Worthing Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Worthing, West Sussex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Woodside Road.
The club was established in 1886 as Worthing Association Football Club. After playing friendlies, their first competitive game was a Sussex Senior Challenge Cup match on 27 November 1886 in which they defeated Brighton Hornets 1âÂÂ0 at home. In 1892âÂÂ93 they won the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, beating Eastbourne 2âÂÂ1 in the final. The club were founder members of the West Sussex League in 1896, and won the league in 1898âÂÂ99. In the 1899âÂÂ1900 season the club dropped "Association" from their name, and in May 1900 absorbed Worthing Athletic. The club were West Sussex League champions and Sussex Senior Challenge Cup winners again in 1903âÂÂ04, also going onto win the Sussex RUR Cup, a competition played between the winners of the West Sussex League and East Sussex League, beating Hastings & St Leonards 3âÂÂ2 in the final. Although they left the league at the end of the season due to Worthing Rovers joining, they rejoined a year later after absorbing Rovers. The club won back-to-back West Sussex League titles and RUR cups in 1906âÂÂ07 and 1907âÂÂ08 (also winning the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup in the latter season), and did the double again in 1909âÂÂ10. They won the league title in 1912âÂÂ13, and both the league and RUR Cup in 1913âÂÂ14.
After World War I Worthing rejoined the West Sussex League for the 1919âÂÂ20 season and also entered a team into the Brighton, Hove & District League. In 1920 they were founder members of the Sussex County League, and were the league's inaugural champions. The club retained the league title the following season, and applied to join the Athenian League, but subsequently withdrew the application. Remaining in the Sussex County League, they went on to win the league title again in 1926âÂÂ27, 1928âÂÂ29, 1930âÂÂ31 and 1933âÂÂ34. In 1936âÂÂ37 the club reached the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4âÂÂ3 at Yeovil & Petters United. The club were Sussex County League champions again in 1938âÂÂ39, and after World War II, won the Western Division of the league in 1945âÂÂ46.
In 1948 Worthing joined the Corinthian League. The higher level proved more challenging than the county league and they finished bottom of the Corinthian League in 1956âÂÂ57, 1957âÂÂ58 and 1958âÂÂ59. When the league folded in 1963, Worthing and most other clubs joined Division One of the Athenian League. They were runners-up in their first season in the division, earning promotion to the Premier Division, as well as winning the AFA Invitation Cup with a 3âÂÂ1 win over Harwich & Parkeston. They remained in the Premier Division until relegation at the end of the 1966âÂÂ67 season, and went on to be relegated from Division One to Division Two the season after. In 1971âÂÂ72 the club were Division Two runners-up, earning promotion back to Division One.
Worthing transferred to Division Two of the Isthmian League in 1977. They were Division Two champions in 1981âÂÂ82, resulting in promotion to Division One. The following season the club reached the FA Cup first round again, beating Dartford 2âÂÂ1 before losing 4âÂÂ0 at Oxford United in the second round. The league season ended with the club winning the Division One title, earning promotion to the Premier Division. They went on to finish as runners-up in the Premier Division in both 1983âÂÂ84 and 1984âÂÂ85. However, the club were relegated back to Division One at the end of the 1986âÂÂ87 season, and then to Division Two after finishing bottom of Division One in 1991âÂÂ92. They were Division Two champions in 1992âÂÂ93 and were promoted back to Division One. In 1994âÂÂ95, another FA Cup first round appearance ended with a 3âÂÂ1 defeat at AFC Bournemouth. They went on to finish the season as runners-up in Division One and were promoted to the Premier Division, but were relegated back to Division One after finishing bottom of the Premier Division the following season.
In 1999âÂÂ2000 Worthing reached the FA Cup first round again, losing 3âÂÂ0 at Rotherham United. League reorganisation saw them placed in Division One South in 2002. They were runners-up in the division in 2003âÂÂ04 and were promoted to the Premier Division. However, after finishing third-from-bottom of the Premier Division in 2006âÂÂ07 the club were relegated back to Division One South. A fifth-place finish in 2007âÂÂ08 saw them qualify for the promotion play-offs, in which they were defeated 2âÂÂ0 by Tooting & Mitcham United in the semi-finals. Another fifth-place finish the following season was followed by a 1âÂÂ0 play-off semi-final defeat to Cray Wanderers. The club finished third in Division One South in 2009âÂÂ10, but again failed to advance past the play-off semi-finals, losing 2âÂÂ1 to Godalming Town.
In 2015âÂÂ16 Worthing finished third in Division One South again. After beating Hythe Town 7âÂÂ0 in the play-off semi-finals, they secured promotion to the Premier Division with a 3âÂÂ0 win over Faversham Town in the final. The club were top of the Premier Division table when the COVID-19 pandemic halted both the 2019âÂÂ20 and 2020âÂÂ21 seasons, but they went on to become Premier Division champions in 2021âÂÂ22, earning promotion to the National League South. In their first season in the National League the club finished fourth in the division, qualifying for the play-offs. After beating Braintree Town 2âÂÂ1 in the quarter-finals, they lost 2âÂÂ0 to Oxford City in the semi-finals. The season also saw them win the Sussex Senior Cup again, beating Bognor Regis Town 8âÂÂ7 on penalties after a 0âÂÂ0 draw. At the start of the 2023âÂÂ24 season the club won the Sussex Community Shield, defeating Broadbridge Heath 5âÂÂ4 on penalties after the match ended 3âÂÂ3. They went on to reach the first round of the FA Cup for the fifth time, losing 2âÂÂ0 at Alfreton Town, and finished third in the National League South, qualifying for the play-offs again. After beating Maidstone United 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-finals, the club lost 4âÂÂ3 to Braintree Town in the final.
The club initially played at People's Party (now Homefield Park), before moving to Beach House Park in 1889. In 1901 they relocated to the Sports Ground, which later became known as Woodside Road. A sports ground had been opened on the Woodside Road site as early as 1892, when the site was part of the parish of West Tarring (which at the time was not yet part of the borough of Worthing). Then known as the Pavilion Road Sports Ground, it occupied a 13-acre site, with a Queen Anne-style pavilion giving its name to Pavilion Road along the south of the site. The land was donated by a local benefactor, Mr Brazier. A record attendance of 3,100 was set for an FA Amateur Cup quarter-final replay against Depot Battalion, RE in 1907âÂÂ08. A new record of 3,600 was set for an FA Cup fourth qualifying round match against Wimbledon in 1936.
In 1937 the Sports Ground closed and the site's northern portion was developed into the existing Woodside Road ground. The southern portion of the Sports Ground became tennis courts and then in 1948 became home to Worthing Pavilion Bowls Club. Floodlights were installed in 1977. At the end of 1984âÂÂ85 Woodside Road's main stand, which had been in place since the 1920s, burnt down. A replacement was opened in 1986. In 2015, former player George Dowell took over the club, after receiving compensation following an accident that ended his career. That same year, an artificial pitch was installed. This surface initially proved troublesome and had to be fully re-installed in 2021.
During the 2023âÂÂ24 season a new West Stand was built with a capacity of around 750. This was followed by the construction of a 1,800-capacity North Stand, due for completion in September 2024.
The ground has also been home to Horsham (during the 2008âÂÂ09 season) and Brighton & Hove Albion's reserve team after the closure of the Goldstone Ground in 1997.