Let's build! Worthing FC's summer work gives strong foundations for future

The club’s crowdfunding page closes today with the total raised only £3,000 short of £50k.

The amount raised is being added to £100,000-plus which was already in place to fund close-season work now under way to make the Crucial Environmental Stadium fit for the future.

Picture special on Worthing FC's summer improvement worksA new toilet, food and drink complex is being built in the north-east corner of the ground and National League-standard floodlights are being installed.

There’s work being done to improve the home changing room, while other work is planned for the future.

The hope is all the work will be finished before the 2020-21 season starts – whenever that may be – and will make Woodside Road suitable to stage National League football, which is the club’s next aim.

Dowell thanked every individual and business who had helped the club pass its eight-week fundraising total and said it had created a buzz around the club that could be carried into the new season and beyond.

He told the Herald: “I’m chuffed that we beat our target. Once we passed the £43k figure the total kept on creeping up although it did slow down.

“When we launched the crowdfunding we thought it would be tough and we were blown away by the response.”

The rate at which funds were raised meant the club could get contractors started on the work.

Builders have made good progress on knocking down the old toilet block in the north-east corner, while the electrical work to prepare for the new floodlights has been done. The new pylons have arrived and will go up soon.

Work to spruce up the home changing room will follow soon.

Dowell said: “It’s great to see it happening, especially when you know it is all part of taking the club to the next level and where we feel it should be.

“We want to be at the top of the non-league scene and we have the infrastructure and fanbase to go much higher than we are at present.

“The fundraising project has shown what widespread backing there is for the club.”

Worthing were set for promotion from the Isthmian premier to National League South when the Covid-19 lockdown ended the season and the FA decided the campaign should be null and void at that level. Manager Adam Hinshel-wood is set to keep the vast majority of the 2019-20 squad together and Dowell said he was excited at the prospect of another successful season.

“I’m chuffed about the players coming back,” Dowell said. “We’ve a young squad who’ll have learned a lot from last year and can improve.”