Woking FC v Oxford City FC by Hashtag Digital Media

W K ING 2023/24 #18

Jayden Luker

V. OXFORD CITY TUESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2024 KICK OFF: 19:45

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FIRST-TEAM COACH

BEN TURNER

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CEO NOTES

JOHN kATZ G

reetings, and welcome back to the Laithwaite Community Stadium for this evening’s clash with Oxford City.

As we go into the second of three home fixtures in a week, it goes without saying that tonight is a big match for our Club. The remainder of our matches are massive. Everyone around the Club knows how important it is to build momentum and climb out of the relegation spots. The staff and players were all frustrated not to get a result on the weekend and have been working hard—as always—to put things right this evening.

“The staff and players were all frustrated not to get a result on the weekend and have been working hard—as always—to put things right this evening.”

Our last meeting with Oxford City ended up being the last match at the helm for Darren Sarll, and the Club has worked tirelessly in the interim period to improve. It was not until four

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“The remainder of our matches are massive. Everyone around the Club knows how important it is to build momentum and climb out of the relegation spots.” matches and five weeks later that our exhaustive managerial search brought Michael Doyle in to take charge of the First Team. The Board has backed Michael as we’ve shifted players out and players in over the past month, seeing positive performances against Chesterfield and Oldham before a disappointing setback against Boreham Wood on Saturday. We are capable of more. The support of the Cardinal faithful home and away this season has been outstanding, consistently turning up to push on our lads. We need more of that support this evening and for the rest of the season, and we trust that you will

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continue to do us proud. Make yourself heard and know that you are our 12th man. Due to a fixture clash, our academy side will be taking tonight’s Surrey Senior Cup fixture away to Corinthian-Casuals. Former First Team Goalkeeper Coach, Matt Winter, and Brandon Bax have been doing a great job as Interim Academy Managers since the departure of long-time Academy Manager Scott Harrison. We wish them and the Young Cards the best of luck over at King George’s Field. Thank you, as always, for your backing. Even when it’s hard. And we know it’s been hard this season. Always remember that the complaint (and compliment) line is always open. Just email me at john.katz@wokingfc.co.uk and we can take in your feedback. Or, as the kids say, you can slide into my DMs on Twitter at @jekatz33. Best, John Katz Chief Executive

In Safe HandS As a reminder, it is our goal to ensure that all supporters feel safe and welcome at the Laithwaite Community Stadium. To that end, on 11 December 2021, the Club launched the “In Safe Hands” programme to help our fans report racist, sexist, homophobic, or other abusive language simply and anonymously. If you hear any abusive language, experience it yourself or if you or someone you see feels / looks threatened, you can text the Club anonymously and the message will be monitored by our Safety Officer during the match. Simply text WFC (followed by the nature of your concern and location) to 66777 and we will address your concerns. Example: If you hear racial abuse whilst sitting in the KRE, please send the following text to 66777: “WFC racial abuse centre section of KRE.”

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AHeaD OF THE GAME

Woking vs. Oxford City Vanarama National League Tuesday 6th February 2024 19:45 Kick-Off

Woking face bottom side Oxford City on Tuesday night, with both sides in desperate need of the points.

League Two side Swindon, whilst striker Sanderson has been loaned out to Sutton United, also in League Two.

After defeat to Boreham Wood at the Laithwaite on Saturday, Michael Doyle will hope that his side can show resilience and register their first home league win since the end of August.

Sanderson was a key player for the Hoops, his 9 goals for the club only bettered by Josh Parker’s 11 in 28. Parker scored twice on the weekend as Kidderminster came from 2-0 down to beat Oxford 3-2, ending a goal drought that had been ongoing since these two sides last met.

He will still be without Jim Kellermann and Rhys Browne after they both went off injured at Oldham, whilst Reece Grego-Cox went off on Saturday after coming off the bench, and will be a doubt. OPPOSITION WATCH Bottom side Oxford City have scored in all but one game since they last faced the Cards, but their main concern is their defence. No team has conceded more than the 59 let in by the Hoops in their 31 games, which has seen them win seven, draw six and lose 18 of their games. A busy January saw Ross Jenkins’ side suffer somewhat of a player exodus with loanees Olly Sanderson and Jack Bycroft both being recalled. ‘Keeper Bycroft has been signed permanently by

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LAST TIME OUT A Padraig Amond double wasn’t enough for a point at Marsh Lane in November, as Oxford City ran out 3-2 winners thanks to goals from McEachran, Sanderson and Parker in a game filled with Woking errors. This would prove to be Darren Sarll’s last game in charge of the club. Before then, Woking hadn’t lost to Oxford City, winning both league meetings against the club in the 2018/19 season. AROUND THE GROUND Ticket pricing and other details are available here.

TICKET INFORMATION Adults: £20 Concession: £15 Next-Gen (17-22): £12 Under 17 (14-16): £8 Under 14 (13 & under): £5

and are not guaranteed to gain entry in time for kick-off when arriving less than 30 minutes before kick-off. Food & Drink at Laithwaite Community Stadium The Cardinals Bar is located at the front of the stadium. The bar has full draught and bottle beer options. The Fan Zone is the newest addition for supporters and is located opposite the Cardinals Bar.

