Rob Tuvey (Head of Football & Head Coach)
We first introduce Rob Tuvey, who was appointed as Head of Football with the football club back in January, and officially takes on the role of Head Coach for the season ahead. Those who have kept a close eye on the dugouts and have watched the Bunch of Amateurs documentary series throughout the second half of last season may already be familiar with Rob, who linked up and became very much part of the coaching team at the turn of the calendar year.
Developing his coaching career over the course of a decade with AFC Wimbledon, Rob joined the South West London club as a Foundation Coach in 2012, undertaking various roles within the academy including two years as U18 Head Coach, going on to win the National Youth Alliance Cup in 2019/20, a first-time achievement for the club. Rob’s first taste of senior football management would follow the very next season as Assistant Manager to Mark Robinson, with the duo appointed on an interim basis midway through the campaign. Part of the collective effort to ensure The Dons survived in League One that year, Rob was then appointed as Assistant Manager on a permanent basis in the summer and remained part of the management team through to the end of the 23/24 season.
After spending half a season as Professional Development Phase Lead Coach with Sutton United, Rob made the switch to Dorking Wanderers to undertake the Head of Football role in January, and is excited about the expansion to his role and the challenge ahead for 25/26:
“I am absolutely delighted to join a club with such great history and which matches my ambitions to get to the Football League. I am very grateful to Marc and Jon for the opportunity, and I hope I can go on to build on the success the club has had, and write my own chapter in the club’s history.”
As Head of Football, a significant aspect of Rob’s role will be leading the new Youth Development Programme within the club (U5 to U16 age groups), following on from the recent amalgamation of the Elite and Youth sections.
“Throughout my career I have always had a passion for developing young players and people, and I see this as a really exciting opportunity to continue and embrace that within a brand new era at Dorking Wanderers. I acknowledge the great work that Richard King and Jordan Clark have done across recent years to build and establish the profile of the youth section of the football club, and alongside Jordan and the senior management team, I look forward to us building further on that great work and developing the Wanderers first team players of the future.”
Jordan Clark (Academy Director of Education & Football and First Team Coach)
Academy Director of Education & Football at Dorking Wanderers since 2016, supporters will no doubt be aware of Jordan Clark and his role and significant impact at the football club over the best part of the last decade, and having been increasingly involved with the first team as a coach during 24/25, Jordan takes on the role as First Team Coach for the new season. Founder of the Dorking Wanderers Academy in 2016, Jordan has led a team which has gone on to develop and educate 500+ learners across football and sport as a sector, overseeing many developments at the club from Westhumble through to Meadowbank, and on to the club establishing itself as a National League Academy. Jordan’s journey in senior football has progressed over the past two years as Manager of Redhill FC, where after narrowly missing out on the play-offs in 23/24, he led The Lobsters to a play-off semi-final finish last term, achieving the club’s best league finish and FA Cup run in a decade during his tenure.
Looking forward to his role at Dorking Wanderers further evolving for the year ahead, Jordan adds:
“I’m excited to add value with my experiences at the club and understanding of ‘The Wanderers Way’. Having experienced multiple promotions as part of the football club, I want to bring a fresh impetus to get us back to doing what we do best – creating firsts for the club and amazing memories for the fans, similar to what we have shared over the years in my other capacities. I can’t thank Marc, Kris and now Jon enough for their trust in me over this time and into the next step of my football journey.”
Mick Daniels
Completing the trio of additions to the management team for 25/26 is another man who needs no introduction and whose association with the club extends back to the earliest days of its history – Mick Daniels. The oldest player to play for Dorking Wanderers, after playing for the club as a defender during the mid-2000s, Mick has gone on to support the club in many different capacities on and off the field throughout the years, and has been a Lead Coach within the Youth section across a number of recent seasons. Assisting the senior management team at the end of the club’s inaugural campaign in the National League as status was secured with two games to spare, Mick is delighted to be part of the set-up on a more permanent basis for 25/26:
“I am looking forward to getting started. We have a strong squad of players and I believe a new and exciting management team that I can add valuable experience and a huge winning mentality to. We have clear goals for the season, we want to win but we also want to win in a Wanderers style of play that is exciting for the fans.”
Rob, Jordan and Mick join a backroom team which includes Assistant Manager Dean Milton, Goalkeeping Coach Dean Lightwood and recently announced Strength & Conditioning Coach, Ben Bacon.
