The Cardinals’ campaign has begun under tumultuous circumstances, with managerial complications causing major disruption to the club’s pre-season preparations. One win and one draw from their opening five games leaves Woking in 21st place at the time of writing.
History
Woking were founded in 1887 before going on to join the Isthmian League 24 years later. The Club plied their trade in the Isthmian League system from 1911 all the way through to 1992, when they would achieve promotion to the Conference.
Barring a few short-lived stints in the Conference South (later National League South), the Cardinals have spent the vast majority of the last 30 years in the fifth tier. Their best period in the Conference Premier came between 1993 and 1998, where the side recorded five consecutive top five finishes in the division, including back-to-back second place campaigns.
This stretch also brought about cup success, with Woking winning the FA Trophy an impressive three times in four seasons from 1994 to 1997.
The Surrey outfit have spent the entirety of the 2020s in the National League having achieved promotion back to the fifth tier at the first time of asking, through the play-offs in 2019.
In 2022/23, the Club recorded its highest league position since the rebranding of the National League, finishing fourth before bowing out of the play-offs in a 2-1 home defeat by Bromley in the Eliminator round.
Woking’s nickname, The Cardinals, derives from the team’s original playing colours: cardinal red-and-white halved kits.
Interim Managers – Jake Hyde & Craig Ross
The much-publicised departure of Jermain Defoe as manager just two weeks before the season began forced the club to act fast.
In a first managerial role for the ex-Tottenham and England striker, Defoe had only joined the club in March this year, overseeing the final six games of last season on the way to a 10th place finish. In Defoe’s wake the club opted for familiarity, with Jake Hyde and Craig Ross stepping up for a second spell as joint interim managers.
Hailing from the Swindon Town academy, Hyde went to make over 400 appearances for various sides in both England and Scotland. Following stints in the Football League with Barnet, York City and Stevenage, in 2018 the striker joined Woking for the first of two playing spells at the club. Upon returning to the Kingfield Stadium in 2025, the 36-year-old made two appearances for the Cardinals last campaign alongside a role as strength and conditioning coach, before calling time on his playing career in April.
A name perhaps more familiar to followers of Sussex non-league, former goalkeeper Ross made over 150 appearances for Woking in a five year stay at the club between 2018 and 2023, having previously played in the club’s academy.
Prior to gaining EFL experience with Barnet from whom Ross joined the Cards in 2018, the goalkeeper turned out for both Eastbourne Borough and Whitehawk throughout the early 2010s. Ross played a key role in Steve King’s Whitehawk side who went on to lose the National League South play-off final to Boreham Wood in 2015.
Previous Meetings
This season marks the first time Worthing and Woking will cross paths in league competition. However, the sides have met once before in competitive football, with the Cards coming out 2-0 winners in an FA Cup First Qualifying Round match in the 1970/71 season.
Worthing first played Woking in a Boxing Day friendly in 1949. The Rebels lost an FA Cup tie against them in 1970/71 before facing them in Isthmian League Division 1 between 1987 and 1990.
There are a few players who have appeared for both clubs, most notably goalkeeper Tim Read, who played for Woking in their 1990-91 FA Cup run that saw them defeat West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns before only losing 1-0 at Everton in the fourth round; he had spent most of the previous season playing for our reserve side.
Woking were elected to the Isthmian League in 1911 when its membership was increased by one and remained in that competition until gaining promotion to the Football Conference (now National League) in 1992.
Stadium
The Laithwaite Community Stadium, traditionally named the Kingfield Stadium after the area it resides in, has been the home of Woking FC since the start of the 1922.
Holding a capacity of just over 6,000, the ground consists of two all-seater stands accompanied by several terrace sections. Away fans are typically housed in the Chris Lane terrace, a roofless stand which runs the length of the pitch.
The Club had previously drafted plans to build a new 9,000 capacity stadium on the grounds of the Kingfield,
however the proposal was thrown out by the government in December 2021.
Distance from Sussex Transport Community Stadium: 43.4 miles
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