Worthing Football Club

What Worthing Football Club does

Worthing Football Club Ltd. is a privately held English football club, founded in 1886 and based in Worthing, West Sussex, operating as a multi-tier community football organization rather than a traditional commercial enterprise. The club operates men's, women's, under-18, and youth (U14-U16) teams, plus an under-19 Academy and Education Programme delivered in partnership with Chichester College Group, and runs community-facing programs including disability football, walking football, and dementia-friendly sessions. Its physical asset base is centered on the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, which features a FIFA-accredited 3G pitch, LED floodlighting, the Stand Bar event space, and the 1886 Lounge, supporting approximately 4,000 weekly facility users across schools, youth teams, adult recreational leagues, and seniors.

The club generates revenue through seven primary streams: match ticket sales, annual season tickets, multi-tiered commercial sponsorship (Platinum through Gold tiers covering stadium naming rights, stand sponsorships, kit, and digital), 3G pitch and function room hire, children's football party packages (£200/party), retail merchandise via Macron Store Hastings, and away-match coach travel via Lucketts. Pricing for the 2026/27 season reflects the historic promotion to the National League (Step 1), with adult matchday tickets at £22 and adult season tickets ranging from £352 (earlybird) to £396, with new Under-22 categories and Klarna installment options introduced to maintain affordability. Digital distribution is handled through the Fanbase ticketing platform with Apple/Google Wallet integration, and broadcast reach is extended via DAZN streaming.

The 2025/26 season marked a turning point, with the club securing the National League South title — earning promotion to Step 1 of the non-league pyramid for the first time in 140 years — alongside a 34% increase in average home attendance to 2,338 and a record crowd of 4,002. The club's customer base is geographically concentrated in the South East England region (Worthing catchment of 110,000+ population), with significant shareholders George Dowell MBE and Barry Hunter providing governance continuity since the 2015 rescue from near-extinction. Technology dependencies are largely commercial SaaS (Fanbase, Klarna, Mixlr, DAZN) with a single specialized data analytics partnership with Driblab for player recruitment and performance analysis; no proprietary AI or ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

Worthing Football Club

Legal name

Worthing Football Club Ltd.

Website

https://worthingfc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Worthing Football Club is a community-focused English non-league football club founded in 1886, operating men's, women's, youth, and inclusive teams from the Sussex Transport Community Stadium in Worthing, generating revenue through match tickets, season tickets, sponsorships, facility hire, and events for a regional West Sussex supporter base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Events & Match Tickets (THAJAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)

Keywords

• Non-league football club
• Community football programmes
• Youth football academy
• Football facility hire
• Matchday ticketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Match Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual matchday tickets for men's National League fixtures. Adult tickets priced at £22, with concessions (£18), Under 22 (£16), Under 19 (£9), Under 14 (£6), Under 7 (£1). Women's matches priced at £4 for adults with U16 free. U18 matches at £3.
2. Season Tickets: Annual season tickets granting access to all National League home fixtures plus Women's and U18 home matches. 2026/27 prices range from £396 (Adult Standard), £324 (Concession), £288 (U22), £162 (U19), £108 (U14). Earlybird discounts available. South Stand seat reservation at additional £60.
3. Commercial Sponsorships: Multi-tiered sponsorship packages including stadium naming rights (Sussex Transport), stand sponsorships (West Stand, East Stand, South Stand, North Stand), player sponsorships, matchday sponsorships, digital/website advertising, pitchside advertising boards, travel wear, training wear, and venue naming rights.
4. Facility Hire: Hire of FIFA Accredited 3G pitch for football matches, training sessions, tournaments; Stand Bar event space for parties, weddings, business meetings, seminars; Club House function areas. Revenue from pitch bookings, function room hire, and catering services.
5. Football Parties: Children's birthday party packages priced at £200, including 1-hour pitch use for up to 10 children, equipment, dedicated party host, and birthday card signed by first team squad.
6. Retail/Merchandise: Club shop selling official merchandise, with Macron as technical kit partner. Revenue from sale of replica shirts, accessories, and club merchandise.
7. Away Travel: Partnership with Lucketts (Worthing Coaches) providing coach travel to away matches. Revenue generated through travel booking fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Worthing Football Club operates a community-focused association football organisation delivering competitive men's, women's, and youth football (U8 to senior), supported by matchday ticketing, season ticket admissions, commercial sponsorships, retail merchandise, facility hire of the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, and community programmes including Walking Football and Inclusive Football. The club's commercial offering also includes children's football party packages, venue hire for events, and an Under-19 Football Academy and Education Programme in partnership with Chichester College Group.

