August 2024 Championship Winning Team
NEWS
Worthing 60+ Autumn League 11th November 2024
On Monday 11th November we played the second round of the 60+ Autumn league matches at Worthing. Before play started, the A team were lying second in the Premiership and the B team were bottom of Division One.
Portsmouth again failed to show, so each team in the Premiership only played three matches of 20 minutes each. This meant that Portsmouth will now be relegated and the other teams were safe in the Premiership before a ball was kicked. The target for the A team was to demonstrate that our place in the league was deserved. We duly did that with three hard fought draws against three good teams. Danny's cracking shot in the first game put us in the lead, but the Dolphins took advantage of a rare lapse in concentration to level the match. Stout defending and some good saves from Steve Makin, making his debut for the A team, ensured clean sheets and 0-0 draws for the next two games against Worthing Reds and Arun Whites respectively. We needed a win in the final game against Arun to take the Premiership, but the draw saw them take the title. Second place in a strong league was just reward for the hard work put in over the two months. Special thanks to Bob Charles for coming along as an (almost) unused substitute.
A Team squad: Steve Makin (gkp), Ian Jones, Tony McMahon, Graeme Walker, Shaun Moloney, Danny Holloway, Bob Charles.
The B Team showed that their position after October's matches did not reflect their potential. Despite losing Ray Aylmore to illness the team played with spirit and commitment to record the second best performance of the day, with two draws, two wins and only one loss.. Andy Overington, making his debut in the 60+ league, was the main contributor in the first match, when he both conceded and saved a penalty in the 0-0 draw against Arun Green. Another scoreless draw followed against Penguins, with Horsham dominating the match and almost scoring from a Mike McGilligan toe poke that hit the post. Geoff Cooper's cool finish and a stunner from Ian Humphrey gave Horsham a 2-1 victory over Worthing Blues. The eventual league winners Gosport scored with their only shot in the one match that was lost, before another toe punt from Geoff against Bognor Boulders secured victory in the final match. Congratulations to Steve Thompson on his debut and a big thank you to Gordon More for managing the team in Ray's absence.
B Team: Andy Overington (gkp), Mike McGilligan, Gordon More, Ian Humprey, Geoff Cooper, Steve Thompson.
Worthing 70+ Tournament 21st October 2024
Horsham’s walking footballers travelled to Worthing Leisure Centre for the October Over 70s tournament minus several regulars but still with a strong squad. There were seven teams present so each played the other six in games lasting 10 minutes.
Horsham started slowly in their first game against Brighton Penguins but finished comfortable 2-0 winners courtesy of well taken goals from Shaun and Ian.
The second game was a very even contest against Brighton Dolphins which resulted, slightly unfortunately, in a 1-0 reverse following a rare lapse in what was a generally solid defensive unit throughout. Horsham thought they had secured a point when Bob rifled a shot into the net following a quickly taken free-kick but the referee ruled that the kick be retaken as he had not whistled for play to restart.
The third game saw probably Horsham’s best performance against Arun White, the highlight of which was a superb hat-trick from Shaun in an impressive 3-0 victory.
A 2-0 victory followed against Worthing White with two smart finishes from Ian.
Our fifth game was against familiar rivals, Worthing Red, and Horsham got off to a flying start with a very early goal smartly converted by Ian. In what was a very even game Horsham were indebted to Steve in goal for a couple of excellent saves. He could do nothing, however, to prevent Worthing’s equaliser when a fortunate deflection saw the ball creep past our wrong-footed ‘keeper and Worthing secured all three points with a crisp finish giving him no chance.
The sixth and final game was against eventual wooden spooners Portsmouth and resulted in a comfortable 3-0 win with Bob finally getting his deserved rewards with two well taken goals and Ian finishing as the team’s leading scorer with his fifth of the morning.
A good performance all round; Horsham finishing second to Worthing Reds having won four and lost two.
Squad: Steve Fordham, Colin Case, Mike McGilligan, Ray Aylmore, Ian Jones, Shaun Moloney, Bob Charles
TABLE
Worth Red.....6...5...1...0.... +9.... 16
Horsham.......6...4...0...2.... +8.... 12
Dolphins........6...3...2...1.... +3.... 11
Arun ..............6...2...2...2.... -3.... 8
Wort Whte.....6...2...1...4.... -3.... 7
Penguins.......6...0...2...4.... -6.... 2
Pompey.........6...0...2...4.... -8.... 2
Worthing 60+ Tournament 14th October 2024
We entered two teams in today's 60+ tournament in Worthing. It was the first of two tournaments in the autumn league, with the second in November.
Team A played in the Premiership, following promotion in the summer. Unfortunately, Portsmouth dropped out at the last minute, so we only played three matches (of 20 minutes each). Danny Holloway joined the team, and fortunately brought his scoring boots with him. He scored our only goal in each match. We won the first 1-0 against Brighton Dolphins after Danny dispatched an early penalty, and Steve Fordham saved what seemed like a dozen goal-bound shots. We took the lead against Worthing Reds, and held out resolutely for most of the match but a rare defensive lapse led to a late equaliser and a 1-1 draw. We again took the lead against Arun White and matched them for most of what was a fairly even match, before conceding two late goals.
Team A: Bob Charles, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Danny Holloway, Ian Jones, Tony McMahon, Graeme Walker
Team B played in Division One. The results did not reflect the way the team played, both games we lost 1-0 we deserved a draw, and all three 0-0 draws we could have won with a little bit of luck. Worth noting we were erroneously awarded a penalty during one of the draws - in the true spirit of WF Mike deliberately shot wide. Special mention for Steve Makin making his debut in goal - some excellent saves throughout the morning.
Team B: Steve Makin (gk), Geoff Cooper, Ian Humphrey, Gok Kemal, Mike McGilligan, Mike Mighall, Chris Teager
Tables
Premiership
Arun White...3...1...2...0.... +1....5
Horsham A...3...1...1...1.... 0.... 4
Wort Red......3...0...3...0.... 0.... 3
Dolphins.......3...0...2...1.... -1.... 2
Portsmouth 0
Championship
Frimley........5...3...0...2.....+3..... 9
Hurst...........5...2...2...1.....+1..... 8
Arun Blue....5...2...2...1.....+1..... 8
Bees............5...1...3...1.... 0...... 6
Wort Whte..5...1...2...2.... -2...... 5
Pomp NSG..5...1...1...3... -3...... 4
Division One
Gosport.........5...2...3...0.....+3.... 9
Wort Blue......5...2...3...0.....+2.... 9
Arun Green....5...0...5...0.... 0.... 5
Penguins.......5...0...4...1.....-1.... 4
Bognor...........5...0...4...1.... -2.... 4
Horsham B....5...0...3...2.... -2.... 3
Worthing 60+ Tournament 9th September 2024
We fielded two teams in today's tournament at Worthing. It was a cup tournament that featured two leagues. The winners of the two leagues played in the final.
The two Horsham teams were in different leagues. The A team played in a league of six, after one team dropped out at the last moment. Unfortunately, there are few high or low lights to report for the A team, as we drew all our matches 0-0. We were strong defensively and on the rare occasions when the defence was breached Steve Fordham made good saves. Bob and Tony shared the striker's duties and both had a number of good shots saved by the keepers. Performance of the day was Ray's disciplined marking of the Bees striker.
Team A: Ray Aylmore, Bob Charles, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Tony McMahon, Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker
The B team played extremely well all morning, going into their last match second in their league having won 2, drawn 2, and lost 1. Unfortunately this game was against Portsmouth, the best side over recent months, and despite a spirited performance we lost 1-0. Earlier we had beaten Pompey B 2-1 with goals from Geoff Cooper and a screamer from Russell Edwards. We also beat Brighton Penguins 1-0 with a goal from Russell. We drew 0-0 with Worthing White and Arun White, but lost 1-0 to Worthing Blue.
Team B: Colin Case (gk), Steve Collyer, Geoff Cooper, Russell Edwards, Ian Jones, Mike McGillvary, Mike Mighall
Clearwell Cup 1st September 2024
Horsham entered a team in the Clearwell Cup tournament, held today in Rottingdean. The tournament was organised by Brighton Walking Football. It used to be a regular feature of the local walking football calendar, but has not been held since the Covid lockdowns. Twelve teams played in the tournament. As well as us, there were five teams from Brighton, two from Worthing and teams from Frimley, Bexhill, Portsmouth and Clacton.
