All coming together for Worthing
This time last season, Worthing had most things in place ready to improve on a torrid previous season. Manager Adam Hinshelwood promised he would be doing business early and true to his word Ollie Pearce, James Crane and Will Miles duly arrived very quickly into the close season along with tying down some familiar names from the previous season.
The Mackerel Men went on to be in and around the play-off picture right from the beginning and only missed out on the final day of the season, albeit needing 2 or 3 other results to go their way, but nonetheless substantial progress from 12 months previous.
This close season has certainly been a different one for the Woodside Road outfit with David Ajiboye heading to the National League with Sutton Utd whilst keeper Lucas Covolan joining him there as a Torquay Utd player whilst Kwame Poku moved into the Football League with Colchester Utd, showing that a move to the South Coast can indeed re-ignite your career and have you moving in the right direction again. James Crane also departed after just a season in red with Hinshelwood unable to guarantee him game time having tied down a young looking defence but with bags of experience between Danny Barker, Jalen Jones, Joel Colbran and Alfie Young.
It hasn't been all one way traffic though, Lloyd Dawes has returned to the club from National League South Eastbourne Borough, a fantastic scoring record before he left. He was joined by Joe Tennant, another young centre half from Three Bridges which potentially frees up Barker to move in central midfield once more. Hinshelwood is still on the lookout for a keeper after confirming Kleton Perntreou won't be returning to fill the gap between the posts although it is believed he is close to confirming who will be No 1 for the Mackerel Men next season.
A big signing for the club is the return of a big fans favourite, Reece Myles-Meekums for a third spell. Having not quite worked out for the flying winger in the National League at Bromley, Meekums may feel he has something, or nothing, to prove coming back down to start again, having seen players head for the level he's just come away from could well have been the lure to return to Woodside Road and get himself back on track for another crack a few levels up.
Off the pitch, no panic nor worry from the supporters. My timeline on Twitter is full of fans complaining because their club has either signed no one, not gotten rid of the players they wanted to see gone or sold and not replaced, but no sign of that coming from the Woodside Road terraces, trust and faith in those making the decisions.
I am returning to Worthing's website once again this season having taken time out as Secretary of Wick FC, now that role is no longer mine time should be there to add some value to a club still heading in the right decision.