EAG Dorking is situated in a large pleasant countryside location not too far from the A24. This means that it is an extremely accessible site for players based in South London, Brighton, Central Kent etc.
Dorking is a relatively new woodland site and opened on 17th June 2007. It is a woodland site with a twist. There is plenty of the usual woodland cover; ferns, bracken and fallen trees. The organisers have realised that players want more than just foliage and have spent a lot of time preparing extras. There is a large fort which has been designed to accomodate at least 20 players in a two level defensive position, networks of trenches, bunkers, village huts, barricades, oil drums and vehicles. The standard of these extra items of cover are high quality, with good structural integrity and with a planned / tactical element to them.
The structures have been set up with games in mind allowing retreats, reinforcements etc. In fact the layout seems to indicate much bigger things are in store (but time will tell on that one). The woodland itself is a mixture of open woods and dense bracken which varies in colour and coverage as the year progress. Open areas have been specially created around structures such as the village as would be the case in the real world. This allows for a mixture of games where a great deal of player skills are tested.
Dorking has a lively buzz to it. The access to the site is via a fishing / camping site and next door to the site is a paintball firm. This means that there is ample parking available and toilet facilities. Included with all this is the availability of a hot lunch and soft drinks. There is provision of airsoft accessories for players as well as weapons etc. In fact everything is catered for.
It has to be said that EAG Dorking is a professional outfit. From the start of the day there is ample communication to players in the safezone about what is going on, who needed to do what, where and when things were to be done by. The registration forms, chrono'ing and safety talk all followed a similar structure. Everything is done in order to keep the day moving swiftly, whilst avoiding confusion for new players.
Two main things are of great importance at EAG; safety and the removal of cheating. The Marshalls are vigilant on both grounds and never drop their guard. Always close to the action they watch for anything which may be untoward and have no problem about pulling players aside if they are caught violating safety or game rules. The message is simple; play fair, play safe. Cheats will be warned once and if they persist will be thrown off the site. Ultimately it is the best way to deal with this behaviour.
The games were well organised and all the particular boundries, objectives and safety points were made clear in the pre-game briefings. Game lengths were determined mainly by the speed of the opposing forces in achieving their objectives. Game styles ranged from defend / capture to patrol / ambush as well as against the clock missions. All the time the marshalls give support and offer advice as well as gentle /motivation.
The price structure is good value. The fees are:
Walk on / Green fee: £20.00
Rental (inc gun, and camo): £35.00
These prices include lunch.
EAG Dorking is an excellent site. This is because of two factors 1) The large varied and fun playing area and 2) The excellent staff.
There are planned changes to the site in the next few months. Some of these being the addition of armoured vehicles, extra structures such as houses and the addition of new styles of games involving novel new technologies. Tom Andrews and John Clancy have a good reputations in our sport and have certainly continued to increase their reputation with the high standard at Dorking.
For anyone based in the Kent / Surrey and South London areas this site will (as their website puts it) "be one of the best in the country".......I think they will be right.
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