popularity in the local community from what he was doing. Dorking also took part in a YouTube series named ‘Bunch Of Amateurs’ where a film crew followed their season and owner Marc White. This generated attention from all over the world, and soon enough White and Dorking Wanderers name was known nation-wide. White has also gained popularity due to boisterous and no-nonsense approach to management, with the 50-year-old yet to gain any coaching badges - and he certainly has no intention to do this.
After a season that was shut down due to COVID-19, with them top of the league, they did the unthinkable and gained yet another promotion. They finished 2nd in the National League South, and went up through the playoffs, winning one of the most thrilling finals you will ever see, scoring a 120th minute winner in extra time to reach the National League, just one step away from the EFL.
Dorking have had a season and a half so far in the National League, and finally seem to have found a level that they might not be able to walk through as easy as they have previously done. However, the story of Dorking is still nothing short of incredible, from being formed in 1999, they have climbed every division possible, and now sit just 4 promotions away from Premier League football, and that is all because of one man. Marc White.
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