WOKING have terminated a three-year sponsorship deal after just seven days following a backlash from supporters.
The National League club announced the long-term agreement for the sponsorship of their 2,000-seater Leslie Gosden Stand from Andy Lonsdale, the owner of Demoway and Demoscapes.
The deal was said to “ensure maximum exposure is achieved for the companies involved” and would see them become the main sponsor for the club’s new ‘Community Hero Project’ where members of the public were rewarded for outstanding community work.
Cards commercial director Mick Livesey added: “Andy is an amazing guy, he is really special and his support of the club is huge.”
However, fans were quick to highlight Lonsdale’s troubled past as owner of Hereford United and as president at Bedfont & Feltham.
Lonsdale had promised to invest £1m into the Bulls who were expelled from the Conference in June 2014 after failing to pay creditors and were wound-up in the High Court later that year. Lonsdale not present for the hearing due to being ‘stuck in traffic’, according to his barrister.
Lonsdale, 56, who has a conviction for fly tipping on green belt land in South Bucks, was accused by Hounslow Council of dumping a tonne of rubbish at the former home of Feltham FC.
Lonsdale was disqualified from being a company director for seven years in 2017 after he “failed to maintain, preserve and/or deliver up to the liquidator of Lonsdale Construction Services Ltd such books and records as were sufficient to explain its trading position and financial history”.
He is now banned from becoming a director until 2030 after offending again in December last year.
On Friday, Woking warned supporters of their conduct online after being made aware of abusive comments direct at club staff and announced the deal was terminated.
A statement read: “Woking FC, along with Demoscapes and Demoway, have mutually agreed to terminate their sponsorship contract. The club will be making no further comment.”
