A catch-up with the Chairman

With just one game remaining in the 2025–26 season, we caught up with our Chairman, Todd Johnson, for his thoughts on the season, the club’s progress, and more.

Q: With just one game left to play, how do you reflect on the season?

A: I’m really happy with how we’re finishing the season. We’re in a really good place. We’re going to finish in the top ten, which is another big step forward for the club.

We dug such a deep hole early on, I wish we could somehow hit the rewind button and start the season all over again, but the way we’ve responded since has been really satisfying. Just one loss in our last 14 matches, what a great run, and full credit to our players, coaches and everyone on the football side. I feel really confident about where we’re heading.

Off the pitch, the fan zones have been busy, both home and away, the bars are full, hospitality has been strong, the club shop is fully stocked, and we’ve made real improvements to the food and beverage offering throughout the stadium. You can just feel the energy around the club again, and you see it in the level of interest and attention it’s attracting.

But things are never perfect, and we obviously had some challenges this season as well. The late postponements were incredibly frustrating and disappointing, and we understand the impact that had on everyone, as well as how it reflected on the club. We took action, addressed the issues, learned from it, and we’re all glad to put that behind us.

In terms of the recent stadium capacity restriction, we’re working closely with the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to meet their requirements and get everything where it needs to be.

We know that has meant some supporters have missed out on certain matches or even been turned away at the gate — and that’s the last thing we ever want, so we’re doing what’s needed and making the necessary changes and improvements to get back to full capacity.

Overall, it’s been a year of progress, and the important thing now is to build on that.

Q: As you look back on your time at the club so far, how do you see things?

A: When I look back on it, the first thing that stands out is how far the club has come in a relatively short period of time. I don’t think anyone will forget how the 2023–24 season ended, coming down to the final game just to stay up.

By the time I came into the club in December, we were right back in another relegation fight. Since then, we’ve gone from finishing 17th to 15th, and now we’re guaranteed to finish 10th, with a chance to move up to 9th depending on the final results.

That’s real progress, and it’s what we said when we came in, there are no shortcuts to success, and we’re going to build this club the right way, with a strong foundation and steady improvement year by year. The aim now is to keep that going and take another step forward.

Q: And off the pitch?

A: A lot of the groundwork we’ve put in over the past year is starting to take shape now. There are the visible things supporters can see on a matchday, the away fan zone, the Cardinal Bar, the Club Shop, and if you compare those to where they were 12 to 15 months ago, the difference is pretty clear.

But just as important are the things people don’t see every day, how the club is run, the systems behind it, the condition of the infrastructure, and the work that goes into keeping everything running week to week.

The reality is we inherited a club that hadn’t had consistent investment in a number of areas for some time. That’s nobody’s fault, it’s just where things were, but it does mean we’re still playing catch-up.

It’s not glamorous stuff, offices, structures, toilets, ceilings, floors, electrical, plumbing, fencing, scaffolding, floodlights, safety requirements, but it all matters, and it’s where a lot of time and investment has gone. It’s not always visible and it doesn’t always get talked about, but it’s a big part of moving the club forward.

Q: You’ve recently brought in Jermain Defoe as Manager, how do you see that fitting into what you’re building at the club?

A: We’re obviously really pleased to have Jermain at the club, he’s someone who’s achieved so much at the very highest level of the game, and he’s an even better person off the pitch.

What’s really stood out is how he’s come in, he’s been humble, he’s been focused, he connects so well with the players, and he’s completely aligned with what we’re trying to do as a club. He’s brought so much positivity and confidence into the group, which has been really refreshing, and you can see his competitiveness and drive to succeed in everything he does.

At the same time, it’s important to say this isn’t about one person. He’s obviously a very important piece, but he’s part of something bigger, and that’s been the plan from the start. We have a strong structure in place on the football side, the staff, the recruitment, the way we operate day to day, and that’s a credit to what Jody Brown has been building here since he came into the club. It’s that kind of infrastructure that allows you to make a transition like this without losing momentum or having to rebuild everything every time there’s a change in the manager. He also played a central role in bringing Jermain into the club.

We’re also really pleased to have Paul Bracewell at the club. He brings a huge amount of experience and has already shown what an asset he’s going to be. Both Jermain and Paul have both settled in really well, and you can already see it’s a really good fit, and another positive step for the club.

Q: Finally, any message for supporters as we head into the summer?

A: Just a thank you to everyone connected to the club, the players, staff, volunteers, the Trust/SLG, our partners and sponsors, and of course our loyal supporters.

I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made and excited about the momentum and trajectory of the club. There have been ups and downs this season, and we’re not always going to get everything right. But there’s a lot of hard work that goes into this club every day, and we’re going to keep doing everything we can to help it reach its full potential.

I’ve said it before, but I’m just the current custodian of the club. At the end of the day, this is your club, it belongs to the supporters. We really appreciate the support, and we’re all in this together, as we say, “Together. We Are Woking.”