Prices will increase on the turnstile and supporters are encouraged to purchase in advance. Home supporters can purchase tickets here. Away supporters can purchase tickets here. MATCHDAY GUIDE Click here for information on gate opening times, food and drink facilities, the Club shop and other ticketing information. DISABLED SUPPORTERS Click here for more information. ARRIVING AT THE STADIUM Kingfield Road turnstiles – blue and yellow entry opens two-and-a-half hours before kick-off, unless otherwise stated. Westfield Avenue turnstiles - red and orange entry opens two-and-a-half hours before kick-off, unless otherwise stated. Away supporter turnstiles - white entry opens two hours before kick-off, unless stated otherwise. Supporters who have purchased a hospitality package will have green entry and should enter through the Guest Entrance, Kingfield Road.

Moaners Corner Café is located next Moaners Corners Stand, with hot and cold drinks, plus snacks available. The Seymours Community Stand has hot food options and a last lane for beverages. CLUB SHOP The Club Shop is open two-and-a-half hours before kick-off, located by the Fan Zone. The shop is also open Mon - Fri, 10:00 - 16:00, upon check-in at reception. TICKETING INFORMATION All Woking FC Season Ticket holders can use their Season Ticket card to enter Laithwaite Community Stadium for all Vanarama National League matches. Supporters with individual match tickets can use the e-ticket they purchased which was emailed from noreply@ktckts.com. Such tickets can be scanned on a smartphone or when printed. Any assistance needed for matchday please contact tickets@wokingfc.co.uk, call 01483967229, or come to reception Mon - Fri, 09:00 - 17:00, or matchdays, 09:00 - half-time.

Supporters are reminded to arrive at the Laithwaite Community Stadium in good time,

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1882? 1883? 1884? There has always been some uncertainty about the official foundation year of Oxford City F.C. One thing we know for sure is that the club’s official first recorded match was in 1884 - March 15th to be precise - at Thame Grammar School, a match that ended in a 4-2 defeat for the City. Of course, no one can be certain of the exact date, this is just the earliest confirmed documented match that City have played. Earlier dates have been touted, including 1882 where an Oxford City team were playing rugby, but not validated whether this was the same club, but this is the foundation date that has been adopted by the club. The early years of Oxford City saw matches played irregularly, as they were a sort of ‘representative’ club, made up of players from other sides within the city. This included a decade of playing nearly

no matches, so in 1896 a major restructuring occurred which relaunched the club into its current day form. AMATEUR CUP WINNERS Just four years after the major restructuring, the club earned its first silverware, the Oxfordshire County Cup – the first of 36 titles the club would earn in what is now the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. Early FA Cup success would follow as well, with journeys to the First Round in 1901/02. This could be argued as the club’s furthest ever progression in the FA Cup (despite several Second Round appearances in the future), with this run seeing the club to the final 32, which would be the equivalent of Fourth Round in today’s competition. But a decade after the restructuring, the club’s

L AST 5 SEASONS 3rd - 22/23

PROMOTED

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5th - 21/22

20/21

ABANDONED

13th - 19/20

12th - 18/19

only modern-day FA national cup success came in the Amateur Cup. Having reached the final three times – 1903, 1906 and 1913 – the first and last did see defeats after replays, but the club were triumphant in the middle year as they beat Bishop Auckland 3-0 in a snowstorm. THE ISTHMIAN YEARS The year following City’s Amateur Cup success, they were invited to join the Isthmian League, a place they would retain for 80 years. Initially, they joined a league of just six sides, including Dulwich Hamlet and Clapton, and they finished fourth after ten matches, winning 5 and drawing 1 of these games, finishing just one point off the top of the table in a tightly fought division. Despite never winning the Isthmian League, the Hoops did twice finish runners up, in 1934/35 and then just over a decade later in 1945/46. While football largely paused during the war years – certainly the Isthmian League did between 1939 and 1945 – Oxford City managed to put something of a strong side together that competed in the Great Western Combination league under the captaincy of Percy James.

The issue with this strong team is that following the war, many joined professional sides, and this largely meant that through the 1950s the club went into decline, and there followed a spell where they finished near enough bottom of the Isthmian League – even warranting a warning from the Isthmian League that performances would need to improve if they wanted to remain members of the league. ONE? TWO? NO... FIVE REPLAYS! City’s results certainly picked up and they were able to remain members of the Isthmian League, and even performances in the cup competitions improved as well, with a run of five successive trips to the First Round of the FA Cup in the 1960s. This even included City’s first ever trip into the Second Round in 1969/70 as they played Swansea. In this period of time the club would hit the headlines a few times. The first of these came just two seasons after that tie against Swansea Town, as City were drawn against Alvechurch in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. At first, there’s nothing extraordinary about this,

