Dorking Wanderers: The epic story of the National League's ultimate underdogs

Back in 1999, Dorking Wanderers began life as the brainchild of a group of mates in a park.

On Saturday, after 12 promotions in 23 years, the upstart outfit travel to former Premier League side Oldham Athletic in their first-ever away fixture in the National League. The match will be shown on national television.

“The original intention was to have a kickabout and enjoy a beer after the game,” admitted Marc White, who co-founded the Surrey-based team with a group of pals.

Today, White serves as Dorking’s manager, owner and chairman – in addition to running a marketing company.

“It began as purely a social thing,” he told BBC Sport.

Back when Dorking were competing in the Crawley and District league, that may very well have been the case. However, with the club now just one division shy of Football League status, the stakes have become a whole lot higher.

GET BEHIND THE BOYS THIS SATURDAY