A catch-up with the Chairman

What are your thoughts on the season so far?

It’s been up and down for sure, and we certainly aren’t where we want to be in the table at the moment. We obviously dug ourselves a deep hole right out of the gate. I was at the Hartlepool match back in August and saw us drop our fourth straight match to start the season. As the game began to slip away in the second half, I left the directors’ box and came down to the away stand to watch the rest of the match with our fans, most of whom travelled a long way to support us that day.

As football fans, we are all eternal optimists, and we expressed confidence that things would turn around soon, but I think deep down we were all quietly worried about our upcoming match just two days later, against a very strong and well-rested York City side. So with their backs against the wall, a long journey home, and just one day to rest and recover, how did we respond? With absolute fire, grit, and determination in a 1–1 home draw that lifted everyone’s spirits. That was a great day, the noise from our fans energised our players, the Laithwaite was rocking. With a bit of luck, we might have taken all three points that afternoon.

That positive momentum continued as we picked up two wins and a draw in our next three matches. But then our performances dipped again, and that’s the pattern we’re determined to break. Still, I’m encouraged by some really strong performances of late that again demonstrate what this squad is capable of winning away at Solihull Moors and Altrincham, followed by a win at home over Fulham U21s in the National League Cup, and then our hard-fought draw at home against Rochdale last Saturday.

 

What have been some of the highs and lows for you so far this season?

We’ve had a number of good performances, but our 5–0 win over Gateshead was definitely one of the highs from the early part of the season. That was so much fun to watch and pretty much everything went right that day. I prefer talking about the highs and not thinking too much about the lows, but if I had to pick one, I’d have to say that our early exit from the FA Cup was definitely one of them. I wanted to be playing this weekend. It was disappointing not just from a competitive standpoint, but also because there are significant financial rewards for advancing, in terms of prize money, additional ticket revenue, TV broadcast fees, and all the increased exposure that comes with it.

So while I was disappointed along with our fans, I can assure you that no one felt worse about it than our players, coaches, and staff. But again, look how they responded. Instead of hanging their heads and feeling sorry for themselves, they used it as an opportunity to have open and honest conversations, to reflect on what’s working and what’s not, and again, our performance and results since then have been really positive.

 

One of the first things you did upon taking over the club last December was to hire a Director of Football. Can you share a little more about that role?

Yes, and looking back, we probably should have shared more details about the new structure when we made the announcement last December. But the answer is pretty simple. Football is changing and evolving, not just in England, but across the world, and if you have high aspirations for your football club, as we do, you have to continue to make these sorts of investments.

It’s actually quite rare nowadays for a manager or head coach to also be the primary person responsible for recruitment, scouting, data, analytics, squad building, budget and cost management, academy development, long-term planning, communications, and so forth. There’s so much more complexity in the game today, and being a head coach is a full-time job in itself.

Clubs have also realised that they can’t keep starting over and rebuilding their entire football operation from scratch every time there’s a change with the head coach. You have to create a foundation that establishes continuity. On that note, there are few, if any, clubs in the Premier League, the EFL, or even among the top National League sides that don’t operate with this same general philosophy and have some form of sporting director, technical director, or director of football structure. Every club defines that role a bit differently, but it’s become an essential part of modern football.

For us, it’s a key pillar in building a strong foundation at Woking, one that supports both short-term performance and long-term success.

 

How does that structure work at Woking FC?

It’s a very collaborative structure between Jody, Neal, Simon, and myself. We’ve also had fantastic input and dialogue with board members on various topics as well. We do our best to talk regularly and make decisions together, always keeping both the short- and long-term interests of the club in mind.

Everyone knows their role, but decisions are made collectively. Do we always agree on every decision? Of course not, nor would I want us to. You want a culture where people feel comfortable exchanging ideas and even having healthy disagreements. That back-and-forth dialogue often helps you make the best decision.

I’ve seen how some clubs operate, where there’s real tension between ownership, the board, senior management, and the head coach. That is definitely not the case here at Woking. There is constant communication and discussion. While we operate as a team, within those conversations the manager’s input and decision are extremely important, and Neal has an enormous say in all football decisions, nothing happens without his input. So even though we may not all agree on every decision, at the end of the day, we are one team, and we all want to win.

 

Most fans naturally focus on what happens on the pitch, but how would you summarise what’s been taking place off it?

It’s hard to even know where to begin, because so much has happened off the pitch since the takeover in December. First and foremost, it starts with people. I’m so grateful for the hard-working and dedicated team we’ve built behind the scenes. We have a lot of new faces at the club who don’t make the headlines, but they’re in the trenches working hard every day. Their teamwork and positive, can-do attitude has been fantastic.

We’ve also welcomed back an amazing army of volunteers who have made a huge impact. This club is incredibly blessed to have the Cards Trust, one of the best supporters’ trusts around. Within the Trust, I also want to recognise the Woking FC Supporters’ Liaison Group (SLG), and encourage all fans to connect with them. The views and opinions of all fans, not just Trust members, are important to us, and we fully support the SLG as an important bridge between supporters and the club.

