Worthing F.C.

Worthing
Full name Worthing Football Club
Nickname(s) The Rebels & Red Army
Founded 1886 (as Worthing AFC)
Ground Worthing Stadium, Woodside Road
Worthing, West Sussex
(Capacity: 4,000)
Chairman Dave Agnew and
Deborah McKail
Manager Chris White
League Isthmian League Division One South
2010–11 Isthmian League Division One South, 14th
Home colours
Away colours

Worthing Football Club are an English association football club based in Worthing, West Sussex, currently playing in the Isthmian League Division One South. The club plays at Woodside Road.

Contents

History

The club was formed as Worthing Association Football Club (a name that lasted until 1899) in February 1886 and played friendlies and Sussex Senior Cup ties for the first few years of their existence.

In 1896 the club became founder members of the West Sussex Senior League, where they were league champions on seven occasions. In May 1900 the club absorbed local rivals Worthing Athletic and a year later moved to its current home, then known as the Sports Ground, now as Woodside Road. In 1905 another rival team, Worthing Rovers, was also absorbed.

The club's intriguing nickname of “The Rebels” dates from when it resigned from the West Sussex League over a rule change, prior to becoming a founder member of the Sussex County League in 1920. Previously Worthing had been known as "The Mackerel Men": a reference to the fish on the club crest.

In 1920 Worthing became founder members of the Sussex County League, where once again they won eight league titles, in fact in the twenty seasons prior to World War II they only finished outside the top four on two occasions.

In 1948-49 Worthing joined the Corinthian League but met with little success. In 1963 the Corinthian League disbanded and most of its clubs joined the newly created Athenian League Division One, where Worthing won promotion at the first attempt, although after three seasons in the Premier Division, two successive relegations saw them drop to Division 2.

After managing a return to the top division, Worthing joined the Isthmian League in 1977, initially in Division Two, but by 1983 they had reached the Premier Division under manager Barry Lloyd and in fact finished as runners-up in 1983-84 and 1984–85. After Lloyd's deparature to Brighton & Hove Albion, however, the club soon slipped back down to Division Two, finishing bottom of Division One in the 1990-91 season with only 10 points and having conceded a huge 157 goals.

Former Northern Ireland international Gerry Armstrong was appointed manager in 1991 and in 1992-93 led the club to promotion back to Division One, which was followed two years later by a return to the Premier Division under John Robson, although Worthing finished bottom in their first season back in the Premier Division and were to remain in Division One until 2004 when the re-organisation of the English football league system saw them moved back to the Premier Division. They were relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season.

The club then reached the play-offs under manager Alan Pook two seasons in a row, losing both matches without scoring a goal. Unknown young manager, Simon Colbran then took the helm and soon became a fans' favourite as the Rebels topped the league for much of Autumn and Winter. Despite several budget cuts, the Rebels finished third and narrowly missed out in the play offs at home to Godalming.

Simon Colbran was replaced by Chris White in 2010.

Club records

League history

Season League contested Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Final league position Average Attendance
2010–11 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 12 13 17 76 73 49 14th of 22 239
2009-10 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 25 5 12 83 53 80 3rd of 22 278
2008-09 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 21 13 8 77 48 76 5th of 22 288
2007-08 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 22 7 13 77 49 73 5th of 22 321
2006-07 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 8 11 23 57 82 35 20th of 22 408
2005-06 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 19 10 13 71 60 67 8th of 22 530
2004-05 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 16 11 15 50 45 59 10th of 22 360

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Alan Mansfield
GK Dean Ruddy
DF Steve Metcalf
DF Glen Woodburn
DF Matt Piper
DF Matt Hurley
DF Jamie Groves
DF Billy Franks
MF Darren Budd
MF Luke Gedling
MF Mike Huckett
No. Position Player
MF John Lansdale
MF Paul Kennett
MF Tom Lawley
MF Tom Manton
MF Spencer Slaughter
MF Shaun Charles
MF Mark Pulling (Assistant Manager)
FW Jamie Brotherton
FW Ryan McBride
FW Steve Davies

Notable former players

Sources

See also

External links

Premier Division
Division One North
Division One South
Seasons
  • 1905–06
  • 1906–07
  • 1907–08
  • 1908–09
  • 1909–10
  • 1910–11
  • 1911–12
  • 1912–13
  • 1913–14
  • 1914–15
  • 1915–16
  • 1916–17
  • 1917–18
  • 1919
  • 1919–20
  • 1920–21
  • 1921–22
  • 1922–23
  • 1923–24
  • 1924–25
  • 1925–26
  • 1926–27
  • 1927–28
  • 1928–29
  • 1929–30
  • 1930–31
  • 1931–32
  • 1932–33
  • 1933–34
  • 1934–35
  • 1935–36
  • 1936–37
  • 1937–38
  • 1938–39
  • 1939–40
  • 1940–41
  • 1941–42
  • 1942–43
  • 1943–44
  • 1944–45
  • 1945–46
  • 1946–47
  • 1947–48
  • 1948–49
  • 1949–50
  • 1950–51
  • 1951–52
  • 1952–53
  • 1953–54
  • 1954–55
  • 1955–56
  • 1956–57
  • 1957–58
  • 1958–59
  • 1959–60
  • 1960–61
  • 1961–62
  • 1962–63
  • 1963–64
  • 1964–65
  • 1965–66
  • 1966–67
  • 1967–68
  • 1968–69
  • 1969–70
  • 1970–71
  • 1971–72
  • 1972–73
  • 1973–74
  • 1974–75
  • 1975–76
  • 1976–77
  • 1977–78
  • 1978–79
  • 1979–80
  • 1980–81
  • 1981–82
  • 1982–83
  • 1983–84
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • 1988–89
  • 1989–90
  • 1990–91
  • 1991–92
  • 1992–93
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95
  • 1995–96
  • 1996–97
  • 1997–98
  • 1998–99
  • 1999–2000
  • 2000–01
  • 2001–02
  • 2002–03
  • 2003–04
  • 2004–05
  • 2005–06
  • 2006–07
  • 2007–08
  • 2008–09
  • 2009–10
  • 2010–11
  • 2011–12