Dorking Wanderers to move to CCL/merge with Dorking

[lazarus]

We met with the FA last week to discuss the actual and potential problems with Division One.  There are some possibilities for expansion including the fact that two clubs at Step 7 within our area have applied for promotion (NPL and Kensington Dragons) and, of course, there may be more going down than coming up depending upon who finishes in the top three of Division One and whether or not they satisfy the grading requirements.  There are one or two other possibilities but no more than that and I cannot discuss them at present.

 

We have suggested to the FA that as far as entrants to Div 1 (Step 6) is concerned that they should let those Step 5 leagues who request it, to employ their own grading requirements rather than the national ones in the way that we have until recent times.  That would continue to allow us to accept clubs with potential but who are not quite there as yet in grading terms, in the way we accepted South Park and Knaphill, to name two who would not have been able to come in when they did, had the national gradings been as rigorously enforced as they seem to be now.

 

Other step 6 divisions, and not solely in the South, are suffering similar problems, which to a considerable extent can be put down to the expansion in the size of divisions at higher levels, a retrograde step in my opinion.  22 is surely enough clubs in any division considering the adverse weather that seems to hit us just about every year.  Quite why the Ryman and other Step 3/4 Leagues wanted 24 I don't know.  The idea that it allows 14 up and down from 3-4 and vice-versa is something of a red herring.  Before the re-structure not one champion club from Step 5 had ever missed out on promotion because there were no places available and even if it happened that there were more promotion candidates in a season than places available, then surely as an exception, one of the Step 4 leagues could run with 23 for a season.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-manager-Glynn-Stephens-just-desperate/story-20651145-detail/story.html

 

The Buddah Speaks...

[nosher]

I now fear the worst for DFC!

 

Snap. Worse than losing the first team in a way as it almost certainly puts paid to any hope of securing grant funding from the usual sources. Where is the money going to come from now, not only to fix the current situation but ongoing operating costs?

[Big J R]

This story now takes up the majority of the back page of todays Dorking Advertiser.

 

It doesn't appear to be on the web, as yet.

[Big J R]

In case you haven't seen the two Dorking Advertiser articles this week......

 

Dorking Under 18's statement with Dorking Wanderers:-

 

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-s-U18-team-switch-allegiances-Dorking/story-20639639-detail/story.html

 

Glynn Stephens press comment last Tuesday:-

 

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-manager-Glynn-Stephens-just-desperate/story-20651145-detail/story.html

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/New-Dorking-s-corking-t-shirts-released/story-20661866-detail/story.html

 

oh dearie dearie me...

[Lazy Sod]

In case you haven't seen the two Dorking Advertiser articles this week......

 

Dorking Under 18's statement with Dorking Wanderers:-

 

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-s-U18-team-switch-allegiances-Dorking/story-20639639-detail/story.html

 

Glynn Stephens press comment last Tuesday:-

 

http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-manager-Glynn-Stephens-just-desperate/story-20651145-detail/story.html

 

That is a dreadful state of affairs regarding the under 18s. What sort of message does that give out? How does that sit with the Club constitution? 

[Chris Clapham]

The new Dorking Wanderers youth beat East Grinstead 5-1 tonight in the league cup at Westhumble.

Guildford City beat Horley 2-1.

[Jeff Hamnett TSF]

If the U18 managers and players have had enough and want to go elsewhere , I cant blame them. I wish them well.
If DFC want to keep an u18 side going next year they can.

Might be hard, might be a second tier U18 side if Wanderers get the cream, but, on its own, it doesnt mean DFC have no U18 side next year.

 

The u18s leaving the nest isnt the biggest problem facing football continuing at Meadowbank or in Dorking town..

The biggest problem is the owners of the club agreeing a way forward with it's landlords (Mole Valley DC), and other "stakeholders".

 

If it could be simplified, it goes like this.

 

MVDC : "That fence is falling down, and looks awful fix it or we will kick you off"

DFC "Why should we fix it, if we are going to get kicked off anyway"

 

DFC " give us a long lease with guarantees of tenureship and we'll sort the ground"

MVDC " no long lease unless you get the ground sorted"

 

 A few years ago this was largely taken to court and DFC "won".

 

I used to go to Dorking Grammar school and then train with the Dorking youth set up at Meadowbank, ground was only about twentyfive years old back then. Just got the floodlights put in and my uncle Jim helped get Bobby Robsons Ipswich European side 

down to play and celebrate the switch on.

 

I played in the FA School Cup at the old Goldstone ground in Brighton about the same time.

 

Thats all about 40 years and a thousand tears ago.

My other memory is my Latin and History teacher threatening to haunt me if I didnt get my O level. I did, and i remember well what a Pyrrhic victory is.

 

[****!!****]ing pointless......

 

 

NIce looking ground , The Amex .

Edited February 26, 2014 by thespursfan

[Big J R]

Watch this space ????