Before the season began, we made a significant investment in the pitch itself, addressing long-overdue repairs and upgrades, and hiring a new full-time groundskeeper. For matchdays, we’ve made a number of positive changes in our food and hospitality to upgrade and improve the matchday experience. Our new catering partners, Peaks Catering, are doing a fantastic job, and we’re continuing to try and build and grow our catering, hospitality, and non-matchday event business as well.

With help from the Cards Trust and many individual shareholders, we created an away-fan zone to improve the experience for visiting supporters while also generating a new, permanent source of revenue for the club. As for the Chris Lane Terrace, we heard our fans loud and clear, and we agreed with you. It made no sense to restrict our fans from that entire side of the pitch. So we went to work and restructured the Chris Lane Terrace to allow our home fans to spread out and enjoy the great view of the pitch from that stand during select matches. We’re especially proud of delivering that positive change for our supporters.

We’ve upgraded the Cardinal Bar with a new floor and lighting, and there are more improvements still to come. And thanks to our incredible Cards Crew volunteers, we’re continuing to upgrade other areas of the ground, from the club shop to staff offices and more. There’s been a lot of progress in a relatively short time, and we’re determined to keep improving the fan experience every step of the way.

 

Can you share any updates on the commercial side of the business?

We’re fortunate to have fantastic commercial partners and sponsors at the club. Like so many others, they’ve stood by Woking through good times and bad, and their loyalty and generosity does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Their support is vital — not just to the football side of things, but to the wider community that the club serves.

We are also working very hard at attracting additional partners and sponsors to the club, as well as welcoming back former sponsors of the club as well. We have a great story to tell about what we’re building here at Woking FC, and we think there’s no better place to showcase a brand or business than being alongside a special club like this one.

 

How do you view the club’s long-term strategy and ambitions?

The first thing people told me when I arrived was, “Please don’t tell us that you have a three-year plan!”, so I’ll honour that request and not say it! But in all seriousness, you have to look at both the short term and the long term. We’re still less than a year into building this new chapter for the club, and there are no shortcuts to success.

The long-term ambition is, of course, to gain promotion to the EFL — but to do that, you have to build a strong foundation, and you can’t do that overnight. This is a football club, but it’s also a business, and we have to find ways to increase revenues while managing expenses in order to make the club more sustainable.

I don’t need to tell anyone how difficult it is to get out of this league. You look at big clubs like Oldham Athletic, who finally got promoted back to the EFL last season. Wrexham was in this league for 15 years before finally earning promotion. There are still a number of traditional EFL clubs doing everything they can to get back up — Carlisle, Forest Green, Morecambe, Rochdale, Hartlepool, Southend United, Scunthorpe, York City… the list goes on.

What’s important for us is that we stay focused on steady, sustainable progress and improving on and off the pitch every season. That’s how real, lasting success is built.

 

Do you believe Woking can eventually earn promotion to the EFL?

Absolutely, 100% yes.

If you’re looking for inspiration, just look at some of the clubs who’ve achieved promotion to the EFL over the years. I have huge respect for every one of them, because this is such an incredibly difficult league to get out of, and they’ve all shown what’s possible with the right mix of stability, belief, and consistency. Clubs like Sutton United, Dagenham & Redbridge, AFC Barrow, and in recent years, Barnet and Bromley. These clubs and many more have all proven that success can be achieved at this level with the right structure and perseverance.

In general, these are clubs that aren’t dramatically different from us in terms of size, community, history, or ambition, but they’ve shown what can be done. It wasn’t that long ago that teams even higher up the pyramid, like Luton Town, were competing in this same division. I hate to even mention Stevenage… but yes, we can absolutely do it.

 

Any final thoughts or message to share?

First and foremost, just a huge thank-you to all of our fans. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating – without our fans, there is no club. This is a great fan base at Woking, and we never take your support for granted.

I also want to express my appreciation for Cardinals in the Community (CITC) for the important role they’ve played over the years in overseeing the academy and delivering community and educational initiatives on behalf of the club. The current agreement between the club and CITC is quite outdated, and we’re both in full agreement that it needs to be refreshed and modernised. We’ll be sitting down soon to discuss a new partnership framework, and we hope to continue to work closely with CITC in the future.

If I may, I’d also like to make a small but important plug. Over the past several months, the club has made significant investments to upgrade its catering, hospitality, and event spaces. We want to remind our supporters and the wider community that Woking Football Club is also a fantastic venue for private events, whether that’s a family celebration, business conference, or holiday gathering. Every booking, big or small, directly supports the club’s continued growth and helps us build the non-football revenue we need to be more sustainable and competitive with other clubs. We’re currently updating our marketing materials, but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact the club office. Our team would be happy to share more details.

We have an incredible history and a passionate fanbase, one that we need to not just maintain but grow and build. With everyone working together, we can build something truly special at Woking FC. A special shout-out and thank-you to all of our season-ticket holders and to every supporter who continues to back this club, home and away, through the ups and downs. Your loyalty, your patience, and your support mean everything.