Worthing

Worthing FC 

Ground: Woodside Road

Capacity: 4,000

Club Founded: 1886

League: National League (current level)

Worthing FC is a great story of what can be achieved when investing in a traditional non-league club and adopting modern methods to make it welcoming to spectators.

Club History

Early Years

Worthing initially played its home games at People’s Park, now called Homefield Park. After three years, they moved to Beach House Park near the seafront. In 1896, the club became a founder member of the West Sussex County League, before another local club, Worthing Athletic FC, was absorbed.

The 'Mackerel Men', as the club was nicknamed, moved into the Sports Ground, their current home on Woodside Road. Yet another club, Worthing Rovers FC, was absorbed in 1905 before the team went on to be crowned the West Sussex County League champions on six occasions

Sussex Domination

The Rebels, as Worthing became known, became founder members of the Sussex County League in 1920, winning the league title eight times in their twenty-nine years of membership. The 1920s, in particular, were a boom period for Worthing as they dominated the league, winning it six times.

Worthing joined the Corinthian League in 1949 and then the Athenian League in 1963. They won promotion at the first attempt to the Premier Division but soon dropped back down a level. A further relegation was corrected through promotion in 1971-72, to what would later become the top level of the league. 

Barry Lloyd Era

Worthing became members of Division Two of the Isthmian League in 1977, winning the title in 1981-82, led by future Brighton & Hove Albion manager Barry Lloyd. A season later, Oxford United defeated the Rebels in the second round of the FA Cup.

Geoff Raynsford captained the side, and Micky Edmonds put away the goals as the team had successive seasons as Isthmian League runners-up. In the summer of 1985, the main stand at Woodside Road burned down, and Lloyd headed to the Goldstone Ground to manage Brighton & Hove Albion.

In Decline

Several managers came and went as Worthing suffered double relegations, seeing them in Division Two of the competition at the start of the 1990's. Former Northern Ireland international Gerry Armstrong led the side to promotion before his successor, John Robson, took the side back to the Premier Division in 1994-95, from which they were relegated after just one season.

Mark Falco, Brian Donnelly and a returning Lloyd led the side from the bench. After the reorganisation of non-league football in 2004, Worthing were placed in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The side was relegated three years later, then missing out on promotion twice through the playoffs.

The George Dowell Era

Chris White lasted two years as manager before being replaced by Lee Brace. Adam Hinshelwood was appointed to the job in 2013, before Gary Elphick took charge two years later after former player George Dowell purchased the club.

He oversaw the installation of a new artificial pitch at Woodside Road, as well as many aspects of the stadium, which received a makeover with huge improvements to attract supporters. The cash came from compensation Dowell received from a road accident, which left him paralysed from the waist down.

In 2015-16, Faversham Town were brushed aside in the playoff final as Worthing won promotion back to the Premier Division. The whole club was rebuilt, and the junior sides also began to achieve success as cash was invested properly. Hinshelwood returned as manager in September 2017.

The Rebels won the Isthmian League title in 2021-22. Attendances began to grow dramatically, as Worthing became a National League South club. They reached the playoffs at the first attempt, missing out on promotion in the final to Oxford City.

In 2023-24, the playoff final was lost, this time to Braintree Town. This was after Hinshelwood had jumped ship for York City to be replaced by Chris Agutter, who arrived from Hastings United. Hinshelwood returned as manager in October 2025, taking Worthing to the top tier of non-league football as they lifted the National League South title.

My visit

Friday 30th November 2008

I was on the West Sussex coast on a day off from work, enjoying visiting new towns and football clubs while trying to feel healthy again after a night out in London with my brother Nick. After my coach ride, I had called in at three nearby clubs by train and had now arrived at the large Worthing station.

The town is well known as a seaside destination, more for retired couples in recent times. It appeared to be neat enough, but I was on a tightish schedule because of the fading light, so I didn't adventure as much as I'd have liked to have. Instead, I took the short walk around to Woodside Road.

As usual, if I see anybody around a ground, I pop in and ask for permission to go inside. I saw a man working in the clubhouse, so I went and asked, and he said it was fine. I entered the ground where an older gent was cutting the pitch, and a couple of younger men were working around the place. 

Another senior walked in and said hello. I started taking my pictures when the 'groundsman' came up on his mower and shouted to ask what I thought I was doing, taking pictures of his football ground? Now that got my goat up immediately. I treat football clubs and their grounds with respect. Owners are merely custodians looking after their heritage. 

I can imagine such attitudes deterring potential fans. It was completely over the top, especially compared to the general welcome elsewhere. I explained my hobby and apologised, and said that I don't make any financial gain from what I do. It was merely for my own enjoyment and to showcase clubs to fans far and wide. 

