Matt Pole is joined by Sussex sport guru Steve Bone and special guest title-winning Horsham FC manager Dominic Di Paola.
Dom enjoyed a trophy-laden and history-making decade at the Hornets.
The 2015-16 SCFL Premier title win was Horsham’s first in 20 years. The Hornets got back to the Isthmian Premier via the play-offs in 2018-19, before recording the club’s best-ever league finish in 2023-24.
Horsham secured a first-ever Isthmian League Cup title in 2022, before ending the club’s 48-year wait to lift the Sussex Senior Cup last season.
There have been three thrilling runs to the first round of the FA Cup, all within the space of four years, with memorable trips to Football League outfits Carlisle, Barnsley and Chesterfield coming in 2021, 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Dom, who recently took charge of his 500th Horsham game, also led the Hornets to a best-ever FA Trophy run, and a record-equalling FA Cup second round appearance, during the 2023-24 campaign,
But Dom’s crowning achievement occurred just last weekend, when a remarkable final day of the 2024-25 Isthmian Premier campaign saw Horsham pip Billericay to the title by just a single goal.
Dom enjoyed a trophy-laden and history-making decade at the Hornets.
The 2015-16 SCFL Premier title win was Horsham’s first in 20 years. The Hornets got back to the Isthmian Premier via the play-offs in 2018-19, before recording the club’s best-ever league finish in 2023-24.
Horsham secured a first-ever Isthmian League Cup title in 2022, before ending the club’s 48-year wait to lift the Sussex Senior Cup last season.
There have been three thrilling runs to the first round of the FA Cup, all within the space of four years, with memorable trips to Football League outfits Carlisle, Barnsley and Chesterfield coming in 2021, 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Dom, who recently took charge of his 500th Horsham game, also led the Hornets to a best-ever FA Trophy run, and a record-equalling FA Cup second round appearance, during the 2023-24 campaign,
But Dom’s crowning achievement occurred just last weekend, when a remarkable final day of the 2024-25 Isthmian Premier campaign saw Horsham pip Billericay to the title by just a single goal.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Welcome to another episode of the Sussex Non-League Podcast, where we take a look at all the latest goings-on at grassroots football across the county.
00:06I'm Matt Poulton, and in this edition I'm joined by Sussex sport guru Steve Bone and our latest special guest, who today is no less than a title-winning manager.
00:14Today we are delighted to be joined by Dominic Di Paola, who has just guided Horsham to the Isthmian Premier Division title and promotion to the National League South for the first time in the club's history.
00:23Dom enjoyed a playing career at Worthing and Worthing United before taking his first steps into management.
00:27His first managerial role saw him take Klimping from the West Sussex County League to the County League's Division 2 in just three seasons.
00:34He then returned to Worthing United to guide them to promotion before he enjoyed remarkable success at East Preston.
00:39He guided EP to two County League titles, five finals of Sussex Cup competitions and the last 16 of the FA Vars.
00:45A short spell at Step 4, Hastings followed before Horsham came calling in 2015, and Dom has since enjoyed a trophy-laden and history-making decade of the Hornets.
00:53In 2015-16, SCFL Premier title was Horsham's first in 20 years.
00:58The Hornets got back to the Isthmian Premier via the playoffs in 2018-19 before recording the club's best-ever league finish in that division in 2023-24.
01:06Horsham secured a first-ever Isthmian League Cup title in 2022 before ending the club's 48-year wait to lift the Sussex Senior Cup last season.
01:13There have also been thrilling runs for the first round of the FA Cup, all within the space of four years, with memorable trips to the Football League outfits Carlisle, Barnsley and Chesterfield coming in 2021, 23 and 24, respectively.
01:23Dom, who recently took charge of his 500th game for Horsham, has also led the Hornets' their best-ever FA Trophy run and a record-equalling FA Cup's second-round appearance during the 2023-24 campaign.
01:34But Dom's crowning achievement occurred just last weekend when a remarkable final day of the 24-25 Isthmian Premier campaign saw Horsham pit Biliriki to the title by just a single goal.
01:44So welcome to the podcast, Dom. How are you doing? I'm going to guess that you've had a pretty good week so far.
01:50Yeah, it's been really, really good. Obviously, the way we won it on Saturday is fairytale stuff, really.
01:57Just absolutely exceptional and it was a really heavy night. I'm not really a drinker. I don't really drink anymore, but I drank too much, so someday I was in a bad way.
02:08But it was all worth it. It was amazing going out in the town and there were so many supporters, so many people who'd been at the game were out celebrating.
02:16And yeah, it was brilliant to go out with all the boys. I never socialised with the lads anymore. I'm too old for that.
02:22But it was a good night.
02:26Dom, we'll touch on more of what's happened this week as we go through.
02:30But I just want to take you back to this week last year. You got to the playoffs. You lost to Chatham in the semi-final.
02:36I think it was after extra time. Do you remember what the feeling was like at that point?
02:42Were you at that point thinking, right, we've gone close. We need to come back next season and have another good go?
02:48Or was this season far from your thoughts at that stage? Can you remember?
02:54Yeah, no, I think, I mean, obviously I've seen, you know, some of the playoff results this week for teams.
03:01It's like you feel really numb. You don't really feel anything because it's a, you play so many games and then you get to that playoff bit.
03:08And it's a cliche, but it is a lottery. I thought we were better than Chatham on the night.
03:14I thought we should have had a penalty in the first half. We've hit the post and we were missing three key players that night.
03:19And, you know, just tiny little bits of luck go against you and a whole season's work goes down the pan.
03:24So at the time I was quite jaded. We played so many games that year.
03:30And luckily we had the senior cup the following week to sort of focus on a little bit.
03:34But there wasn't a lot of thought. But as soon as the season finished, we were really focused on putting it right and trying to get up.
03:42But we've got a little WhatsApp group for the management. We called it the last dance.
03:47And I think realistically, you know, we knew it was going to be, you know, the last chance with the group to get out of this league.
03:55And credit to the boys a lot, you know, 90% of them stayed loyal and stayed and gave it another go.
04:01And they've all been rewarded over and above with the season we've had.
04:05And they're a really close-knit group. So it's great that they've been able to do that together.
04:10So, yeah, it was numbness. And then, you know, football's a funny one.
04:15The great thing about football is there's always another opportunity, you know, in general.
04:19And I think that's the thing. You have to sort of kind of reset and stay, you know, with the drive to do it.
04:26It can be hard. And I get why people quit a lot in football. You know, they give it up.
04:30You have to constantly be looking to kick on again. And that can be quite draining.
04:35But, yeah, my thought, as soon as the season finished and I had a couple of days' reflection after the Senior Cup,
04:40it was like, look, can we put a team together?