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it was a 2-2 draw, which meant that it returned to the White House Ground for another replay. But the sides continued to be inseparable as the first replay was a 1-1 draw, the second also a 1-1 draw, the third and fourth 0-0 draws, leading to an FA Cup record fifth replay at Villa Park, that Alvechurch nicked 1-0. This is a record that will never be beaten as second (and subsequent) replays were abolished. In fact, City were the only side to ever go to a second-replay after this rule was abolished, due to a poorly timed fire alarm ahead of a penalty shootout at Wycombe Wanderers in 1999/2000. But these aren’t the only two FA Cup records that City hold, as Danny Wise holds the record for most goals scored as coming on as a substitute, as he netted five in a 10-0 win against Shoreham just a year after in 2000/01. A WORLD CUP WINNER COMES TO TOWN With FA Cup headlines hitting the club in recent years, it wouldn’t be long before the club was once again in the headlines, in particular due to its choice of a new managerial team in 1979/80. One of the finest defenders to have ever played the game, and the only England captain (so far at least) to lift the World Cup, rocked up at the White House Ground, with Bobby Moore taking his first managerial position at the club. Lesser known about this story is this also sparked the start of Harry Redknapp’s coaching career as he came to City with his former team-mate as the pair looked to guide City out of the Isthmian League. In reality, the move didn’t really work out for either party, with Moore & Redknapp unable to save City from relegation. The following season, they guided City to a 7th place finish in Isthmian League Division 1, but Moore would leave the club at the end of this campaign. However, the season did see City’s involvement in the Anglo-Italian Cup in its semi-professional years. Home games against Sanremese and Modena, then later saw a trip over to Italy and matches against Francavilla and Civitanovese. City only

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managed a win against the latter. The Oxford City and Harry Redknapp story doesn’t quite end there, however, as City were once again headline makers, as a friendly between City and Redknapp’s West Ham saw one of the most infamous football moments as the Hammers’ gaffer bought on a supporter in the second half. A WHITE HOUSE EVICTION Despite the several newsworthy stories, it wasn’t a particularly successful time for the club, as twice in the 80s the club were relegated into the Isthmian League Division One, but worse was to come for the club in 1988. An undignified eviction as landlord Brasenose College exercised a legal technicality due to activity at the ground, which all of a sudden left City homeless, and as a result resigned from the Isthmian League. The White House Ground has been home to Oxford City since the 1900s, and had seen plenty of memories at the ground along the Abingdon Road. However, the club didn’t disappear completely, as a number of dedicated club officials made sure that the club’s name stayed alive, and for a couple of seasons ran just a youth team to bridge the gap. A 'Pheonix' Who Rose Through the Leagues While not exactly a phoenix club, the ‘new era’ at the club almost feels as such, and the club re-entered senior football back in 1990 in the South Midland League Division One, and had set themselves up at Cutteslowe Park. City quickly set about rising through the league, and by 1993 had regained their Isthmian League status. This also coincided with the opening of their new permanent ground, and still home today, Court Place Farm. This ground was made possible by the tireless work of the committee, supporters, Oxford City Council, and also White House landlords Brasenose College. A bumper crowd of over 1,800 saw the opening match against Oxford United – a game that saw referee Dermot

Gallagher make a spectacular entrance in the Fox FM helicopter! City would then remain in the Isthmian League for another decade, before a pyramid re-structure saw the club moved across to the Southern League, spending 8 seasons (with a quick break for a season in the Spartan League), moving between the Premier, and Division 1 (Steps 3 & 4) up until the end of the 2011/12 season. QUE SERA SERA City were promoted out of the South Midlands League in 1994/95, which of course meant that it would also be their last season in playing the FA Vase, with a return to the FA Trophy having moved up to Step 4. But City made sure their final season in the Vase was a special one. Wins against Herne Bay, Milton United, Peacehaven, Croydon, Taunton Town and Canvey Island set them up for a semi-final against Belper Town. Being two-legged, City travelled first up, and lost 1-0, and so a match at home became crucial, and they certainly made the most of this as they turned it around and won 3-1 (after going 1-0 down again), to book a date at Wembley against Arlesey Town. It wasn’t to be their day as the Hoops fell to a 2-1 defeat, but certainly a memorable experience with the club heading to Wembley for the first (and still only) time. NORTH, THEN SOUTH 2012 saw the Hoops promoted into the Conference North for the first time, a division that they’d spend three years in. Under Mike Ford, City finished 10th in their first season, a very respectable effort for a newly promoted team. The club did have a bit of fortune in their second season however, finishing third bottom of the division, which would normally mean relegation, but thanks to Vauxhall Motors’ voluntary relegation, City would live to fight another day. They certainly made the most of their chance in 2014/15 as they finished just a single point off the

play-offs, and finished as the top away scorers across the top six divisions, scoring seven away from home twice, and five a further two times. A move to the National League South followed three seasons in the North, certainly making travelling easier, a division that the club stayed in for eight successive years. Cup success returned during this period, with five First Round appearances in six seasons, with special mentions to 2017/18 and 2020/21, with Second Round appearances, both times getting there by beating Football League opposition (Colchester, and Northampton), the first time the club had ever competitively beaten EFL sides. REACHING THE PEAK Mid-table finishes between 2015 and 2019 saw the club very much cement their Step 2 position under Mark Jones’ leadership, however the appointment of David Oldfield as manager in 2020 certainly changed the club’s approach, and also saw them fighting at the top of the table. 2020/21 saw the club fighting for top spot, however the league was cruelly voided after 17 games due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 2021/22 saw a replication of this, however a fifthplace finish had to suffice after 40 matches, but did at least see a first ever play-off campaign at Step 2. A win in front of 1,300 against Eastbourne Borough set City up for a semi-final against Dorking Wanderers, but Wanderers were too strong on the day. But the very next season, City went one better. Finishing 3rd after 46 matches, after a particularly strong second half of the season, the club went straight to the semi-final, beating Worthing at home 2-0, which then set up a home final against St Albans City. A quite frankly unbelievable first-half would follow in that match – City took the lead in just the second minute, and by the half-time whistle had racked up an unassailable 4-0 lead to take them to the top rung of Non-League Football for the very first time in their history.