The tournament was split into two phases. In the first phase, there were three groups of four. In Horsham's group were Worthing Red, Frimley and Penguins Blue. The first four games, including our games against Frimley and Worthing Red, were scoreless draws. We had Andy to thank for the draw against Frimley, as he brilliantly saved a penalty. Frimley won the fifth game 2-0 against Worthing Red. In our final game in that phase we also won 2-0, against Penguins with good goals from Danny and Dom. That meant that we had to go into a penalty shoot-off against Frimley. Andy was again the hero, saving Frimley's first two penalties. Our first two were dispatched with some force by Danny and Dom. Thankfully, as third man up, I didn't have to take a penalty.
That result meant we topped the group and went into the second phase to play against Dolphins and Portsmouth, both of whom had won their respective leagues. Portsmouth beat Dolphins 1-0 in the first game. In the second match, the balance of play was fairly even, but Dolphins took the honours with a late goal. It did seem that the scorer had run onto the ball, but the ref didn't give it and we shouldn't have allowed him to break through from midfield anyway. In the final game, though we had our chances, Portsmouth had the balance of play and were happy to play out a 0-0 draw to win the tournament.
So, in effect, we came third overall and only conceded one goal. Some of the team haven't played much competitive football, so it was a good result and a pleasure to play in the tournament.
Our team: Andy Overington (gk), Danny Holloway, Dom Gorton, Gok Kemal, Neil Browning, Shaun Moloney, Tony McMahon
Worthing 70+ Tournament 19th August 2024
On a warm and humid Monday morning in Worthing, players gathered at a new venue for the over 70's tournament. The competition was hosted by Worthing Town FC while the pitches at Durrington were being relaid. 7 teams and 2 pitches meant each team played 6 matches of 10mins duration.
Horsham's first match was an opener against Brighton Dolphins. A close game ensued,which Horsham shaded, but ended in a 1-0 defeat thanks to a controversial goal that looked, to many, to be inside the keeper's area when struck.
Horsham started to climb the table with two 1-0 victories against Worthing White and Arun White with goals by Shaun Moloney and Bob Charles.
This was followed by games against Arun Blue and Brighton Penguins. Disappointingly they finished in 0-0 draws despite Horsham dominating both games.
The final game was against Worthing Red who were undefeated and eventual winners. A 1-0 defeat was scant reward for the performance which deserved more.
This left Horsham in second place until the very last game of the entire tournament when a win for Arun Blue lifted them into second place.
Once again some lovely football was played but not converted into goals.
The Team: Colin Case, Bob Charles, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham, Ian Jones, Michael McGilligan, Tony McMahon, Shaun Moloney
TABLE
Worth Reds....6...5...1...0... +5... 16
Arun Blue.......6...2...3...1... +1... 9
Horsham.......6...2...2...2... 0... 8
Arun White....6...1...3...2... -1... 6
Dolphins.......6...1...3...2... -1... 6
Worth Wht....6...1...2...3... -2... 5
Penguins......6...0...4...2... -2... 4
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Worthing 60+ Tournament 12th August 2024
Horsham fielded two teams in today's 60+ Worthing Tournament. It was the second round of the summer league. After the first round Horsham A were top of the Championship with 8 points, one point ahead of Brighton Bees and two ahead of Arun Blue and Frimley. Horsham B shared the bottom spot in Division one, one point behind Pompey NSG and five behind Brighton Penguins.
Both Horsham teams were the strongest in their respective divisions today. Horsham A won all four matches and thereby topped the Championship and won promotion to the premiership. Horsham B won their first four matches, drew the fifth and narrowly lost the sixth to Pompey and came second overall on goal difference. Well done to all concerned, especially to Simon (four goals) and Danny (six goals). Thank you to Colin for managing the B team. Congratulations to Russell Edwards on his debut. And a big thank you to John Coping for his support.
The teams and results were as follows:
Horsham A:
Team: Bob Charles, Simon Clark, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Paul French, Tony McMahon, Shaun Moloney
Arun Blue 0 : 2 Horsham A (Simon x 2)
Hurst 0 : 1 Horsham A (Bob)
Brighton Bees 0 : 1 Horsham A (Shaun)
Frimley 1 : 3 Horsham A (Simon x 2, Tony)
Horsham B:
Team: Colin Case (gk), Steve Collyer, Robin Cross, Russell Edwards, Danny Holloway, Gok Kemal, Michael McGilligan, Chris Teager.
Penguins 0 : 1 Horsham B (Danny)
Worthing Blue 1 : 2 Horsham B (Danny x 2)
Pompey NSG 0 : 1 Horsham B (Gok)
Penguins 0 : 4 Horsham B (Danny x 3, Gok)
Worthing Blue 0 : 0 Horsham B
Pompey NSG 1 : 0 Horsham B
Worthing 70+ Tournament 17th June 2024
A warm, sunny Worthing morning welcomed Horsham to the Leisure centre for the latest Over 70's Walking football tournament. An equally warm welcome was extended to Bob Charles and Mike McGilligan who were making their Over 70's debut.
There were, eventually, 7 teams in attendance, traffic problems meant the late arrival of some players and a ref. This meant we had 6 games to play in the competition.
We started the first of the 6 games ten minutes or so late against Arun White. No such delay from us in terms of the football played. From the outset we were the better team and dominated much of the game. Hitting the post and forcing 3 good saves from their keeper meant our only reward was 1pt from a 0-0 draw.
Our next game against Portsmouth was very similar with, perhaps, fewer chances created but having the best of the game.
A haul of 2pts from two 0-0 draws felt a scant reward for how we had played.
The next game against Penguins saw us find the net twice, with goals from Shaun Moloney and Ian Jones giving us a 2-0 win.
A further win, 2-1, against Arun Blue followed with two well taken goals from Bob Charles sandwiching a penalty well despatched by the opposition.
Our next outing was against Brighton Dolphins who had won all their previous games. Another well taken and self made goal from Bob gave us a well earned and deserved 1-0 win.
'Well that's put the cat amongst the pigeons' was one comment I heard referring to the result. The others being largely unprintable.
One game left against our perennial nemeses, Worthing Reds. Despite the Reds not being as strong as usual, we couldn't find a goal to reflect our control of the game producing our third 0-0 draw and a total of 12pts
This left Dolphins needing to win their final game against the weakest team in the competition. As we were changing we were told by a few people that Dolphins had only drawn, leaving us as winners. Sadly this only lasted a few minutes as the correct score, a 1-0 win, came in.
If we weren't to win then being undefeated, conceding only one goal and beating the eventual winners is the next best thing.
Congratulations to all concerned. Paul French , Mike McGilligan and Ian Jones providing defensive stability, Karen Dare and Shaun Moloney contributing their usual mix of energy, commitment and skill which never let the opposition settle and laid the foundation for the good football we played and Bob Charles for his energy, skill, which tied the opposition defenders in knots, and excellent finishing. Special mention, as always, to Steve Fordham, our number one keeper. He wasn't always as busy as usual, having a relatively quiet day but pulling out 3 wonderful saves when it mattered.
A really good team performance and an enjoyable tournament.
The Team: Bob Charles, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Paul French, Ian Jones, Mike McGilligan, Shaun Moloney,
TABLE
Dolphins.....6...4...1...1... +4.... 13
Horsham....6...3...3...0... +4.... 12
Wort Red....6...3...2...1... +5.... 11
Arun Whte..6...3...1...2... +1.... 10
Pompey......6...1...3...2... -2.... 6
Arun Blue...6...1...1...4... -3.... 4
Penguins....6...0...1...5... -7.... 1
Worthing 60+ Summer Cup Tournament 10th June 2024
Horsham fielded two teams in the 60+ summer cup tournament in Worthing on 10th June.
Horsham A played on pitch two. The first two games were tight affairs with few chances and resulted in 0-0 draws against Arun Blue and Portsmouth respectively. Ian Jones nearly won the match against Portsmouth but what looked like a certain goal was saved by the Pompey keeper. In the third match Pompey NSG were outplayed from the start. Shaun Moloney took Dom Gorton's place up front and demonstrated the striker's art by slotting home off the post. Gorton came on and, heeding the lesson, notched one of his own. A little bit of sloppy defending led to a consolation goal for Pompey's second team. The last game was against Worthing Red. Though lacking a couple of their stronger players, they still matched Horsham and took the lead when Horsham's defence left their striker alone up the pitch with only Steve Fordham to beat. But with two minutes left a series of sharp passes from back to front saw Graeme Walker neatly shoot home from a tight angle.
The B team played better than the results suggest, and were competitive for most of their matches. However, they were once again punished when failing to mark their opponents - a common issue over recent tournaments. The first match was a creditable 1-1 draw with Worthing White - John Brotheridge scoring with an excellent interception and finish. The second game was close with a few minutes left, Frimley leading 1-0, and us gaining a penalty. Unfortunately Gok Kemal's shot hit the bar and Frimley broke to score....notching again at the close to win 3-0. Horsham were then well beaten 4-0 by Brighton Bees. The final game was very even against league leaders Brighton Dolphins. A shout of "hold it" saw the Horsham side stop, and Brighton kept playing to score. Despite the opposition having a player sent off for a bad challenge on Mike, the game ended 1-0.