04:42Can we fill the gaps in our squad to, you know, to add to areas we perhaps didn't have last year and go again?
04:49Going back to this season, Dom, was there one game that made you think that maybe this title wasn't going to happen?
04:56And was there one where you thought, actually, maybe we can do this?
04:58The game that sticks out in my mind most is the Dartford away one this season where it kind of felt, oh dear, maybe it's not going to happen.
05:06Yeah, no, I think Dartford I was comfortable with. I think we've been on a really good run.
05:10I thought we were actually really, really good on the day. I think I thought they were lucky.
05:14I thought they were lucky. I don't think our keeper had anything to do until, you know,
05:18the last moments of the game and we've just switched off late on.
05:22The one where I thought we'd blown it was the following week at Wingate.
05:25Because I felt, because we've been on a great run and then obviously you're always going to lose some time.
05:30And away at Dartford's not necessarily a bad place to lose. It's a big club, big crowd, one of the playoff teams.
05:36But Wingate at home was one of our most disappointing performances.
05:39I thought we looked, we'd looked like we'd given up the ghost a little bit.
05:42So there was a little bit of ranting and raving after the game in the changing room.
05:50You know, a few accusations thrown around, which were probably uncalled for from the management to the players and stuff like that.
05:56But that was where you think, oh, well, you know, maybe it's just a playoff, you know, a playoff campaign, really.
06:02I mean, obviously, where we felt, where we felt we'd have the chance to do it was away at Chesson for me personally.
06:11Scoring in the last minute on a tough pitch. We played really well, but we just couldn't score.
06:15It's so difficult to play chances on a pitch where it's rutted and bobbly.
06:19And then I just had a funny feeling. I celebrated quite a bit after that goal, which is unlike me in general.
06:24I just felt, I just felt there was something, something brewing.
06:28I thought we were in a good place as a squad.
06:31And I felt like the boys, boys showed that, you know, they've got that about them a little bit.
06:38Dom, I'm sure that you will say, as any title manager, title winning manager would say,
06:43there's been a whole, a big team effort, big squad effort.
06:46Everybody's played their part.
06:47But are there, would there be two or three in the changing room who you could say,
06:52we wouldn't have done this without them?
06:56Maybe even, maybe more than two or three, you know.
06:58Yeah, I think, I think this year it's, you know, after we were interviewed on Saturday,
07:03I said, I said, the sort of the A team we've got now, they've been with us since the first week in pre-season.
07:08You know, it's very unusual, I think, for any team to start a season and finish a season with exactly the same group.
07:14And at different times, people have contributed different things.
07:17So, you know, I'm not sitting on the fence.
07:19I genuinely think at different times without any of these boys, we wouldn't have done it.
07:24You know, I think, let's just go from goalkeeper forward.
07:27I think Lou Carey's been unbelievable the second half of the season.
07:30You know, in key moments, he's made great saves.
07:32And then, you know, you talk about the two that sadly missed out on the squad on the last day,
07:37Mons and Joel Daly.
07:40Joel got us the winner at Wingate.
07:41I think he scored against Whitehall or Lewis at home in tight games.
07:47And Mons had a run where we did really well just after Christmas, sort of eight, ten games.
07:51I don't think we lost a game with him in the side.
07:54So, everyone's been exceptional.
07:56You know, Dicko carried the goal scoring for the first half of the season when perhaps others weren't firing.
08:02It's been a real collective effort.
08:06People like Harvey Sparks, he's been with me a long time and he's always very, very consistent.
08:11He'd probably say himself, didn't have the greatest of seasons last year.
08:14But this year, he's got himself back on track.
08:16So, I could sit and talk about all 18.
08:19And then, obviously, what we couldn't do without is, obviously, the management team that are around me
08:24and doing a lot of the work behind the scenes to get us prepped and making sure that the boys,
08:29you know, stay engaged and interested and train hard.
08:33And, you know, our planning and preparation is good.
08:36So, yeah, it's always a team effort.
08:38Football is the best thing about it.
08:39It's a team, you know, it's a team sport.
08:41But, yeah, there's been so many.
08:42You could ask me anything about any of them and I could give you numerous examples where they've got us over the line.
08:48So, it's been a real collective.
08:52Looking ahead to next season, Dom, firstly, have you given much thought to next season at all?
08:57And if you have, do you envision many changes to the squad or is it trying to keep most of the boys together
09:02and having two or three new faces?
09:04Yeah, I'd like the boys to give it a go because I think they've worked so hard over two years, most of them.
09:09I know we've brought in some new ones this year, but most of them have worked really hard for two years
09:12to get us into this point.
09:13I'd like them to give it a go.
09:15They're at a good age.
09:16I think some of them have not played this level and they should see whether they can do it.
09:21And then there's others that came to us specifically, really, probably to get back to this level.
09:26So, I'd like to keep the majority of the group.
09:29I think I've said it in the paper and I've probably said it on stuff I've done.
09:31I don't really like making new signings.
09:33I think whenever you make a new signing, it's a 50-50 as to whether they'll fit in or whether they'll, you know,
09:38you know they're going to be a good player because you've obviously done a lot of due diligence from the football side of things.
09:42But the actual, you know, fitting into, you know, fitting into the squad, you never know.
09:49Probably the brilliance of this year is everyone we brought in in the summer have been unbelievable.
09:53They've gone so well with the existing group.
09:56So, we're not looking to make too many changes.
09:58We're not in a financial position that we can go and do anything too spectacular, I don't think.
10:03You know, we're in a position where, you know, we're not, you know, there's certainly not going to be any budget increases or anything like that.
10:10And so, you know, we're going to have to go in and understand our position within the table now.
10:17We're going to be sort of a bottom five team financially and we've got to, you know, we've got to plan and prepare in a different way.
10:23But no, I want the boys to stay together if possible.
10:26You know, if I can, I want to give them all a chance.
10:28I think they deserve a chance and we've always done that.
10:30Every level we've gone to, we've always kept the boys that have got us there because they deserve their chance.
10:36And some might, it might not be for them, but, you know, others might flourish.
10:41I always talk about, like, Harvey, Lee, Harding and Jack Brivio.
10:45You know, they've been with us a long time and at every stage, you know, you probably ask Brives, Lee and Harvey when they played in this league,
10:52the first time rounds with other clubs, not really work for them.
10:55And then obviously for us, they've become champions.
10:58So it just shows that they can, they can, you know, excel at the level.
11:01So I'd love to see, like, you know, particularly those three, give it, give it a go and see what they're like at step two.