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MANAGER ROSS JENKINS Age: 33 Jenkins was born in Watford (he is not related to Ross Jenkins who played for Watford from 1972 to 1983), and began a two-year academy scholarship with Watford in summer 2007. He progressed to the first team and made over 50 appearances before his 20th birthday. He then went on to represent England at U20 level, playing at the Hawthorns against Montenegro in a 5–0 victory, and making five U20 appearances in total. Following loan spells at Plymouth Argyle and Barnet, the central midfielder moved to Crawley Town in September 2015. In January 2016, less than four months after joining Crawley, Jenkins' cancelled his contract and moved to Romania to join Poli Timișoara. In February 2017, Jenkins joined Bulgarian club Pirin

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Blagoevgrad, signing a 6-month contract. He left the club after his contract expired. On 2 August 2017, Jenkins signed with Norwegian Eliteserien side Viking. He was released by Viking at the end of the 2017 Norwegian season, and signed for Scottish Premiership club Hamilton Academical in February 2018. Persistent injury led Jenkins to retire from professional football at the age of 28. He subsequently moved into a coaching role at Oxford City and following the departure of first-team manager David Oldfield to Weymouth in January 2022, Jenkins was placed in caretaker charge with the club sitting in fourth position in the table. On 9 March, Jenkins was appointed Manager on a permanent contract. The 2022–23 season saw Jenkins guide Oxford to promotion to the fifth tier for the first time in the club's history, defeating St Albans City 4–0 in the play-off final.

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DATE

OPPONENT

AUGUST Sat Aug 05 Sat Aug 12 Tue Aug 15 Sat Aug 19 Sat Aug 26 Mon Aug 28

Kidderminster Harriers Altrincham Rochdale Barnet Gateshead Dorking Wanderers

0-0 2-3 3-2 0-2 3-1 2-0

SEPTEMBER Sat Sept 02 Sat Sept 09 Sat Sept 16 Tue Sept 19 Sat Sept 23 Tue Sept 26 Sat Sept 30

Maidenhead United Solihull Moors Hartlepool United Ebbsfleet United York City Wealdstone AFC Fylde

0-0 1-1 2-0 1-1 1-2 1-0 0-2

OCTOBER Tue Oct 03 Sat Oct 07 Sat Oct 14 Tue Oct 17 Sat Oct 21 Tue Oct 24 Sat Oct 28

RESULT (F-A)

FC Halifax Town Southend United Hemel Hempstead (FAC) Hemel Hempstead (FAC) Dagenham & Redbridge Eastleigh Bromley

NOVEMBER Sat Nov 04 Ramsgate (FAC) Sat Nov 11 Oxford City Sat Nov 18 Oldham Athletic Tue Nov 21 Chesterfield Sat Nov 25 Boreham Wood DECEMBER Sat Dec 02 Sat Dec 09 Sat Dec 16 Sat Dec 23 Tue Dec 26

Gateshead Weston-super-Mare (FAT R3) Dorking Wanderers Maidenhead United Aldershot Town

JANUARY Mon Jan 01 Aldershot Town Sat Jan 06 Solihull Moors Tue Jan 23 Chesterfield Sat Jan 27 Oldham Athletic FEBRUARY Sat Feb 03 Tue Feb 06 Sat Feb 10 Sat Feb 17 Tue Feb 20 Sat Feb 24 MARCH Sat Mar 02 Sat Mar 09 Tue Mar 12 Sat Mar 16 Sat Mar 23 Fri Mar 29

Boreham Wood Oxford City Hartlepool United FC Halifax Town Ebbsfleet United Wealdstone

Kidderminster Harriers Altrincham Rochdale Barnet Southend United Eastleigh

APRIL Mon Apr 01 Bromley Sat Apr 06 Dagenham & Redbridge Sat Apr 13 York City Sat Apr 20 AFC Fylde

FIXTURES & RESULTS 2023/24

1-2 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-2 1-0 0-1

1-2 2-3 0-1 0-2 2-4

P-P 2-3 2-1 0-0 0-0

2-3 0-3 0-1 1-0

0-1

APPEARANCES

GLS

TUNJI AKINOLA

25(6)

2(0)

JERMAINE ANDERSON

5(4)

1(0)

ALEXIS ANDRE JR.

10(0)

0(0)

RHYS BROWNE

16(3)

4(0)

JOSH CASEY

28(0)

0(0)

SCOTT CUTHBERT

29(0)

2(0)

MAX DYCHE

2(0)

0(0)

CURTIS EDWARDS

0(1)

0(0)

REECE GREGO-COX

7(10)

7(2)

SAM HABERGHAM

5(4)

0(0)

ROHAN INCE

15(4)

0(0)

WILL JAASKELAINEN

22(0)

0(0)

JIM KELLERMANN

21(0)

2(1)

DION KELLY-EVANS

3(0)

0(0)

CHARLEY KENDALL

2(1)

0(0)

RICKY KORBOA

6(4)

4(0)

DENNON LEWIS

20(4)

3(0)

JAYDEN LUKER

2(1)

0(0)

DAN MOSS

31(0)

0(0)

TIMI ODUSINA

9(2)

0(0)

PAUL OSEW

4(0)

0(0)

MANNY OYELEKE

6(0)

1(0)

JOSH SMITH

0(0)

CHARLIE WAKEFIELD

3(6)

0(0)