Horsham A:
Team: Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Paul French, Dom Gorton, Ian Jones, Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker.
Arun Blue 0 : 0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 0 : 0 Horsham A
Pompey NSG 1 : 2 Horsham A (Shaun, Dom)
Worthing Reds 1 : 1 Horsham A (Graeme)
Horsham B:
Team: John Brotheridge, Steve Collyer, Geoff Cooper, Gok Kemal, Michael McGilligan, Steve Marshall, Mike Mighall.
PITCH 1
Dolphins......4...3...1...0... +5....10
Frimley........4...3...0...1... +3.... 9
Bees............4...2...1...1... +2.... 7Wor/white...4...1...1...2... -2.... 4
HorshamB..4...0...1...3... -8.... 1
PITCH 2
Portsmouth...4...3...1...0... +4.... 10
Horsham A....4...1...3...0... +1.... 6
Arun Blue......4...1...2...1... 0.... 5
PompeyNSG.4...1...0...3... -3..... 3
Wort Red.......4...0...2...2... -2.... 2
PITCH 3
Arun White...3...3...0...0...+13.... 9
Penguins......3...2...0...1... -1.... 6
Hurst Pret....3...0...1...2... -3.... 1
Wort Whte...3...0...1...2... -9.... 1
Semi Finals
Arun White 1-0 Frimley
Portsmouth 2-0 Dolphins
Final
Portsmouth 1-0 Arun White
Worthing 60+ Tournament 20th May 2024
Horsham Walking Football fielded two teams in the 60+ tournament at Worthing on Monday. Both teams were in the Championship and therefore played each other. The tournament was the second round of the Spring league. Team A were managed by Ian Jones. Team B were managed by Mike Mighall.
Team A Report
On an overcast and chilly Monday morning in Worthing, Horsham A's took to the field for the second round of two in their Championship matches. The team stood in third place with 6 points after the first round.
The team consisted of:
Steve Fordham in goal
Paul French
Karen Dare
Tony McMahon
Steve Marshall
Ian Jones
Danny Holloway
The first game was against Hurst Pretenders and was, like them all, a tight game. Danny did smash an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the Hurst net but the ref had, just, blown to award a foul to us. Playing the advantage would have been preferable for us. The ref did apologise later for not waiting before blowing.
The next two games against Brighton Bees and Worthing whites, the eventual winners were equally tight. A determined defensive effort from the whole team, and some good attacking players, gave the opposition few chances. As always Steve was there to make some outstanding saves when they did get through.
The final game against the B team was equally tight, apart from an outstanding individual goal from Danny, making him the top scorer with one!
There was a very unusual event in one of the games, a phenomenon as rare as a sighting of Halley's comet. Karen passed straight to an opposition player in front of goal! Fortunately he was as shocked as the rest of us and put it tamely into Steve's grateful arms.
A second place finish was a just reward for the endeavour and skill shown by all. A quick mention to the B team whose great win against Hurst made it possible for the A's to finish second. That win alone made their relegation all the more disappointing.
Team B Report
The B team started the day adrift of the other teams in the division, needing results to go their way to prevent relegation.
The first game against Brighton was a tight affair, with Bees going ahead from a free kick. A bad foul on Mike Mighall near the end of the game saw the offender receive a Blue card, but the team were unable to take advantage of the extra man and the game finished 1-0.
The second game against Worthing Whites saw a valiant defensive display in a game that ended 0-0.
The third game against Hurst, who started as League leaders, showed how well the team can play. A dominant display, especially from Gok in midfield, with two excellent goals from Gordon and Geoff gave a 2-0 win.
The final game was against the A team, and apart from the first 5 seconds when Danny scored, was pretty even.
So the B team ended bottom and are relegated.....however if we can perform like we did against Hurst in every game we should be fighting for an immediate return.
Squad: Colin Case (gk), Gok Kemal, Geoff Cooper, Gordon More, Steve Collyer, Mike McGilligan, Mike Mighall
Worthing 70+ Tournament 15th April 2024
Horsham Over 70s travelled to Worthing Football Club on Monday 15th April for the bi-monthly walking football tournament with, arguably, the strongest squad that they had yet been able to assemble. Five teams had entered the tournament and each would play the other four in games of 15 minute duration.
Their first opponents were Portsmouth and the game was conducted in gale force winds and ‘horizontal’ rain. Undeterred by the conditions Horsham played some excellent football and secured three points with the only goal of the game, courtesy of a well hit shot from Tony McMahon to break his Worthing Stadium hoodoo.
Next up, in the first of two back-to-back fixtures were Arun Allstars. Fortunately the appalling weather had abated whilst the quality of Horsham’s football had not and the three points were secured thanks to Tony’s second goal of the tournament.
Following swiftly on was what many expected to be the most difficult opponents of the day and, despite continuing to move the ball around nicely, they found themselves a goal down through an unstoppable shot from Worthing’s prolific goal scorer. Horsham continued to dominate possession, driven on by Shaun Moloney and Karen Dare’s tireless work in midfield, and were soon level thanks to Ian Jones’s sweetly struck shot following a quickly taken free kick. Further chances were few and far between for both sides but Horsham’s best chance seemed to be lost when Tony failed to make clean contact when put through and Worthing’s keeper made the save. Persistence paid off, however, when Tony latched on to the rebound and tucked it into the corner of the net. This proved to be the winning goal as Horsham were comfortably able to deal with Worthing’s response thanks in no small measure to a sterling defensive display from Paul French.
Horsham, therefore, went into their final fixture with nine points from three games against Brighton Dolphins who also had an unblemished record. In a scrappy game of very few chances the three points were secured thanks to Tony’s fourth goal of the competition leaving Horsham as overall winners with a one hundred percent win record.
There were outstanding performances throughout the team but special mention should be made of Steve Fordham in goal who, although not heavily overworked, made a couple of excellent saves at key moments and to Colin Case who, although electing not to participate given Steve’s excellent form in goal, offered constant support and commitment to the squad throughout.
The squad were:
Colin Case, Karen Dare, Paul French, Steve Fordham, Ian Jones, Tony McMahon, Shaun Moloney and Ray Aylmore.
Worthing 60+ Tournament 8th April 2024
Horsham fielded two teams in the 60+ tournament at Worthing on 8th April. The format had been revamped into three leagues: Premiership, Championship and Division One. As Horsham A were relegated after the winter tournament, they joined Horsham B in the Championship, which also featured Brighton Bees, Worthing White and Hurst Pretenders.
Horsham A were first out of the blocks against the Bees. Horsham had the balance of play, but the Bees had the best opportunity when a robust challenge by Paul French resulted in a penalty. Fortunately Steve Fordham was on hand to safely smother the spot kick. Goal scoring chances were otherwise scarce and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. A long wait of nearly an hour followed before the A team took to the field against their B team clubmates. The A team went ahead through a freak own-goal, when a back pass found its way into the net. With the A team dominating possession, a smartly dispatched penalty, given for a DOGSO offence, sealed the game. A scoreless draw was the outcome of an evenly balanced match against Hurst. In the final match the A team dominated possession, defended well, passed smartly and quickly but were unable to break down a resilient White team and had to settle for a hat-trick of 0-0 draws.
The day started badly for the B team, as Gordon More had to pull out through injury, leaving a squad of six with no substitutes. Horsham B's first game was against a well organised Worthing White team. Although the opposition had more of the ball, they rarely threatened until a misplaced pass presented them with a opportunity too good to miss, which they didn't. Despite several promising shots from Gok Kemal and Geoff Cooper the matched ended in a 1-0 loss. In their next match against the Bees, the B team secured a 0-0 draw with a well organised display. Unfortunately, they had to face the A team next with no rest between matches. The inevitable tiredness and two contested refereeing decisions, led to a 2-0 loss. A wait of an hour then followed for the final match against Hurst who proved too strong and the match ended in a 2-0 reverse.
Both teams will play in the second leg of the league on May 13th. Congratulations to Mike McGilligan making his tournament debut. Thank you to Jim Rankin and Gordon More for their support. Thank you also to Pete Baker for organising the B team and to Steve Fordham for washing the A team kit.
