Special Guest in the Lounge on Saturday

Woking Football Club is delighted to welcome Grant Payne as a special guest in the Geoff Chapple Lounge on Saturday for the Vanarama Conference game against Chester.

Grant is held in great affection by Woking fans, who remember his outstanding performances in the Cardinal red and white. Grant was born in Woking on Christmas Day in 1975 and played his schoolboy football for Mayford Athletic and Meadow Sports before joining Wimbledon in 1989.

He first joined Woking on loan from the Dons in the 1994-95 season and made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in an amazing 5-5 draw at Bromsgrove Rovers. He went on to score a total of six goals in 11 appearances, helping the Cards on their way to Wembley, where they lifted the FA Trophy for the second year in succession, beating Kidderminster Harriers. Another brief loan spell in the 1996-97 season led to Grant joining the Cards for the 1997-98 campaign. In the following two seasons he went on to make over 100 appearances for the Cards, scoring 35 goals in league and cup games. Grant scored on each of his ‘debuts’ for Woking.

Much to the dismay of Woking fans, Grant was sold in November 1999 to rivals Aldershot Town for a then club record fee for the Shots of £20,000 – a sale which was forced by Woking’s then financial difficulties. To rub salt into the wounds Grant scored four goals on his debut for the Shots.

However, Grant was to wear the red and white halves again, returning to Kingfield in the 2002-03 season, bringing his total appearances for the Cards in league and cup games to 116 starts and 31 substitute appearances, in which he scored 46 goals. On leaving the Club in March 2003, he joined Kingstonian.

A warm welcome back to Kingfield, Grant!