Dorking appoint ex-Aldershot boss as their new head coach

Dorking Wanderers appoint ex-Aldershot Town boss Ross McNeilly as their new head coach, to work alongside manager Marc White.

McNeilly became Shots’ boss in December after serving as interim following the sacking of Mark Molesley in October.

He was the club’s Academy Manager and spent five seasons at the Hampshire outfit, where he guided them to 18th in the National League.

But he now leaves Aldershot for Dorking to replace, Mark Beard, the former head of coaching who now becomes Eastbourne Borough’s manager.

Marc White, the chairman of Dorking and manager of the club, will be working with McNeilly, who won seven games and lost 11 of his 23 games in charge.

CLUB UPDATE | FIRST TEAM HEAD COACH 🤝

We are pleased to announce Ross McNeilly has joined the club as First Team Head Coach 🤝

Find out more below 👇https://t.co/zK8kY3FFbZ

Welcome to the Wanderers Ross 👋 pic.twitter.com/qi0EWNUw6B

— Dorking Wanderers FC (@DorkingWDRS) June 8, 2023

DORKING STATEMENT:

Dorking Wanderers are today delighted to announce the appointment of Ross McNeilly as new First Team Head Coach.

After a 6 year spell as Head of Football with Merrist Wood and following time also spent working at The FA as a tutor, Ross took up the role of Academy Manager and U21’s Lead at Aldershot Town. An A license and UEFA A license coach, into his fifth year at the Hampshire club Ross took on the first team manger’s role in October of the 2022/23 season following a successful interim period, remaining at the helm for the vast majority of the campaign as the club competed in the National League and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

Looking ahead to becoming a key part of the Wanderers management team, Ross says:

“I’m delighted to come on board. Having come up against Dorking last season, I love the way they play and how welcoming they were as a club. It is a local team I’ve followed from afar, and I cannot wait to get started.”

A significant appointment ahead of Wanderers continuing their National League journey next term and embarking upon a new era at the club, chairman and manager Marc White adds the following:

“We’re all really looking forward to Ross joining the Wanderers family. I firmly believe that this will be a great relationship with our upward trajectory and progression to a more hybrid status this year, and Ross will bring a big skill set which will be ancillary to what we already have.”

We can confirm that Academy Manager Ross McNeilly has been allowed to leave the Club to join Dorking Wanderers.

We’d like to wish Ross all the best and thank him for his considerable commitment and effort throughout his time with us.

Cheers, Ross.#TheShots❤️💙

— Aldershot Town FC (@OfficialShots) June 8, 2023

ALDERSHOT STATEMENT:

We can confirm that Academy Manager Ross McNeilly has been allowed to leave the Club to join Dorking Wanderers as First-Team Head Coach.

We’d like to wish Ross all the best in his new role and thank him for his considerable commitment and effort to Aldershot Town throughout his time with us.

Ross spent over five years with the Shots, mainly as Academy Manager, but will also be remembered for his time as First-Team Manager from October 2022 to April 2023.

Everyone at Aldershot Town would like to wish Ross good luck.

Cheers, Ross.

This is what social media users are saying as Dorking appoint the ex-Aldershot boss as their new head coach…

@TimboATFC:
What a great bloke.
And on behalf of Ross
#CheersSam

@joe15kirk: Good luck, Ross! 🔴🔵

@RYANscollard25: Actually quite liked him tried to play the football the right way. Dorking have got a top bloke there 👍🏻

@DanielT171284: Good luck Ross.

@atfc_chris: All the best @R_McNeilly and thank you for everything.

@ShotInTheDark92: All the best, and thank you for your service @R_McNeilly

@thechels1: An excellent appointment for @R_McNeilly, he stepped up and helped the club when asked which shouldn’t ever be forgotten. He took some unnecessary abuse as well by some. I personally wish him all the best and Good Luck except when we play Dorking. 😉

@gcooper100: Excellent appointment 👍

@ChivertonLaura: Great addition to your club 👏

@tottenhamyiddos: Good Luck Ross

@Ashrifian: All the best Ross! A great addition. Look after him guys!

@jimmy_g87: Good luck to Ross, Shots fans appreciate the job he’d done here, even more so last season. Not surprised to see him go, felt like he was treated harshly in the end. He’ll be a big asset for you.

@Tom22Watts: Will miss Beardy, in such a short time i feels he’s become a fan favourite and seems a top guy! However, as far as replacements go…. You can’t get better than Ross! Could see Marc took to a big liking to him when they came head to head against Aldershot! Welcome 👏🏼🐔⚽️

@hardy_reece: that’s an incredible appointment, top man and one of the best coaches I’ve played under.

@5parky76: Great appointment, a quality coach and an even better person. All the best @R_McNeilly 👏🏼👏🏼

@HiccupEU: Good luck Ross! All the best

@luketuffs: What a great appointment. Such a good coach and an even better man. ⚽️

@SKontheradio: Top appointment, knows how football should be played 👏👏

@JackHadley1995: A brilliant man for the job and a great coach wishing you all the success 🙌⚽️

@gavinboswell: @R_McNeilly Good luck Gaffer. You’ve got yourself a good one there Dorking.