Horsham A: Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Paul French, Tony McMahon. Steve Marshall, Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker
Brighton Bees 0 : 0 Horsham A
Horsham B 0 : 2 Horsham A (o.g., Shaun (pen))
Hurst 0 : 0 Horsham A
White 0 : 0 Horsham A
Horsham B: Pete Baker, Colin Case (gk), Geoff Cooper, Gok Kemal, Mikel McGilligan, Paul Murphy
White 1 : 0 Horsham B
Brighton Bees 0 : 0 Horsham B
Horsham A 2 : 0 Horsham B
Hurst 2 : 0 Horsham B
TABLES
PREMIERSHIP
Portsmouth...4...4...0...0...+8.....12
Arun White....4...2...1...1... -1..... 7
Wort Red.......4...1...2...1... +1..... 5
Dolphins........4...1...1...2... -1..... 4
Frimley..........4... 0...0...4... -7..... 0
CHAMPIONSHIP
Hurst.............4...2...2...0... +3..... 8
Wort White....4...2...2...0...+3...... 8
Horsham A... 4...1...3...0...+2..... 6
Bring Bees....4...0...2...2....-3..... 2
Horsham B....4...0...1...3....-5..... 1
DIVISION ONE
Wort Blue........6...1...5...0...+1..... 8
Penguins.........6...1...4...1... -1..... 7
Arun Blue........6...0...6...0... 0..... 6
PompeyNSG...6...1...3...1... 0..... 6
SCWFL Match 5th April 2024
We played our penultimate match last Friday morning at Rottingdean. Their pitch is a traditional grass surface, so the first surprise was the game was on, and the second how good the pitch was when we got there.
First half saw us fall back into old ways, failing to keep possession and trying to make difficult passes. As a result, Rottindean gained easy possession twice and scored. Although Simon had a shot narrowly wide and Steve M hit the post, we were deservedly two down at half time.
A needed "fergie style" team talk from Shaun seemed to galvanise the team, and early in the second half Shaun and Graeme created an opening for Simon to score. We were dominating play, and even when they attacked Martyn, Ray and Mike were able to shepherd them away from goal, giving Colin very little to do.
With 5 minutes to go, the referee (who was very good - both strict and fair to both teams) spotted a defender tread on a D marker and Simon duly slotted the penalty.
With seconds remaining a good interception from Graeme put Simon away to score the winner.
A "game of two halves" from us, but a win that leaves us in 3rd place in the League with one game to go at Home to Ringmer on Mon 29th.
Team: Colin (gk), Graeme, Martyn, Mike, Ray, Shaun, Simon, Steve M
Worthing 60+ Tournament 11th March 2024
Horsham fielded two teams in the 60+ Walking Football tournament at Worthing FC's ground on March 11th 2024.
The A team got off to a good start when Dom Gorton smashed one past the Frimley goal-keeper. Thereafter, the team dominated the match, and had several scoring opportunities, but conceded a late equaliser after losing both their composure and the ball from a free kick near the opposition's goal. The team made light work of the match against Worthing Blues. Both Gorton and Ian Jones notched a brace, but Gorton failed in his hat-trick attempt when he blasted a penalty wide. A draw in the last match against Worthing Reds was all that was needed to see the A team through to the semi-finals, and this was duly delivered by way of a stout defensive display and a 0-0 result.
The B team, playing in a group that featured three of the Premiership teams, faced a tough challenge. A strong Portsmouth team ran out 3-0 winners in the first match. The team hoped to get something more in the second match against the Bees, but despite peppering the goal from all quarters, the ball resolutely stayed out of the net, and the resulting 0-0 draw was scant consolation. Perhaps it was that disappointment, or maybe the 45 minute wait in a biting cold wind, that saw the third match end in a heavy 4-0 defeat to the Bees. In the final match the team put on a great performance against Arun White, with Danny Holloway's excellent shot restoring parity to ensure a 1-1 draw. Gok Kemal's stand-out performance in the libero role was a particular highlight.
In the semi-final the A team failed to match the B team's performance against Arun White. Steve Fordham's penalty save provided the only real hope. The hour long wait before the match hardly helped, but the confidence and resilience evident in the three group matches had dissipated and the resulting 1-0 defeat was not a surprise.
That being said, both Horsham teams made strides, and both have something to build on. Congratulations to Paul Murphy making his debut today.
Team A: Ray Aylmore, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Dom Gorton, Ian Jones, Tony McMahon. Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker
Frimley 1 : 1 Horsham (Dom)
Worthing Blue 0 : 4 Horsham (Dom x 2, Ian x 2)
Worthing Red 0 : 0 Horsham
Team B: Pete Baker, Colin Case (gk), Geoff Cooper, Paul French, Danny Holloway, Gok Kemal, Paul Murphy
Portsmouth 3 : 0 Horsham
Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham
Bees 4 : 0 Horsham
Arun White 1 : 1 Horsham (Danny)
PITCH 1
Bright Bees...4...2...2...0....6.....8
Arun White....4...2...2...0....4.....8
Pompey.........4...2...1...1....4.....7
Horsham B....4...0...2...2...-7.....2
Penguins.......4...0...1...3...-7.....1
PITCH 2
Hurst............4...2...2...0....6......8
Wort Whte...4...2...2...0....2......8
Arun Blue.....4...1...2...1....0......5
Pomp NSG...4...1...1...2...-1......4
Arun Grn......4...1...0...3...-5......3
PITCH 3
Horsham A...3...1...2...0....4..... 5
Wort Red......3....1...2...0....2.....5
Frimley.........3....1...2...0....1..... 5
Wort Blue....3....0...0...3... -7..... 0
Semi final
Hurst............0 - 1 Brighton Bees
Horsham A..0 - 1 Arun White
Final
Brighton Bees 0 - 0 Arun White
Arun White won 2 - 1 on Penalties
Worthing 70+ Tournament 19th February 2024
On what started off as a fairly bleak morning with a welcoming heavy shower of rain at the home of Worthing F.C. Horsham over 70s arrived for the bi-monthly tournament in optimistic mood.
The format of the tournament involved two groups of four teams with each playing the others twice and Horsham were grouped with Worthing Red, Worthing White and Arun White.
Horsham started brightly with debutant Shaun Moloney providing the heart-beat of the side ably assisted by Karen Dare. Records were soon tumbling as scoreless draw followed scoreless draw, a sequence only interrupted when a Horsham defender inadvertently wandered into the goalkeeper’s area resulting in a converted penalty which gave Worthing Red a 1-0 victory.
Horsham continued to dominate with the ball in each game but good goalkeeping and wayward finishing failed to produce a goal throughout the morning despite the best efforts of Tony McMahon and Ian Jones (who played in every position other than goalkeeper). With Paul French putting in his usual dependable defensive displays Colin Case, in goal, was little troubled but made a couple of very good saves when called upon and had no chance with the penalty.
All in all a very enjoyable morning resulted in a record of played 6, won 0, drew 5, lost 1.
Goals for zero, goals against 1.
Squad: Colin Case, Paul French, Ian Jones, Karen Dare, Shaun Moloney, Tony McMahon, Ray Aylmore
Robin Cross made his debut today as a tournament referee.
Worthing 60+ Tournament 11th February 2024
Horsham experienced double disappointment in the Worthing tournament on 12th February. At the start of the day, the A team were joint bottom with one point, and therefore facing relegation. The B team were pushing for promotion, finishing second after January's matches.
Unfortunately, neither team came away with what they wanted. The A team lost every game without scoring and, short of a possible restructure of the league in April, will be relegated. The B team won one, drew two and lost two to finish runners up in the Championship. Danny Holloway making his debut, after reaching 60 in December, created a number of good chances and despatched one to clinch the only victory.
Team A:
Ray Aylmore, Karen Dare, Steve Fordham (gk), Steve Marshall, Tony McMahon. Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker
Horsham A 0 : 1 Worthing Red
Horsham A 0 : 2 Dolphins
Horsham A 0 : 1 Portsmouth
Horsham A 0 : 2 Arun White
Horsham A 0 : 1 Worthing White
Team B:
Pete Baker, Colin Case (gk), Tommy Collins, Steve Collyer, Paul French, Danny Holloway, Mike Mighall
Hurst 0 : 0 Horsham B
Portsmouth 2 : 1 Horsham B (Pete)
Arun Blue 0 : 1 Horsham B (Danny)
Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Frimley 2 : 0 Horsham B
PREMIERSHIP
Arun White...10...7...2...1... 6....23
Wort Red......10...5...4...1... 5....19
Pompey........10...5...3...2... 4....18
Dolphins.......10...4...3...3... 3....15
Wort Whte....10...1...3...6...-6.... 6
Horsham A...10...0...1...9..-12... 1
CHAMPIONSHIP
Frimley..........10...8...1...1...18....25
Horsham B...10...4...3...3... 2....15
Penguins.......10...3...4...2... 1.....13
Hurst.............10...2...4...4... -6.....10
Pompy NSG..10...1...5...4...-8...... 8
Arun Blue......10...0...6...4...-7...... 6
Worthing 60+ Tournament 8th January 2024
Horsham Walking Football fielded two teams in in the 60+ tournament at Worthing on 8th January. The A team played in the Premiership and the B team in the Championship, with differing fortunes. The B team topped the Championship table for most of the morning, winning their first three matches, drawing the fourth and losing by one goal in the final match to the recently relegated Frimley team. These results leave the B team in second place, two points behind Frimley with the second round of the Championship to come in February.