LEWIS WALKER

7(0)

1(0)

LUKE WILKINSON

12(3)

0(0)

LEAGUE TABLE TEAM

Pts

Chesterfield

Bromley

Barnet

Altrincham

Aldershot Town

Solihull Moors

Gateshead

Oldham Athletic

Rochdale

FC Halifax Town

Hartlepool United

Wealdstone

Eastleigh

Dagenham & Redbridge

Boreham Wood

Maidenhead United

Southend United

York City

Dorking Wanderers

AFC Fylde

Kidderminster Harriers

Ebbsfleet United

Woking

Oxford City

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ABOUT The Cards Trust (Cardinals Supporters Society) has worked with the Club to represent fans for more than a decade. The Trust is a shareholder of the Club (and owns around a quarter of it) and has a representative on the Board to put forward the fans’ views.

ordinates the activities of volunteers. Please get in touch if you would like to help on match days. JUNIOR CARDS A scheme with a range of activities for under 16s including stadium tours and competitions.

MEMBERSHIP Supporters can join The Cards Trust for just £10 per year. Information about joining is on the Trust website.

PLAYER AWARD VOTES The Fans’ Player of the Month and Player of the Season polls are conducted by the Trust.

BOOST THE BUDGET An initiative to help the Club’s playing budget with regular contributions. More than £200,000 has gone to the Club throughout the scheme.

AWAY MATCH TRAVEL The Cards Trust arranges coach travel to away matches for supporters at the lowest cost possible. If you are an advertiser that would like to sponsor the travel, please get in touch.

THE 400 CLUB A prize draw with twelve draws per year. Around £20,000 has been given to support the Club and more than £12,000 in prizes. GOLDRUSH The prize draw that gives back 50% to the lucky winner with a draw at half-time on matchday, with a minimum stake of just £1. The prizes have recently been around £400 and the winning number is announced and displayed on the digital screen at half-time. SOCIAL EVENTS AND VOLUNTEERING The Trust also organises social events and co-

Details of all coaches are available on the Trust website, where tickets can be booked online, usually up to 23:00 on the day before the match. Members and Junior Cards get discounted away match travel. SUPPORTERS’ LIAISON GROUP The SLG consults with fans (both Trust members and non-members) and the Club to improve the fan experience. Real change has been made based on ideas from the group including the successful Turner's Tannoy appeal which has financed the recent upgrade in the PA at the stadium. UPCOMING AWAY COACH TRAVEL

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THE CARDS TRUST

THIS WEEK'S UPDATES The Cards Trust are running coaches to all matches in 2024.

You can take part online https://www.cardstrust. co.uk/boost-the-budget-2/ or get a form from the

Remember, members and Junior Cards save money on bookings with their membership!

Trust office on a match day. All monies raised go towards supporting Woking FC.

SUPPORTERS COACHES

400 CLUB The 400 Club had its November draw on Monday 27th. The winners were:

EBBSFLEET - TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY The coach leaves Woking FC at 17:00 and costs: Trust Members - Adult £18, U16's & Junior Cards £13 Non Members - Adult £23, U16's £18 Outward Only - £12.50 Return Only - £12.50

£100 £75 £50

ROCHDALE - TUESDAY 12TH MARCH The coach leaves Woking FC at 14:00 and costs:

The big £500 Christmas Draw will take place soon - it's not too late to take part. Contact john. hooker@cardstrust.co.uk to take part or get additional numbers.

Trust Members - Adult £42, U16's & Junior Cards £38 Non Members - Adult £47, U16's £42 Outward Only - £25 Return Only - £25 Please note there is not a Supporters coach for Halifax and Altrincham BOOST THE BUDGET Congratulations to the two Boost the Budget donors who have won places in the Geoff Chapple Lounge for today's match. Thank-you to everyone who supports BTB either by way if monthly contributions or one off donations.

Number 104 Number 34 Number 114

Stephen Carter Don Irwin Roger Sherlock

QUIZ NIGHT We had a very successful Quiz Night that raised over £650 and was enjoyed by all that took part. Thanks to John, Mark and all those that helped to make it successful. GOLDRUSH Today’s Goldrush will be a hybrid of online and ‘at the ground’ sales.

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CARRYING YOUR TEAM TO SUCCESS

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SURREY

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Principal Contractors ~ General Builders ~ Roofers ~ Landscapers ~ Plumbers ~ Joinery & Carpenters ~ Homeowners

TO YOU LOOS LIMITED provide site toilets with the following : Flushing chemical portable toilets (no mains required) with sinks or sanitiser units  Toilets are emptied and cleaned by ourselves weekly as standard, inclusive of chemicals and consumables, with additional services available on request

Portable Toilet Unit Hire for Public & Private Events

TO YOU LOOS LIMITED provide toilets for Fetes, Parties, Shows, Weddings, Horse Trials

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Please note the toilet units must be located no more than 8m from where the truck can park in order to be serviced and each unit is circa 1.2m square (4’ x 4’) so please check the access route to where you wish the unit to be sited.

CARDS SLIP TO FIRST LEAGUE DEFEAT IN FIVE MONTHS

oking fell to their first league defeat since September 17th, as they lost down by the south coast. Despite a better showing in the second half, the Cards came away with nothing against Havant & Waterlooville at Westleigh Park. The first chance of the game went to Sheena Nichol just two minutes in, as her shot from outside the box was saved by the goalkeeper. Havant’s first chance came shortly after from some good build-up play, but the eventual shot was well saved by Amy Jenkins. Woking had a chance to take the lead around the 20-minute mark when Helen Ogle won possession high up the pitch and managed to find Kaitlin Howard, but her looping effort on the edge of the ‘D’ went just over the crossbar.