He told me I was OK, but his attitude was awful. I told him that I'd asked permission in the clubhouse. He said that he was in charge and he was the one to ask. I probably didn't help matters by jovially telling him that mind-reading wasn't my strongest suit. It was a shame I got such a reception and impression of the club, as the ground was a real gem. 

The Main Stand was raised down one side with open standing areas on either side. There was a reasonably sized cover and a couple of steps of terracing at the Woodside Road End. The far end had a small shelter behind the goal, as did the touchline down the right-hand side, with some flat standing in front of the grass banking.

I set off, having waved goodbye. I genuinely wanted to leave on good terms, but it does take two to tango. Maybe I'd just caught the old boy on an off day? I departed for the station to catch a train to visit East Preston FC, hoping to revisit Woodside Road for a game and to see the resort as a whole.

Worthing 5 Horsham 3

Isthmian League Division One South - Wednesday 5th February 2014

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 132 🎟️ £9

The industrial dispute at work left me at a loose end. After a pleasant lunch with my good pal Ross, I headed back on the train with itchy feet. I didn’t want to sit in all night, and just going to the pub was definitely not an option. After studying the Isthmian League fixture list, I noticed that both Peacehaven & Telescombe and Worthing were at home. 

Both were a short distance from Brighton, and the weather promised to dry up later. On reaching West Hampstead, I bought a day return and headed down to the coast. My visit was certainly overdue. A year or so earlier, I'd booked tickets for a Wednesday night game at Worthing. 

However, the night before, I'd enjoyed the wonderful company of my pal Jim in the brilliant Southampton Arms before an excellent gig from The Mark Lanegan Band at Kentish Town Forum. My visit to the coast the following day was abandoned owing to a severe hangover!

A beer was certainly in order on this occasion, so I enjoyed a Hophead and then a Harveys Best in the eclectic Prince Albert on arriving in Brighton before returning to the station. The game at Peacehaven had fallen foul of the weather, but Twitter reports from Worthing looked promising, so I headed west.

I was slightly surprised by the admission fee for Step 4 non-league, as well as £2 for a pretty programme with too little reading before adjourning to the bar under the stand. I’d nearly gone into what I thought was the clubhouse outside, only to see a ladies’ keep-fit class taking place!

The wind was strong, blowing down the pitch, which probably dried the surface, allowing the game to go ahead. There was a heavy shower just before the teams came out. As I was polishing off the last of my second bottle of London Pride, I looked through the window to see that the game had kicked off. 

Horsham won a corner in the first minute, which the wind curled towards goal, where Jamie Cade headed home. Worthing were stunned into action and, within a couple of minutes, were level as Kieron Pamment ran up the wing and centred for Max Howell to slam home. Despite having the wind in their faces, the home side had the better of the play, carving out some opportunities. 

However, the visiting Hornets regained the lead when Ross Morley was tripped just inside the box. Tony Nwachukwu slotted home the penalty to the delight of the twenty or so away fans in the crowd. Ten minutes before the break, the Rebels levelled up once again in controversial circumstances. 

Connor Cody looked to be in an offside position when a shot came to him in the box. He had his effort saved by Horsham keeper Kieron Thorp, but to the amazement of everyone, the linesman flagged that he’d stopped it across the line! Undaunted, Horsham won a corner from the break and after a scramble, Lewis Hamilton fired home. Some home fans near me shook their heads in disbelief.

I had a cheeseburger from the canteen near the big stand before a warming Bovril at another outlet for drinks and sweets. Worthing showed signs of a club of some substance, so it was disappointing to see such a low crowd in attendance. Before the break, I got talking to a fellow groundhopper from the excellent Non League Matters forum. 

Codofthenorth was based at Portsmouth in the Navy and was taking photos of the match for his collection. The teams emerged after the break, as an old scratchy version of 'Sussex By The Sea' blasted out over the tannoy, while I took a walk around the ground once more to see the match at different angles. By then, Worthing had equalised once again. 

This time, a Pamment cross shot was cleverly deflected past Thorp by Howell. The home side began to dominate the game and restrict Horsham to occasional breaks before taking the lead for the first time after an hour. Again, Pamment caused problems beating his man and crossing. George Gaskin smashed the ball home to make it 4-3.

I enjoyed a few minutes looking down on the action up in the seats before wandering around for another chat with my fellow forum poster. We both agreed that it had been a really good game in the conditions. It looked at one stage like there were going to be more goals, but the quality of the final one of the evening more than made up for it.

Thorp’s clearance from goal got caught in the wind, Gaskin saw the opportunity and crashed a real gem home from thirty yards over the stranded keeper. It rounded off some excellent entertainment, which both sides took credit for providing.

The train at 9.51 took me to Brighton, where I changed to a service to Blackfriars. The final leg from a deserted city dropped me at Hendon for a bus ride home. I was back in my flat before 1am with my supper to relax. I was really glad that I’d made the effort.