Cambridge United travel to Kingfield on Saturday in what will be a tough outing, as its worth noting that Woking are also unbeaten after a steady start to the season. Last week's professional 1-0 victory at Stafford followed two draws and the Cards sit 11th in the Blue Square Premier table. This season could go either way for Woking - they have changed their manager and pretty much have a whole new squad for the coming season.
After a disappointing season last year, Woking dispensed with their long-serving manager Glenn Cockerill - a decision that split fans down the middle - and Frank Gray was charged with taking the club forward after 15 consecutive seasons at the pinnacle of non-league football.
The Manager - Frank Gray was appointed manager of Woking FC in May of this year charged with promoting Woking into the Football League. After seasons of mid-table mediocrity under Glenn Cockerill the board plumped Gray above the inexperience of club captain and caretaker-manager Neil Smith. Gray has a wealth of footballing past, his brother being Eddie Gray, the Leeds United legend.
Frank himself played over 300 games at Elland Road, scoring on his debut under Don Revie. Gray also lays claim to being the only English footballer to have appeared in two Champions League Finals for two English clubs. The footballing family connections don't just stop at Eddie, his son Andy is the leading striker for Burnley and his nephew Stuart captained Rushden & Diamonds all the way to the Football League. After quitting playing, Frank has managed Darlington, Farnborough and Grays. His spell at the Rec' last season was an unhappy one, sacked after his last league result was a 6-0 win at St. Albans!
The last 12 months - Ask any Woking fan to sum up last season and they'll most likely say one word - disappointing. After a fair start Glenn Cockerill and his team ended up almost flirting with relegation but finally settling in 15th place, enough to see the unfortunate Cockerill sacked.
Come the end of November last season and the Cards were sitting pretty in 5th place, and many believed this could finally be the season the Surrey outfit realised their potential. Alas, as with previous years Woking flattered to deceive and blew the good start they had made. One win in seven including four straight defeats and despite the 4-0 drubbing of Weymouth in November, further losses to ourselves and Halifax saw the Cards slip to the familiar feel of mid-table. Two gritty wins against Altrincham and Oxford were followed by a horrific run of just the solitary win (3-2 at Weymouth) in 13 outings which consigned Cockerill to the managerial scrapheap.
The day before the 2-0 defeat to Morecambe in March, Cockerill was given his marching orders and popular captain and player Neil Smith took the reins till the end of the season. Smith did a cracking job, winning three of Woking's final five games to ensure Blue Square Premier football for at least one more season. Smith made noises about wanting the job permanently, with equally satisfying sounds coming from the board. A shock move days later saw Frank Gray given the job leaving Smith shocked and stunned. He has since taken up the managerial hotseat at nearby Welling.
Judging by the first three games of the season, the Gray appointment looks a good move, the Cards currently unbeaten. A 1-1 draw against Rushden on the opening day was followed four days later with another 1-1 draw at Grays. The game had a strange twist as Woking scored when kicking the ball back to the 'keeper after he had suffered an injury. He slipped and let the ball in only for Frank Gray to step forward and sportingly allow Grays striker Ben Watson to dribble around eleven players and slot home an equaliser. Stafford Rangers were up next and a gritty performance courtesy of a Marvin Morgan strike gifted the Cards a 1-0 success.
Ins and Outs - Woking were the side this summer that had almost a complete upheaval of its squad. New gaffer Frank Gray wasted no time in releasing 15 players, including former U's Danny Webb and Rob Gier (right).
Influential striker Craig McAllister left for Grays whilst Gary MacDonald upped sticks with Neil Barrett to the newly named Ebbsfleet United.
Grays believed it was obvious a clean slate was needed with the squad and looked to the leagues below the Blue Square Premier for young, exciting talent he believes can take Woking to the next level.
Striker Marvin Morgan looks a coup, arriving at Kingfield with Bradley Quamina from the newly formed Hayes & Yeading. Gray also raided former club Farnborough for exciting talents Michael Charles and Jay Gasson. Paul Lorraine (AFC Wimbledon), Matt Gray (Sutton), Nick Gindre (Walton & Hersham) and Matt Pattison (Farnborough) completed the summer signatures. Interestingly, every one of Grays signings for the season have never played at a level higher than the Blue Square Premier.
The Squad - Only seven players were retained for this season, and two of those are former U's Danny Bunce and Liam Marum.
The big boys at the back Tom Hutchinson and Matt Ruby were retained, as were talented youngsters Giuseppe Sole and Goma Lambu. The last but not least is Adam Green, a defender who hit the heights with Sheffield Wednesday before finding himself at Kingfield. Lambu and Sole are the future of Woking, being products of the youth system. Sole, who was born minutes from Kingfield, impressed fans with some delightful goals in an otherwise dreary campaign. One highlight was a 40 yard free-kick to ensure a 3-3 draw against Forest Green.
Lambu adds a dash of Africa to Woking, the winger from the DR of Congo using his blistering pace to good effect against nervy left-backs across the Blue Square Premier. Lambu is not the only exotic foreigner in the Woking squad, striker David Shin hails from North Korea whilst first choice 'keeper Nick Gindre is an Argentine national.
One to Watch - Marvin Morgan - This 24 year-old striker impressed Frank Gray so much in pre-season that he was immediately awarded with a two year contract. Tall, strong and pacy, the former Weadstone youth product has already started to repay the faith with two excellent goals in first three games. He scored a superb solo goal against Rushden before displaying composure by beating the Stafford 'keeper one on one to win the game last Saturday. Morgan was prised away from Yeading after scoring 25 goals last season, quite an achievement in a team who just survived relegation.
Facts, stats and connections - The only U's player to have worn the red and white of Woking is Stephen Reed, who had a six game loan spell in 2004/05 when at Yeovil Town.
Former U's in the Kingfield camp include left back Danny Bunce (pictured) and striker Liam Marum, who is very doubtful for Saturdays game. 'Buncey' played under Rob Newman during our inaugural Conference season and cut a popular figure during his 12 appearances at the Abbey.
Liam Marum was in the process of becoming a cult figure with United fans before his move to Woking. Superb goals lit up his life at United including two crackers at Burton and against Aldershot. Liam turned down the offer of a short term contract with the U's for the security of a longer one at Woking. After falling out of favour with Cockerill, 20 year-old Liam cracked in three goals in six starts under caretaker boss Neil Smith.
Cambridge United and Woking have met only seven times before Saturday, four coming in the past two seasons. The first three meetings were all FA Cup affairs, Cambridge battering Woking 4-1 in the first in 1988. The Cards caused a minor ripple in the world of cup shocks when they defeated us 2-0 at the Abbey in '96, that when the U's were in what's now League One.
United have won the last three meetings, two of them at Kingfield, both ending 1-0.
On the 9th December of last year, a late, great, Stephen Smith strike (above) was enough to notch the points in a tight affair.
Chris Vessey
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