That’s right, competitive football at Woodside Road is back. After a summer filled with signings, friendlies and everything in between, Chris Agutter and his players are poised for another National League South season.

All nine of our new acquisitions are at their manager’s disposal for this weekend’s clash, as they aim to make their competitive debuts for the Club – unless your name is Brad Dolaghan, who has returned for his second spell.

Following a record points total and another play-off finish, the Rebels will be striving for further success in what promises to be another season filled with twists and turns. The unpredictability of last term’s title race has been heightened, with several side’s making strong additions to their rosters.

Pre-season offered the chance for our new-look squad to become accustomed with each other and conjured up plenty of intriguing performances. Our last friendly of the summer ended with a triumph, as Bailey Smith’s late header defeated Braintree Town last weekend.

Our first opponents of the 2025/26 campaign is Darren Way’s Bath. The Romans will undoubtedly pose a tough first challenge for Worthing, who will be searching for a winning start to the season for the third successive year.

The Opposition

Tomorrow’s opponents Bath have established themselves as a household name in this division over the last decade, having competed in the National League South since the 2013/14 season.

Last campaign, the Romans finished in 15th, as manager Darren Way steered them comfortably clear of the threat of relegation.

While their defence statistically speaking ranked amongst the top performers, going forward they struggled to find the back of the net. Only the sides that finished bottom and second from bottom, Aveley and Weymouth, scored fewer than Bath’s 47 goals last term.

Their pre-season preparations saw a collection of different results. Last weekend, they bounced back from a 3-1 home defeat to National League side Yeovil Town to thrash Bristol City U21’s 4-1 at Twerton Park.

The Gaffer

Darren Way has occupied the dugout at Twerton Park since last December after replacing long-serving manager Jerry Gill.

Way steadied the ship, with the Romans losing only one of their first eight matches under their new boss, following only one win in 12 matches under his predecessor.

The 45-year-old ended up guiding tomorrow’s opponents into 15th position, while also boasting the fifth best defence in the National League South.

In his playing days, Way was a tough-tackling midfielder who made over 200 appearances for Yeovil Town, before he was involved in a serious car accident which forced him to prematurely retire at the age of 31.

Bath is Way’s second managerial role in football, having previously enjoyed a four year stint at Yeovil which ended in 2019. A five year hiatus away from the dugout came to a close last Christmas and the Bath boss is now preparing for his first full season in charge.

One to Watch

Bath boast plenty of experience in forward areas with the likes of Scott Wilson, Alex Fisher and Brad Ash.

The latter made a permanent move to the Romans this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan from Torquay United.

During his temporary spell at Twerton Park, Ash made a instant impression, netting on his debut for the club against local rivals Chippenham Town on Boxing Day.

After netting twice in the National League South earlier on in the campaign for his parent club, the 29-year-old added another seven goals to his league tally whilst at Bath.

Prior to his time at Torquay, the striker also had spells with Hereford, Weymouth and Boreham Wood.

Last Meeting

Worthing FC 2-1 Bath City, National League South, 4th March 2025

Danny Cashman struck the winner as Worthing held their nerve to claim victory over Bath City in the last encounter at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium.

After a goalless first half, it took just two minutes of the second period for the Rebels to break the deadlock.

Nicky Wheeler teed up Jack Spong on the edge of the box, whose subsequent strike took a decisive deflection off Luke Russe and arrowed into the bottom corner.

The visitors replied with just over a quarter of an hour to play through Kieran Parselle. The Bath skipper connected with a dangerous corner and breached Lucas Covolan’s net to level matters.

However, Worthing were determined to keep pace with their fellow title contenders and managed to find a winner. Following a goalmouth scramble, Danny Cashman spun adroitly in the box before finding a way past goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards.

View From the Camp – Chris Agutter

“We’re looking forward to cracking on with the season – we feel like we are in a really good position to attack the coming campaign.

“Just like last season, we’re going to play on the front foot, with our attacking and aggressive football.

“It’s going to be an exciting season. Strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride. Let’s go together.”

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate for tomorrow’s match, although supporters are advised to purchase their ticket in advance via the Fanbase app.

• Adults: £18
• Concession: £14
• Under-18: £8
• Under-12: £5
• Under-6: Free entry

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How to Follow

If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official Twitter account. You can also listen to live commentary via the club’s official commentary service.