11:09Tom, when you look at the clubs in National League South, does it surprise you or even phase you even that there's actually quite a lot of full-time teams now at that level,
11:20particularly at the top end, I think six of the top seven as they finish this year at full time.
11:25And is that a worry for you when you're moving up into that league?
11:30Or do you look at Worthing, who is still part-time and think, well, they've done very well there.
11:35No reason we can't go up and sort of mix it.
11:37And, you know, there's not, you can't necessarily make a line between the full-time teams and part-time teams, can you?
11:43No, you can't. I mean, I think, obviously, we know it's going to be hard.
11:46We know it's going to be really, really, really, really tough.
11:48As I said, it's not like we've, you know, we've got like a three-year plan and this is part of a plan.
11:53And there's, you know, all the infrastructure behind the scenes.
11:56You know, someone like Worthing were kind of ready for this level before they got to this level.
12:01I'm not sure we are as a club at this stage.
12:03We've got to do a lot of work to get established at the next level, which is kind of how it's always been.
12:08Every stage we've gone, you know, each step we've gone up, we've probably gone up without any sort of planning involved, really,
12:16apart from, you know, winning games of football and getting promotions.
12:19So, you know, I've looked at it and, you know, like Averley had a good first season and then came down and Cheson came down
12:26and Enfield have had a tough, tough time of it.
12:28And Bishop Stortford had a year and came back down, although they went into the north.
12:33So we know it's going to be a big undertaking.
12:35But equally, when we first came into step four, some of the teams at the top of that division,
12:41when we first came up with Horsham and we had literally no money, guys, you know,
12:45it was when we were homeless and, you know, we were fighting for survival as a football club, really.
12:50And it's, you know, we were able to sort of sustain ourselves in that and going up against sort of big, big, big,
12:57big clubs with big, big budgets.
12:59And, you know, initially we were completely shocked at the level we were having to, you know,
13:05to go up against.
13:06There was Greenwich at the time and Carl Shorten and Hive and they were really, really, really good sides.
13:14So you've just got to adjust.
13:16You know, I think at every level, you know, there's teams spending more than us in our league in step three
13:21and there's teams spending less than us.
13:23And I think there's bigger clubs than us and smaller clubs.
13:27I think you've got to just try and find your way and work out a way of working that will keep you, you know, in there.
13:34And then it's about establishing yourself over a period of time.
13:38So then you become a, you know, a credible club at that level.
13:40But there's a lot to get in place.
13:44There's a lot of work to be done now.
13:46And, you know, obviously it's a huge challenge, but I'm really looking forward to it.
13:50Like, you know, I watch a lot of that level.
13:52I watch a lot of step two online.
13:56I watch a lot of it.
13:57And it's, you know, it would be nice to go up against some of these bigger clubs.
14:00And obviously it's looking like the clubs that are coming down from the National League into our league,
14:04there'll be another two or three maybe full-time or hybrid teams.
14:08And I'm told Chelmsford are going full-time.
14:11So it's going to be a lot of the teams are going to be working on things all day, every day.
14:16But we've got to find solutions to that.
14:20And that's what we've always tried to do.
14:21And whether that's doing a little bit more remotely with the boys
14:24or whether that's, you know, looking at alternatives to how we train and stuff like that.
14:30But, yeah, we'll suck it and see and see how we get on.
14:34We should probably mention Saturday, Dom.
14:36I can't wrap my head around what it must have felt like at the full-time whistle for you,
14:40knowing that you'd managed to do it.
14:42What were your abiding emotions?
14:45And was it all quite a bit difficult to take in at the time?
14:49Yeah, I mean, I'm not a celebrator.
14:53I was jumping around like a lunatic, like completely embarrassing myself.
14:57Yeah, it was just surreal, really.
14:58I mean, I think the way the game panned out, it could have been so easy for us.
15:02You know, we had so many chances, like forget goal difference and everything like that.
15:05We could have been plus four, plus five.
15:08And, you know, we were so good on the day.
15:11And I was completely relaxed, completely comfortable.
15:14And then all of a sudden my control freak re-kicked in.
15:17And I realised that their game was going to finish after ours.
15:20And then I'm thinking, Jesus, at some stage in this game,
15:24we're not going to have a chance to come back if we needed to.
15:27So the last sort of seven or eight minutes of our game,
15:30because I'm told that their game was going on longer,
15:34I just felt pretty sick and, you know, just completely lost in it, really.
15:40And then obviously the final whistle goes,
15:42and it feels like ages until we find out.
15:45And the beauty of the modern, you know,
15:47the modern world is obviously we've got everything filmed.
15:49And you watch it, it's a matter of, it's probably less than a minute until we find out.
15:53But that whole period was, yeah, it was really weird.
15:56And, you know, I feel a bit bad for a hashtag because I don't know whether I even shook my hand.
16:01I can't really remember after the game or sort of said anything to them.
16:05So, you know, I apologise for that.
16:07I just was a bit away with the fairies at that stage.
16:10But then obviously once we found out and, you know,
16:12the boys are going mad and I grabbed my kids and everything,
16:14which was really nice to get them on a pitch and, you know,
16:17seeing the supporters and the kids in the crowd so happy.
16:20And, you know, there was people in tears and it was amazing.
16:23I mean, you know, for a town like Horsham and, you know,
16:28I still go back to the fact that we didn't get that ground
16:30because they didn't see it as a value to the community, you know,
16:34and councils didn't see it as a positive thing.
16:37And then you're seeing sort of two and a half thousand plus people,
16:41predominantly families and kids have moments like that, you know,
16:44it just makes perfect sense for football to be in towns and communities
16:48to give people those moments, really.
16:50So everything about it, I kind of, yeah, I kind of remember it all.
16:53As soon as I sort of sorted my life out and stopped jumping around,
16:56like I'm a big one for sort of stepping back and watching everyone enjoy it.
17:01I think, you know, it's something I'll get a bit of a kick out of quite,
17:03you know, I don't think people, they probably think I'm not enjoying it,
17:06but inside I am.
17:07And I like to see the boys celebrate and I like to see them get their,
17:12you know, their rewards for the work they've done.
17:13And then, you know, looking around the stadium and seeing, you know,
17:16people, people celebrating with each other and that, you know,
17:18that's, that's a real buzz.
17:19So yeah, it was, it was, it was amazing.
17:22It was an amazing day.
17:23You want it to sort of like just stay on that pitch forever after the game.
17:27And I don't know how long we were on there.
17:29We were on there a fair bit anyway, but yeah, it was, it was just,
17:31it was just magical.
17:32And then obviously going in the club afterwards and it's packed and everyone's
17:36celebrating and, you know, a fair few drinks and then,
17:38like I said, going into the town, town centre.
