Jermain Defoe intends to take legal action after a statement from Woking director of football Jody Brown. The National League side parted ways with the former England striker less than two weeks before the beginning of the season, with Defoe saying it was 'impossible to continue'.
Brown's Statement and Defoe's Response
A bitter row has broken out between the 43-year-old and the Cards chief after Brown defended the club's transfer policy. Brown thanked Defoe for his work during his four months in charge but accused him of not turning up to a meeting with the directors, head of operations and the management team.
Defoe's representatives replied: "The statement issued by Jody Brown is highly detrimental to Jermain’s reputation, and amounts to a serious defamation of character. The statement also suggests that Jermain was making unreasonable demands, which is simply untrue. Jermain is therefore taking immediate legal advice and intends to pursue appropriate legal action in relation to the statements made."
Background to Departure
Defoe's departure on the eve of the new campaign sparked concerns and criticism towards the Woking hierarchy, leading Brown to launch a defence on social media platform X. Brown said in a statement: "Jermain’s feedback was always positive, and he regularly expressed his enthusiasm and excitement for the season, both publicly and privately. I can therefore appreciate the surprise and subsequent speculation surrounding his sudden departure.
"However, in recent weeks there had been feedback from across the club, including players, staff and other departments, regarding growing concerns. To better understand the situation, I asked Jermain and Paul for a brief report outlining the squad’s current depth, recruitment targets and any operational challenges, so we could provide the support required and accelerate preparations for the season. That report was requested on more than one occasion but was never received. A meeting was subsequently scheduled involving the directors, manager, assistant manager and Head of Operations to review preparations for the season. Neither Jermain nor his assistant attended that meeting or that day’s training session.
"Throughout his tenure, Jermain had never communicated any serious concerns directly to me, so I am not going to speculate on his reasons. Every football club faces challenges. Players want more game time, improved contracts or transfers. The media team might want better equipment, the medical department more interns, the strength and conditioning staff larger gym space, and the car park attendants may want more coffee. But people do not just fail to turn up. The experience has highlighted lessons for both myself and the club, particularly around communication with Jermain and his representatives throughout the four months and six matches he was with us. Throughout that period, the club’s objective remained the same: to support the players and staff and give the project every opportunity to succeed."
Woking's Current Situation
Woking began their league campaign at home to Sutton United on August 8. Craig Ross and Jake Hyde have been instructed to take charge of the Cards on an interim basis. The search for a third manager in six months is underway after Defoe replaced Neal Ardley in March on the back of six defeats in nine National League matches. Ross and Hyde were installed on a temporary basis four months ago after Ardley's tenure ended following a 1-0 defeat to Marine in the FA Trophy quarter-final.
