Horsham FC raring to go when lockdown ends

The Hornets hope to welcome another big crowd to the Camping World Community Stadium when they host Haringey on Saturday, December 12. It’s a week before many step three clubs will restart and, for the Hornets, it will follow three behind-closed-doors practice games.

Di Paola says he, his staff and players can’t wait to get back to competitive football – but admits it is impossible to guess whether the rest of the season will stay free of further lockdowns and restrictions.

Horsham sit ninth in the table but Di Paola thinks the emphasis this season should be on enjoying whatfootball is possible.

He said: “It feels like it’s been a long month and it’ll be nice to get back. Let’s just hope we don’t need another lockdown later on, because the number of games we have to get through is going to be tough.

“I think we just have to try to enjoy being back playing or watching football. This might be a year not to worry too much about league positions.

“We’ve been selling out our Saturday home games and hopefully we’ll see that continue. I think people just want to get out the house and enjoy football while they can.

“We now have six games from November to rearrange and it’s not really winter yet, so there’s the chance of more call-offs. You can’t plan ahead too much, you just have to take what comes.”

Di Paola expects to have only one player – striker Eddie D’Sane – out injured by the time the league resumes.

But the Hornets have lost forward Charlie Coppola – he has joined Whitehawk without having played a game, which the boss said was disappointing.

And winger Arron Hopkinson is set to go out on loan having played little football for more than six months.

Di Paola said: “We’d have like to slim numbers down a little but if we’re not going down to one game a week yet, we can’t.”