My Worthing team have won promotion once for nothing

Worthing Women after winning promotion in the spring - a prize later taken away from them

Michelle Lawrence’s team impressively won 14 league games out of 14 in the South East Counties League to ensure by early March they’d move up a division.

Then came lockdown – and a decision to null and void football at their level of the game.

But out of the bitter disappointment that all their hard work had been for nothing, a determination has grown among the management and squad that they must simply do it again.

Lawrence said the team were looking forward to being allowed to get back to playing football – and showing last season was no flash in the pan.

“The squad is going to be stronger. We have kept almost all of last season’s squad together and aim to make some additions,” she said.

“It will be a mental challenge because we have effectively won promotion from this league already. Players can become complacent and it’s our job to make sure they don’t.

“Our absolute priority is to get promotion but we also want to do better in the cups this year.” Lawrence’s team are set to compete in the Women’s FA Cup, league cup and county cup and a good run in one of them would create an buzz around the town alongside their promotion bid.

Lawrence felt making last season’s games null and void was a mistake.

She said: “For me, The FA should have found a way to reward that achievement but they haven’t so we have to pick ourselves up and be ready to go again.”

Worthing Women have been attracting crowds of around 100 to their home games at Woodside Road and Lawrence hopes that number will grow if they continue to be successful.

The long-term vision is to rise through the levels of the women’s game, with their current division tier six of the women’s game.

With Worthing’s men’s side aiming to reach their National League, the women would love to do the same

Lawrence has worked for the FA and has had involvement in Brighton’s women’s set-up. She was encouraged back into the game by Worthing and it is clear to see the impact she has had during her first 12 months at the helm.

It is hoped the league will be able to start in September and in the meantime the players have been given fitness programmes to ensure they are ready for group training.

Lawrence said: “We have just skimmed the surface of what the club can achieve. Women’s football has such growth potential.”

My Worthing team have won promotion once for nothing - now we must do it again