Dorkinian FC a team you may or may not have heard of…

Well, its a club I was made aware of through speaking to George at VEO recently, his brother Henry Warne is the 1st team Captain and has been so since 2018, during this time he has also held a variety of Committee roles and in George’s own words…”Is the real brains behind the operation”.

So I thought I would dive head first into a little bit of research before posing some questions to Henry about his time with the club so far and what he sees the future of Dorkinian FC looking like!

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Is there a single match or moment in the club’s history that everyone still talks about?

There is an anecdote that will remain in club folklore: one of our cornerstone stalwarts – who shall remain nameless – was in goal for the 2nd XI. He went down in the second half, and as there was a crowd around him in the penalty area, it appeared that his ankles were pointing in opposite directions to his feet. Huge concern spread around, until it became clear that in fact, his boots were on the wrong feet… That certainly explained why his goal kicks were even more inaccurate than usual.

How has the club evolved over the past few years — what would surprise someone who hasn’t checked in for a while?

In the last five years, the Club has soared to heights beyond that which the founders could have ever dreamed. Dorkinian FC is now one of the strongest clubs in the Southern Amateur League network, with seven senior teams and a 1st XI that are well regarded as one of the best in amateur football.

For a club born out of a sleepy town in Surrey, competing against – and often beating – some of the biggest names in amateur football in the South East might come as a surprise to those that have not followed the journey in recent years. For those that have been part of the journey, it’s really no surprise at all! Our mission is to try and reconnect with those past players who would derive so much satisfaction from seeing the success of today’s crop of players and volunteers.

Sum up this season so far in three words — and tell us why you chose them.

Exciting – the merger of two of the biggest amateur leagues in England have created a ‘super league’, with the Southern Amateur Football League now the biggest network in the World. The opportunity for the whole club to compete against new teams is exciting, and for our 1st XI, competing at the very top of this pyramid of over 35 divisions is a real privilege. Everyone associated with the club has shared in this feeling.

Historic – building on the above, it feels incredible to be living out the dream that many that came before us never got to experience. There had been discussions around merging the two amateur leagues for decades; the fact it’s now happened is historic. There is a buzz across all teams and supporters, who all feel the joy of being part of a historic moment in the history of our club, but of amateur football in the south east in general.

Unpredictable – part of the thrill of amateur football is in the unexpected. This can be negative: we’ve had a series of season affecting injuries for a number of young players. This has really taken the wind out of our sails. But each week, and across each of our XIs, there are new match day heroes. Some of those are club legends, continuing their journey, and some are new faces, quickly swept up in the joy that comes with being a Dorkinian. Above all else, it’s the laughter and the calamity that provides unparalleled joy each week – life is always unpredictable, and it is a great lesson in not taking everything too seriously.

Have there been any quirky or unusual ideas to promote the club that actually worked out well?

Our range of innovative flags and sticker designs have been a real hallmark of recent seasons. This goes hand in hand with our social media campaign to celebrate Chicks overseas. We may be based in Dorking, but we are putting in the work to create a global brand.

How does the club stay connected with fans outside of matchdays, any clever or fun strategies?

We have a supporters WhatsApp group and newsletter. This has been a brilliant way to connect families and friends with club developments and upcoming fixtures, particularly parents of players who are unable to travel to games regularly. Connected to this, we have been doing a lot of work to revive the club archives. Connecting whats happening today with what has come before has really helped us to create a sense of identity around the club.

Are there any planned improvements to facilities or infrastructure, and what is the dream upgrade?

We are hoping – though at the moment its only a pipedream – to secure the investment for a new pavilion. This would help us to build on our partnership with Mole Valley Girls FC. We would love a multifunctional bar space, a new shower block, and six changing rooms. We would always seek to preserve the class and identity of our existing pavilion, but modernising the facilities available to players, spectators and friends of the club.

If you could make one strategic hire tomorrow for any role, who would it be and why?

Id bring in Brendan McCullum, England Cricket Head Coach, as a Director of Football. Hes all about reconnecting with why you started playing the game (whether that be football, cricket, darts, golf), and leaning into that child-like joy. That’s the culture that we want to set, and all success on and off the pitch flows from that core aim.

Besides results, how do you measure success on the pitch, style of play, spirit, development?

We believe that our success as a club has always been rooted in our ability to attract and retain great players on the pitch, but great people off it. We measure success by the community we create. When you are at Pixham Lane on a Saturday, you cannot help but be captivated by the hum of sociability around the place. Its not just the football, but its the friendships. One of the best markers of success is the praise we receive from our opposition teams too. We always want to be hard to beat on the pitch, pushing ourselves to be a difficult opponent at all times. But off the pitch, we want to be hospitable hosts, and so many opposition teams speak warmly about their away trip to Dorking as the highlight of their season.

That’s real success.

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I hope you enjoyed that one, I always find the story behind people involved in Non-League Football endlessly fascinating and this was the case once again with the discovery of Dorkinians!

Henry and the rest of the team are doing some great work and really making themselves stand out from the crowd.

Well done to everyone involved and best of luck for the future!!

Until next time guys.

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Parks to Pitches (your dedicated Non-League Football Magazine) 

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