Marc White, Dorking Wanderers FC: Dreaming Big and Building Success One Step at a Time

What does it take to turn a kickabout in the park with friends into a professional football club knocking on the door of the Football League? 

We dive into one of the most extraordinary stories in British football with a true visionary, Marc White. From the 17th tier to the National League, Marc’s journey with Dorking Wanderers FC is a masterclass in ambition, grit, and the relentless pursuit of a dream.

In this episode of Don't Forget Your Tickets, host Carl-Erik Moberg sits down with the man who is simultaneously the founder, chairman, and manager of Dorking Wanderers. Marc shares the incredible tale of how a £50 buy-in from his mates evolved into a club with its own stadium, a die-hard community, and a trajectory that defies all footballing logic.

Marc isn’t just a football manager; he’s a phenomenon. Known for his brutal honesty and unfiltered passion, he has become a social media sensation, with the hit series Bunch of Amateurs garnering millions of views worldwide. His approach strips away the PR polish often found in modern sport, revealing the raw, human side of building a legacy from scratch.

We explore the unique culture he has instilled at Meadowbank, how he balances the business of football with the pressures of the dugout, and why 12 promotions in 23 years is just the beginning.

In this episode, we cover:

• From the Park to the Pros: How Marc founded the club in 1999 and navigated the lower echelons of the football pyramid to reach the National League South.
• The Power of Authenticity: Why Marc’s transparent, no-nonsense leadership style resonates with millions of fans globally.
• Building a Community Hub: The story behind regenerating Meadowbank Stadium and creating a commercial model that supports the club’s rapid growth.
• Viral Success: A look at Bunch of Amateurs and how digital storytelling propelled a non-league club onto the world stage.
• Chasing the Next Ace: Marc discusses his "one step at a time" philosophy and his ultimate ambition to lead Dorking into the Football League (League Two).

Whether you’re a football romantic, a business leader looking for inspiration, or just love a proper underdog story, this episode is proof that with enough passion and hard work, no dream is too big.

Tune in to hear from the most electrifying character in non-league football!

Guest: Marc White – Founder, Chairman & Manager, Dorking Wanderers FC
Host: Carl-Erik Moberg – Don't Forget Your Tickets

Don't Forget Your Tickets is powered by TicketCo, hosted by TicketCo’s CEO and founder, Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, and co-hosted by TicketCo's CCO Clare Kenny. The podcast was originally launched under the name TicketingPodcast.com. To learn more about TicketCo, please check out our web page ticketco.io or visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/ticketco/

Transcript

Mark White’s Early Passion

SPEAKER_00 0:01

What does it take to turn a group of friends playing football in the park into a club on the brink of professional league football? I'm Carl Eric Moberg, host of Don't Forget Your Tickets, and the CEO and founder of Ticket Cup. Today we're diving into the incredible story of Dorkin Wanderers, a club that started in the 17th tier of English football and has climbed its way all the way up to the National League South Tier 6. At the heart of this journey is our guest, Mark White, the founder, chairman, and manager whose passion and vision has driven this remarkable rise. Welcome to the podcast, Mark. Great to have you. No, Lisa, I really appreciate being invited, Carl. Thank you very much. I've been reading up on you for a while, Mark, and your name has reached Norway, and that's pretty good. I think we should hear a little bit about your story because it's super impressive. Even before founding Dorf King Wanderers, I mean, what's your background and how did you end up doing what you're doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Well, ultimately, I was just uh a football supporter, mad crazy about football. So every birthday card I ever got growing up would have a football on the front, you know, football crazy, and um I used to play loads, watch loads. Yeah, so I just took that passion really. Um I used to work in the city, sales and marketing, but I was um a little bit disorientated with watching football, cost a lot of money, a lot of travelling around. And yeah, I just thought that me and my friends would start a team. So we um much like you would, the very lowest level of football. So in the UK and in England, the lowest you can start is in the 17th tier, which is a field, that's it. One field, all you need is a set of nets, the pitch to be marked out, and a team and a kit, and that's it. So we started at the very lowest level, me and a bunch of friends. Yeah, and then we kind of just got a bit of a bug for it, really.

Starting At Tier 17

SPEAKER_00 2:11

I can imagine. I mean, there must be so many conversations going around about people wanting to start a team. When did you get the bug? When did you find out that this is something we're actually gonna go for?

SPEAKER_01 2:24

You know, initially the bug was, though we started winning from quite an early stage, but the main bug was the social engagement, really, to start with. You know, obviously, football is you know the biggest sport in the world in terms of bringing together individuals from all races and backgrounds. So, yeah, what we loved about it was we had our own little social community. We would go to the pub after the game, to the restaurant, have a drink. We'd often stay out into nightclubs, and that was what we loved about it primarily. It gave us a new lease of life and real engagement with each other. And then parallel to that, we started winning leagues, very low level, and then we just got a bit of an addiction around that. We didn't want to sort of compete, we wanted to win, and that was the kind of foundation of us, really. We just slowly got a bug for wanting to keep progressing up the pyramid without ever really having a plan.

