Isthmian League

Premier Division

Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Dorking Wanderers 1 Enfield Town 0, attendance 404

78’ 1-0

@ Meadowbank Stadium

Mill Lane

Dorking

RH4 1DX

£10 Admission

Programme ? Never saw any, but must have been one as they were shown on their twitter account pre match.

On the last two occasions I had watched Dorking Wanderers play home matches, they were both played at Westhumble Playing Fields. They have now moved to Meadowbank Stadium, right in the town centre and what was the former home of Dorking F.C. I had been here on 28th August 1995 when I saw Dorking 0 Witham Town 2 in an Isthmian League Division 2 match. Since then, the whole area has been flattened and a brand new ground has been built, which is also home to the Surrey F.A., with the pitch almost entirely on the original footprint, but with a new 3G Pitch and totally new surroundings.

As with most modern grounds, it is functional, but is very bland and is totally lacking in any character. There is a decent sized seated stand, but the two areas of covered standing have been put in two of the worst positions they could have been placed for watching a game from, not that the club will care one bit about that. Also, the floodlights are not that good, which seems to be a problem that is now so common on 3G pitches. At least the parking is good. In the Pay & Display car park off Mill Lane, it is free after 6pm during the week and is less than 50 yards walk from the ground.

In the half hour leading up to me leaving for the match, the back garden had been covered in snow, but I decided to go anyway and there were no problems whatsoever on arrival at the ground some thirty five minutes before kick off.

Wanderers were second in the league table, five points behind leaders Haringey Borough, but with this game in hand. Enfield started the night in ninth place. It was not a very good game to watch from a neutral point of view, with very little goalmouth action. I thought Enfield were the better team, having hit a post and having had a shot cleared off the goal line with the ‘keeper well beaten, whilst Dorking did virtually nothing during the first half. The only goal of the game came when a left wing cross was headed down and the striker turned and brought a good save out of the ‘keeper, but the ball fell kindly to another Wanderers player, who swept the ball into the net from close range.

I was surprised at the size of the crowd, which was announced as 404, although I thought it was around the 300-350 mark at best. Dorking are still in with a good chance of promotion, but I would think the ground as it is at present, is well short of making the next grading, but can probably be rectified by plonking another couple of kit stands in the other two corners of the ground.