Tom Bombadil
Well-known member
Why hasn't Worthing got a team at a decent level in the non-league pymarid. Looking at the size of the town you'd think they could support a reasonably succesful side, yet they're stuck in the Ryman south.
As a worthing fan i will take a line from gus by saying that current times at Woodside "ees complicated"!!
I'm sure [MENTION=8124]Pinkie Brown[/MENTION] would be able to go into a lot more detail than I could!
Two many of the people at the top have only been intrested in turning up on a Saturday to get a cucumber sandwich in the board room, they treat it as a day out rather than having any serious ambition.
The club have never done any sort of decent marketing or going into schools, they had a massive chance during the 90s with Gerry Armstrong to make something of it but let the opportunity pass them by, the word ambition hads always been a bit of a dirty one at WFC
Pretty fair assessment, nail on head etc. But only part of the problem.
Worthing were offered a place in the Conference when they finished runners up in the Isthmian Premier back in the 80's. The directors turned the invite down due to the financial commitment involved. Or as you describe, lack of ambition. Little has changed to this day. Ironically, one of the directors of Worthing FC at the time who was against Worthing joining the Conference was....Ray Bloom!
Worthing FC, despite their potential catchment area & loyal support, have stumbled from one financial crisis to another with periods of brief resurgence.
Lack of ambition, bad financial decisions, new managers, directors & sponsors coming & then going after falling foul of the ruling junta, meddling interference on & off the pitch - Just a small sample of whats gone wrong at Woodside. A common denominator in much of the above has been one particular director. Those who know the non league scene will know exactly who I mean. Some of the operational decisions in recent years have been lunacy beyond belief.
Its a common policy for despot dictators to appoint family members & trusted cronies to positions of power, ala Gadaffi, Sadam etc. Worthing FC has followed this policy in recent times to a tee. Never mind appointing the best talent for the job!
Then there's the complicated setup of the ownership of Woodside Road. A trust known as Worthing Sports & Social own the ground with articles written years ago stating the ground was for the sports activities of the people of Worthing. Many trustee's have passed away over the years. At present, the only known 'trustees' are...Morty Hollis plus one of his daughters. Many supporters are concerned about 'influences' who have sneaked their way into positions of power at Woodside Road & fear that someone could 'Do an Archer'.
To cut a long story short, Worthing FC has been run into the ground when it has the potential to be on a par with a club like Eastbourne Borough for example.
Many here will have heard of Victor Gladwish, the Horsham based millionaire who used to sponsor many non league clubs. He pulled the plug on his sponsorship at Worthing. Why? The laws of libel sadly prevent me from elaborating. Needless to say, the reason for Victors departure is now part of the inner sanctum at Woodside!
Basically Worthing is Brighton and hove Albion , up here a town the size of Worthing without a league football club people would think there is something wrong, that's because there is something wrong!
It's likepeople from Huddersfield travelling to watch Barnsley people up here would think why do that!
hmm....... think everyone is underestimating what is happening down at Woodside. Some great football is being played, with 4 or 5 of them capable of playing far higher up the pyramid than they currently are. Reason that they're at Worthing now is due to loyalty - a number of them went to Whitehawk, before realizing the grass isn't greener. A decent enough run in the FA Cup earlier this season (by non league standards) saw them 90 minutes away from the first round proper. The chances of going up are pretty reasonable IMHO, providing they can shore up the last minute brain burps (last minute goal against the previously mentioned "Man City of the Ryman League" on Saturday for example dropped 2 points). It's a cracking atmosphere down there, and well worth a look if the Albion are playing too far away to be able to go.
Wheres POOKY now, is he still involved in footy
Worthings turning in to a rugby town
Pretty fair assessment, nail on head etc. But only part of the problem.
Worthing were offered a place in the Conference when they finished runners up in the Isthmian Premier back in the 80's. The directors turned the invite down due to the financial commitment involved. Or as you describe, lack of ambition. Little has changed to this day. Ironically, one of the directors of Worthing FC at the time who was against Worthing joining the Conference was....Ray Bloom!
Worthing FC, despite their potential catchment area & loyal support, have stumbled from one financial crisis to another with periods of brief resurgence.
Lack of ambition, bad financial decisions, new managers, directors & sponsors coming & then going after falling foul of the ruling junta, meddling interference on & off the pitch - Just a small sample of whats gone wrong at Woodside. A common denominator in much of the above has been one particular director. Those who know the non league scene will know exactly who I mean. Some of the operational decisions in recent years have been lunacy beyond belief.
Its a common policy for despot dictators to appoint family members & trusted cronies to positions of power, ala Gadaffi, Sadam etc. Worthing FC has followed this policy in recent times to a tee. Never mind appointing the best talent for the job!
Then there's the complicated setup of the ownership of Woodside Road. A trust known as Worthing Sports & Social own the ground with articles written years ago stating the ground was for the sports activities of the people of Worthing. Many trustee's have passed away over the years. At present, the only known 'trustees' are...Morty Hollis plus one of his daughters. Many supporters are concerned about 'influences' who have sneaked their way into positions of power at Woodside Road & fear that someone could 'Do an Archer'.
To cut a long story short, Worthing FC has been run into the ground when it has the potential to be on a par with a club like Eastbourne Borough for example.
Many here will have heard of Victor Gladwish, the Horsham based millionaire who used to sponsor many non league clubs. He pulled the plug on his sponsorship at Worthing. Why? The laws of libel sadly prevent me from elaborating. Needless to say, the reason for Victors departure is now part of the inner sanctum at Woodside!