Marc White, the manager of Dorking Wanderers FC, has been hit with a six-match touchline ban and a £500 fine by the Football Association (FA) following sexist comments made during a podcast appearance earlier this year.
The punishment stems from remarks White made during a January episode of Under the Cosh, in which he jokingly linked female referees to stereotypical assumptions about women drivers.
The comments, made ahead of his 1,000th game in charge of the Surrey-based club, were deemed “abusive and/or insulting” by the FA and in breach of Rule E3.1. The offence was also considered an “Aggravated Breach” under Rule E3.2, due to its gender-based nature.
As part of the disciplinary action, White has also been ordered to attend a mandatory education session aimed at addressing discriminatory behaviour in football.
The controversial coach admitted to the charge during a hearing with an independent Regulatory Commission.
A formal statement from the FA confirmed that the incident occurred before Dorking’s National League South fixture against Weston Super Mare on January 18, 2025.
Dorking Wanderers, who finished sixth in the 2024–25 National League South season and were eliminated in the playoff quarter-finals by Boreham Wood, acknowledged the suspension in a post on social media.
The club noted that the ban will take effect at the start of the upcoming league campaign.
White is no stranger to disciplinary trouble. In the same Under the Cosh interview, he revealed he had been banned from 12 stadiums over the course of his managerial career.
He has also been openly critical of the FA’s disciplinary approach, accusing the governing body in a previous podcast appearance of excessively policing managerial conduct, likening them to “traffic wardens” evolving into “the Gestapo.”
Despite his controversial image, White has overseen Dorking’s rise through the non-league ranks, becoming one of the most recognisable and outspoken figures in English lower-league football.
