Farnham Town can regrettably announce that striker Owen Dean has completed a permanent transfer to National League side Yeovil Town for an undisclosed fee, after meeting a contractual release clause. The deal also sees Farnham Town retain a considerable sell-on clause across all future transfers.
After news of Yeovil Town‘s interest came to light earlier this week, the Club made an improved attempt to keep Owen, but the opportunity to move up the pyramid and join a full-time operation to further his development was something Owen did not want to pass up.
While we are disappointed to see Owen leave, everyone at Farnham Town understands his reasons for wanting to move on and appreciates the contributions that Owen has made having spent virtually his entire senior career with the Club after progressing through the youth ranks. Everyone involved at the Club has long believed that Owen has what it takes to make it in the pro game and we’re excited to watch him take this next step in his career.
Owen has been at the heart of our rapid rise up the leagues over the past few years, making his debut for the Club in the autumn of 2021 back in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, scoring four goals in 13 league games that season.
Following Paul Johnson’s arrival in November 2022, Owen was identified as a key player to build around and etched his name into Farnham Town folklore after scoring a hat-trick in the Southern Combination Cup Final to complete the comeback against Balham and lift the trophy after extra-time, finishing the 22/23 season with 14 goals in 41 appearances, earning the first of four successive club Golden Boots.
The next season, Owen established himself as one of the most prolific young strikers in the local Non League circuit, scoring 22 goals in 49 appearances as we completed an invincible league campaign in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, earning promotion to Step 4 for the first time in our history.
In 24/25 and now playing in the Isthmian South Central, Owen would kick on again as the Club’s leading striker, scoring 26 goals in 43 appearances, helping us eclipse 100 points, clinching the league title and promotion for the second successive season.
Last season, our first-ever at Step 3, Owen would top 20 goals for the third successive season, scoring the opener in the Southern League Premier South Play-Off semi-final win over Berkhamsted en route to our promotion into the National League South.
Through two months of this campaign, Owen has appeared in all 12 games across all competitions, including starting seven of our nine National League South fixtures, scoring four goals, and netted in what would prove to be his final home appearance in the 3-2 victory over Weston-super-Mare last weekend.
In total over the past five years, Owen has made 214 appearances for Farnham Town and tallied 133 goal contributions in those games, including 91 goals.
Owen has arguably been the face of the football club for the last few years, a true inspiration to the hundreds of young fans that come through the turnstiles every week at The Memorial Ground, and given the thousands in attendance countless memories over the years.
At 22, Owen now has the opportunity to move into full-time football, continue his development daily, and hopefully continues what has already been a hugely successful career in the pro game.
“I think I speak for everyone associated with Farnham Town when I say it’s a very sad day to see Owen Dean leave the Club,” Chairman Harry Hugo shared.
“During my time at Farnham, Owen has been one of very few constants over those four and a bit years. He’s the only player left standing that was here before I arrived, and the impact he has had both on and off the field is truly immeasurable.
“Every Club dreams of having ‘one of their own’ to cheer on on Saturday’s, and second to that is the clichĂ© wish of having a 20-goal striker. We were one of the lucky clubs that had a player that embodied both of those.
“Over the last four years, Owen’s goals have helped fire us up the divisions, and he seems to have gotten better with each new level he plays at.
“He’s been around with us so long that it’s still so easy to forget he’s only 22. He’s had a brilliant Farnham Town career and, truthfully, there have been a few times over these past four years where I had come to terms with the idea of Owen leaving us because he so talented, and he had been scoring goals for fun at increasingly difficult levels. As each summer would come and go, I would count my blessings that we had survived another off season without losing our crown jewel.
“I want to make it very clear to the fans reading this too: we could not have done any more to convince Owen to stay. We had been speaking about a new contract for a little while and I believe it was very close prior to Yeovil Town coming to the table, at which stage it was always an uphill battle to convince him to stay.
“The chance for Owen to now test himself at a new club, in a new environment, training every day as a professional footballer is something he couldn’t pass up, which I totally understand. In our dealings with Owen over the years, we made it clear to him that we saw that future for him. We would’ve loved for it to be with Farnham later down the line, but when opportunity come knocking, he’s taken the chance to bet on himself – and we wish him all the best in doing so.”
“Personally, I want to thank Owen for everything he’s done for Farnham Town. Putting a pin in his on-field impact, Owen has been one of the faces of the football club off it. He always gave his time to our young fans to take photos, do autographs, and been very supportive of our efforts in the local community.
“On the field, the numbers speak for themselves. Winning the club Golden Boot award in each of his four full seasons in the senior team here, over 200 appearances, he’s a legend here, a true one of one.
“Every story has it’s ending, and while we weren’t ready for it to end this soon, everyone associated with Farnham Town will be watching Owen’s career with fondness and hope that he continues to kick on. He and his family are woven into the fabric of the football club and the door will always be open to them.”
Speaking to the Club for the final time before his transfer, Owen shares:
“Firstly, I would like to emphasise how grateful and thankful I am for my time at Farnham Town, and to everyone involved behind the scenes who have continued to believe in me. We have shared some amazing moments over the years and now it is time for me to take the next step in my career.
“I’d also like to thank Johno, Jimmy and all the staff at Farnham for the support they have given me over the last four years. They’ve helped shape me into the player and person I am today and I would not have had the success or be where I am now without them.
“Equally, I’d like to thank Harry, Frankie and the guys for all the love and support they’ve given me since they’ve been involved at the Club, too. I never could have imagined the journey that this Club has been on in recent years when I first broke through, and to have played a part in that is very special to me.
“On a more personal level, I would also like to thank the fans for their constant love and support they have shown me, and if I could come and shake everyone’s hand individually I would. This Club holds a major place in my heart and will continue to do so forever. I am so proud of the success we’ve had and I fully believe in what Farnham are trying to do and where they’re going.
“I’ll be watching on from afar and wish everyone at the Club nothing the best! Up The Town!”