Little reward awaited the A team, as they lost four matches by one goal and drew 0-0 with fellow strugglers Worthing White. It can feel difficult to take much from such results, but the team were competitive in all the matches and could have got more from the day with just a little more luck. The only lifeline is that Worthing White enter the second round below the A team on inferior goal difference.
Results and Teams:
A Team:
Graeme Walker (kit), Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Simon Clark, Steve Fordham (gk), Tony McMahon - Shaun Moloney (unused emergency sub)
Arun White 1 : 0 Horsham A
Worthing White 0 : 0 Horsham A
Dolphins 2 : 1 Horsham A (Graeme)
Worthing Red 1 : 0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 1 : 0 Horsham A
B Team:
Colin Case (gk), Gok Kemal, Gordon More, Ian Jones, Karen Dare, Paul French
Hurst 0 : 1 Horsham B (Ian)
Portsmouth NSG 0 : 2 Horsham B (Gok, Ian)
Arun Blue 0 : 2 Horsham B (Paul, Gok)
Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Frimley 1 : 0 Horsham B
PREMIERSHIP
Pompey.........5...3...2...0...4... 11
Arun Whte.....5...3...1...1...2... 10
Wort Red.......5...2...3...0...3... 9
Dolphins........5...2...2...1...1... 8
Horsham A....5...0...1...4...-4... 1
Wort Whte.....5...0...1...4...-6... 1
CHAMPIONSHIP
Frimley..........5...4...0...1...12... 12
Horsham B...5...3...1...1... 4... 10
Hurst.............5...2...1...2... -3... 7
Penguins......5...1...3...1... 0... 6
Pomp NSG...5...0...3...2... -7... 3
Arun Blue......5...0...2...3... -6... 2
Worthing 70+ Tournament 11th December 2023
Today Horsham travelled to Worthing to participate in the bi-monthly Over 70s Walking Football tournament for the first time in a few months. The tournament consisted of just five teams (two teams having withdrawn at short notice) who would each play the other four in games lasting fifteen minutes.
Horsham started brightly with a 2-1 success against Worthing White with well taken goals from Tony and Ian. Sadly, despite continuing to play good football and being the equal of each of our opponents, taking the lead in two of the games, this success proved to be the only one of the morning. Narrow defeats followed against Brighton Dolphins (2-3 - scorers Tony, a penalty, and Joe), Arun Allstars (0-1) and Worthing Blue (1-2 - scorer Joe).
When reflecting on the results it’s fair to say that we were the architects of our downfall through a series of individual mistakes, shared equally throughout the team.
Thanks to all who participated and particularly to Joe for stepping in at the last moment due to Shaun’s illness and to John for uncomplainingly waiting for his substitute appearances.
Squad: Colin Case, Ian Jones, Ray Aylmore, Joe Ashton, Karen Dare, Tony McMahon, John Copping
Table
Worth Red ..4..3..1..0..7...10
Dolphins.....4..2..1..1..2... 7
Arun ...........4..2..0..2..-2.. 6
Horsham....4..1..0..3..-2.. 3
Worth Wte..4..1..0..3..-5.. 3
Worthing 60+ Tournament 4th December 2023
Horsham entered two teams in the 60+ Worthing Tournament on Monday 4th December. The club were hampered by the loss of several players in the days before the tournament, but managed to find sufficient replacements.
The A team started the day on the same number of points (four) as Arun White, but ahead on goal difference. Arun's win over Dolphins in the first match put them three points ahead and the spectre of relegation loomed. Horsham managed to go ahead in our first match against Portsmouth, by way of a goal from Graeme Walker, but were pegged back to 1-1 draw. Arun White held out for a 0-0 draw before 2-0 and 1-0 losses to Worthing Red and Dolphins respectively. The A team's last match, and the last of the tournament, was against Frimley who were three points ahead with a superior goal difference of three. Giving their best performance of the day, the team managed to go two up with a brace from Tony McMahon. When Frimley pulled one back relegation looked imminent, but a determined wave of attacking play resulted in Graeme Walker netting one off the post to restore the two goal lead and secure a place in the Premiership.
In contrast to the A team, the B team started the day with an outside chance of promotion. That still looked a possibility when Steve Marshall's goal secured victory in the first match against Arun Blue. Steve scored again in the second match, but two goals from Worthing Whites gave them victory. A 0-0 draw against Penguins and 1-0 loss to Hurst meant that promotion was out of reach. The 2-0 loss to Portsmouth NSG in the last match was therefore academic, though unwelcome.
Thanks were given to Colin Case for running the B team and washing their kit, and to Mike Mighall for refereeing. Also to Ray Aylmore for coming down for a couple of games to ease the burden on the depleted squad.
The teams and results:
Horsham A: Graeme Walker, Ian Jones, Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham (gk), Tony McMahon
Portsmouth 1 : 1 Horsham A (Graeme)
Arun White 0 : 0 Horsham A
Worthing Red 2 : 0 Horsham A
Dolphins 1 : 0 Horsham A
Frimley 1 : 3 Horsham A (Tony x 2, Graeme)
Horsham B: Colin Case, Gok Kemal, Karen Dare, Mike Malavasi, Paul French, Steve Marshall
Arun Blue 0 : 1 Horsham B (Steve)
Worthing White 2 : 1 Horsham B (Steve)
Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Hurst 1 : 0 Horsham B
Portsmouth NSG 2 : 0 Horsham
Tables
PREMIERSHIP
Dolphins......10..6..2..2.. 4.....20
Wort Red.....10..5..3..2.. 6.....18
Pompey.......10..2..6..2.. 4.....12
Arun Wte.....10..3..3..4..-5.....12
HorshamA. 10..2..3..5..-4..... 9
Frimley........10..2..3..5..-5..... 9
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wort Whte....10..5..5..0.. 9.....20
Hurst............10..4..6..0.. 7.....18
Penguins.....10..2..5..3..-1......11
Horsham B..10..2..5..3.. -2.....11
Arun Blue.....10..1..5..4..-1..... 8
PompeyNSG.10..1..4..5..-10.. 7
Worthing 60+ Tournament 13th November 2023
Horsham fielded two teams at the 60+ tournament in Worthing on Monday 13th November. Horsham A, top performers in the last tournament, realised the day might be challenging when it was noted that all the opposition teams were fielding their best players. And so it proved. Arun White, in their only victory, won 2-0 in the first match. Frimley won 1-0, before a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth, curtesy of a fine Steve Marshal goal, ensured that something was got from the day. It was back to earth in the next match when Worthing Red ran out 3-0 victors. In the last match, the A team found their form and went 2-0 up against the league leaders before a late consolation for Dolphins made for a tense final few minutes. Graeme Walker, from a quick free kick, and Steve Marshall with a neat shot, gave Horsham the victory.
It was much better day for Horsham B, who played well and were unbeaten on the day. John Brotheridge scored in the 1-1 draw with Worthing White. John again, and Gok Kemal netted in the 2-2 draw with Portsmouth NSG. A smart strike from his unfavoured left foot saw Paul French score in the 1-1 draw with Hurst. Gok slotted home in the 1-1 draw with Penguins. Gok's goal in the last match sealed a 1-0 victory over Arun Blue.
Horsham A Results and Team :
Arun White 2 : 0 Horsham A
Frimley 1 : 0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 1 : 1 Horsham A (Steve M)
Worthing Red 3 : 0 Horsham A
Brighton Dolphins 1 : 2 Horsham A (Graeme, Steve M)
Team A: Graeme Walker, Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK), Steve Marshall, Tony McMahon.
Horsham B Results and Team :
Worthing White 1 : 1 Horsham B (John)
Portsmouth NSG 2 : 2 Horsham B (Gok, John)
Hurst Pretenders 1 : 1 Horsham B (Paul)
Brighton Penguins 1 : 1 Horsham B (Gok)
Arun Blue 0 : 1 Horsham B (Gok)
Team B: Colin Case (GK), John Brotheridge, John Coping, Gok Kemal, Mike Mighall, Paul French, Steve Collyer,
Worthing 60+ Tournament 9th October 2023
Horsham Walking Football fielded two teams in the cup tournament at Worthing on Monday 9th October. The tournament was split into two leagues, with the winner of each league receiving a trophy and taking home salvers. Both the Horsham teams were drawn in the same league, along with Worthing Red, Worthing White, Portsmouth, Hurst Pretenders and Brighton Bees. Horsham A won their league, with five wins and one draw. In what was arguably the stronger of the two leagues the B team acquitted themselves well: winning one, drawing one and losing three by a single goal, It was only in their last match that the B team ran out of steam and lost heavily to Worthing Red.