17:40I've never been out in Portion before drinking, but yeah,
17:44it was good.
17:44And there was just so many people and it's odd how many people knew what,
17:48what had happened that weren't at the game or whatever.
17:50So, you know, for one day,
17:52it sort of brought a huge amount of people together.
17:55It did indeed.
17:55And last one on the day, Dom,
17:57did you have the abacuses out trying to work out what Bill and Ricky were going
18:00to do or were you just feigning it?
18:03Yeah.
18:03So I struggled with numbers.
18:07So with, with, with my maths is, is atrocious.
18:10So we had, we had a couple of guys in the gantry working it out.
18:14And we also had, we built a spreadsheet that was,
18:16so we weren't relying on, on like the online, you know,
18:22like the online league.
18:23We, we, what we wanted to do is make sure all through the game,
18:26whatever scenario was happening in the other game,
18:28we knew exactly what we'd need. So we didn't, so we had a spreadsheet,
18:31Jimmy Punter had it in the, the, the dugout.
18:33He's, he's quite, quite bright, Jim.
18:37And he was, he was,
18:38he was using the spreadsheet to keep us, keep us aware of, you know,
18:41if, if goal difference was, was level,
18:43what we'd need in terms of goals for goals scored and stuff.
18:46So, but what, what I did, I was quite,
18:48quite keen to sort of emphasize, you know, up to halftime,
18:51let's, let's just focus on us.
18:53We'll have a little assessment at halftime where we were.
18:56And then obviously the last 20 minutes, everyone, you know,
18:58our bench, all the, all the subs and everything are all over it.
19:02Sort of trying to, trying to get, you know,
19:04I'm trying to remind them that they might have to impact the game and sit
19:06down, but it's, it's so tough. I mean, it's like, and then,
19:10as I said, it was just after that, you know,
19:12we knew that their game was going to finish after ours,
19:14that it got a bit, a bit nerve wracking, but the boys were amazing to get us
19:18in that position. You know, they got us in that position and we,
19:20they got us in that position really quick.
19:22I think we had three shots in the first five minutes.
19:24We were, we were so, you know, we were so,
19:28so positive in terms of how we attacked the game.
19:30And, and then even when we went to five, we, we, we,
19:34we didn't shut up shop.
19:35We were so positive in terms of trying to get more.
19:37And then that's where the penalty came from.
19:39That's where the free kick came from late in the game.
19:41I think Sham had a chance that got bundled, bundled a little bit.
19:44And yeah, I mean, it's, you know,
19:46we were just going to go for it and the boys,
19:48the boys did that so well.
19:49Yeah, they did indeed.
19:51And congratulations again on your title win.
19:52And we'll be coming back to you as we continue out through the podcast,
19:56Dom,
19:56but now we'll move on to looking at how Sussex's non-league clubs have fared
20:00as the 2024-25 season draws to a close.
20:03And Horstham weren't the only Sussex club who had something to play for
20:05on the final day of the Istvian Premier season.
20:07Sixth place Chichester entertained fifth place Dover with a winner
20:10guaranteeing a place in the playoffs.
20:12Steve,
20:12who came out on top of Oaklands Park and what were the other main talking
20:15points on the final day of the Istvian Premier campaign?
20:17Yeah, amazing season for Chichester City.
20:21I think if anybody had said at the start of the season,
20:24they're going to need to win on the last day,
20:27everybody, including Chichester themselves,
20:29would have thought, well, that will be,
20:30they'll need to win to stay up, you know,
20:32because that was the expectation really for them at the start of the season.
20:36They got themselves into sixth position,
20:39just behind Dover,
20:41needed to beat Dover on the final day.
20:43Sadly, it didn't quite happen for them.
20:45They actually scored first and there was great excitement.
20:48Big crowd at Oaklands Park.
20:49I think they had about 1,300 in there,
20:51which is massive for them.
20:53Scored first,
20:54but actually Dover,
20:56the quality showed in the end.
20:58A few tiring limbs,
20:59I think,
20:59from Chichester probably took their toll as well.
21:02And Dover eventually won 3-1.
21:04So,
21:04Chichester miss out on the playoffs.
21:06It would have been their second straight playoff after they came through that
21:09route from the Southeast Division last year.
21:11But,
21:13yeah,
21:13I mean,
21:14still,
21:14what a season for Chichester.
21:16Nobody's going to,
21:17nobody's going to say they've let anyone down there by sort of missing out on the final day.
21:21Brilliant season,
21:22way above any expectations.
21:25And that sets them up well for next season,
21:28which will probably be harder for them because teams know about them a little bit more now.
21:32So,
21:33it could,
21:34it could be a sort of tougher second season,
21:36you know,
21:36like bands and their second albums.
21:38It could be,
21:39could be the case for Chai.
21:41The other Sussex teams,
21:42I think we know about really,
21:43it was all sorted before the final day.
21:45Hastings and Bognor,
21:46we've talked about going down and the reasons for that and the fact they'll be wanting to bounce back quickly.
21:51Lewis and Whitehall both sort of did okay in the end,
21:53you know,
21:54well clear of the relegation zone really.
21:57So,
21:57Chichester were the other story apart from Horsham on Saturday.
22:01It didn't quite go their way,
22:02but well,
22:02well done to them anyway for a good season.
22:05Yeah,
22:06they've had an incredible season.
22:07Dom,
22:07you've obviously seen a number of Sussex sides up close quarters in the Isthmian Premier this season.
22:11Who have you been most impressed with?
22:13And were you surprised that both Hastings and Bognor went down?
22:16I don't think we would even imagine that happening this season.
22:19It came out of the blue for us.
22:21Yeah,
22:21I mean,
22:22first of all,
22:23talking about Chichester,
22:24you know,
22:24they are the team of the season in my mind.
22:26In our league,
22:27you know,
22:27like obviously I know,
22:28I know the guys down there as well.
22:29And we went down there quite early and I thought it's a tough place for everyone to go in our league
22:36because it's out on a limb a bit.
22:38Midweek down there is not easy,
22:40but actually what they've done as a team is incredible.
22:43I mean,
22:43you take your hat off to them.
22:45Not comparing,
22:46because I think they've done better than us the first year when we come up and obviously COVID hit,
22:51but the momentum of coming up and the benefit of continuity within their squad has obviously really helped.
22:58But yeah,
22:59they've done really,
23:01really well.
23:01They've been a team of the league,
23:03you know,
23:03the league for me.
23:04You know,
23:06better sides in our league.
23:07I think Dartford and Dover are really tough to play against.
23:12They're very,
23:13very tough.
23:13They're quite direct.
