Interest high as players want to join Worthing

Worthing celebrate a goal last season. Picture by Stephen Goodger

They have received enquiries from several players higher up the football pyramid but admit they are not currently in a position where they can afford to bring them in.

The club feel they are still paying for their pitch issues at the start of last season – when they played five home games at Bognor – and their budget remains the same as last year for the upcoming campaign.

Worthing are seeking more sponsorship and investment to support the club as a whole, not just the first team, and chairman Pete Stone says interest is high from players who can sense the feelgood factor since Adam Hinshelwood returned as boss.

Stone said: “If we took all the players who want to play for Worthing, we’d be looking at a Billericay-type budget. We don’t have that.

“Our budget is probably in the bottom 30 per cent of teams in the Bostik Premier and we’ve kept it flat for this year, as much as we’d have loved to double it or add another 50 per cent as we did the previous year.

“We’re still paying for the issues at the start of last season, that’s still hurting us and we also made a huge and significant investment in getting Adam on a full-time three-year contract.

“The playing budget has had to stay where it was last year but if things go to plan, we can increase it.”

Worthing managing director Calvin Buckland added: “There are people willing to come and play for Worthing and for Adam that really should be playing, have been playing and can play two, three or four divisions higher. We’re just not in a position to take them on, even though they would take a substantial cut in wages.

“If there are any local businesses thinking about getting involved with the club, their money would be spent wisely. It wouldn’t just go on the first team, it would go on the infrastructure and towards our other teams too.”

Worthing welcome businesses to get in touch by email [email protected] to talk about sponsorship.

The club are looking for sponsorship for their Academy, education programme and for their under-18 side who will play in the National Alliance League.

Worthing had a FIFA quality test certification pitch inspection on April 30 and are still waiting for the outcome.