Horsham FC announce double signing as pair join from Sussex rivals

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Horsham FC have announced the double signing of Ola Ogunwamide and Jake Elliott from Isthmian Premier rivals Lewes for the 2024-25 season.

A pacey winger, who has also previously featured at Hornchurch and Bishop's Stortford in recent years, Ogunwamide joins the Hornets alongside his ex-Rook teammate Elliott, a full-back who has also played for other Sussex sides, Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United.

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Ogunwamide said: "I'm really looking forward to it because Horsham play a similar type of football to Lewes, so I knew I wanted to be in that same environment as a footballing team and I just can't wait to get cracking.

"I've always tried to push on and play as high as I could. I'm a player that's attracted to good football so when a team that plays good football comes in for me and I'm in a situation where I wouldn't mind moving, I'll most likely take it."

Horsham FC have announced the double signing of Ola Ogunwamide (right) and Jake Elliott from Isthmian Premier rivals Lewes for the 2024-25 season. Pictures courtesy of Horsham FCHorsham FC have announced the double signing of Ola Ogunwamide (right) and Jake Elliott from Isthmian Premier rivals Lewes for the 2024-25 season. Pictures courtesy of Horsham FC
Horsham FC have announced the double signing of Ola Ogunwamide (right) and Jake Elliott from Isthmian Premier rivals Lewes for the 2024-25 season. Pictures courtesy of Horsham FC

The tricky forward, who scored a brilliant solo effort in Horsham’s 2-1 defeat to the Rooks at the Dripping Pan in April, continued: "I've joined for the fact they play such exciting football, just pure attack.

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“And that's the type of player I am, I always want to go forward, score goals and claim assists, so it wasn't really that difficult to sway me over. It was a no-brainer really."

Elliott said: "As soon as I spoke to Dom [Di Paola, Horsham manager], I've been really excited to meet up with the boys and get going.

“When we played you last year I thought you were one of the better sides in the league, maybe the best, and you play pretty similar football to how I enjoy.

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A pacey winger, who has also previously featured at Hornchurch and Bishop's Stortford in recent years, Ogunwamide (pictured) joins the Hornets alongside his ex-Rook teammate Elliott, a full-back who has also played for other Sussex sides, Eastbourne Borough and Hastings UnitedA pacey winger, who has also previously featured at Hornchurch and Bishop's Stortford in recent years, Ogunwamide (pictured) joins the Hornets alongside his ex-Rook teammate Elliott, a full-back who has also played for other Sussex sides, Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United
A pacey winger, who has also previously featured at Hornchurch and Bishop's Stortford in recent years, Ogunwamide (pictured) joins the Hornets alongside his ex-Rook teammate Elliott, a full-back who has also played for other Sussex sides, Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United

"So that was the main thing, and then speaking with Dom as well, he just sold it for me."

Counting Peacehaven & Telscombe, Hastings United, and Eastbourne Borough among his previous clubs, even playing 35 games in the National League South for the latter, Elliott is no stranger to Sussex football, and is particularly excited to join up with James Hammond once again, who he played alongside at Eastbourne.

He said: "Since I came down for uni I've always been in the Sussex area. It's been up and down, I went to Eastbourne obviously and tried that level out, and struggled to adjust a bit when I came back to this level but last year I really got going and I just want to continue.

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"I'm really excited to play with Hammo again. I've been speaking to him quite a bit over the last few weeks and he's just said good things so I'm excited to see him and get going."

Counting Peacehaven & Telscombe, Hastings United, and Eastbourne Borough among his previous clubs, even playing 35 games in the National League South for the latter, Elliott is no stranger to Sussex football, and is particularly excited to join up with James Hammond once again, who he played alongside at EastbourneCounting Peacehaven & Telscombe, Hastings United, and Eastbourne Borough among his previous clubs, even playing 35 games in the National League South for the latter, Elliott is no stranger to Sussex football, and is particularly excited to join up with James Hammond once again, who he played alongside at Eastbourne
Counting Peacehaven & Telscombe, Hastings United, and Eastbourne Borough among his previous clubs, even playing 35 games in the National League South for the latter, Elliott is no stranger to Sussex football, and is particularly excited to join up with James Hammond once again, who he played alongside at Eastbourne

While at Lewes last season, the 25-year-old pair took part in the Fenix Trophy, a UEFA-backed competition for non-league clubs, with the Rooks reaching the finals held in Como, Italy.

Elliott said: "It was amazing. You obviously don't get many chances to do that in non-league, so going out there and seeing new places was really amazing."

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Ogunwamide added: "It was a great experience. It was a different environment, even when we played at home. It was a different type of football than we were used to in the league, but it was good."

On linking up with Ogunwamide for a second successive season, Elliott, who is expected to fill the hole left at right-back following Bobby Price's departure, said: "I think I know what he plays like, he's an exciting player, gets past people and is quick so hopefully we can both get up the pitch and do the same here as we did at Lewes.

"I enjoy defending. I like to get on the ball, drive forward and run past people as well as defending one-to-one's, but personally, I just want to try and play as many games, staying injury free, get on the pitch as much as often and just do the best I can.

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"With the exposure of playing in the league above, knowing what it takes to play in that league, if I look back to what I was like from when I was there, to now, I feel I've got a lot more qualities to help push a team to get there."

And speaking about his strongest attributes, Ogunwamide said: "My pace, my ability in one-v-one situations, my directness, and my eye for either a goal or an assist.

"My aims are to win the league, get promoted, and that's always been the same objective whoever I've played for."

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Di Paola said: "Ola is someone I've really liked since he was at Hornchurch. He's direct, pacey, strong, creates lots of chances and scores a fair few, which is something I feel we can improve upon.

"He's a very positive attacking threat, something I think we've lacked a little bit this season.

"As for Jake, I remember when he first signed at Hastings, I couldn't understand why I hadn't seen him before or even knew about him, because I thought he was a Sussex boy, but it turned out he was at university down there and I was annoyed that I didn't know enough about him to try and get him.

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"Then at the beginning of last season, again, he signed for Lewes before I could get a chance to speak to him.

"But he's someone I've liked for a long time, and knows a few of the boys like Ola and Hammo. He gives us a good physical presence and is a typical 'Dom Di Paola signing' in the sense that he can play in two or three different positions and has good experience in this league."

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