I LOVE TO HEAR THE REBELS YELL
ADAM HINSHELWOOD has revealed he hopes Worthing can get promoted so they can play in front of sell-out crowds every time they are at home.
The Rebels kept alive their bid of securing back-to-back promotions by beating Braintree Town 2-1 in Wednesday night’s eliminator.
And boss Hinshelwood admits even he struggled to track down tickets for people he knows for the clash as fans packed the Crucial Environment Stadium in midweek.
A huge crowd of 2,678 roared the Rebels on to victory – a far cry from the meagre attendances the club were experiencing in the Isthmian League not so long ago.
The Hinshelwood revolution is well underway in the West Sussex seaside town and Worthing’s boss says their fans are central to a rise which shows little sign of stopping.
“They’ve been unbelievable all season and they won’t stop following us now, home or away,” he told The NLP.
“This is what this town can generate, this kind of fanbase.
“I want to get to a stage where this is the norm, where every home game is a sell-out.
“People were messaging me left, right and centre trying to get tickets. I quite liked the fact I couldn’t get any and I had to say no to everybody!”
The Rebels were humbled 3-0 the last time they visited the Marsh Lane home of this afternoon’s semi-final opponents, Oxford City, back in February, leaving Hinshelwood in no doubt as to the considerable challenge that awaits his side this afternoon.
“Some people will want to focus on the negatives but it’s a fact: it’s the toughest game we’ve played all season,” added the 39-year-old, who was actually born in Oxford.
“We go there with a different team but it’s a tough test and it was definitely our toughest game away from home. We’ll have to be better than we were tonight in some elements to get anything from it.”
Former Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Hinshelwood – who began a second spell in charge of Worthing in 2017 and led them to the Isthmian Premier Division title last term – claimed there is still more to come from his side.
The Rebels finished the regular season in fourth spot after promotion last term, one place below their hosts, but their 92 league goals were nine more than the Hoops and second only to runaway champions Ebbsfleet United, who finished 20 points clear of runners-up Dartford.
The Darts or St Albans City await the winners of the Oxford-Worthing tie in the final a week today. He urged his men to not get bogged down by nerves or pressure.
“We’ve got to learn to relax and play our game still but the effort and endeavour’s definitely there and we’ve got some momentum now,”