Product overview

Worthing Football Club operates as a community-focused football organization offering a multi-tiered portfolio of products and services. The core offering comprises men's, women's, and youth football teams competing at various levels of the football pyramid. The club's facilities at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium include a FIFA-accredited 3G pitch and event spaces available for hire. The club provides digital ticketing through Fanbase, operates Academy and Development Centre programmes for youth players, and maintains community initiatives including Walking Football and Inclusive football. Commercial services include sponsorship packages and partnership opportunities. The product portfolio is unified under the club's brand, with digital services (ticketing, streaming via DAZN) complementing the live matchday experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Tickets
• Match Tickets
• Commercial Partnership Packages
• 3G Pitch Hire
• Function and Venue Hire
• Football Parties
• Under-19 Football Academy & Education Programme
• Development Centre Football development programme for boys and girls aged U8 to U13 providing weekly training sessions delivered by qualified coaches and a pathway into the club's youth structure (U14-U16, U18s, and Under-19 Academy).
• Worthing Inclusive Disability Football Disability football programme with teams competing in the Sussex Disability League, providing inclusive football opportunities across all demographics as part of the club's community service.
• Walking Football Walking football sessions for health and well-being including a dedicated Seniors Walking Football team, supporting older adults and providing dementia-friendly football activity in the local community.
• Dementia-Friendly Sporting Memories Memory sessions delivered in partnership with Worthing Dementia Action Alliance, providing community support and football reminiscence activities for people affected by dementia and their carers.
• Official Merchandise and Retail Club replica shirts, training wear, travel wear, and accessories supplied by Macron as Technical Kit Partner, sold through Macron Store Hastings (physical and online at macronsportshubhastings.com/pages/worthing-fc-shop) and at the stadium club shop.
• Away Match Coach Travel Coach travel to all away fixtures in partnership with Lucketts (Worthing Coaches), bookable via lucketts.co.uk/worthing-fc-away-travel, providing affordable supporter travel to away matches including long-distance fixtures such as the 361-mile trip to Carlisle United.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered platinum, gold, core, league and minor.

