“As avid followers will know, regardless of outcome, I always find it unsettling when players leave the club. It’s so easy to only remember the past few months, sometimes games, but I always like to fully recognise each individual’s contribution to Dorking Wanderers. The club has a unique togetherness, and we are always sad when people leave.

Matt Briggs
What started out as an email enquiry from an 18-year-old player moving from the North-East of the country down to the South, ultimately began a journey with our football club which lasted 9 seasons. Quite simply, Briggsy, is a Dorking Wanderers legend. Making 291 appearances and scoring 82 goals, Briggsy has been an integral part of our rise as a football club, a key part of our squads who won promotion from the Ryman Division One, Isthmian Premier Division and National League South. Briggsy, a player who has always caught the eye with his direct style, his pace, his sheer determination to get forward, has been a monumental part of our success, contributing so many vital goals and assists along the way, playing a leading role in the Wanderers show, getting supporters off their seats with his style of play.

It is so easy to forget that Briggsy was flying up the wing at Westhumble in the thick mud at such a young age. I hope (and I’m sure) supporters recognise the huge contribution Matt has had in the rise of Dorking Wanderers. On a personal note, it has been amazing to see Matt arrive in the South as a young lad, develop a career outside of football, get married and have his first child, and to have seen that whole journey. I am going to miss Matt, his Mum and Dad (Sandra and Derek), and whilst I’m sure they will not be strangers to the club it will feel emptier without them.

Barry Fuller
Captain Baz is firmly one of my favourites of all time. Signing for us in August 2020 from Gillingham, Baz was immediately appointed as Captain, and following the curtailed first season due to the pandemic, led us on the field as we achieved promotion to the National League and won the Surrey Senior Cup for the first time ever, and of course continued to lead us as we consolidated our place in the division in 22/23. Making 119 appearances for us in all, prior to joining Wanderers, Baz achieved a brilliant record of winning at Wembley with 3 different clubs, yet, at the back end of an amazing football league career, he remained humble and gave everything at all times. He left nothing out there – he would play through any injury, refused to be rested and was/is the most consummate professional. When I think of Baz, I think of 3 things – the Play-Off Final, with him celebrating proudly with his girls, that tackle against Chesterfield on TV in arguably the club’s best ever win, and then playing for us in the Surrey Senior Cup this season, where despite being on-loan at the time, Baz committed to overlapping the right winger for 90 minutes! The latter epitomises Baz, and I really appreciate everything he has brought to the club. I believe Barry still have a few more seasons to offer and we will all miss him sorely! – Thanks Baz…you are an absolute warrior.

Bobby-Joe-Taylor
Before joining us, Bobby had not spent more than one season at any club, but in Wanderers he found a home, and has been with us for 4 years to the month, making 144 appearances and scoring 14 goals. Bobby will remain a massive part of the football club – he is at the forefront of our Academy as the lead coach of our National League Academy South side, and has a big future in football coaching. Bobby was a part of the successful National League South Play-Off winning side, and played in several key performances in the National League, with the fixtures away to Oldham Athletic and Barnet, plus the memorable comeback win at home to Maidstone United all springing to mind. An exciting player, very much a street baller with a brilliant left foot, he still has very much to offer playing the game and I suspect there will be a large number of clubs that want his signature. He has displayed an impeccable attitude since his time here and is a firm fans favourite. I want to say a massive thanks to Bob, for always smiling around the place and playing such a large part of the most memorable period in club history to date, however, he is still remains a big part of us!

Rhys Murphy
He may only have been at the club for a season, but Rhys set a big impression around the place. A larger-than-life character in the changing room and on the training field, he done things I have never seen before! Some people may not know that Rhys’ career was at an Elite level growing up, playing for Arsenal and England, when you saw the things he could do, you realised why.

Whilst it’s ultimately been a weird injury-disrupted season for Rhys, who scored 11 goals in 25 appearances overall, he showed huge professional qualities to get back to fitness and we saw many great moments of brilliance, none more so than that goal at Weymouth, and he was the match-winner for us at key times with his goals in the home wins over St. Albans City and Tonbridge Angels. Rhys is nothing more than an object of our requirements to cut the squad back, and our loss will undoubtedly be someone else’s gain. I grew really fond of Rhys for many reasons. I gave him the option to not play the Surrey Senior Cup Final given he knew that he was not coming back, but he wanted to wear the shirt. I respect that a lot. Thanks Rhys for your commitment and professionalism.

Also leaving the club, and I wish them well for the future, are Theo Alexandrou and Rob Milsom, plus Joel Brown, who is an academy graduate who will no doubt have a great future ahead of him in the game having featured for the senior side a few times during this past season.

I also want to make a special mention to Morgan Williams and Jack Young, who both did a fantastic job on loan from AFC Wimbledon and Wycombe Wanderers respectively, displaying superb attitudes whilst on loan from their parent clubs”.

Marc