Dorking Wanderers Football Club is delighted to announce that Frank Villares and Debra Tucker have acquired a shareholding in the club, joining Marc White and our existing ownership group as Co-Owners and Growth Investors.
Frank and Debra bring with them not only investment, but a deep connection to Dorking Wanderers – one that began when Frank became a shareholder in 2024.
Their arrival marks an important milestone in the next chapter of our development, with ambitions firmly focused on continuing to professionalise Dorking Wanderers on and off the pitch, strengthen our infrastructure, grow our community impact and pursue success higher up the football pyramid.
When we launched our Rise With Us campaign in 2023, we set out a vision to accelerate our development through investment in football operations, youth development and long-term infrastructure projects. The campaign was a tremendous success, creating one of the largest and most engaged ownership groups in non-league football, with around 1,000 shareholders becoming part of our journey.
However, alongside building that ownership group, we always envisaged bringing in a strategic partner who could play a leading role in helping us deliver our long-term ambitions.
Over the last two years, we have held discussions with numerous interested parties from both the UK and overseas. While there was no shortage of interest, we remained committed to finding individuals who understood and shared the values, ambitions and culture that have underpinned our rise.
Frank and Debra have long been followers of the English football pyramid and have spent the past few years exploring opportunities to become major stakeholders within a football club.
Despite reviewing a number of opportunities and coming close on several occasions, they repeatedly found themselves drawn back to Dorking Wanderers because of their existing connection to the club, our people and our story.
They are motivated by the challenge of helping a club continue its journey from non-league football towards the Football League and will now pursue that ambition alongside our existing ownership group.
As Co-Owners and Growth Investors, Frank and Debra will be actively involved in the day-to-day development of the club, working alongside Marc White and our leadership team across football operations, infrastructure development and community growth initiatives including a shared commitment to making grassroots football more accessible and affordable within the local area.
Marc White, Founder and Chairman of Dorking Wanderers FC, said:
“I genuinely feel we have been so lucky to find Frank and Debra. They have a huge love for this game and for this club, and their ambitions, family-first attitude and personal mantra – ‘Why not us’ – are essentially what Dorking Wanderers was built on. From the moment I met them I knew these were people we wanted to be a part of our journey. I’d ask every Wanderers fan to give Frank and Debra the warmest of welcomes – these are exciting times for our club and with Frank and Debra alongside us, we’ll realise our ambitions.”
Co-Owner, Frank Villares added:
“From the moment I first got involved with Dorking Wanderers in 2024, I felt something here I hadn’t found anywhere else. Debra and I looked closely at a number of clubs, and we kept being drawn back to this one – because of the people, the story, and a culture that genuinely matched our own. We’re not here to change what makes this club special. We’re here to back it, build on it, and help take it as far as it can possibly go. And we want to bring America with us. There are millions of fans across the States who love this game but have only ever watched it from a distance – Dorking can be the club they call their own, the one they can actually touch, feel and experience as we climb the pyramid together. We’re looking forward to meeting Wanderers fans over the months ahead. This is your club, and it’s a privilege for Debra and me to be part of its future.”
You can hear from Frank, Debra and Marc in an exclusive interview by clicking here.
Everyone at Dorking Wanderers Football Club would like to extend the warmest of welcomes to Frank and Debra as they become a key part of our family and the next chapter of our journey.