Lovetts

Open Letter From The CEO

Daniel O'Sullivan
5:00pm, Fri 11th Feb 2022
John Katz, CEO at Woking Football Club, pens an open letter to supporters.

Cue up the “naïve American” tweets at your leisure, but I believe that positivity breeds positivity.

Our results have been poor. You get it. I get it. The Board gets it. The players get it. The gaffer gets it. The backroom staff gets it. We all get it.

So what can we do about it?


The introduction of new players has been and will continue to be helpful, and they are now fully integrating with the side. Louie Annesley’s loan was extended. The additions of David Longe-King and Nicke Kabamba during the January window, and most recently, the free agent signing of the very talented Jack Roles will bear fruit for this football club.

We have endured more than our fair share of injuries, Covid-related absences, and a suspension or three. We have endured some of the most abysmal refereeing this season, including the incident that left George Oakley with a broken leg, saw Tom Champion punched in the back of the head, and watched as no real justice was handed out for the offences.

Soon, Oakley will make his return from that broken leg he suffered in our home win against Chesterfield on 28th September.

Our physio and medical team have been nothing short of magicians in helping Oaks return to fitness. Our backroom staff and our players have surrounded him with support and lifted him up when he was at his lowest following the injury. In my 30+ years in sport, I have rarely seen a team rally around an injured player as this team has rallied around George.

I tell George’s story because it’s really a metaphor for all of us as we ride the rollercoaster journey of being Woking supporters.

The vast majority of our fans recognise that this is a three-year project. This is our first year as a full-time club. We are a work in progress. We will make mistakes on and off the pitch, and we will learn and grow from them.

For the vocal minority, I simply ask you this: Do we lift the lads up when the results are down, or do we add insult to injury and crucify the team and the gaffer at every negative turn? Do we cheer and sing from the opening whistle or do we wait until the very end?

Each of us has our own reason we support the Club. It’s easy to slag off the players, the backroom staff and the board when times are tough (which they clearly are now).

It’s hard to be firm in your virtue during hard times, but I am proud to stand up and say the following:

Dowse has my support, and the support of the Board, to turn the results around. He has earned that support for everything he has done for our Club and our community.

Our players have the ability, the talent, and the drive to win. They need their 12th man at home here at the Laithwaite. Let’s get behind them.

Best,

John Katz
Chief Executive

P.S. We can only keep growing with your support and feedback: good, bad or indifferent. Please be sure to come say hi when you see me at the ground, and do not hesitate to reach out with any thoughts, comments or ideas you may have to help us better serve you. If you think of something when you leave the ground, email me at john.katz@wokingfc.co.uk or (as the kids say) slide into my DMs on the Twitter (@jekatz33).

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Woking Football Club Limited
A company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: ‍03329172)
Registered office The Laithwaite Community Stadium, Kingfield, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9AA

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