Grier's Guide to Dorking
The town: Pleasant town nestled in the Surrey Hills, best known for having the largest vineyard in the UK, Denbies, and for Box Hill which has hosted numerous cycling events including during the 2012 Olympics.
Where: Meadowbank Football Ground, Mill Ln, Dorking RH4 1DX. Meadowbank, the former home of Dorking FC, has reopened this season following a £5m revamp with an artificial pitch. The Surrey FA have also moved their headquarters there. The ground is quite compact with little on three of its sides but it's modern and the town centre location is great for fans.
Directions: Just off the high street right in the town centre, you can get the 465 all the way from Kingston, getting off at The White Horse pub. It will probably take about an hour, depending on exactly how bad the traffic is through Chessington. Direct trains go from Raynes Park and Worcester Park leaving about a 15 minute walk, or if driving there's a pay and display car park near the ground on Mill Lane.
Our record there: We made occasional visits to Dorking over the years, mainly for the odd cup game and friendly along with a 2-0 league defeat in 1994. It was also our reserve team's ground in 2002-03 when the late Trevor Jones was manager. Last season we faced Wanderers at their old ground by the foot of Box Hill, grabbing a 3-1 win thanks to two vicious long-range efforts from Nic Ciardini.
Recent form: We're in for a tough day - at time of writing they've just gone top of the league thanks to four consecutive wins.
Players to watch: The signing of striker Jason Prior in the summer was a big statement of intent and he's already bagged 17 goals for them, although only one of them has come since mid-November. He's had a prolific career with Bognor and Havant & Waterlooville and is sure to be a threat. They also have a fine goalkeeper in Slavomir Huk while Ks fans will be familiar with powerful box-to-box midfielder Lewis Taylor and versatile defender Rob Sheridan, both of whom have played for us in the past.
Crowd: The move to the town centre has really helped Wanderers, who are typically getting around 400 through the gate. Their Christmas derby against Leatherhead attracted 1,529 fans along.
Food: Being right by the high street there's a wealth of options of available including fast food, cafes, pubs and a variety of restaurants.
Drinking: The High Street alone has a choice of six pubs, all a short walk from the ground and each other. The Old House, with its pleasant outdoor courtyard, proved a hit last year although the weather might not be so ideal for that in February. The Kings Arms has an olde world charm and Cobbett's, a micropub and offie, is one of the best-rated places in Surrey for real ale. In the future a Wetherspoons is on the way, despite the objections of locals who started an 1,147-strong online petition against it.