23:14They've got lots of power.
23:16They've got good,
23:16good players at the top end of the pitch.
23:18And obviously,
23:18they've got their big clubs,
23:20big crowds.
23:22They've been really good.
23:24And then I think,
23:24you know,
23:24like teams like Folkestone and Chatham have got,
23:26I've got players that probably have underachieved,
23:29but on their day,
23:30they've all been there and done it and they can turn it on.
23:33And then obviously,
23:34Billeric,
23:35he probably pound for pound in our league are,
23:38you know,
23:39probably the strongest squad.
23:41And obviously they'll be,
23:42they'll be gutted for the week they've had.
23:44But yeah,
23:45they're the,
23:45they're the sort of standout teams.
23:46Some,
23:47some of the,
23:47the more random ones that,
23:49that always impress me is Wingate.
23:50They have a sort of a certain sort of quite unique style of playing that,
23:54that is quite,
23:56it's quite hard to play against and,
23:57and always sort of like for a smaller club do,
23:59do great in our league,
24:00but it's a really tough,
24:01it's a tough league.
24:02It's very,
24:03it's very level,
24:04level peggings in general,
24:05like,
24:06and everyone's sort of fit and able and,
24:08and run,
24:09run forever.
24:11With regards to,
24:12to Bognor and Hastings,
24:13I think,
24:14yeah,
24:15I feel,
24:15you know,
24:16obviously I know,
24:16again,
24:16know the guys down at Bognor and I think,
24:18you know,
24:19a few injuries and then,
24:20and then obviously sometimes it's just disaster after disaster.
24:24I think you can just,
24:25you can just sense down there that,
24:27you know,
24:28we played them at the end of the season and it,
24:29it just felt so flat,
24:31flat down there really.
24:32But,
24:32yeah,
24:33I feel,
24:34you know,
24:34big,
24:34big club,
24:35hopefully they can turn it around and come back because when I played,
24:38they were the,
24:39the premium,
24:40you know,
24:41they,
24:41they were the biggest,
24:42probably the biggest club outside of Crawley in,
24:44in Sussex.
24:45And,
24:46for whatever reason,
24:47you know,
24:47a number of clubs have overtaken them,
24:48but yeah,
24:49you know,
24:50they've got,
24:50they've got,
24:51again,
24:51my personal opinion,
24:52excuse me,
24:53is they're in the wrong league.
24:55I think they'd,
24:55they'd excel nearer,
24:58nearer Hampshire.
24:59I think they'd be able to get better players and,
25:00and things like that.
25:01But obviously with them being in the ESPN Prem,
25:03it's tough because you're not going to attract players to,
25:07to head out North London and Essex all the time.
25:09And obviously I think that's always a stumbling block.
25:11Whereas,
25:12you know,
25:12if they're a bit more central to,
25:13to Hampshire,
25:14they can,
25:15they can attack a different pot of players,
25:17but Hastings,
25:19you know,
25:19clearly made the wrong,
25:21wrong decision in the summer in terms of,
25:24in terms of replacing Aggie and,
25:27you know,
25:27didn't really align with what they'd done in the past,
25:29I don't think.
25:30And then,
25:30you know,
25:30again,
25:31it's one of those where it's,
25:32it's,
25:33you know,
25:34it's sort of a,
25:36you know,
25:37it just,
25:37it just rolls on and rolls on.
25:38And,
25:38and then before you know it,
25:41you blink and you're in March,
25:42February,
25:43March and your season's over and,
25:45and it's,
25:45it's a disaster really.
25:47And I think,
25:47again,
25:48it's going to be so tough for those clubs to get back up because it's really not easy to get out of any of these leagues.
25:52It doesn't matter how much money you've got.
25:54It doesn't matter how big a club you are.
25:56There's always,
25:57there's always lots of competition to get out and there's bottlenecks at every one of these leagues.
26:01And,
26:02you know,
26:03you talk about some of the teams in our league that have not,
26:05not got what they wanted this year.
26:07People like Folkestone,
26:08I know,
26:08invest a lot of money.
26:09It could take a long time.
26:10And Hornechurch took three or four years to get out of this league.
26:13Spending big.
26:14And it's,
26:15it's tough.
26:16It's tough if you go down to try and,
26:18to try and get back off to Tricky.
26:20And,
26:21Dom,
26:21final one on the,
26:22it's been Premier.
26:23We now know it's Dartford against Dover in the final.
26:26Dartford came through 4-3 against Cray Valley.
26:29I think they needed extra time.
26:31Dover beat Billericchi.
26:32So,
26:32bad week for Billericchi.
26:34Is it possible to call a winner very easily between Dartford and Dover?
26:38It's not a game I particularly want to watch.
26:41But,
26:42I think they're both,
26:43they're both very similar.
26:44They're both very similar.
26:45They're very powerful.
26:46They,
26:46you know,
26:46they play percentage football.
26:48They,
26:48they don't make many mistakes.
26:49It's all,
26:50you know,
26:51for me,
26:52I think,
26:52I think potentially Dartford.
26:54I think,
26:55I think Dartford are very,
26:56very good at what they do.
26:57And,
26:58and they've got,
26:59they've got,
27:00they've got a lot of power in amongst them,
27:02I think.
27:02But it's,
27:03that,
27:03that one's a toss of a coin.
27:04I think,
27:05I think it's,
27:05it's going to be a very close game.
27:08And,
27:08you know,
27:09two,
27:10two historically very big clubs.
27:11And I sort of tip my hat to both of them actually to come down and,
27:14and,
27:15and do as well as they've done.
27:17I wasn't sure that they would,
27:19because sometimes it takes a little bit of time to adjust,
27:21but I think they've probably done it the right way.
27:22They've brought in a more younger squad and they've gone with like power and,
27:27and energy as opposed to,
27:29you know,
27:29probably making the mistakes that others do where they go for experienced people
27:33that are older and not so driven.
27:35So I think both of them have had good seasons.
27:37I think they're both good teams in the way they play.
27:39It's not my cup of tea,
27:40but I can respect the way they do it.
27:42And yeah,
27:44I mean,
27:44two,
27:45one of those big clubs is going back up,
27:46which is obviously good for,
27:48good for their area because they're big,
27:49they're big,
27:50big clubs and they've fallen on hard times a little,
27:52bit.
27:52And,
27:53you know,
27:53it's good to see those bigger clubs sort of get back on track,
27:56really.
27:57And there was also everything to play for on the final day of the National
28:00League South regular season on Saturday,
28:02with no less than six clubs,
28:04including our own Worthing and Eastman Borough in the running for the title.
28:07How did it pan out for the Reds and the sports on a nail biting day,
28:10Steve?