Social Glue And Early Wins

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Super cool. And I mean, what inspired you to start from the beginning? You've mentioned before that you had a little bit of frustration around Wimbledon FC, how that was being run and how that was an inspiration to get started. Can you tell a little bit more about that?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yeah, I mean, you know, I supported a football club that was in decline. And I often think if it wasn't in decline, what direction would it have gone? But also, Premier League started becoming an expensive hobby. If you're sort of um in your 20s and you want to follow around a Premier League team, you won't have a lot of money left at the end of the month. You also won't see many people, you know, you're traveling up and down the country all weekend. So, yeah, it was just a case of just a bizarre one. We just said, well, should we just all go and play, start a team and play together? And literally the rest is history, as they say.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah, definitely. I mean, being a founder myself, you really miss those early days. Because you you all you want to do is you want to get to the next level. But when you get to the next level, you look back. Is it the same for you? Do you have the same feeling?

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Literally, I say that all the time. We go to this big stadium and all of that, and then I often say to people, but I really miss going to some of those original grounds, meeting the volunteers, and all of those days where we had to build a ground and we had to build our own changing rooms, and we had to ask the local timber merchant for some wood, and we had to find a roofer to put some felt on the roof. And yeah, you you missed the honesty of all of that, and the sort of like uniqueness of that. Someone said to me, like, if there was one negative of the growth, it's definitely what you don't do anymore.

Frustration With Pro Football Costs

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah. Well, that's interesting. I remember also I was talking to someone who had built a big company, it was for 10 years ago, and he said, One day you're gonna miss this. And I I didn't believe him, but now I really do. Uh I really do. I know how you feel. So, 12 promotions in 23 years, Mark. Moving from the 17th tier, as you said, into the National League now, South. What's the key factor? What's the success factors? Why do you think you're so successful?

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Well, I think everything has to be treated off-field and on field in football. Off field, we've engaged with the local community, not just volunteers, but the local business community. And we've looked at ways that we can use our club as a central hub for local businesses to meet each other and then in turn help us be more successful. That's become very much a virtuous circle and partnered with some great people, like Ticket Co and you know, from all around for different supplies and services. On the field, it's just about hard work, it's about being dedicated, obsessed with what it takes. You know, in terms of our team, a lot of our players have been together a long time. So we've got a culture, we don't look to interfere with that culture. We'll always keep the hub of the team and only have a sort of build around it. So we've always got that, you know, several players that have been here a long time that the club means a lot to. As we stand here today, we've got players in their tenth year at the club, which you just don't get in semi or professional football. We've got probably a dozen boys over five years. So probably the on-field success is great team building and keeping the foundations of the club at the heart of its growth, which are that kind of underdog story. And off the field, I think it's just been that kind of community engagement piece, both socially and commercially.

Nostalgia For DIY Non-League Days

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yeah, wow. I think those aspects are incredibly important. And most people think that these things happen overnight, but uh they don't. They definitely don't. There is enough of challenges on the way. How do you tackle those challenges?

SPEAKER_01 7:48

No, it's a great question. I mean, I just get up earlier and go to bed later. I think in life, if you work extra hours, you'll find extra answers. You know, there is an element of surrounding yourself with the right people, element of knowing if someone is better at something than you. But I think in general, in life in general, if your centre purpose towards a goal is passionate enough, then you'll find a way to get there. Because there's always several ways to get there, isn't there? It's not necessarily the route you chose. There might have been a quicker route or a slower route, but as long as you find a route, then that's the main thing. And I think you find that route if you work towards it.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

You mentioned culture in the beginning, and one thing that you are known for in the club is the unique culture and also your connection with fans. How do you keep that connection and how do you keep that community as the club grows?