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The early opportunities squandered were punished soon after as the hosts took the lead. A loose ball from a corner landed into the feet of a Havant player who tucked the ball home. No more than five minutes later and they had doubled their lead from a quick counter-attack. The Hawks had regained the ball from a Woking corner and broke away in numbers, before curling an effort past Amy in goal. Kaitlin Howard was forced off just over half an hour into the game with a small knock that she picked up and was replaced by Hayley Giles. Woking’s last clear chance of the first half came when Efrosyni Theocharous played a great pass into Hayley, but the former's shot went just wide of the post.

HT: Havant & Waterlooville 2-0 Woking Three changes were made during the break, with Gracie Price, Trudy Bryan-Kerr and Kaitlin all replacing Hayley, Charlotte Keenan and Nichola Marr, who had subsequently made her first appearance for the First Team this season.

Woking kept battling away to create new ways to score but it just wasn’t to be on the day. Kaitlin had a powerful effort go wide of the woodwork and Charlotte had two efforts in the space of a minute saved right at the death to sum up a frustrating afternoon. FT: Havant & Waterlooville 3-0 Woking

A much brighter half still came with its frustrations and no more so than when the Cards should have been awarded a penalty. Helen was blatantly fouled by the ‘keeper after getting her body in front of the player and was pushed to the ground, but the referee waived away the claims. The visitors were winning the ball up a lot higher and were forcing all sorts of saves from the opposition number one, but a lapse in concentration allowed Havant to counter once more and despite an initial great save by Amy, the rebound was followed up to give the hosts a comfortable lead with 30 minutes to play. A real kick to the teeth. Two of the half-time substitutes in Trudy and Gracie linked up really well to create a one-versus-one chance and the best moment of the second 45 minutes, but the young midfielders' shot was kicked straight at the ‘keeper before being cleared. Sian Hardaker replaced Gracie shortly after.

Of course it’s a tough pill to swallow and on the complete opposite end of the scale to last week’s jubilation, but there’s no time to dwell as the Cards look set to retain the SRWFL Chairmen’s Cup with their First Round fixture against Caversham United next Sunday at the College. Tickets are available online.

Woking Starting XI: Jenkins, Marr (46), Cotter, Mitchell (81), Underhill, Theocharous, Nichol, Ogle, Howard © (32) (46), Hobday, Keenan (46) (81) Subs: Bryan-Kerr (46), Price (46) (71), Hardaker (71), Giles (32) (46) Attendance: 76 Player of the Match: Efrosyni Theocharous

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AcaDEMY T

Notable academy graduates in recent history include Woking legends Craig Ross and Joe McNerney, Wrexham's Ollie Palmer, and exChelsea and now-Reading's Jayden Wareham.

For the 2023/24 season, the youth and academy setup runs in three stages; a pre-academy for six to nine-year-olds, a youth academy for nine to 16-year-olds, and a full-time academy for talented young players above the age of 16, including an education plan.

PRE-ACADEMY The Pre-Academy is for the very youngest players, covering U7s, U8s and U9s. Meeting once a week, players train and learn in a fun and friendly environment under the watchful eye of our coaches. Players that show real talent have the opportunity to progress to Woking FC Academy Youth.

he Woking FC Academy has been operating in its current format for over a decade with the aim of helping talented young footballers make progress into the club's first team set up or in their sporting careers whilst continuing with their academic studies.

The Academy works with the Football Club's partner charitable and community organisation, Cardinals in the Community (CITC).

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The Pre-Academy trains at The Winston Churchill School in Woking, Thursdays, 17:00 - 18:00.

YOUTH ACADEMY Starting with U9s and progressing through the age groups right up to U16s, players train with our Academy coaches and have the opportunity to play competitively in the Junior Premier League. Training is held twice weekly at CITC’s sports hub, within the grounds of Woking College, and matches are played on Saturdays. At this level, players are able to continue playing for their grassroots clubs. As with the main Academy, players receive a progress report twice per season, which helps identify areas of their game to work on and improve. U16s players are assessed throughout the season with a view to being invited to join Woking FC Academy. WOKING FC ACADEMY Woking FC Academy is a National League licensed academy. We aim to develop each and every player to reach their full potential, instilling ambition and a professional attitude. We work as closely as possible to Category 3 Academy standards, creating a professional environment in which players thrive. Players train 5-6 hours per week at CITC’s sports hub. Their development is supported by video analysis of training and matches, group workshops and strength and conditioning sessions. One-to-one reviews are held twice every season, along with player reports so that both the coaching staff and the players themselves have a clear focus on individual development.

choose to attend Woking College or focus on gaining the NCFE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, which is delivered by SCL Education at Westfield FC. Players on the EDP pathway study towards the NCFE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport (equivalent to 3 A levels) with SCL. AGE GROUP COMPETITIONS Under 23s - Second and third years (and progressing first years) Play in: Suburban Football League - Premier Division Home games: Knaphill FC, Thursdays, 19:30 Under 19s - Second and third years (and progressing first years) National League U19 Alliance - Academy South Division Home games: Westfield FC, weekdays, daytime Under 19B - predominantly U17s - first years National League U19 Alliance - Division E Woking College, weekdays, daytime Under 18s - predominantly U17s - first years Pitching In Isthmian Football League - Youth West Division Knaphill FC, Thursdays, 19:30 Players will also have the chance to represent the academy in the prestigious FA Youth Cup.

