Just reading between the lines but that tweet by DW would suggest we are facing Leatherhead on 13 July (yawn)

I sincerely hope Horsham do not put themselves forward for a friendly - after all if they are thinking ambitiously then they will have to assume they are going up and will be a Step 2 side, which rules them out!

The away 'tour' is Sat 6 July and I think step 2. Anywhere a good distance away, Marc doesn't want London or the south east so I would say north or north-west.

4 home friendlies is quite a lot, makes a long pre-season. Lovely.

Although I might do what I did last year and just go to the Isle of Wight for a game on one of the weekends (last year did Cowes Sports), so maybe East Cowes Vics this year if they have a home friendly and DW are playing nobody inspiring (or Leatherhead) on the same weekend.

Crawley or Sutton are the obvious EFL teams although I would prefer we play at theirs rather than risk injuries on our pitch

If Marc wants to slowly build up to better and better opponents then it could look something like this (assuming the season starts on the 10th August):

Sat 29th June - TBA (H) Step 3/4

Sat 6th July - TBA Up North (A)

Sat 13th July - Leatherhead (A)

Sat 20th July - TBA (H) Step 3

Sat 27th July - TBA (H) Step 1

Sat 3rd August - TBA (H) EFL

Only two away fixtures in there. I wonder if there will be a midweek away trip in there somewhere (maybe Leatherhead?). We were meant to play Crawley away this season midweek but it then mysteriously dissappeared, so that could be an option.

We obviously have a few clubs that are "friends" so we could play some of those - Horsham, Raynes Park, South Park, Oldham, Bromley, Wrexham, Sutton are all options. Maybe even Aldershot or Woking.

Posted by: @calvertskans

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If Marc wants to slowly build up to better and better opponents then it could look something like this (assuming the season starts on the 10th August):

Sat 29th June - TBA (H) Step 3/4

Sat 6th July - TBA Up North (A)

Sat 13th July - Leatherhead (A)

Sat 20th July - TBA (H) Step 3

Sat 27th July - TBA (H) Step 1

Sat 3rd August - TBA (H) EFL

 

Only two away fixtures in there. I wonder if there will be a midweek away trip in there somewhere (maybe Leatherhead?). We were meant to play Crawley away this season midweek but it then mysteriously dissappeared, so that could be an option.

We obviously have a few clubs that are "friends" so we could play some of those - Horsham, Raynes Park, South Park, Oldham, Bromley, Wrexham, Sutton are all options. Maybe even Aldershot or Woking.

Not really relevant but I don't think South Park and DW are friends. 

But yes - the Advertiser Trophy was at Meadowbank in 2023 so will be at Fetcham Grove in 2024, if played.

Personally I would selfishly want lots if aways, but if we are hosting on all those dates then hopefully the new CEO will have his commercial head on and get clubs that bring loads of thirsty away fans here!

Has to be at home to AFC Wimbledon, surely?

Unless it has been quietly forgotten we agreed to play Redhill at theirs this pre-season, it was part of the arrangements when we started morning training a year ago and used their place for a couple of months 

Here is the news article (click on link below)

@dorking-eagle I assume that will be a midweek away game then considering all the other dates are filled. Unless they move it to Meadowbank instead or if the B Team play them.

Clearly he needs to get the balance right in terms of the number of games. I think it was the first season of national league where we played a ridiculous number of pre season friendlies, which resulted in us starting the season with a large number of injuries and completely flat. 

The main thing missing from pre season games is playing league 2 or league 1 opposition at least once. 

Every other team I know of plays one game against a team from a division or 2 above. 

Surely it cannot be beyond them to schedule a game in like this regularly in future. 

My preference would be Crawley or AFC Wimbledon. I am surprised we havent played either in pre season friendlies over the last 2 seasons given we have been div 5 during that time??

Crawley away would be a good game. Crawley would not have to worry about the state of the pitch . Would need to be early in their schedule though, as they would want higher league position team nearer to start of season.

I am sure the state of the pitch puts off a lot of EFL teams coming to Dorking. Even Marc says it is awful and cause of so many injuries. We were lucky to get Sutton come a couple of years ago.

Glad to see club is looking to get better quality opposition pre-season. They were too low last year.

I wonder if we can get the Chelsea loan out team to play us again?

It's a load of rubbish in my opinion if behind closed doors.

I know it's sad buy I work my life around the football, even scheduling the family holiday abroad outside of not just the football season but the pre-season, because I love the combination of good weather unusual opponents and the chance to travel and visit new grounds/places.

So hopefully not an academy BCD!

I think the reason why we haven't played higher division opposition until now in pre season friendlies is probably due to Marc's paranoia about taking a drumming early in pre season.

The side has taken a lot of shellackings in the past 2 seasons, so he should really just suck it up and schedule a game early on vs higher division opposition. 

Higher division opposition isnt going to want to play us in the last or second to last game...We are not good preparation for them that close to the start of the season. 

@crawleysth 

He has not got pre season schedule right for the last 2 seasons. 

Last season we only played very low level sides which was not at all good preparation. 

The season before that we played something like 12 games and half the team was injured by the first game of the season. 

Hopefully there is a happy middle ground.