Dorking Wanderers land US investment as new owners target EFL climb

Dorking Wanderers have secured fresh American investment as the National League South club’s chairman-manager Marc White pushes on with ambitions of reaching the EFL. According to The Non-League Football Paper, US businessman Frank Villares has taken a stake in the Surrey outfit and joined the club’s board.

Villares, who splits his time between New Jersey and Florida, has come on board alongside his wife Debra Tucker. The Non-League Football Paper reports that the new investors believe White’s charisma and track record can translate into a genuine hit with American audiences.

A remarkable rise through the pyramid

White has overseen an extraordinary journey at Dorking, taking the Surrey club all the way from the Crawley & District League up to the National League. That climb through nine divisions has made Wanderers one of the standout stories of English non-league football over the past decade.

The arrival of outside investment marks a new chapter for the club, with the ownership group now setting sights on going further than non-league football for the first time. The Non-League Football Paper states that the aim is to eventually push Dorking into the EFL.

US interest in the English pyramid grows

Dorking’s news comes amid a wider trend of American investors taking an interest in clubs further down the English football pyramid, drawn by the storytelling potential of the promotion and relegation system and the relatively low cost of entry compared to clubs abroad.

With White remaining at the helm as both chairman and manager, Dorking’s new investors appear keen to build around his profile as they look to grow the club’s following on both sides of the Atlantic.

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