Worthing Football Club's 'pinch yourself' moment

Worthing FC's owner says taking the longest journey in football against the title favourites is a "pinch yourself moment" as they start their first ever season in the National League.

Playing at their highest level ever, their opener is a trip of more than 360 miles to Carlisle Utd at 17,000 capacity stadium, more than at some Championship clubs.

The club have enjoyed three promotions in 10 years under George Dowell, who played there as a youth but was paralysed in a car crash and then bought the club with compensation money.

Dowell said: "It couldn't be a more National League fixture. I imagine they'll be one of the favourites to win the league, they've got one of the biggest fanbases there."

Dowell says: "It seems to be a pinch yourself moment when you get the chance to reflect back on how far we've come.

"A baptism of fire is how we'll start the campaign, then back at home to Forest Green Rovers so it's a tough start against the big boys, but we wouldn't have it any other way."

Worthing play the first match in the top tier of non-league football in their 140-year history after topping the National League South in the 2025/26 season.

Preparing for the season ahead, Worthing FC has formed a new partnership with the University of Brighton's sports science department to "keep players on the pitch" for longer.

On their second testing day, six weeks after the first, experts measured players' strength, speed, any imbalances and various other metrics.

That data will be used to inform training, and keep players fit, and the club will continue to work with the university's experts during their first season in the National League.

Head coach Adam Hinshelwood says: "We haven't got the biggest squad in the world so we need to keep as many of them out on the pitch for as long as we can and [the] data will help with that."

As a former Brighton & Hove Albion player who struggled with injuries, he added: "I wish it was around when I was playing and I probably wouldn't have had to retire at 26.

"I really think that not every club at this level will be doing this, so any little advantage we can get we have to utilise, and I definitely feel like this could be one."

Dr James Wallis, principal lecturer in sports coaching and exercise science at the University of Brighton, who was overseeing the tests says there has been a "huge uptick" in the range of sports clubs using their data.

He added: "What's achievable now wasn't achievable even five years ago.

"What we're seeing is clubs like Worthing climbing the ladder partly because of the use and observation of some of the opportunities they have on their doorstep around sport and exercise science and good medical support."