Woking
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Woking
FOOTBALL CLUB
Woking Football Club, the largest club in West Surrey, was formed
in 1889 and has played in the National League for much of the last
twenty-five years as well as winning three Wembley Trophy finals in
the 1990’s to add to the FA Amateur Cup triumph in front of 71,000
fans (and live on BBC 1) in 1958.
Woking is also renowned for its multiple
FA Cup exploits including an away draw
against (then) Premier League Coventry
and beating West Bromwich away
before finally succumbing to Everton by
a single goal in the 4th round.
Last year ‘The Cards’ faced the
heartbreak of a last day relegation from
the National League Premier but are
bouncing back positively under Alan
Dowson’s (Dowse) management. Dowse
took Hampton to the play offs last year
and is again joined by veteran Sky
Sports commentator Martin Tyler in his
management team.
He has recruited a core of proven
achievers at this level, is adding young
and hungry loanees and has revitalised
the club with his energy and focus.
Woking are currently fourth and just 3
points off Billericay in top spot. We have
also battled through to the first round of
the FA Cup where we now face Torquay.
Our crowds have held up well, despite
the disappointment of last year, and we
expect to average over 2000 a game over
the season.
Woking has a large and successful
Academy and a great record in bringing
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through young players into the first team
and also, ultimately, the Football League.
Young Woking players in the recent past
have included Joe Ward, who is now
with Peterborough, and Jack Marriott (a
loanee) currently scoring freely at Derby.
The management have already taken
a risk on Academy boys this season
whilst loaning others out to develop at
local clubs. The highest profile success
in recent years was helping reignite the
career of a young Harry Arter before he
left to join Bournemouth.
Alongside first team success the range
of the community department and
approach at Woking is unrivalled at
this level. We cover the usual youth
and schools’ football but also initiated a
wellbeing (mental health) league, mums’
football, disability projects, walking
football and mobility classes for those
suffering from dementia.
The
chaplaincy
department
was
highlighted in an article in the New
York Times in 2018. Woking in the
Community has won multiple awards
in the last decade – including National
League South Club of the Year, National
League Premier Club of the Year (twice)
and Non-League Community Club of
the year.
Like most clubs at this level it is an
annual struggle to make the finances
work, but we now stand on the verge
of an exciting new future. The town
is changing dramatically and during
the summer a major redevelopment,
including a 10,000 capacity stadium and
additional potential income streams was
agreed, in principle, by Woking Borough
Council and we are now moving towards
planning.
For us this would be a game changer as
the town itself is developing ambitiously.
The current plan is promotion, ideally
in our first season, back to the National
League but we are well aware of how
competitive it is becoming with large
former league clubs and well-funded
aspirational clubs in the mix. The
ultimate dream is promotion to the
Football League.
My story with Woking is a long one! I
first attended a game over fifty years
ago as an 11-year-old and have followed
since with my family. Ten years ago, I
was appointed the club’s first chaplain
(there are over 500 sports chaplains in