With pre-season preparations coming to a close this weekend, ahead of the 24/25 National League South campaign beginning next Saturday we can confirm the transfer movement of several Wanderers players as competitive action edge’s closer to making a return.
After training with the first team during the close season, we can announce that Joe Rabbetts has completed a permanent move to Southern Premier Division South side Sholing FC.
Left-sided defender Joe signed for Wanderers in June 2022 after coming through the academy set up with Aldershot Town, making the move to join his local club ahead of their inaugural National League campaign. Continuing his development in senior football with two personally successful loan spells at Bognor Regis Town, where Joe would win numerous ‘Man of the Match’ accolades and bag the ‘Goal of the Season’ award at the end of the 22/23 season, as the new campaign approaches 22-year old Joe is naturally looking to keep playing football regularly and continue the progression of his career. The move to Sholing FC will see Joe reunite with the Hampshire club’s Assistant Manager, Ross White, who worked with Joe in the Aldershot Town Academy.
Wanderers Manager Marc White adds the following:
“Joe joined us following a couple of season’s being around the fringes of senior football at Aldershot Town. Since joining the Wanderers, we have played a key part in his development with successful loan season’s to our friends Bognor Regis Town in Step 3. I still have really high hopes for Joe and believe he has a lot of development to come, but we recognise he is at that tricky stage of his career where it’s important he is playing week in, week out, and the move to Sholing will provide him with that. Being a local Dorking lad we will of course be keeping close tabs on Joe’s progress and I’m sure we will see Joe in a Wanderers shirt again in the future. In the meantime, we wish him all the very best for next season.”
Elsewhere in the close season, first team midfielder and academy graduate Jack Saunders has taken a further step forward with his senior progression by joining Danny Kedwell’s Ashford United on a dual-registration basis, competing in the Isthmian South East Division (Step 4). After featuring regularly for a play-off pushing Redhill FC side last season in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, Jack has already played a number of matches for Ashford during the pre-season period.
Announced just this weekend, defender Sal Marino and attacking midfielder Matt Hay have both joined Broadbridge Heath, also on a dual-registration basis.
After playing a key part in the Wanderers B team campaign last term, former QPR academy player Sal has represented the first team during pre-season in recent weeks and will continue his senior progression in the Isthmian South East Division (Step 4) with the Horsham-based outfit for 24/25.
Joint top scorer for the National League Academy South side in 22/23, academy graduate Matt played for the Wanderers first team consistently throughout the pre-season of 2023, and after loan spells with Loxwood FC and Broadbridge in an injury-hit campaign last year, will no doubt be eager to kick on in the upcoming season.
Featuring in a squad which includes fellow former Wanderers B team players Ben Aubrey and Ben Dyson, Sal and Matt both made their debuts for The Bears in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Horley Town in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round.
The futures of players Max Foulkes and Leon Keogh, who both trialed with the Wanderers first team during pre-season, have also been confirmed by manager Marc White. Former AFC Wimbledon U18 goalkeeper Max has signed with the club and will shortly head out on loan locally for the 24/25 season, whilst striker Leon will return to his native Ireland following a very positive trial experience which saw the player improve with each game he played in during his extended time with the club, including scoring the winner in the 2-1 defeat of Farnham Town last weekend at Meadowbank.