28:11Yeah,
28:11well,
28:11at three o'clock on Saturday,
28:13we all thought the National South was going to be the one to watch.
28:16The most exciting sort of Sussex story of the day.
28:21Dom and his chaps proved us wrong.
28:23And the Eastman Premier was where it was at.
28:25The problem with the National South title race on Saturday was that it was kind
28:28of over by 10 past three because Truro had a very early three nil lead and
28:32they were the leaders to start with.
28:34So that kind of killed the tension in terms of who was going to win the title.
28:37And in fact,
28:39all the top six,
28:40there were six teams at the start of the day in with a chance of the title.
28:44And they all did the job very professionally,
28:46really.
28:47And I think by,
28:48I looked by about 10 past four,
28:50that those six teams had scored like 16 goals between them.
28:53They were all sort of three or four up.
28:55So Truro went on to win,
28:56I think five,
28:57two in the end.
28:59Eastman Borough did the job at home to Western.
29:02They ended up finishing third to go straight into a playoff semi.
29:06Worthing did all they could on the last day,
29:08put five past Enfield,
29:10but they ended up finishing fourth.
29:11You know,
29:12the positions were unchanged at the end of the day.
29:14So it's sort of mixed feelings really for our,
29:16for our Sussex seeds,
29:18Sussex sides missing out on the title,
29:19but going into the playoffs.
29:21Well,
29:22yeah,
29:22you mentioned it there,
29:22Steve.
29:23With those sets of results,
29:24Eastman Borough advanced straight to the playoff semi-final where they will
29:27meet the winner of the eliminator between Worthing and Maidstone,
29:29who faced off on Wednesday.
29:32So who's travelling down to Priory Lane,
29:34Steve,
29:34and can we look forward to an all Sussex semi-final?
29:37No,
29:38I'm afraid we can't.
29:39Worthing,
29:39Worthing,
29:40Neil Maidstone too was the news from Woodside Road last night.
29:43Two penalties by Maidstone,
29:44one quite early,
29:45one quite late.
29:47I think it just went a bit flat for Worthing.
29:50I think they seem to have given all they can.
29:54They were,
29:54they were top not so long ago with it,
29:56with the chance to go a few points clear at the top,
29:59and they didn't take that.
30:01A little bit of inconsistency came in.
30:03They then found their consistency again and had a good,
30:07actually had some good results towards the end of the season.
30:09Away to Eastbourne,
30:10a draw at Eastbourne on Good Friday.
30:13It wasn't a bad result and it actually took them back to the top.
30:16And then on the Easter Monday,
30:17they drew again at home to Dorking and that left them fourth.
30:20So that just shows how tight the top of that table was.
30:24Worthing then couldn't finish above fourth,
30:27went into an eliminator.
30:28So for the third season running,
30:30Worthing have gone out in the playoffs.
30:32Well done to them for reaching the playoffs again,
30:33because they had a lot of people,
30:35you know,
30:35they had a manager and some key players to replace a year ago,
30:39and they managed to do that.
30:40But no disappointment for Worthing.
30:42So it is Maidstone who are off to Eastbourne Borough on Sunday.
30:45Maidstone have kind of sneaked into the playoffs in the seventh.
30:49So they've kind of got nothing to lose in a way,
30:52and that can be an advantage in playoff campaigns.
30:54So I think that'll be a hard game for Eastbourne Borough,
30:56but we'll be rooting for the sports.
31:00Yeah, absolutely.
31:00Best of luck, Borough.
31:01Dom, just this season alone,
31:03you've met current National League,
31:04South Cubs, Dorking, Worthing, Torquay and Maidstone,
31:07all in various cup competitions.
31:09From what you've seen of them this season,
31:11is there a big difference in standard between step two and step three
31:14and do your positive results against Maidstone,
31:16Dorking and Worthing give you optimism for the campaign ahead?
31:21I mean, they're one-off games, aren't they?
31:22So it's a slightly different, you know,
31:24it's a slightly different thing.
31:25I think there is obviously a big jump.
31:30I thought Worthing would win it.
31:32I did think Worthing would win it this season
31:33with the players they've got.
31:34But, you know, they've got some experience of doing well at this level
31:40and I thought they'd win it.
31:41But, yeah, so obviously, you know, last night wasn't a great performance.
31:46So, you know, it's a shame for Worthing to not go up this year.
31:50I think it's a good chance for them.
31:51But, no, I think there is a big jump between our league.
31:54I think it's proven, as I said, with the teams that come up.
31:57I think, you know, the ones who are upwardly mobile,
32:01like Dorking and Worthing and maybe Hornchurch, have been fine.
32:05And then, you know, the other ones that have got promoted
32:07have found it really, really challenging.
32:09I think this year it's been quite a bit like our league.
32:11It's been a lot of teams very similar in terms of their ability.
32:16There's not been maybe too many standout teams.
32:20But, yeah, I think those top sides have got a lot of quality.
32:24But you only have to look at Worthing, Mohamed Fowl, Sam Beard,
32:27Nicky Wheeler, Jack Spong and Cashman and Partington
32:32and Chris Hayes won it with Ebsfleet.
32:34You know, they're serious players they've got down there.
32:37And, you know, coming up against teams like that next year,
32:40it's going to be a real challenge for us.
32:43And, yeah, and then, you know, like Bore and Wood, you know,
32:45with their history and Dorking, I've got it for Mark.
32:48And, yeah, there's a lot of good sides.
32:50There's a lot of good sides up there.
32:51But, yeah, the playoffs, the playoffs always are, you know,
32:55there was surprise and Maidstone probably wouldn't have tipped to beat Worthing
32:59last night, especially with Worthing at home.
33:00But I watched the game.
33:01They played really well.
33:02Good game plan.
33:04Really restricted Worthing.
33:06The press was very good.
33:08So I thought, you know, I was quite surprised when we played Maidstone at the time.
33:11And it wasn't, you know, it didn't look like they would, for me,
33:14would have been a playoff team.
33:16But they've done really well to get there.
33:18And, you know, they could be that team that finishes in the bottom
33:21and goes all the way through.
33:23Yeah, absolutely.
33:24Meanwhile, in the Eastman South East Burgess Hill town,
33:27we're in playoff on Tuesday night against Margate.
33:29And they enjoyed a night to remember in front of a raucous Leyland Park crowd.
33:33Give us a rundown of the action, Steve.
33:35Who will meet the Hillians in Monday, Friday, sorry, playoff final?
33:39And do you fancy them to get promoted?
33:41Yeah, so it's Burgess Hill off to Citybourne in the final on Friday night.
33:47Burgess Hill beat Margate 2-0.
