Null and Void, the Covid Years
The 2019-20 campaign was unprecedented, as Coronavirus spread around the world and ended all football in mid-March.
Many thousands lost their lives and our national sport concluded with a mixture of null and void and points-per-game.
Our own Isthmian League went for the first of those options early and so we’ll never truly know whether we’d have held on to become Champions or competed in the Play-Offs for a place in National South.
Only an extra time defeat to the Brighton and Hove Albion denied us an appearance in the final of The Sussex Senior Cup, too.
Once again, one of our number progressed to the professional ranks as seventeen-year-old Fin Stevens moved to Championship side Brentford.
Fin Stevens has completed a move to Championship side @BrentfordFC.
We'd like to congratulate Fin on securing this move, and wish him the absolute best for what is sure to be a bright and successful career.#WeAreWorthing 🐟🔴https://t.co/EBXWzhsJCF
— Worthing FC (@WorthingFC) July 28, 2020
Special mention must also go to the U18’s, U16’s, U15’s, U14’s and Women’s teams who were all top of their respective divisions when we suddenly stopped. In fact, the women had mathematically achieved promotion with a 100% record and had one hand on the title, only for everybody’s results to be expunged meaning they’ll have to start all over again in 2020-’21 to attain Premier status.
The U18’s were robbed of a potential double as they prepared to take on perennial rivals, Lewes in the Dennis Probee Cup Final but one piece of silverware did manage to find it’s way to Woodside thanks to the U16’s coming from behind to beat Eastbourne-based Select Soccer 4-1 in the John Davey Cup Final, after a Harry Margeson hat-trick and ‘Tony Adams moment’ from Captain Danny Howick.
Covid-19 also put paid to the following league campaign, in October, after just eight league games. Worthing held a narrow two point advantage over Cheshunt at the time.
On the final day of the month though, we crashed straight out of the FA Trophy at the end of a tense penalty shoot-out at now Southern Premier (Central) side, Leiston. Spot-Kicks accounted for the end of our interest in the FA Cup as well at East Grinstead Town, from the division below.
Our final competitive fixture on 3rd November resulted in another early cup defeat at Three Bridges (Isthmian South East), as we scored but then conceded twice in the last nine minutes to bow out of the Senior Cup at the first hurdle too.
The Under-18’s managed two FA Youth Cup ties and just the one league fixture and have now added Adam Kipling to their Backroom Staff.
The Women were lying in fourth place but with games in hand on the top teams and saw Boss, Michelle Lawrence step down at the end of the season. Her place being taken by the former Lewes Management pair, John Donoghue and Player/Assistant, Kelly Newton alongside Goalkeeping Coach, Radd Reynolds who continues in his role.
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