DORKING'S two senior football clubs have reached a momentous agreement that will see them come together to grow the game in the local area as well as share grounds.
Dorking Wanderers of the Ryman South and Combined Counties League Divison One side Dorking FC have put rivalries aside to enter into the unique partnership.
The newly formed Dorking Football Development Alliance has been launched following weeks of talks between the two clubs and will see them work together to boost grass-roots football in the Surrey town.
Subject to league approvals, Dorking FC will play its matches at Wanderers' Westhumble home ground next season, returning to the town after more than two years away at Horley following the closure of their Meadowbank ground in 2013.
When Meadowbank has been rebuilt by Mole Valley District Council, which is expected to be done in time for the 2017-18 season, Wanderers will then move in with Dorking FC.
Dorking chief executive Jason Rabbetts said: “Today we're talking about sharing our facilities, but the Alliance will be about much more than that.
“This is truly a historic agreement between our clubs and we are working on plans to improve all aspects of football and player development in Mole Valley, creating what will be a unique co-operative arrangement between two senior clubs in the same town.
“With the council's plans for our fantastic new Meadowbank home and artificial pitch, along with the picturesque setting of Wanderers' ground at Westhumble, Dorking will boast an enviable range of football facilities – and by working together we can ensure they are used in a way that creates the maximum benefit for the town.”
A new logo will be created for the Alliance and both clubs are planning to wear it on their shirts but Wanderers chairman Marc White has stressed a merger is not on the cards.
“Both clubs have distinct identities, objectives and proud histories,” he said. “Dorking Wanderers are a well-documented community success story. Having been formed just 17 years ago, the club's success has been based solely on the efforts of many local volunteers, who have developed it both on and off the field.
“Dorking FC are an integral part of the town's rich heritage, established in 1880, the oldest senior club in Surrey, and now focused on making steady progress through the development of young local talent with amateur values.
“Our clubs have very different development plans for the medium and long-term and make separate, but complementary contributions to local sport and the community. This Alliance is a means of us supporting each other in achieving our respective aims in a way that will really put Dorking on the football map.”