SPEAKER_01 8:49

I mean, from my personal point of view, it's obviously just about being myself, really. Because I think what people really appreciate, obviously, life's sort of gone behind a paywall, a virtual paywall in respect of social media, what you can say, what you can't say, saying the right thing, being scared of saying the wrong thing. So our kind of thing is to give people the opportunity to still see that the human side and the honest reactional ways that we operate. So I think I always say to people, we've just got to be ourselves all the time. That is what people like. People resonate with us being us, and that's our success.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Uh, about you and how you speak to the team. I mean, you you appear extremely transparent, to put it that way. I think a lot of people would love to speak like you, just to talk straight from the heart with honesty. I guess that is also a part of the culture and the club.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah, I mean, I'm in a fortunate position because I've dug 300-meter trenches to put water pipes in and electric to build a ground. So if ever a player doesn't want to run very fast, you know, you can imagine how quick that conversation lasts, yeah. You know, when you've got your hands dirty, and I've got the very unique experience of giving everything I've got financially to the football club and never receiving a single penny back. In actual fact, the complete opposite. I've given a lifetime's inheritance to the want and purpose of the football club. So it's a hard culture. I'm able to be honest, and that's easy for me because everybody can't dispute what I've done.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Exactly. So, speaking of, I mean, the stadium, the Meadowbank Stadium, that's been a key part of the club's identity, as well as yourself, of course, Mark. Can you tell us about the journey of how you made this the home of Dorking Warners?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Well, there was an old sports site in Dorking that was run down, it had been closed down by the local authority, the local council. We were playing on a pitch elsewhere that we built from scratch. We'd built changing rooms, we'd built a tea bar, refreshments, floodlights we'd put up, but we couldn't progress anymore. And I always talk about the wanderer's gods. There's always been little things along the way, because when you work hard to get lucky, right? Yeah. And it just so happened that the local authorities said, well, we're thinking about regenerating this site at Metabank, making it more of a community hub, artificial pitch, etc., and wanted to be our partners. And it was at the perfect time. And the first season we were there, we won the next division by 20 odd points. And it's just been a lucky hunting ground, so we're very fortunate.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Speaking of attention around the club, the series, a bunch of amateurs, has given you uh quite a lot of exposure and obviously sure it's impacted the players as well. How do you keep focus when you have so much attention around the club? How do you keep the players focused? You mentioned all the social media stuff, people are talking, but how do you keep them on the right track?

Handling Setbacks And Work Ethic

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, I tend to take it for granted that the players can just deal with it all because I do, because I don't really give it a second thought. I don't ever think that I'm being recorded. I don't ever think, oh, this could end up there, this could end up here. I've never really ever thought about it at all. And I think it's obviously that kind of aloofness with it that makes it successful. But I mean, every now and then there's sensitive things like if players have been heavily criticized and we've got to be careful, but I think everybody knows at Dawkins it's like it's my way or the highway, it's like this is what we do, this is why we do it. I mean, we had half a billion views last year of our content. I mean, there was only three clubs in the whole of Europe, literally, with more of any level. So I'd probably underestimate how much the players get stopped all over the place. They do tell me they get stopped all over the place, but equally, if they can't handle it, then they just need to find a new club.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

That's the bottom line. Love it, love it, Mark. So obviously, you're a passionate and outspogian uh figure in non-league football. But how do you balance the business and the sports side of things? And I'm asking because you're a manager, your chairman, and you're also the face of the club. As you're saying, you're doing everything. How do you split that up?

SPEAKER_01 13:25

With difficulty, is the honesty. I mean, I could sit there and say, oh, you know, I'm this, that, you know, but it's very difficult. Uh got great people around me. I mean now I've got a chief exec, I've got a fellow director, Chris, that does loads of things. We've got a brilliant board, volunteers, we've got several full-time staff in different departments, but ultimately the direction is under me, and it is tough, especially when one minute you're dealing with a multi-million pound issue, the next minute you're dealing with an academy player that's got to play out of position on a Tuesday night. So it's it's a vast contrast, and it's challenging, Carl. It really is, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think what gets me out of bed every day is thinking about when it's not challenging.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

When do you get up in the morning?

Radical Transparency With Fans

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Well, about 4 a.m. Nice. If I have a lay-in and get a coffee. I live near uh Gatwick Airport, so I drive to Gatwick Airport and they open at 4:30. I get a coffee, and that that's where I get my perspective on everything. Because you need that perspective. But when I get to 8 o'clock, my phones go in, so it's I need that few hours. That's dinner time, it's eight then. You would have heard that saying, no doubt, in Norway as well. Like, sleeping is for wimps, and uh that's me.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

I'm a 5am myself, but uh 4am, I'll I'll try and see what happens. Yeah, no, I wouldn't I wouldn't recommend it.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

I've got about a month to live.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

So, uh Mark, future. You're now chasing a promotion to the National League. What's the goals? I mean, you're you're obviously having fun. I mean, you're full of energy, you're a young guy. What's the plans? It's just to keep chasing the ace.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Like, I think the lacquer plans is what drives us on. We just want the next success, which is promotion, and then when we've got that one, we want the next one. I think in football, you can't look too far ahead because everybody's got a five-year plan, ten-year plan. But the success level of those is so low. Half the time people are just saying it to win investors or look good. Our plan is to win the league, hold the trophy, look at each other and go, now what? That is the plan. We are very lucky. We've we've got an ownership group of 700 individuals now that have got shares in the football club that represent part of the club. So, you know, our reign together, it look, if you said to me, What's the goals? We'd love to play at Wembley. That's one goal because we've never done that. We'd love to play at Wembley. And secondly, we'd like to get to Lee Two. And I think we will achieve one or both of those.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

I think so too. And I'm actually 100% sure you will. Thanks, mate. And one of the key reasons I think is that you've brought the club up from the beginning. I mean, a lot of clubs have so much managerial debt. Yes. That they have so much stuff to consider, but you have built it from the ground up. Don't you think that's a huge advantage when you're going for the big one?