The A team's first two matches were their toughest on paper, against Worthing Red and then Portsmouth. The team conceded only one goal in the tournament, early in the match against Red. However, cohesive play and hard work led to an deserved equaliser and a 1-1 draw. Portsmouth had slightly more of the ball in the second match, but were hit on the counter to see the A team take a 1-0 victory. In the match between the two Horsham teams, it was hard to know which was the A team and which the B, but the A team ran out winners by 1-0. Two 2-0 victories over Hurst Pretenders and Worthing White meant the A team only needed a draw in the final game against Brighton Bees. In a tense match Horsham prevailed by a single goal leading to hearty celebrations and relief.
The B team also had a tough starting match, but limited a strong Portsmouth team to just one goal. After a long wait between games their second match was against the A team, followed by a 1-1 draw with Hurst Pretenders. A worthy victory by one goal followed against Worthing White, but Brighton Bees took the honours in a narrow 1-0 match. Worthing Red, looking to overhaul the A team's stronger goal difference, ran out 5-0 victors in the B team's final match.
Horsham A Results and Team :
Worthing Red 1 : 1 Horsham A (Shaun Moloney)
Portsmouth 0 : 1 Horsham A (Shaun Moloney)
Horsham B 0 : 1 Horsham A ( Dom Gorton)
Hurst Pretenders 0 : 2 Horsham A (Graeme Walker, Tony McMahon)
Worthing White 0 : 2 Horsham A (Shaun Moloney, Dom Gorton)
Brighton Bees 0 : 1 Horsham A (Dom Gorton)
Team A: Dom Gorton, Graeme Walker, Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK), Tony McMahon.
Horsham B Results and Team :
Portsmouth 1 : 0 Horsham B
Horsham A 1 : 0 Horsham B
Hurst Pretenders 1 : 1 Horsham B (Gok Kemal)
Worthing White 0 : 1 Horsham B (Gok Kemal)
Brighton Bees 1 : 0 Horsham B
Worthing Red 5 : 0 Horsham B
Team B: Colin Case (GK), Gok Kemal, Gordon More, Mike Mighall, Paul French, Steve Collyer, Tommy Collins
PITCH 1
Horsham A.....6...5...1...0.... +7...16
Wort Red........6...4...1...1.... +7...13
Pompey..........6...4...0...2.....+4... 12
Brgton Bees...6...3...1...2.....+1... 10
Wort Whte......6...1...1...4.....-4... 4
Horsham B....6...1...1...4.......-8... 4
Hurst..............6...0...1...5.....-7... 1
PITCH 2
Bton Dolphins..5...4...1...0...+7... 13
Arun Allstars....5...4...1...0...+7... 13
Frimley.............5...2...1...2...+1... 7
Penguins..........5...2...0...3...-6... 6
Wort Blue.........5...1...1...3... 0... 4
Pompey Sky.....5...0...0...5...-9... 0
Worthing 60+ Tournament 11th September 2023
Two Horsham teams played in the second leg of the 60+ league in Worthing on 11th September. Going into the tournament, Horsham A had two points and were bottom of the Premiership and Horsham B were second in the Championship on 9 points.
As can be seen from the tables below, the A team managed to leapfrog Brighton Bees, who are now relegated. The B team were not able to catch Frimley, but can be proud of a solid performance over both months.
The highlight for the A team was a 2-0 victory in their opening match against eventual winners Arun Whites. This was followed by a disappointing performance against Worthing Reds when an opposition player stepped forward virtually from the kick-off to fire past Steve Fordham in goal, leaving the team to chase the game thereafter. Portsmouth were held to a 0-0 draw in a tight game. Brighton Dolphins seized on a rebound late in the fourth game to volley home and put all the team's sterling defensive work to naught. This meant that the A team had to at least draw with Brighton Bees in the final game to avoid relegation. Plans went awry when the Bees went 2-0 up, but the team kept at it and scored two late goals to secure Premiership status.
The B team highlight was a 2-1 victory against Portsmouth Sky. This victory came after two 0-0 draws against Arun Blues and eventual winners Frimley respectively. The last two matches also were drawn, with the final match against Brighton Penguins being particularly frustrating as the team felt they had dominated the match and should have scored several goals.
Arun Whites 0 : 2 Horsham A (Steve Marshall, Shaun Moloney)
Worthing Red 3 :1 Horsham A (Steve Marshall)
Portsmouth 0 : 0 Horsham A
Dolphins 1 : 0 Horsham A
Brighton Bees 2 : 2 Horsham A (Shaun Moloney, Graeme Walker)
Horsham A: Dom Gorton, Graeme Walker, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK), Steve Marshall, Tony McMahon.
Arun Blues 0 : 0 Horsham B
Frimley 0 : 0 Horsham B
Portsmouth Sky 1 : 2 Horsham B (Geoff Cooper 2)
Worthing White 1 : 1 Horsham B (Pete Baker)
Brighton Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Horsham B: Geoff Cooper, Gok Kemal, Mike Malavasi, Mike Mighall, Pete Baker, Robin Cross (GK), Steve Collyer
FINAL TABLES
PREMIERSHIP
Arun A.......10..6..2..2.. 8...20
Wort Red...10..5..3..2..18...18
Pompey.....10..4..5..1.. 4...17
Dolphins....10..5..0..5.. 0... 15
HorshamA.10..1..4..5..-4... 7
BgtonBees.10..1..2..7..-11..5
CHAMPIONSHIP
Frimley.......11..6..4..1..11..22
Wort Whte..11..4..6..1.. 6.. 18
HorshamB..11..3..7..1..2.. 16
Arun Blue...11..2..6..3..-7.. 12
Pomp Sky.. 11..2..3..6..-9.. 9
Penguins. ..11..0..6..5..-6.. 6
Worthing 60+ Tournament 14th August 2023
On 14th August 2023 Horsham entered two teams in the monthly walking football tournament at Worthing. Several of the regular players were missing due to holidays and other commitments.
For the ‘A’ team it soon became apparent that their opponents in the ‘premiership’ were not minus any of their regulars. Not withstanding this they secured a very creditable 0-0 draw against Portsmouth in their opening fixture. Plucky but unrewarding games followed against Brighton Dolphins, Arun A, and Worthing Reds despite a brilliant display of goalkeeping from Steve Fordham, which included an excellent penalty save. Beaten but unbowed they rallied to secure a creditable 1-1 draw in their final game and were only denied taking 3 points, courtesy of Tony McMahon’s opening goal, by a last minute equaliser from Brighton Bees.
The ‘B’ team, however, fared somewhat better in the ‘Championship’. A creditable 0-0 draw against Worthing Blue was followed by a slightly disappointing, similarly scoreless draw against Penguins. This was followed by a 1-0 success against eventual table toppers Frimley courtesy of a fine Chris Teager goal following great work by Steve Marshall. The next two fixtures saw a 0-1 defeat and a scoreless draw against Worthing White and Arun B respectively. In the final fixture of the day a 1-0 victory was secured thanks to a tight turn and curling shot from Pete Baker. Special mention should be made of a faultless display throughout by stand-in goalkeeper Robin Cross, non stop commitment from Gok Kemal and regular contributions from John Copping who came on to give others’ tiring legs a rest throughout the morning.
The squads were as follows:
Team A: Steve Fordham, Colin Case, Paul French, Karen Dare, Ian Jones and Tony McMahon
Team B: Robin Cross, Chris Teager, Ray Aylmore, Gok Kemal, Steve Marshall, Pete Baker and John Copping
Worthing 60+ Tournament 10th July 2023
Horsham put out two teams on 10th July in what became a one-off tournament at Worthing. The two teams played in the same league.
Team A won two, drew four and lost one match in the last minute following a defensive faux pas. The results were:
Worthing Whites 0:0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 0:0 Horsham A
Arun Whites 1:0 Horsham A
Pompey Gold 0:0 Horsham A
Horsham B 0:2 Horsham A (Shaun Moloney (pen), Tony McMahon)
Penguins 0:1 Horsham A (Tony McMahon)
Frimley 0:0 Horsham
Team A: Graeme Walker, Ian Jones, Ray Aylmore, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK), Tony McMahon.
Team B drew two and lost five, but were competitive and played with spirit in all matches. The results were:
Portsmouth 0:0 Horsham B
Arun Whites 3:0 Horsham B
Pompey Gold 1:0 Horsham B
Penguins 0:0 Horsham B
Horsham A 2:0 Horsham B
Frimley 1:2 Horsham B (Gok Kemal(pen))
Worthing Whites 4:0 Horsham B
Team B: Chris Teager, Colin Case (GK), Geoff Cooper, Gok Kemal, Gordon More, John Brotheridge, Mike Mighall.
