Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
Anybody know why the Surrey FA tries so hard to make life difficult for Dorking Wanderers?
The list of their petty, obstructive actions is difficult to comprehend. It is common knowledge that they tried to block the ground upgrade which would have stopped our promotion to the National League. What is almost beyond belief is that to punish the Club for laying a water pipe without permission they were going to close the ground with about three days notice – just before our first televised game!
Rather than resolve issues around the table, the SFA insist on using their very expensive lawyers and this has so far cost DWFC over £100.000 in legal fees alone and counting. They want us to pay £1,400 for the privilege of installing the 100-seater stand which the Club bought pre-season.
What is hard to understand is that improving the stadium facilities benefits the SFA. Getting promotion to the National League also brings extra kudos and publicity to the SFA. Why do they cut off their nose to spite their face? It just seems vindictive.
To make matters worse they are about to raise their hire fees by 35%.
We will not be able to sustain a National League position with the SFA as our landlords.
The location of the stadium is absolute gold
It was clear to see when we were in the NL (prem) how much visiting fans loved coming to their game at Meadowbank - all the nearby historic pubs, cafes, bookies etc - it's the prime location.
And the council has already accepted in principal that the ground can accommodate the 5k capacity that the EFL require
Whilst the ground has so much improvements before then, it has the potential, and that counts for so much
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Ripping off your only tenant maybe "short term commercial" but in the long term you could end up with a white elephant.
As you've driven Dorking away and all you are left with is a bunch of training businesses using it for coaching kids, and a few amateur clubs with no fans using it for training.
Quite. I hope that SFA take their footballs and create an HQ somewhere else in the county - Guildford Spectrum would be ideal (although I am not sure what the club already there will have done to deserve it lol)
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
