54-Year-Old Legend Makes Stunning Comeback as English Sixth-Tier Club Lures Him Out of Retirement

In an extraordinary development, Dorking Wanderers have recruited a 54-year-old supporter to serve as goalkeeper for Saturday's National League South match against AFC Totton.

Terry Dunn will take his place between the posts for Dorking's upcoming fixture due to an injury sustained by regular keeper Harrison Foulkes and the club's failure to secure a more suitable replacement ahead of the weekend.

The club plans to bring in a new goalkeeper on a four-week loan arrangement starting Monday, which will provide cover during Foulkes' recovery period. "For this single match, we'll simply have to make do," stated chairman and manager Marc White. "In times when genuine passion is scarce, what Terry may lack in agility, he'll compensate for with dedication."

Dunn isn't merely a random fan selected from complete anonymity, however. He previously served as a goalkeeper, achieving "multiple promotions" with "several local clubs" throughout a non-league career that concluded 28 years ago.

"Goalkeeping is like riding a bicycle—it stays with you forever," Dunn commented.

"I continue to participate regularly in walking football. As a Wanderers supporter, nobody will be more determined than me to secure a clean sheet on Saturday."

Dorking, a modest Surrey town, currently sits mid-table in English football's sixth division—just one level beneath where Wrexham competed when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquired the Welsh club in 2021. They secured sixth place in the previous season's table, missing automatic promotion to the National League by merely three points, and were eliminated in the play-offs.

This campaign has yielded three victories, three losses and one draw from their opening seven league encounters. Saturday's opponents, Totton, hold a three-point advantage and sit seven positions higher in the standings.