CARDS' DEFEAT IS THE HEAVIEST YET

IT WAS one of the most important nights in Woking’s 131-year history – and for once the result wasn’t being settled on the pitch.

- David RICHARDSON

Kick-off was earlier too on Tuesday night – 7pm – as hundreds, possibly thousands, of supporters and local residents streamed the council planning committee meeting where the club’s ambitious redevelopment plans were voted on.

The proposed scheme was for Kingfield to be completely rebuilt and expanded to a 9,026 capacity with non-matchday facilities to generate revenue and a built-in medical centre said to be able to facilitate 14,000 patients.

To finance it, developer GolDev Ltd had planned a new neighbourhood of 1,048 homes – 468 of them in the affordable housing category – which drew the most criticism from local residents over the high-rise blocks in the leafy, out-of-town Surrey suburb.

One councillor described the planning application as the ‘most controversial’ he had ever decided on with 1,800 objections lodged but with 4,500 postcards in support delivered to the council offices by the football club.

Woking have been trying to redevelop their ground for almost 30 years – Kingfield is now tired and expensive to maintain.

The stand behind the dugouts, where the boardroom and changing rooms are housed, has stood for more than 100 years and is in danger of, literally, falling down. Other upgrades are needed to satisfy the safety inspector.

This is the closest the club has come to sealing a development, which was said to secure its long-term future and give them a platform to reach the EFL. Alas, it fell at the final hurdle.