Jack Foulger looks ahead to Saturday’s trip to West Sussex
After 14 days without a game following defeat to Truro City, the Stones’ lead at the National League South summit has been cut to just four goals. This Saturday, Craig Fagan’s side are back in league action as they make the 109-mile round trip to face West Sussex side Horsham.
HISTORY
With roots stretching as far back as 1871, Horsham currently stand as the second-oldest club in the NL South, having first formed just one year after Maidenhead United. The Hornets spent much of their early existence playing football on a local basis, with notable success in this era coming from their time in the West Sussex Senior league where they impressively won three consecutive league titles between 1900 and 1902 as well as a further championship in 1926.
Similar feats would follow as the club moved into the Sussex County League, finishing at the summit a total of seven times between 1931 and 1947 before going on to endure a considerably more settled spell for the rest of the 20th century. This saw the Hornets spend time moving across a variety of different regional divisions, with periods in the Corinthian, Athenian and Isthmian Leagues bringing a further promotion sandwiched in between two relegations.
Fast forward to the millennium, and the West Sussex side would eventually reach the heights of Step 3 football by 2006 whilst also slipping as low as Step 5 in 2015. Since then, the past decade has seen the Hornets steadily bounce back, winning the Southern Combination League a year later before returning to the Isthmian Premier following 2019’s Step 4 play-off final win over Ashford United.
The post-pandemic era saw Horsham make their mark on a national stage, remarkably reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup on three separate occasions between 2021 and 2024, where they were rewarded with trips to Carlisle United, Chesterfield as well as Barnsley, where they took the South Yorkshire side to a replay following a 3-3 draw at Oakwell that saw the Hornets come from behind twice.
Further history was made at the end of the 2024/25 season as the West Sussex side came out on top of a three-way title race to become Isthmian Premier champions, subsequently bringing Step 2 football to RH13 for the first time. Their first season in the NL South saw them achieve a respectable 15th-place finish with 59 points and 15 victories from 46 matches.
Jamie Yila, playing for Maidstone at Horsham last season. Picture by Steve Terrell.
THE SQUAD
With an average player age of over 27, the Hornets boast one of the most experienced squads in this season’s NL South. At the core of their lineup is skipper Jack Brivio, who is currently in his ninth season in amber and green since arriving from Burgess Hill Town in summer 2018. The 30-year-old’s success-laden spell in West Sussex has seen him at the forefront of numerous major triumphs including an Isthmian Premier title and IL South East play-off win alongside various county cup victories and FA Cup runs.
Elsewhere on the pitch, former Stones midfielder Jamie Yila is currently enjoying his debut campaign with the Hornets following his release from ME14 at the end of last season with three goals and four assists to his name already. In a short stint heavily disrupted by a back injury, Yila managed 17 league appearances under George Elokobi, popping up with six goal contributions in the process.
THE GAFFER
Guiding the Hornets for the 12th consecutive campaign this season is experienced boss Dominic Di Paola, who has undoubtedly been the mastermind behind his side’s successes for more than a decade. Since initially joining the club in April 2015, the 44-year-old has overseen three promotions. Horsham have risen from Step 5 to Step 2 of the non-league system, where they recently achieved their highest ever finish in the English pyramid after placing 15th-place in the NL South.
Prior to his tenure with the Hornets, Di Paola previously spent a number of years gaining managerial experience across the wider Sussex network, having had notable stints at Clymping, Worthing United and East Preston. That period saw him amass a staggering five promotions in seven seasons between 2007 and 2014.
FORM
Much like the Stones, Horsham enter Saturday’s fixture hoping to put an end to a difficult run of form, which has seen them go winless in the league since August’s 2-1 victory over Braintree Town, when a Greg Luer double saw the Hornets return from Essex with all three points.
Away from the league, the West Sussex outfit also saw their FA Cup journey recently ended by lower league opposition following a 2-1 defeat to Southern League side Plymouth Parkway. That match that saw the Devon side come from behind at half time to set up a fourth qualifying round tie with Chertsey Town in two weeks time.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Over the past two campaigns, the Stones and the Hornets have entertained each other on three separate occasions across league and cup competitions, with the West Sussex outfit rising victorious in two of the meetings.
A 2-1 FA Trophy win at Hop Oast in November 2024 was followed up with last season’s dominant 3-0 thumping back in the county town as goals from Rhys Murphy, Reece Meekums and Greg Luer saw Horsham run away with all three points.
The most recent meeting between the sides saw George Elokobi’s side on the road once again last April, eventually being held to a 0-0 stalemate as the Stones dropped two points that ultimately proved costly as they missed out on the play-offs on goal difference just two weeks later.
THE STADIUM
Tucked away next to a nearby golf club, the Hornets play their home matches at the Hop Oast Stadium, situated approximately one mile south of Horsham town centre.
Opened in 2019, the 3000-capacity ground features covered provisions on three sides of the pitch, including an all-seater Main Stand capable of housing 300 spectators. The primary hub area of the stadium is located adjacent to the main turnstiles, consisting of a modern clubhouse providing food & drink provisions for all supporters alongside numerous TV screens broadcasting early kick-offs.
