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Luke returned to Meadow Park in September 2024 five months after departing the Club, having previously spent nine seasons in the hot seat and 18 total years with the Club in various capacities.
During Luke’s first stint in charge, between October 2015 and April 2024, the Club witnessed unrivalled success on the pitch, with the Club reaching the National League play-offs three times in 2018, 2020 and 2023, including going to Wembley for the first and only time, agonisingly losing out to eventual promotion winners on each occasion to Tranmere Rovers, Harrogate Town and Notts County respectively.
Competing at the top table of Non-League football was coupled with historic runs in the FA Cup, the world’s most recognised Club cup competition. Under the COVID cloud, Wood reached the third round for the first time ever in January 2021, taking on Championship side Millwall at Meadow Park.
However, that cup record was bettered just a season later when Wood mounted a monumental cup run which culminated at Goodison Park going head-to-head with five-time FA Cup winners Everton. It was a run that captured the imagination of the nation, defeating AFC Wimbledon in the third round to set up a fourth round tie against Championship leaders AFC Bournemouth.
With modest expectations heading to the South coast, Garrard and his team tore up the script, overseeing the greatest achievement in the Club’s history, as well as one of greatest FA Cup upsets in recent memory. Wood’s 1-0 victory over the Cherries saw Wood become just the tenth Non-League side to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Just a season later, Wood reached the FA Cup third round for the third consecutive season, becoming just the third Non-League side to achieve that feat after defeating Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers to set up a third round tie with Accrington Stanley.
