Non-league side Dorking Wanderers launch daring experiment with 54-year-old goalkeeper

Dorking Wanderers have signed 54-year-old goalkeeper Terry Dunn ahead of their game against AFC Totton (Image credit: Dorking Wanderers FC)

Dorking Wanderers have signed a loyal supporter to play in goal ahead of their non-league clash with AFC Totton this weekend.

With first-choice goalkeeper Harrison Foulkes set to be sidelined for four weeks with a spleen injury, outspoken manager Marc White has opted to sign 54-year-old fan and loyal supporter Terry Dunn.

Dunn, who hung up his boots back in 1997, will feature for the Wanderers on Saturday in their National League South clash at Meadowbank.

54-year-old goalkeeper slated for Dorking Wanderers debut this weekend

Dorking Wanderers boss Marc White has signed a 54-year-old goalkeeper after injuries have compelled his side (Image credit: Getty Images)

With time running out and Foulkes injured, White has been left with no choice but to call upon the services of Dunn for an occasion he will most likely never forget.

Dunn, 54, whose former clubs include the now extinct North Holmwood FC, is said to have won multiple promotions with local sides in and around the Surrey area and is well known by those at the club.

Dorking Wanderers currently play their football in the fifth tier of the English pyramid: the National League South (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Playing in goal is like riding a bike – you never forget it," said Dunn after signing for the Wanderers on a short-term deal. "I still regularly play walking football. As a Wanderers fan, no one will be trying harder than me to keep a clean sheet on Saturday.”

Manager and chairman White added: "In an era where passion comes in low quantities, what Terry lacks in mobility, he’ll make up for in heart – and for one game, we’re just going to have to get on with it.”

Fans have been advised that Dunn will play just one game for the club, with Dorking set to sign a new goalkeeper on Monday ahead of a busy period of games.

The Wanderers are bidding to earn promotion back to the National League after relegation in 2023/24. White is also back in the dugout on Saturday after most recently serving a six-match touchline ban for a sexist comment he made about women on a podcast.

General view of the Meadowbank Football Ground, Mill Lane, Dorking, before the Vanarama National League match between Dorking Wanderers and Oldham Athletic at the Meadowbank Football Ground, Mill Lane, Dorking, England on Saturday 7th January 2023. (Photo by Eddie Garvey/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images) — Dorking Wanderers play AFC Totton in the National League South at Meadowbank on Saturday (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's view, stories like these remind us why we love the beautiful game so much. We wish Dunn and Dorking all the very best for the weekend.

If you would like to watch more of the crazy antics at Meadowbank, Dorking's brilliant fly-on-the-wall football series is available on YouTube, with new episodes uploaded every week, in the football docu-series 'Bunch of Amateurs'.

Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.

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