33:50Reasonably comfortable.
33:51It wasn't all one-way traffic.
33:53Margate had a lot of the chances in the first half.
33:56Burgess Hill got the goal.
33:57Martin Box put them ahead just after a half hour.
34:00And then they got a second just after the hour.
34:02So kind of scored at good times just to sort of take the wind out of Margate's sails a bit.
34:07Big crowd there.
34:08A brilliant crowd, you know, a lot of sort of celebrations and stuff at the end,
34:13which is always a little bit dangerous when you've won a semi-final
34:15because you've kind of, you know, it's a job half done, really, isn't it?
34:19You've still got the big one, the final to go on to.
34:21Citybourne, as expected, came through at home to Merston.
34:25Because Citybourne finished second in the table, Burgess Hill were third.
34:28They'll be at home in the final.
34:31My head says Citybourne should win that.
34:34They didn't lose at home in the legal season.
34:371-18, drew three, I think, and a very good record at home.
34:41But my heart says Burgess Hill have got a great chance, actually.
34:44Burgess Hill went to Citybourne for the regular league game at Easter and went ahead and drew 1-1.
34:50So they can kind of go down there with nothing to fear.
34:52Jay and Gary, you know, we had Gary on the podcast not so long ago, didn't we, talking about what they've done this season.
35:00They've done very well.
35:00They've been consistent, scored goals.
35:03They did recruit well.
35:06Last summer, Bobby Price, who obviously Don would know, has been a key player for them this season.
35:11And I think they've got a chance.
35:12I think they need to summon up the spirit of Chichester City, who on the same Friday night last year went to three bridges,
35:19having just sort of sneaked into the playoffs and won 5-0.
35:22So I don't think Burgess Hill will win 5-0 at Citybourne, but I think they've got a chance.
35:27Yeah, best of luck to Hill.
35:28Dom, there are a lot of Sussex clubs and ex-Hornets playing in that division.
35:32I know you keep a keen eye on the National League South, but do you often take a look at what's going on at Step 4?
35:37Yeah, definitely.
35:38I mean, I think Burgess Hill, I could see Burgess Hill going up there and winning comfortably with what they've got.
35:43You know, you look at like Slav, Slav Ingold.
35:45He's won the Isthmun Prem with Dorkin.
35:49Hamish Morrison is an excellent full-back.
35:51He was very good at wide talk.
35:53And Nathan Cooper, who'd been around with Sean Saunders.
35:56Bobby with us.
35:57Bobby's too good for that league.
35:58Ryan Worrell, he was at Hastings, you know, last year.
36:02He's a top, top player.
36:03And Chris Welpdale, I mean, you all know about Chris Welpdale.
36:07I think they could surprise him because they've got mountains of quality there.
36:12Probably in another season, you'd have tipped them for the title, really, because of the players they've got.
36:17So, yeah, I keep an eye on it all.
36:19Obviously, Mitch and George at Little Hampton, they both used to play for me.
36:23And I've got a lot of time for them as well.
36:25And they've done well to stay up.
36:27And I think Sima at Broadbridge Heath has done great.
36:30Jude's done great.
36:31Eastbourne Town, first year back, you know, kept them very comfortable.
36:37Not quite sure with Stenning.
36:39You know, maybe there was an opportunity in the summer to stay up and give it a go.
36:45But for whatever reason, it's slumped all season, you know, which is a shame because you work really hard to get into a league.
36:51And to come up and probably not be able to do too much is a shame because it's hard to get back up there.
36:57But, yeah, I keep an eye on it.
36:59Obviously, there's a lot of our ex-players all over the place.
37:02Kirky down at Little Hampton, Scott Kirkwood, who's an amazing player for us.
37:06There's so many that have been in and around Horsham down the years.
37:09But, yeah, I keep an eye on that league.
37:12Tuesday night also saw play a semi-final action in the SCFL.
37:15The Premier semis were Eastbourne United against Hayward Seath at the Oval Arena after those sides ended third and fourth.
37:21And Krober, who finished second behind Champions Haseks, took on Petersfield Town.
37:25In Division One, second place Forest Row hosted Arundel, who ended sixth, while third place Godalming were at home to infinity.
37:31What was the outcome for the semi-finals, Steve?
37:34And what are your predictions for the respective finals?
37:36Yeah, so in the Premier Division, Eastbourne Borough and Krober both won their home semi-finals.
37:42That gives us a Krober v Eastbourne final on Sunday.
37:48You'd say Krober are probably favourites for that.
37:51They've been second for a long time behind Haseks.
37:54They've been pushing Haseks as much as anyone has pushed Haseks.
37:57Nobody has, really.
37:59But Eastbourne Borough, they've timed their form well because they were sort of seventh or eighth
38:03for a long time, sort of through the sort of February-March time.
38:07Had a really good run of results at the end of the season.
38:10Got into the top five and then actually ended up third, which gave them home advantage against Hayward Seath,
38:14which was important.
38:16Big crowd, I think it was about 700 down at the Oval Arena on Tuesday night to see them get an injury time winner.
38:22So they'll be happy to be in the final.
38:24Krober came through against Petersfield.
38:26Like I say, you know, it's a playoff final, as we've said a number of times already on here.
38:33You just can't predict it.
38:34You know, it doesn't always go to the full book.
38:36So Eastbourne United will certainly go down there with a chance.
38:40Division one, Forest Rowe are the sort of division one equivalent of Krober, really.
38:45They've been tucked in behind Seaford, who've won the title.
38:47Well done to them.
38:49Forest Rowe have been second for a long time.
38:51Pushed Seaford all the way.
38:52Will have been a bit disappointed to be in the playoffs and almost actually went out to Arundel,
38:57who'd finished sixth.
39:00Their game on Tuesday night was, I think it was 3-1 to Arundel at one stage,
39:04but Forest Rowe got it back to 3-3 and then won on penalties.
39:08The other semi-final went to penalties as well.
39:10Godleby against Infinity, one of the Chichester-based teams.
39:15Infinity came through on penalties.
39:16So it is Forest Rowe at home in the final against Infinity.
39:19Again, you'd say, you know, if you were being logical about it,
39:23you'd say Forest Rowe should win that 2-3-0, but maybe not the case.
39:28But next time we're on, we'll be able to look back and see whether the full book ruled.
39:33Absolutely.
39:34And there was also final day drama in both divisions,
39:36Saturday with relegation places and title destinations decided.
39:40What were the big stories from respect to final days in the SCFL Premier Division
39:43and Division one, Steve?
39:44Yeah, very tense at the bottom of the Premier Division.