FINAL TABLES
PITCH ONE
Wort Whte...7...4...3...0... 8.....15
Arun Whte...7...4...3...0... 6.....15
Frimley .....7...4...2...1... 3.....14
Pomp Gold..7...3...3...1... 4.....12
Horsham A..7...2...4...1... 2.....10
Pompey........7...1...2...4...-5.... 5
Horsham B..7...0...2...5...-11.... 2
Penguins.....7...0...1...6... -7.... 1
PITCH 2
Wort Red.....7...6...1...0... 11.....19
Dolphins..... 7...4...2...1... 9......14
Eastleigh.....7...3...2...2... 0......11
Arun Blue....7...3...1...3... -1......10
Bton Bees...7...1...6...0... 1...... 9
Hurst...........7...2...3...2... 0...... 9
Wort Blue....7...1...3...3... -2...... 6
Pomp Sky....7...0...0...7...-16.... 0
Worthing 70+ Tournament 26th June 2023
Horsham Walking footballers travelled to Worthing for their second appearance in the bi-monthly Over 70s Walking Football tournament with the limited ambition of improving on their debut performance when 3 games were drawn and 5 lost.
The format, as before, involved 5 teams each playing the other 4 twice in games lasting 9 minutes. Things did not bode well when only 5 players were present for the opening fixture against Brighton as one player had been delayed by road closures. A spectator was consequently drafted in and a creditable performance resulted in a scoreless draw.
In the second game, against Arun Allstars White, now with a full complement of players, Horsham cruised into a 2 goal lead thanks to a brace of well taken goals from Tony McMahon. Slack defending, however, ultimately meant that they had to be content with a 2-2 draw.
Next up were Worthing Reds, the competition favourites and eventual winners, who were dispatched 2-1 thanks to two well taken goals from Ian Jones. A short rest was then followed by 3 successive games; a 4-1 win against Arun Allstars Blue (3 goals from Ian Jones and 1 from Ray Aylmore), a 1-1 draw in the return fixture with Brighton (Ian Jones the scorer) and a 0-1 defeat to Arun Allstars White.
The return fixture with Worthing Reds resulted in a 0-0 draw and in the last game against Arun Allstars Blue a 1-0 victory was secured courtesy of Ian Jones with his seventh goal of the tournament giving a total of 13 points with 3 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat.
Horsham team: David Brunton, Colin Case, Ray Aylmore, Ian Jones, Karen Dare, Tony McMahon.
TABLE
Worth Red....8....4....3....1....9.... 15
Arun Whte....8....4....3....1....2.... 15
Horsham......8....3....4....1....4.... 13
Brighton.......8....0....5....3...-4.... 5
Arun Blue.....8....1....1....6...-11.. 4
Worthing 60+ Cup Tournament 12th June 2023
Horsham Walking Football entered two teams (shown below) in the Cup tournament at Worthing on Monday 12th June. The Horsham B team were drawn in the first group, which featured some of the stronger teams in the tournament. The Horsham A team were drawn in the second, slightly weaker group.
The A team were slow to find their feet in the first game against Frimley and drew 0-0, but thereafter won all their games without conceding a goal. All of the outfield players scored. The B team played well against tough opposition, beat Brighton's strongest team Dolphins and drew against the eventual group and tournament winners Worthing Reds. Mike Malavasi made his tournament debut playing in goal for the B team.
The final was a tight match between the A team and Worthing Reds with latter winning by way of the only goal, after an unlucky deflection took the ball to a Worthing striker in front of goal.
The scores:
Horsham A:
Frimley 0 : 0 Horsham A
Worthing Blue 0 : 4 Horsham A (Graham Walker, Dom Gorton, Simon Clark, Ian Jones)
Pompey Sky 0 : 2 Horsham A (Simon Cark (pen), Dom Gorton)
Allstars B 0 : 3 Horsham A (Dom Gorton x 2, Graham Walker)
Worthing White 0 : 1 Horsham A (Tony McMahon)
Brighton Bees 0 : 1 Horsham A (Ray Aylmore)
Horsham B:
Frimley 2 : 0 Horsham B
Brighton Dolphins 0 : 1 Horsham B (Geoff Cooper)
Brighton Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Allstars A 3 : 0 Horsham B
Portsmouth Gold 1 : 1 Horsham B (John Brotheridge)
Worthing Red 0 : 0 Horsham B
Team A: Dom Gorton, Graeme Walker, Ian Jones, Ray Aylmore, Simon Clark, Steve Fordham(GK), Tony McMahon.
Team B: Geoff Cooper, Gok Kemal, John Brotheridge, Karen Dare, Mike Malavasi(GK), Mike Mighall, Tommy Collins.
Emergency Sub: Shaun Moloney
Tables
Wort Red......6...4...2...0...3......14
Arun A..........6...4...1...1...8......13
Pompey........6...3...2...1...9......11
Dolphins.......6...2...2...2...0...... 8
Horsham B...6...1...3...2..-5...... 6
Pom Gold.....6...1...1...4..-8....... 4
Penguins......6...0...1...5..-9....... 1
Horsham A....6...5...1...0...11.....16
Frimley...........6...2...4...0... 2.....10
Wort Whte.....6...2...2...2... 0..... 8
Bri Bees.........6...2...2...2.. -1..... 8
Arun B............6...2...1...3.. -2..... 7
Wort Blue.......6...2...1...3.. -3..... 7
Final
Worthing Red 1-0 Horsham A
Worthing 60+ Tournament 15th May 2023
Horsham fielded two teams on 15th May in the second half of the spring league competition at Worthing. Horsham A were two points off the lead after April's tournament. Horsham B were hoping to do better than the two points earned in April.
Horsham A were first on against Dolphins, and unfortunately gave them a goal after 15 seconds of play. Dom Gorton managed to claw one back before Dolphins scored the winner. Two goalless draws followed against Frimley and Arun. Horsham were the stronger team in both matches but failed to convert that into a win. In the next match Horsham went two goals down against Portsmouth, both from free kicks, before Graeme Walker got one back to make it a close finish. Horsham played Worthing Reds in the final match; both goal keepers made a series of great saves; Horsham hit the post and crossbar in the same passage of play before Reds crafted the winner.
Horsham B got more points (three) than the A team (two) curtesy of a goal from Ian in the 1-0 win over Penguins. All the other matches were narrow 1-0 losses. The B team played some good football and were competitive in all of the matches.
The Teams:
Team A: Bob Charles, Dom Gorton, Graeme Walker, Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK).
Team B: Colin Case (GK), Gok Kemal, Gordon More, Ian Jones, John Brotheridge, Karen Dare, Paul French.
Team A Results:
Brighton Dolphins 2 - 1 Horsham A (Dom)
Frimley 0 - 0 Horsham A
Arun 0 - 0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 2 - 1 Horsham A (Graeme)
Worthing Reds 1 - 0 Horsham A
Team B Results:
Worthing White 1 - 0 Horsham B
Penguins 0 - 1 Horsham B (Ian)
Hurst 1 - 0 Horsham B
Bees 1 - 0 Horsham B
Worthing Blue 1 - 0 Horsham B
Tables
PREMIERSHIP
Wort Reds...10...7...1...2...6..... 22
Pompey.......10...6...2...2...7..... 20
Dolphins......10...4...3...3...1..... 15
Arun .........10...2...6...2...0..... 12
Horsham A..10...2...4...4..-2..... 10
Frimley.........10...0...2...8..-12... 2
CHAMPIONSHIP
Bees.............10...5...5...0...6..... 20
Wort Blue.....10...4...5...1...4..... 17
Wort Whte....10...3...6...1...3..... 15
Hurst........... .10...2...4...4..-5.... 10
Penguins......10...1...6...3..-2..... 9
Horsham B...10...1...2...7..-6.... 5
Worthing 70+ Tournament 17th April 2023
Monday 17th April marked Horsham's debut in the Over 70s Walking Football tournament at Worthing.
The tournament was comprised of 4 teams who would each play the others twice in games lasting 9 minutes. Horsham's first game was against the eventual overall winners Portsmouth. It was an evenly contested affair resulting in a scoreless draw. The next three games were equally evenly contested but on each occasion Horsham found ourselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 score line against Arun Allstars, Worthing Red and in the return match with Portsmouth (a game which Horsham felt they dominated).
The penultimate game was the return match with Arun Allstars in which Horsham again found themselves facing a familiar 0-1 score line. This time, however, one of several chances was clinically finished by Ian Jones following a fine solo walk. The last game was a scrappy affair, with neither side managing to produce any flowing football, as was accurately reflected by the final 0-0 score line.