Woking FC Academy plays competitive matches in the U18 Isthmian League, U19 National League and also have the opportunity to play in U23 fixtures. Players in our Elite Development Plan (EDP) compete in the Tactic League and National B League. Cup competitions are a feature of the fixture calendar. Pre-season training includes friendlies and there are opportunities to travel abroad for football tours and tournaments, including the Gothia Cup. Our football timetable is planned in conjunction with players’ education. Academy players can

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AcaDEMY BULLETIN CARDS MAINTAIN LEAD AT TOP OF ISTHMIAN LEAGUE

UPCOMING FIXTURES Week commencing 5th February 2024

MATCH REPORTS Week commencing Monday 29th January

Tuesday 6th February 19:45 – Corinthian Casuals First v Woking FC, Surrey Senior Cup, Third Round King George’s Recreation Ground, Tolworth

Wednesday 31st January Woking U17 1 - 1 Charlton Athletic Trust U17 National League Alliance – Division E; Woking College, Rydens Way

With the fixture clash with the National League game against Oxford City, the Academy will field the majority of the squad, with a few first teamers that aren’t involved with the Oxford match joining them.

This game looked like it would be close, and so it was, with neither side getting the win they required to be competing in the top half of the table.

Wednesday 7th February Kick Off TBC – Welling United U19 v Woking U19 National League Alliance – Academy South Goals, Eltham Friday 9th February 11:30 – Woking U19 v Welling United U19 National League Alliance – Academy South Woking College, Rydens Way 19:45 – Welling United U23 v Woking U23 uburban Football League – Premier Division Holmesdale Football Club, Bromley For up-to-date information on fixtures refer to the Woking Football Club Academy twitter page.

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Charlton had already hit the bar through Matthew Flook, and Woking had a Harvey Brook shot saved, before Woking opened the scoring with an excellent team goal on 14 minutes. Breaking from the clearance of a Charlton corner, Brook made ground before switching play with a fine cross-field ball to Sean Bull attacking from left-back who, in-turn, passed to JJ Young, who neatly turned his marker on the edge of the area and fired in to the bottom corner. Both sides had chances as the game ebbed and flowed, and may have scored with more accurate finishing, but both goalkeepers’ positioning was good, and there was some strong defending, notably from Woking’s George Elston.

Unfortunately, as the half drew to a close Charlton’s Kye Marsden required treatment for what looked to be a bad ankle injury – our best wishes to Kye for a speedy recovery.

Wood, Sean Bull; JJ Young, Charlie Sweeney, James Orton (Saadiq Bangura-Kerr 75); Stefan Van Wijngaarden (Liam Manby 65), Harvey Brook © (Jack Bashford 46), Roshaun Cooper. Unused sub: Mikey Verga (GK).

Half-time: Woking 1 – 0 Charlton Athletic Trust Goal: Young 14. With the following evening’s game in mind, Woking made a change at half-time, with Brook replaced by Jack Bashford. Brook had led the line well, and been instrumental in the Cards’ goal. As was the case in the return fixture, Charlton were stronger in the second-half, and taking the game to Woking. On 65 minutes Woking brought Liam Manby in to the game at right-back, and his forward runs helped to reduce the threat of Mekai Lennox-James. Even under Manby’s watchful eye Lennox James was a threat – he certainly has ability, and the hope at Charlton is that his temperament does not further hinder his progress.

Charlton Athletic Trust: Kian Eyers; Matthew Flook (Samuel Soda 67), Guillermo Herrera, Mason Janes (Will Wilson 46), Bradley Johnson, Mekai Lennox-James, Max Lewis, Kye Marsden (Kiyan Pinnock 43), Harry Norman, Sebastian Pedroza, Jack Povey. Goal: Pinnock 82. Referee: Fidelis Akangaf. Thursday 1st February, Woking U18 6 - 0 Uxbridge U18 Isthmian Football League – Youth West Division; Knaphill FC, Redding Way

On 74 minutes James Orton was forced from the field of play with a wrist injury he had picked up in a strong challenge, so our best wishes to you James for a speedy recovery – the good news is there’s no break.

With Camberley Town having won at Beaconsfield on Tuesday evening, Woking needed to win to maintain their lead at the top of the table, and put pressure on Camberley as they look to chase down Woking’s advantage.

With few real chances it was starting to look as if Woking may see out the victory, but on 82 minutes Charlton had their equaliser. Louie Sullivan did well to get a hand on Will Wilson’s corner, but the ball broke to Kiyan Pinnock and he finished forcefully from a few yards.

Although Woking had won 4-0 at Uxbridge earlier in the season, the first-half on that evening had been difficult, and when Mikey Verga was called on in the second minute to tip a header from a free-kick over the bar, it looked as if this game might not be straightforward. 5 goals in 26 minutes would relieve any concerns.