39:50The second relegation spot was up for Crobes between three teams
39:53and it did look as though Shoreham, who were losing at home to Eastbourne United,
39:58were going to go down because Lockswood were drawing at Crobra.
40:04Lockswood then conceded an injury time goal at Crobra, winner for Crobra.
40:10That sent them down and kept Shoreham up.
40:13Little common with the other team in the mix, they got a draw and stayed up as well.
40:18So a terrible way to go down for Lockswood, a real shame for them.
40:22But, you know, as ever with football, where one team is on the floor,
40:26another team's celebrating and Shoreham were making the most of their reprieve.
40:31Division one, as we've said, Seaford won the title.
40:37So congratulations to them.
40:39And it was the bottom two, remained as the bottom two all-fold
40:42and Montpellier-Villa finished as the bottom two there.
40:47They've both been down their all season and have sort of just struggled to get away from that.
40:51So, you know, they'll look to come back next year, I'm sure.
40:55Don, we mentioned at the start of the podcast your managerial stints at Worthen United and East Preston.
40:59Do you still keep contact with people at those clubs and do you keep an eye out for how they're both getting on?
41:06No, no to both, really.
41:08I mean, I think obviously I was there a long time ago.
41:11A lot's changed at both clubs, really.
41:13I don't, I'm fairly certain, apart from maybe Mark Sanderson at Worthen United,
41:17there's no one at either club from the times we were there.
41:20I think it's a shame what's happened at East Preston.
41:22I think that club was in a good position to sort of not end up doing anything, you know, higher up.
41:30But they should be a club that's in the sort of top eight to ten in the, you know, in the Premier.
41:36It's disappointing that they're not where they need to be anymore.
41:39And obviously Worthen United, I live in Worthen, I keep an eye on it.
41:41You know, sort of they're in Division One, which historically has always been sort of about right for the club.
41:49Obviously, hats off to Hassox, by the way.
41:51I think they've done an amazing, you know, amazing job there this season.
41:55And yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, for teams like Hayworth Heath and, you know,
41:59the funding and things that some of those other clubs with bigger resources for Hassox to win it is amazing.
42:06And yeah, I was following the Arundel game because my friend Craig's manager at Arundel the other night,
42:11and I think he's a bit unlucky.
42:11He's had a great run going into the playoffs and to lose out to Forest Row.
42:16And there's another Horsham boy, Kurt Gayler, is up at Forest Row, I think.
42:19So, you know, they've got a really strong side.
42:22I think they've got a lot of the Crawley, the X3 Bridges lads are a bit older now.
42:25So, yeah, I'll keep an eye on it all, mate, I think, but yeah, we're not necessarily kept in touch with the old clubs.
42:32Dom, just sort of an extension to that.
42:36Sussex non-league football generally, do you see it being in a healthy state at the moment?
42:41It seems like we've got quite a few clubs on the up.
42:43Are we in a good place in the county?
42:46I think so, yeah, I think so.
42:47I think obviously Worthing and Eastbourne Borough are in very good places.
42:52These are really well-run clubs now and, you know, they've got everything in place to do great things and getting big, big crowds.
42:58I mean, I used to go and watch Worthing when there was 150, it was a decent crowd in the late 90s or whatever.
43:04So, you know, for what they're doing now and you go and look at the ground, it's incredible.
43:07And then, you know, I mean, Lewis has grown again.
43:10They were an Isthmian two side back in the day and obviously we've progressed really well.
43:14And, yeah, I mean, I think we're in a, as a county, I think we're in a much better place than historically.
43:20I mean, it used to be, you know, it used to be Crawley and, as I said, you know, one of Bognor and Worthing, whoever were having a go at it when I played.
43:27And obviously with Langley being Eastbourne Borough and they've kicked on down the years.
43:31But, yeah, I think we're in a good place and a lot of people are into non-league football now.
43:36And that's why we're getting these big crowds and that's why we're getting the interest.
43:38I think people are coming out of professional football and enjoying what they're seeing at these lower leagues.
43:45I think having three Gs have helped because it's meant that the games have been of a better standard.
43:50But, yeah, I think we're in a good place as a county at the moment.
43:53There's a lot of good sides in the area and a lot of clubs are upwardly mobile and want to kick on and do good things.
44:01And finally, for those who didn't know, Horsham still have the Sussex Senior Cup final to look forward to.
44:06The Hornets will be hoping to retain their crown against Isthmian, South Eastside, Little Hampton Town next week.
44:12Dom, I'm presuming that the aim is to finish the campaign in the same sort of form you've shown all season and lift the trophy at the second season for a row.
44:19I think I said to you during the week it would be a great way to cap the best season in, no doubt, the best season in the club's history.
44:25Yeah, we'd love to.
44:26Yeah, I mean, it's always a tough undertaking in a cup final anyway.
44:30But, you know, we do genuinely respect Little Hampton.
44:34I've seen all their cup, you know, their cup runs and they're a cup team.
44:38And like I said, George and Mitch know me so well.
44:40They'll know what I'm all about anyway because I've shouted and screamed at them on the sidelines.
44:45Do you know what I mean?
44:45So it's going to be a real, you know, a real challenge like they always are.
44:49But it'd be amazing if we could do it again, you know, given the 50 years pretty much since we previously wanted to do it two years in a row would be brilliant.
44:59But we've got to apply ourselves in the right way.
45:01We need to get to, you know, all the Premier League stuff out of the way mentally, I think.
45:08Obviously, we wouldn't pick the trophies up and, you know, do all of that sort of thing and celebrate that.
45:14And then what we have to do is sort of get back into football mode and train hard and prepare hard.
45:19And I'm sure the boys will want to go out on a real positive.
45:24You know, it was an amazing night last year on and off the pitch.
45:27It was so, you know, to have that many supporters down there.
45:29And, you know, hopefully we'll have even more from Horsham this year.
45:32I think, you know, I don't know how many it was, but it's got me three and a half thousand at least down there last year.
45:37And hopefully we'll have a, you know, a big crowd there and they can have another really good night out.
45:43And then everyone can go and enjoy the summer.
45:45But, yeah, hopefully we can do it.
45:49Fingers crossed for you.
45:49Well, that's all for this episode.
45:51I thank you, Dom, for joining us.
45:52And congratulations again to you and everyone at Horsham for lifting the title on Saturday.
45:56Don't forget to keep checking out sussexworld.co.uk forward slash sport for the best coverage of local football plus your local Sussex weekly papers.
46:03Horsham fans in particular should pick up a copy of this week's West Sussex County Times, where the Hornets are on both the front and back pages.
46:09Join us again soon for another look at all things non-league in Sussex.
46:12And, yes, we will see you all very soon.