ACADEMY PLANS KEEP THE REBELS YELLING
The former Brighton defender penned a new threeyear contract this month and hopes he can help the Rebels continue the form which saw them challenge for promotion before the season was null and voided last year.
Since returning to Woodside Road in 2017, he has helped turn around a club struggling at the bottom of the Isthmian League Premier Division and set up a new youth structure. He previously managed the club in 2013-15 before taking up a coaching role at Brighton’s academy.
“I’m pleased that with everything that’s going on in the world, they showed confidence in me. To secure a three-year deal is massive. I’m delighted to stay with the club,” Hinshelwood told The NLP.
“We want to keep on improving the first team, the results and the way we play. We scored a lot of goals the last two seasons, so I want to carry on in that vein, playing attacking football, but to concede less goals as well. At the same time giving our younger players an opportunity. I’m pleased with how that’s working in recent years.”
Indeed, Hinshelwood is proud of the club’s ambition is to create a pathway from its youth teams all the way to its senior squads and under-19 Football Academy and Education Programme. That initiative involves a fulltime football and education course, providing aspiring young players the opportunity to combine their academic studies with a comprehensive football training schedule.
“I felt there was an opportunity for a Sussex club to set something up where local Sussex players that didn’t quite make their way at Brighton, there was a club that they could fall back on.
“We just want to try to bridge that gap a little bit and provide a good place for younger talented players to come and showcase themselves. We’ve had a couple of players who have come and done that, dipped down to our level, had a couple of seasons, or season, and then moved back into the pro game. That’s really rewarding to see.
“We probably had one of the youngest average ages in the league. That’s something I believe in, giving youngsters an opportunity, but still challenging at the right end of the table and playing attractive football. I like to watch my team progress up the pitch. It’s worked relatively well up to now.”
Hungry
Hinshelwood is keen for Worthing to continue pressing for promotion when the league resumes.
“The group we’ve got are all keen like myself to test ourselves at a higher division. We’re really hungry and ambitious and that bodes well.
“We’ve got a club and board that are ambitious and really want to take the club on and myself, management and players that want to do the same. It’s not just going to be gifted to us and handed to us, we’re going to have to carry on working really hard to try and get there and compete at that level.”
Worthing boasts a strong fan base who rallied behind the club’s Future’s Bright fundraising campaign last year. The money raised has paid for major improvements at the ground during lockdown.
“Our fan base is brilliant,” said Hinshelwood.
“They all came together. It gave fans another focus and something else to look forward to.
“All the work’s been done now. So, when fans can return they’ll be returning to a good facility to come and support the team from, which is brilliant.
“They deserve it for all their efforts.
“It was another sign for me just how far the club can go with that kind of support.”