Cards look for favours

Jun 3 2009 By Paul Warburton, Surrey Herald

WOKING have enough money for only nine new players next season.

Boss Graham Baker admitted that despite a clutch of arrivals yesterday, the last two players for a full 11 are likely to be made up of long-term loan deals - and even then the Cards supremo may have to ask a few favours to make it happen.

Relegation to Blue Square South last month slashed the Kingfield wage bill by £100,000, with Baker unsurprised that Tom Hutchinson, Bradley Quamina and Danny Bunce decided to ply their trade elsewhere this week.

He said: "I wouldn't exactly say it was clutching at straws asking them to stay, but it was a big ask to get them to take the wage cuts we proposed.

"I don't think I'll have enough money left to buy a full starting team, so I'm hoping I can get long-term loans with other teams paying the wages."

Baker welcomed back Jon Boardman after four years away in League Two with Rochdale, followed by a spell with Dagenham & Redbridge.

The 28-year-old central defender made 129 appearances for Woking between 2002 and 2005, with nine as a loanee before that under Glenn Cockerill.

The second new signing, Harry Arter from Charlton, is likely to line up against newly-promoted Staines Town next term, where the central midfielder was on loan last season.

Left-back Aswad Thomas also joins from Charlton and new assistant boss Jimmy Dack was instrumental in persuading centre-back Tony Sinclair to make the switch from Welling, like Dack did three weeks ago.

Baker said: "We had two central defenders leaving and we've got two good players to replace them.

"We needed a left-back and we've got that sorted. But I'll be honest and say that an out-and-out striker will probably be the last player I get.

"Players who score goals are hard to come by for a start and I want to keep my powder dry for as long as possible before I commit to that."