• Sussex TransportplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerStadium Naming Rights Partner. Sussex Transport holds naming rights to the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, providing major brand exposure at every match and event.
• ST ContainersplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerFanZone Bar Partner. Operates the container bar in the outdoor fanzone area.
• DripplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Hydration Partner. Provides hydration products for players and staff.
• Flooring Products DirectplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerWest Stand Partner. Brand visibility on the West Stand at the stadium.
• Arrow Taxi GroupplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerSouth Stand Partner. Brand presence on the South Stand.
• Jacobs SteelplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite/Social Media Partner. Provides digital and social media marketing support.
• KendricksplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerFood & Beverage Partner. Supports club catering operations.
• H & T PawnbrokersplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Travel Money Partner. Provides travel money services for supporters.
• GWCA SolicitorsplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerEast Stand Partner. Official sponsor of the East Stand at the stadium.
• MLI Building ProductsgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerMen's Back-of-Shirt Partner. Logo placement on the back of men's first team shirts.
• Focus GroupgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen's Front-of-Shirt Partner. Logo on front of women's team shirts.
• Success AcademiesgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Youth Partner. Supports youth development programs.
• Gorringe Kitchen & BathroomsgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Scoreboard Partner. Brand visibility on matchday scoreboard.
• Educate U FuturesgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Men's First-Team Sleeve Partner. Logo on men's team sleeve.
• Bo-HusgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen's Back-of-Shirt Partner. Logo on back of women's team shirts.
• Jones & TomlingoldGTM or Marketing Partner1886 Lounge Partner. Branding in the executive lounge area.
• BetAhoygoldGTM or Marketing PartnerSussex-based online sportsbook company partnership.
• Chichester College GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Under-19 Football Academy & Education Programme. Students combine football training (up to 6 hours/week) with academic studies at Ofsted Outstanding Chichester College. Courses include Sport, Sports Science, Football Coaching, Uniformed Public Services, and Fitness Training from Level 1 to Level 3.
• Lucketts (Worthing Coaches)platinumChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Lucketts coach company for away match travel. Provides affordable coach travel to all away games for supporters.
• Macron Store HastingsplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical Kit Partner. Official supplier of club kits and merchandise.
• iidrocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Supplement Partner. Provides sports supplements to players until 2028.
• Enterprise (Rent-A-Car)leagueGTM or Marketing PartnerLeague sponsor - primary sponsor of the National League (formerly Vanarama National League).
• ErreàleagueGTM or Marketing PartnerLeague sponsor - official kit supplier for National League.
• MitreleagueGTM or Marketing PartnerLeague sponsor - official ball supplier for National League.
• DAZNleagueGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcasting partner for National League. Streams selected matches live, including several Worthing FC fixtures for 2026/27 season.
• Worthing Dementia Action AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Dementia Friendly 'Sporting Memories' group, providing community support for people affected by dementia.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lewes FC: East Sussex-based non-league club with a strongly community-focused operating model and women's team - similar ethos and Sussex region. Operates at a lower tier but shares the integrated community-club identity that defines Worthing FC's positioning.
• Havant & Waterlooville FC: National League South club on the South Coast with comparable stadium size and operational model. Direct competitive peer for sponsorships and a useful reference for the Step 1 transition Worthing FC faces in 2026/27.
• Bognor Regis Town FC: West Sussex non-league club competing at the Isthmian League / National League South tier. Direct geographic competitor for local talent, sponsorships, and fan attention within the same Sussex catchment as Worthing FC.
• Eastbourne Borough FC: Sussex-area non-league club competing in National League South (Step 2), similar scale and operational model to Worthing FC. Both clubs operate at similar regional tier with comparable attendance levels, community focus, and revenue structures including ticketing, sponsorship, and facility hire.
• Dorking Wanderers FC: Recently promoted to National League (Step 1) - directly comparable trajectory to Worthing FC's 2026 promotion. Both are small, commercially ambitious clubs that broke through to Step 1 from National League South, providing a near-perfect peer for the Step 1 transition Worthing FC is currently navigating.
• Maidstone United FC: National League (Step 1) club with similar stadium-ownership model and South East England footprint. Provides direct benchmarking for Step 1 commercial operations including sponsorship tiers, matchday pricing, and facility-hire revenue Worthing FC will need to scale.
• Chelmsford City FC: National League South club with established community programmes and facility hire operations. Comparable in scale and commercial maturity to Worthing FC's current position, useful for benchmarking post-promotion revenue uplift.
• Dartford FC: Kent-based National League / National League South club with comparable stadium infrastructure and operational scale. Direct competitive peer in terms of sponsorship pricing benchmarks, attendance expectations, and commercial partnership structures.

Broad incumbents

• Crawley Town FC: West Sussex-based club currently in EFL League Two - the larger incumbent in the same county. Not a direct operational peer but the dominant Sussex football brand that Worthing FC must compete with for sponsorship wallet share and casual fan attention in the region.

Regional players

• Horsham FC: West Sussex non-league club competing at a lower tier (Isthmian League), but operating in the same geographic catchment. Regional competitor for local sponsorships, talent, and fan engagement in the Worthing/Horsham corridor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WorthingFC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WorthingFootballClub
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorthingFC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worthing-football-club-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/WorthingFC
• TikToktiktok.com/@worthingfcofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Worthing Football Club