Building A Home At Meadowbank

SPEAKER_01 16:40

Massively, yeah, hugely. Because, like, so many clubs are fragmented based on having bad owners or bad managers or change of strategy, direction. And there's only one direction here. And from the outside looking in, it could look like a dictatorship. But you make a brilliant point, is that it's actually a massive advantage. Because a bit like we said earlier, if someone's got clear objectives to be successful, ultimately, given time, people that work hard tend to find their way to that success. So the English Premier League is just the best example ever of just poor ownership. I mean, clubs that turn over multiple managers all of the time, owners that are never happy, waste billions of pounds, different objectives, different plans, but a Dawkins, whether you like it or not, you're sort of on Mark's journey and it does work.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

I think it was interesting. You have 700 owners, but maybe you have a clearer owner strategy than someone with one owner.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

I think so, 100%. So looking even further ahead, right? You mentioned League Two. Why have you set League Two as a plan? I mean, why do you say League Two?

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Well, I think League Two is the next benchmark because in the UK, that's officially the Football League, which is recognised as professional football, even though we are a professional football club and everybody else is in our league. So it's got all of the TV rights, the income generated, etc., is a lot higher. In the UK, League Two is the sort of like holy grail of success to get there. So that's what we'd like to do. And if you get to the playoff final of the National League, it's held at Wembley. So you could kill two birds with one stone. Play at Wembley and get promoted to Lead Two. That'd be my greatest day.

Fame, Content, And Player Focus

SPEAKER_00 18:42

That sounds like a great plan. And I yeah, look forward to that day. And I think uh also enjoy the journey until we get there, right? That's that's the key.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

But Mark, I'm sure a lot of people are wondering where are you getting your energy from to keep that drive up?

SPEAKER_01 18:58

I just have a drive for success.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Look, when the head stops working, you know, the body goes with it, doesn't it, right? And for me, like I love having multiple challenges. I'm not that guy that's happy, you know, sat by the pool 12, 14 weeks a year. That's just not me. I think there's an undercurrent in me that drives me on. Maybe I won't realise what it is until I get there. And maybe when I get there, I'll say, I think I'm there now. And maybe I'll get up at 5 a.m. Do you know what I mean? Like metaphorically.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Sleep in. Yeah. Yeah. You want to be hungry, don't you? You want to be hungry.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yeah. You have to be. If I had a pound for every time you hear of people that retire or step down, and what follows that is just the body and the mind just follows it out the window. I'm so lucky to have what I've got. Even in our darkest times and most challenging moments, I'll always be reminded of how lucky I am that I've got what I've got.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Incredible, Mark. And uh, we're lucky also to have you here on this podcast today. It's been super inspirational. So, Mark, if people are crazy enough to follow your footsteps, do you have any advice for them?

Wearing Every Hat At The Club

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Do it. Do it. You know, there's so much you can get out of your life, isn't there? There's so much you can do. Some people look after an allotment, they call it in England, where they grow fruit. Some people look after their garden, some people collect cars or the rewards of you know having a team socially with your friends outweigh so many other things. And I would just say you should always go for it. I get uh a lot of messages all the time, every day, from people saying, I now do this because you do, I love what you do, it's great. And yeah, I just think go for it because you never quite know how great it is until you do it. And and this is definitely one of those things I I'm very happy I made that choice.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

Love it. And one thing that you said as well is that you might have a plan. It's not gonna go according to plan, but it's gonna work out anyway, one way or the other, right? And that's something that I really, really relate to as well, because I make plans all the time and they go completely different than I thought. But here we are, landing on our feet, which we have today as well, in the podcast. Reach out to us if you have any other advice on guests we should have, like Mark here. I mean, Mark, your story is unique. It's been awesome to have you here on the show, and I wish you the best of luck. And I promise you one thing we'll follow you all the way to League Two. And I have a suspicion that it's not gonna Stop there because uh you'll still be hungry. I'm 100% sure.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah, I really appreciate all the kind words and how great you guys are. All of my staff talk really highly of you guys.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

You have an amazing stuff. I hear the same. So uh congratulations on what you built. Thanks, Carl. You've been listening to the Don't Forget Your Tickets podcast, where today's guest has been Mark White from Dorking Wonders. Mark has done everything. Mark has also done ticketing, and this shows that ticketing is also a way up to the stars. We're gonna follow Mark and so many other heroes within sports, and of course, also heroes in ticketing. This podcast has been powered by Ticket Co. and super happy that you listen. Thank you.