Horsham felt that the overall result - P6 W0 D3 L3 GF 1 GA 4 did not accurately reflect the quality of the football that was played.
The squad:
David Brunton, Colin Case, Ian Jones, Karen Dare, Tony McMahon, Dave Boorman, Ray Aylmore.
NB. Special dispensation was granted to enable us to play Tony McMahon who was actually several months too young to qualify for the competition.
Worthing 60+ Tournament 3rd April 2023
Horsham Walking Football fielded two teams on 3rd April in the 60+ tournament at Worthing Leisure Centre. Team A competed in the Premiership and Team B in the Championship.
Team A played in the opening match in a closely fought contest against Worthing Reds, losing to the only goal when a soft shot found its way past two defenders and past Steve Fordham in goal. Horsham put that loss behind them winning the next two matches by one goal, both scored by Dom Gorton, against Portsmouth and Brighton Dolphins. Two draws followed: the first a no score draw against a tough Allstars team, and one all to give Frimley their only point. It was a little unfortunate that after a fine early goal from Simon Clark the last action of the final match was a converted penalty by Frimley when a Horsham player wandered into the box.
Team B put up a good showing in all their matches, with Pete Baker notably keeping the score lines respectable with a series of good saves, one of which was from a penalty (given after two Horsham players wandered into the box). John Brotheridge was on target in the first match to secure a one all draw. Tommy Collins scored the only goal in the loss to Hurst. A scoreless draw against Penguins was followed by two single goal losses to Worthing Blue (an own goal off Gok Kemal) and Brighton Bees.
Congratulations were extended to Gok Kemal and Gordon More on their debuts. Thanks are given to Mike Mighall for managing Team B. Thanks are also given to Simon Clark and Mike Mighall for washing the kit . Horsham are back in Worthing next month for second half of the spring leagues.
Results:
Worthing Red 1 : 0 Horsham A
Portsmouth 0 : 1 Horsham A (Dom Gorton)
Brighton Dolphins 0 : 1 Horsham A (Dom Gorton)
Arun Allstars 0 : 0 Horsham A
Frimley 1 : 1 Horsham A (Simon Clark)
Worthing White 1 : 1 Horsham B (John Brotheridge)
Hurst Pretenders 2 : 1 Horsham B (Tommy Collins)
Brighton Penguins 0 : 0 Horsham B
Worthing Blue 1 : 0 Horsham B
Brighton Bees 1 : 0 Horsham B
Team A: Dom Gorton, Graeme Walker, Ray Aylmore, Shaun Moloney, Simon Clark, Steve Fordham(GK), Tony McMahon.
Team B: Gok Kemal, Gordon More, John Brotheridge, Mike Mighall, Paul French, Pete Baker(GK), Tommy Collins
Worthing Cup 13th Mar 2023
Horsham fielded two teams at the 60+ cup competition in Worthing on Monday 13th March. Both teams were in the same group and played each other in the first match. The A Team, with more recent tournament experience, were faster out of the blocks and secured a comprehensive 5-0 victory. The A team followed that with a 1-0 loss to Brighton Dolphins, the only goal coming from a penalty awarded for a DOGSO (Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity). The penalty was awarded by Horsham's referee thereby dispelling any potential suggestions of favouritism. Setting that disappointment aside, the A team beat the other two Brighton teams by one goal and drew with Worthing Whites to progress to the semi finals. In the semi finals they were beaten 1-0 by Arun in a closely fought game.
The B team recovered well from their initial defeat to register two 0-0 draws with the Penguins and Bees alongside losses to Dolphins and Worthing Whites. Horsham's referee also awarded a penalty against the B team in the match against Whites (Horsham's goalkeeper just stepping out of his area to try and stop the ball going out for the corner). The penalty felt harsh but was fair.
The B team were pleased to come away with something from the tournament and hope to build upon this performance in the months to come.
The teams:
Team A: Bob Charles, Graeme Walker, Robin Cross, Shaun Moloney, Steve Fordham(GK)), Tony McMahon.
Team B: Colin Case(GK), John Brotheridge, Maggie Smith, Mike Mighall, Pete Baker, Paul French, Tommy Collins.
The scores:
Horsham B 0 : 5 Horsham A (Tony x 3, Graeme x 2)
Dolphins 1 : 0 Horsham A
Penguins 0 : 1 Horsham A (Tony)
Whites 0 : 0 Horsham A
Bees 0 : 1 Horsham A (Shaun)
Horsham B 0 - 0 Brighton Bees
Horsham B 0 - 0 Brighton Penguins
Horsham B 0 - 2 Brighton Dolphins
Horsham B 0 - 3 Worthing Whites
Tables
Dolphins.......5...4...0...1...8.....12
Horsham A...5...3...1...1...6.....10
Wort Wht......5...3...1...1...4.....10
Bgtn Bees.....5...1...2...2..-1..... 5
Penguins......5...0...2...3...-4..... 2
Horsham B...5...0...2...3..-10.... 2
Arun ............5...4...0...1... 4.....12
Wort Red.....5...3...1...1... 6.....10
Pompey.......5...3...1...1... 5.....10
Wort Blue....5...1...1...3... -1..... 4
Frimley........5...1...1...3... -6..... 4
Hurst Pret...5...1...0...4... -8..... 3
Worthing 60+ Tournament 13th Feb 2023
Horsham played in the second round of the two-monthly league tournament at Worthing on Monday 13th February. After the first round the team had three points, curtesy of three draws and one loss. The first match of the second round was against Worthing Reds. The match was tightly contested with the outcome determined by a sharply taken goal by Red's striker John Ling and an opportunity missed by Shaun Moloney after some good interplay with Bob Charles. The second match against Worthing Whites was a 0-0 stalemate, which suited Horsham more than Whites. Tony McMahon scored Horsham's only goal of the day, in the third match against Dolphins, equalising the score before a hotly contested penalty gave the match to the Brighton based cetaceans. Horsham's final match, with no break, followed against Portsmouth and a 2-0 loss matched the result from the first round.
Results were as follows:
Worthing Reds 1:0 Horsham
Worthing Whites 0:0 Horsham
Brighton Dolphins 2:1 Horsham (Tony McMahon)
Portsmouth 2:0 Horsham
Horsham squad: Steve Fordham (GK), Paul French, Ray Aylmore, Robin Cross, Bob Charles, Tony McMahon, Shaun Moloney
Thanks to Simon Clark and John Copping for their support on the day. Congratulations to Robin Cross on making his tournament debut. Horsham's four points put them two clear of Worthing Whites and means that an immediate return to the Championship has been avoided.
Worthing 60+ Tournament 9th Jan 2023
We were scheduled to enter two teams in today's tournament, but due to some late injuries and sickness we could only field one. The tables below show the outcome but don't tell the whole story. Three of the A team players that secured promotion in December were missing. So we started the day fearing some tough and unrewarding matches. Things looked even bleaker when Ray disclosed that he'd "Done a Dave Boorman" and forgot his boots. Fortunately, and unlike Dave in a previous tournament, he didn't have to play in sandals, but was able to borrow boots from a member of our travelling fan posse.
We played Worthing Reds in the first match and surprised ourselves by holding our own against the Man City of the Worthing Tournament. Our resilience was rewarded with 1 -1 draw after my bobbly toe-poke evened the match by wriggling its way beneath Pete Bow's body.
We were the stronger team in the second match against Worthing Whites, but had to settle for 0-0 draw. Dolphins were a stiffer proposition, but we held out for another 0-0 draw. We failed to take anything, aside from pride, from the last game in a 2-0 loss to Portsmouth. As the nearly unshod Ray said, "We'd have taken those results at the start of the day."
So, on to February, when we hope to avoid the drop. Thank you to Mike for going in goal. Thank you to Ian for lending Ray his boots. Thank you to the travelling posse (Neil, Robin and Ian) for your support. Thank you to Simon for refereeing.
The team: Mike Mighall, Ray Aylmore, Steve Fordham, Bob Charles, Shaun Moloney, Maggie Smith, Tony McMahon
Premiership
Portsmouth...4...4...0...0...6....12
Dolphins........4...2...1...1...6.... 7
Wort Red.......4...1...1...2...-2... 4
Horsham.......4...0...3...0...-2... 3
Wort Wte.......4...0...1...3...-8... 0
Championship
Arun White...5...4...1...0...11.... 13
Frimley..........5...3...2...0... 10.... 11
Brig Bees......5...2...1...2... 3.... 7
Hurst.............5...2...0...3... -3.... 6
Arun Blue.......5...0...3...2... -5.... 3
Penguins.......5...0...4...1.. -12.... 1
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