There are eight days until the new National League South season begins as Marc White addresses his Dorking Wanderers players in the function room of a training facility in Leatherhead, Surrey.
White’s frustration following the performance in a 1-0 defeat to Dulwich Hamlet, some three days earlier, is still burning strong and time to iron out the creases is running out.
“Tuesday’s game, in summary, was w***. Don’t dish me up that s*** again,” he says during the team meeting as Daily Star Sport follows him around for the day. “This team wasn’t built on f*******. This team was built on men, leaders and winners.”
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
It is before nine o’clock in the morning and the eight-minute-long dressing-down, littered with expletives, is ringing in the players’ ears on the eve of one of the biggest seasons in the club’s history. But by the 52-year-old’s standards, it was a tame meeting.
Dagenham and Redbridge visit Wanderers’ Meadowbank Stadium in the sixth tier of English football on August 8, where two of the pre-season promotion favourites go toe-to-toe in a juggernaut curtain-raiser.
White is in the unenviable, maybe even fortunate, position of being the chairman of the National League South club as well as being the manager.
He has been there, seen it and done it as the club have enjoyed an astronomic rise with 12 promotions in 23 seasons to playing the likes of Wrexham and Notts County one division below the Football League.
However, 27 years on from their foundation, they sit two rungs before the promised land. White says: “We’ve lived the dream from top to bottom.
“We’re the only club ever to go from the very bottom to the very top, we’re looking for that next chapter now, the EFL (English Football League).”
White is one of the most recognisable faces across the lower leagues for his larger-than-life personality and outspoken nature.
Those who know him well stress that his demeanour isn’t just for the cameras or during the fly-on-the-wall documentary moments that quickly become viral on social media.
For clubs like Dorking any extra, marginal advantage counts. White sits down for a meeting with first-team coach Jordan Clark, analyst Adam Trathan and new head of performance Jake Foster to discuss the formation, availability and fitness of some of Dorking’s star players for the penultimate pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic.
Foster, boasting experience across a range of elite-level sporting environments, was a landmark arrival for the club.
His appointment came in the wake of the injury crisis that derailed Dorking’s promotion aspirations, as they lost five of their last eight league games and fell short in the playoff semi-final.
Every detail is now under microscopic surveillance, with the club investing in modern technology to track fitness, running statistics, and injury prevention in real time.
The fixed outlay is viewed as a financially savvy move, steering away from inflated impulse signings and using the loan market to plug the issues.
The Dorking boss still wears the scars from their collapse at the end of last season, which came to a head with a 4-2 defeat to Torquay United. With the nightmare of the 2025/26 season ingrained into White’s memory, Dorking are trying to squeeze every last ounce in the quest for success.
And there is a fresh sense of determination. He says: “It’s not easy. Last season took it out of me, it really did. Everything went against us.
“The great thing about football, the reason it’s the greatest game in the world, it resets. We’re fortunate, you’re going to have new journeys, chapters, positive and negatives to deal with, it’s the greatest drama that there is. Yes, there are some scars there but they’ll make us celebrate louder, that’s when they’ll resurface.”
Preparations for the new season have been far from ideal with a turnover of players, while injured stars continue to sporadically return.
With time running out, Dorking have been forced to train at their third backup venue due to the extreme heatwave, which has rendered their training ground pitch unplayable.
Leatherhead’s Youth play host to breakfast, training and the initial coaches meeting.
As the players go through a light session, 20 minutes away at Meadowbank White sits down for a podcast with club sponsors alongside defender Dennon Lewis and new signings, Josh Barrett and George Nikaj, amid the scenic backdrop of the Surrey hills.
Away from the pitch, the Dorking supremo also has a 50-employee-strong marketing company alongside his non-league football commitments.
The 52-year-old knows a thing or two about being front and centre of the conversation.
Last season, the club went viral after 54-year-old fan Terry Dunn was ‘signed’ as an emergency goalkeeper after Harrison Foulkes’ injury.
The Dorking supporter became an internet sensation, leading to the belief that they’d play a veteran goalkeeper in a league fixture, before the National League South club signed cover ahead of their game against AFC Totton.
Dunn had his gloves on again as he was tasked with starring in the promotional video for Dorking’s new free pint initiative for away supporters, while home and away supporters will have the chance to spin the wheel for a series of prizes.
White still holds dreams for Dorking, chief among them being a clash under the arch. The 52-year-old has been in attendance for National League playoff finals, wishing his side would turn out at Wembley Stadium. There is a chance to do that this term, should they go all the way in the FA Trophy.
It has been a summer of lessons and landmarks for Dorking. An agreement in principle has been struck with Surrey FA to take over the operating lease at Meadowbank, the latest chapter in the club’s short history as they strive for further success.
While the vigorous pre-season preparations are almost over, White feels that his side will not be at full strength when a ball is kicked on the opening day on Saturday. However, he expects them to come strong.
With American investors Frank Villares and Debra Tucker on board as co-owners, the aim is to follow in the footsteps of Wrexham, Stockport County, Bromley and Notts County in rising up the football pyramid.
White says: “It’s very feasible, teams have done it before. “We’re stuck in bottlenecks, that’s the only challenge, one promotion and one through the playoffs, you can be really unlucky and finish second.
“We’re defined by that one promotion place but it’s more than achievable. It’s a case of when’s our next headline? When’s our next storyline? That’s what the club does, it writes headlines.
“No matter what, you can’t argue with what we deserve with where we’ve come from. It’s always going to be the underdog story, even if we’re favourites for the league.”