The Cards Trust

Manager & team

I’m sure I speak for most of us when I say that I was surprised to hear about the sudden departure of Jermain Defoe and Paul Bracewell in July, but was equally reassured when told that Craig Ross and Jake Hyde would resume control of the squad given their impressive record with us last season. Unfortunately, Saturday’s first game vs Sutton didn’t go as we would have hoped, although it was good to see our new (and existing) players in action. We wish them all every success as we progress through the remaining 45 games of the 2026/7 season!

Ground capacity/Floodlights etc

Following on from the recommendations made with regard to the stadium, remedial and further works have been undertaken at the Laithwaite and we’re hopeful the Club will be in a position to issue a statement to fans shortly. 

Work on upgrading the floodlights with League 2 standard LED lamps continues, which the Trust has helped to fund. The installation company have discovered that they need to do more than they originally thought but are pressing on with this important upgrade.

Trust Draws and message from Todd Johnson

Just to remind that we will be holding a random draw for a Trust member to win an adult Season Ticket soon, where the winner can either use it or gift it to a family member or friend.  We will also be holding two draws during the season to win a pair of hospitality tickets in the Geoff Chapple Lounge.

With help from the Club, we sent a message to all ‘early bird’ season ticket purchasers encouraging those who weren’t members already to join the Trust. I’m pleased to say a number joined/re-joined (welcome to you all!!) and you too  will be included in these draws. We will undertake a further Trust recruitment exercise in the next few weeks, and as our WFC Chairman Todd Johnson said:

“At Woking FC, our supporters are at the heart of everything we do, and the CardsTrust continues to play an important role in supporting the Club.

The CardsTrust has helped fund important projects, including recent pitch improvements and our planned floodlight upgrade, while also providing a valuable way for supporters to become more involved with the Club and its future. The Trust also provides an important link between supporters and the Club, helping to ensure that fans continue to have a voice as we move forward together.

Whether you’ve supported Woking for decades, have only recently discovered the Club, or follow us from elsewhere in the UK or around the world, the CardsTrust is a meaningful way to support the future of Woking FC.

I’m grateful for everything the Trust does for Woking FC, and I fully endorse their work. If you’re not already a member, I’d encourage you to consider joining and supporting everything the Trust is working to achieve for our Club.”

Junior Cards

Adam Bowyer is doing a fantastic job in building the number of young fans who become Junior Cards for just £5 per year – an ideal present for any youngsters you may know; click here for more details.

Trust activities throughout the season

I meet with Robin Byrne (WFC MD) every six weeks or so to discuss topics of  mutual interest and to pass on the views of Trust members I have already suggested to him that we hold a ‘fans forum’ sooner rather than later.

Planning has already begun for the Quiz Night in mid November.

The Trust will continue to provide the trophies for the Player of the Month and Player of the Season, as won by Timmy Akinola in 2025/6. His name is now on the display board in the main bar.

Discounted coach travel tor Trust members to most away games will continue, although the economics of running coaches to every away game gets more challenging each season.

Meanwhile, the Trust will continue with ‘Goldrush’ sales and the ‘400 Club’ draws, giving everyone the chance to be a winner – good luck to all those who participate and I wish us all a fun and entertaining season! See you in Gateshead this coming Saturday if you’re going.

Get in touch

And if you wish to get in touch, please do come and talk to me  on Moaners at any home game, or contact me at kevin.jones@cardstrust.co.uk

COYCs!!

Welcome to the latest Trust update as we look forward to the pre-season friendlies which start soon and then our National League fixtures for the 2026/7 season, which are due to be announced on 10 July. On behalf of the Trust Board, thank-you for your support last season and all that you do to help WFC, whether that’s by purchasing Goldrush tickets, joining the 400 Club, contributing to Boost the Budget or attending Trust events such as the Quiz and AGM. We thought that the time was right to update the Trust – eg we have been using the same emblem since the Trust was established in 2008. So with thanks to the excellent work by Lewis Tugwell, Matt Cronin and Matthew Creswick, we now have a new logo (see above) which sets out who we are and when we were formed. Look out for new Trust products in the coming season! We’ve summarised key Trust achievements for last season in a new-look format (below) which I’m sure you’ll agree is eye-catching and makes it easy to see much of what we have all collectively achleved.

John Hooker (who has run the 400 Club since it began 11 seasons ago) is seen here holding a cheque here for £30,000, which was recently donated to Woking FC by the Trust.  This has been used to (a) pay the balance for upgraded LED Floodlights (WFC secured a grant from the Premier League Stadium Fund) which will bring the lights to at least League 2 standard, demonstrating the future ambition for the Club, and (b) contributed to the costs of safety improvements at the ground which we are hopeful will mean that, with the agreement of the Safety Advisory Group, our overall capacity can return to usual limits.

We’ve listened to feedback from fans (via the Trust and our SLG) and I am delighted to advise that on your next visit to the Laithwaite, you will see updated “WFC timelines’ (including new pictures and information) which were installed this week. Paul Woozley and Matt Cronin (Trust Board members) designed these with help from Ian Tilley, Lyn Corbett and Mark Doyle.  They are displayed on the external wall of the Cardinals Bar and walkway under the main SCS stand. The update was approved by Todd Johnson and the costs have been met by the Trust.

Looking forward to next season, we await news of further squad signings and extensions, welcome new teams to our league (a weekend away game in Worthing would be good!) and are working hard behind the scenes to arrange benefits for Trust members (HERE). We have also reduced the cost for Junior Cards to just £5 a year now, along with a new logo for them too!

So if you know of anyone who might wish to become a Trust (or Junior Card) member, please click HERE (Cards Trust) or HERE (Junior Cards).

I wish you all a fantastic summer and if you are going on holiday, that you have a relaxing time with family and friends.

As always, do feel free to contact me at kevin.jones@cardstrust.co.uk

COYC!!
Kevin JonesChair – Cards Trust

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