A former Woking assistant manager is launching a new football coaching programme.

Ian Dyer, who was the assistant manager at National League outfit Woking for nearly six years from 2018 to 2024, is the founder and head coach of Evolution Football.

Dyer enjoyed a successful spell at the Laithwaite Community Stadium with the Cardinals.

Highlights of Dyer’s tenure at the Cards include the 2018-19 promotion season, the Emirates FA Cup third round proper match against Watford in 2019 and two top-ten finishes in the National League.

Dyer was involved in the club’s most successful season in the National League, when Woking finished in fourth place in the 2022-23 season and secured a spot in the play-offs for the first time.

Dyer’s football coaching programme is aimed at youngsters across Surrey and Hampshire, including those in the Woking area.

Dyer said: “I am setting up a skills coaching programme to offer elite level skills coaching for players of all ages and abilities in Hampshire and Surrey.

“It is great to give something back to grassroots football.

“We’ve launched the programme and our website and are already taking bookings.

“We’re starting with a free taster session in August. The full technical development centre programme will then run from September to July on Thursdays in school term time.

“I’ve been looking to launch a football coaching programme for the past three to four years. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to look into it more and it’s great to now be able to launch.

“I’m really looking forward to the programme starting, and the taster session will be a great opportunity for people to see what we offer.

“We’ve got a great venue at Alton Sports Centre for the taster session and the full technical development centre programme.

“They’re really happy to have us and to increase their football offering at the venue. It’s also a really good venue for the parents of the footballers – they can watch the sessions and they can use the cafe there.

“We’ve already employed some coaches to help run the sessions with me. We’re going to see how the first year goes, but I’m really ambitious and am keen to grow the programme and expand it.

“If the interest and demand is there the potential is there to expand the programme in future years and provide more opportunities for local coaches to join us.

“The sessions are aimed for footballers of all abilities.

“We’re open to grassroots players who want to improve their skills, footballers who are in the academy system at professional clubs and those who have dropped out the professional academy system.

“The technical development centre is a weekly technical training programme for players aged from under-seven to under-14 to develop their individual technical skills in a group setting.

“Each session has a specific focus and theme. Over the course of the season, players will learn and develop ball mastery, one v one, combinations, receiving, ball striking, running with the ball and outplaying moves.

“The training format ensures each player will have more touches, more action, more shots, more repetition, more opportunity and more fun.”

Dyer is currently looking for new opportunities in the professional game, but will still be firmly committed to Evolution Football.

“I had a great spell at Woking and loved my time at the club,” said Dyer.

“I have had a number of conversations with people in football about opportunities in the professional game, and I expect something to be confirmed soon, but I am fully committed to the programme and can’t wait to get it started.”

The programme will start with a free taster session at Alton Sports Centre on Thursday, August 22. The free session for footballers between six and ten will run from 4pm to 5pm, with the session for footballers between ten and 14 being held from 5pm to 6pm.

The full technical development centre programme will be held at Alton Sports Centre on Thursdays during school term time from Thursday, September 5, to Thursday, July 10. The sessions for footballers between six and ten will run from 4pm to 5pm, with the session for footballers between ten and 14 following from 5pm to 6pm.

Anyone who would like to book their place on the free taster session and/or the full programme should visit https://evolutionfootball.classforkids.io/ to do so.

Anyone who would like more information on Evolution Football should visit its website at https://www.evolutionfball.co.uk/ or email [email protected] for further details.