Woking: National League club's board back interest from American investors

Woking have played home matches at the Kingfield Stadium since 1922

A prospective American investor in Woking believes the National League club are the perfect fit to be a Football League side in three years.

John Katz from Final Third Sport and his partner Drew Volpe have the support of the club's board of directors.

Katz is currently president of Columbia Fireflies in minor league baseball.

"It's the perfect time, at the perfect club, in the perfect community," he told BBC Radio Surrey. "It's everything we've been looking for."

Woking were last promoted back into the National League from National League South in 2019. They have been managed by non-league stalwart Alan Dowson since 2018, whose assistants include Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler.

Former Wolves and England winger Matt Jarvis also joined them in February.

The Cards, one of a handful of part-time clubs in the National League, have never played in the EFL but reached the FA Cup fourth round in 1991 and have won the FA Trophy three times.

"The big plan is to move into full-time football by next season," Katz added. "That's the first step towards the grander goal in three years time of moving into the EFL.

"It's going to take a community to do that and this club belongs to the community and with that at its core, we believe it's the key to success."

Plans to expand the capacity at Woking's Kingfield Stadium by 3,000 seats and build around 1,000 new homes around the site were rejected by the borough council in June, despite previously being recommended for approval.

An appeal against that decision is intended to be lodged by the developers. Any takeover by Final Third would first need that appeal process to be concluded, as well as receiving approval from football authorities and the club completing its own due diligence.

Woking FC are not supporting that planning appeal and Katz acknowledges those hurdles could prevent him and Volpe from becoming fully involved until as far away as 2024.

"Rest assured, we are going to back the manager as soon as the January window," he said.

"It's important to us to let people know this isn't a 'play thing', we're going to make sure there's enough investment to see us through what's going to be an extremely challenging year.

"Really our plan starts at the end of this season."