COMBINED Counties League side Dorking have started a campaign to save the club after the rebuilding of their former home was delayed.
The Chicks were planning to return to Meadowbank – the home of the club since 1953 – next season but those hopes were dashed recently when Mole Valley District Council revealed they would be delaying the vital work.
The ground has been closed since 2013 following years of neglect but the club's new owners, who took over 12 months later, want to save the stadium.
The delay means a third season of ground-sharing for the Step 6 outfit – who currently play at Horley Town – and the lack of money coming in from such an arrangement means the club are worried for their future.
That has led the club to social media and the start of #savedorkingfc. The Chicks have created five ways for people to help save the club and are hoping to raise £30,000 to see them through next year.
As well as starting a crowd funding page (http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-dorking-fc), all profits from club membership and merchandise will go to the fund. People can also loan the Chicks cash and benefit from income tax relief and business have also been encouraged to think about sponsorships.
Dorking chairman Grant Ashley said: “Mole Valley District Council informed us just before Christmas that they had not yet selected a contractor and they would be delaying the rebuilding of our Meadowbank home.
“As a result, they can no longer meet the long-standing commitment to bring Dorking FC home for the 2016-17 season and we must spend a third year ground sharing.
“It's a huge disappointment to everyone who has been involved in running and supporting the club since we rescued it from closure in 2014.
“But, make no mistake, a third year without a home ground presents us with a huge financial challenge, threatening the survival of the Chicks after 136 years of football heritage in the town.
“While we've been able to make one year's money last for two seasons, there's nothing left in the pot for the third year that has been sprung on us.
“Still – there's a huge reward awaiting us if we can get through this. We have signed Heads of Terms on a long term lease for the new Meadowbank, when it's completed. We have a strong, sustainable business plan when we return home – but we have to survive another season to get there.
“Groundsharing several miles away is an expensive business, with little prospect for generating revenue – small gate and advertising receipts and no bar or catering income. So we need to raise £30,000 to cover our operating costs and see us through next year and avoid Dorking FC going bust with the prize of a new Meadowbank still tantalisingly within grasp.”