Charlton continued to press, but Woking were resolute, and no-one more so than Manby, who saw Guillermo Herrera booked for unceremoniously halting Manby’s pressurerelieving run. This was probably a fair result, and one that underlined the importance of being able to direct shots away from the ‘keeper. Woking: Louie Sullivan; Max Goldsworthy (Jayden Smith 50), George Elston, Harrison

Set up with Tommy Searle holding in front of the back four, Woking had a great platform for fast attacking football, with Ben Smith and Aidy Silverstein the solid, unfussy centre-back partnership, and the pacey Byron Mitchell leading the attacking charge. The first goal came after good work down the left from Jacob Farr and Sam Brittain, then when the ball was played across Maximilian Gawronski failed to hold the

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ball, and Harvey Brook, starting on the right side of the attacking midfield, was there to tap home. Good attacking play from both Brittain and Alvaro Picon had created chances for a second before it was 2-0 after 15 minutes. This was Brittain’s goal of the season contender, dribbling infield from the left wing before hitting a 25-yard rocket in to the top corner, the ‘keeper well beaten. Mitchell scored the third on 22 minutes, a move that began with the patient play of Silverstein and Farr, before Stanley Kyle’s defence splitting through ball released Mitchell, who held off the defender and scored with a neat, low finish. Picon was booked for a foul, with the Uxbridge coach commenting that it was the sort of determination in the challenge that he’d like to see from his players. But the fourth goal arrived within a minute. Another good Woking move won a corner, and when the clearance fell to Kyle on the edge of the area, he found the bottom corner. The Uxbridge coach’s frustration with his players growing. It was 5-0 shortly after the half-hour, Silverstein’s long ball made in to a great pass by Mitchell’s pace and strength, before a fine finish in to the corner. A fitting cap to half an hour of excellent passing football from the Cards. This may have been the wrong game for Uxbridge to try a 3-5-2 formation, but Woking had proved irresistible, and the intelligence from Silverstein and others to know how to create and exploit chances is a credit to them. Half-time: Woking 5 – 0 Uxbridge Woking’s half-time change saw JJ Young come on for his second game in two days, with Boxall showing his versatility by moving to left-back. It was going to be hard for Woking to continue in the same vein, and Uxbridge, credit to them, were still competing well, and looked more

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comfortable with four at the back. In a relatively quiet half, there was one further piece of quality team play as Woking made it six on 82 minutes. A few minutes after Brook had netted already knowing he was offside, Silverstein hit a fine long diagonal ball to Brook, whose low driven cross gave Tom Dryer on the far post a straightforward finish. This had finally knocked the stuffing out of Uxbridge, and Seale forced a good save with a drive to the far corner which looked like it was going to be the seventh. A perhaps predictable low-key second-half, but a very satisfying evening’s work. Woking: Mikey Verga; Alvaro Picon, Ben Smith, Aidy Silverstein, Jacob Farr (JJ Young 46); Tommy Seale; Harvey Brook, Lucas Boxall, Stanley Kyle © (Tom Dryer 78), Sam Brittain; Byron Mitchell (Jack Bashford 70). Unused subs: Harry White (GK), Harrison Stevens. Goals: Brook 6, Brittain 15, Mitchell 22,32, Kyle 25, Dryer 82. Uxbridge: Maximilian Gawronski; Freddie Ferris, Ben Butler, Leo Camacho; Usu Ukachukwu (Dane Burbeck 53), Reece Butler, Marcello Aru, Ayokunmi Omojola (Reggie Whitehead 61); Harrison Clarke, Nico Martucci, Taylor Gale. Unused sub: Klaud Gorol (GK). Referee: G. Collins. Loan watch Saturday 3rd February. On-form forward Ben Mitchell scored for Guildford City against Camberley Town, although Owen Crawford in the Camberley goal finished on the right side of the 3-2 final score. Jack Matton continued his good form at centreback with Binfield, even scoring with a fine far post volley in a 4-1 victory at Hartley Wintney.

OXFORD CITY FC

WOKING FC

MANAGER: ROSS JENKINS

MANAGER: MICHAEL DOYLE ALEXIS ANDRÉ JR.

CHRIS HAIGH

DAN MOSS

ANDRE BURLEY

JOSH CASEY (C)

GILES PHILLIPS

SCOTT CUTHBERT

JOSH ASHBY

LUKE WILKINSON

NYA KIRBY

RICKY KORBOA

JACOB RODDY

REECE GREGO-COX

LEWIS COYLE

LEWIS WALKER

REECE FLEET (C)

DENNON LEWIS

ZAC MCEACHRAN

RHYS BROWNE

HARVEY GREENSLADE

TUNJI AKINOLA

MITCHELL ROBERTS

JIM KELLERMANN

MARCIN BRZOZOWSKI

MANNY OYELEKE

JOSH PARKER

CHARLIE WAKEFIELD

RENNY SMITH

TIMI ODUSINA

ALFIE POTTER

WILL JÄÄSKELÄINEN

PIERRE FONKEU

JERMAINE ANDERSON

AARON WILLIAMS-BUSHELL

ROHAN INCE

CANICE CARROLL

DION KELLY-EVANS

LATRELL HUMPHREY-EWERS

SAM HABERGHAM

TAFARI MOORE

JOSH SMITH

ALEX FISHER

JAYDEN LUKER

HARRY BIRTWISTLE

CURTIS EDWARDS

LEVI LUMEKA

CHARLEY KENDALL

PHIL CROKER

MAX DYCHE

PAUL OSEW

UP NEXT AT HOME HARTLEPOOL UNITED SAT 10TH FEB 2024 17:30

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