It’s a landmark weekend at Woodside Road – with fifth tier football making it’s long-awaited debut at the ground after over a century without it.
The Reds have called the stadium their home since circa 1892, with 136 years of thrills, spills and everything in between leading to arguably the most momentous occasion at the Club’s home tomorrow afternoon.
As a result of last season’s promotion into the National League, several new rules will now be implemented and enforced at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium in order to comply with the new league regulations. A higher division can correlate with larger crowds too, so every supporter must be aware of the safety measures to ensure everyone’s experience is solely focused on the football this season and beyond.
New League – New Rules
Our promotion into the National League means the Club fall under different guidelines and regulations compared to the past.
One of the primary differences, is that supporters are now prohibited from consuming alcohol within sight of the pitch. This applies at all times and in all areas/stands from the moment of entrance into the stadium. Fans who wish to purchase alcohol inside the stadium can still do so from various outlets at Woodside, but must drink these behind the stands inside our bars or behind pitch covers. Stewards will be on hand to ensure this rule is followed. The Club appreciates supporters’ understanding and cooperation of this ruling, as we all try to work together to ensure our experience adheres to the league regulations.
Also starting from this season, smoking and vaping is strictly forbidden in all areas inside the premises. Supporters who leave the stadium after entering and attempt to enter the stadium again will be refused.
All drinks must be decanted into plastic cups, so don’t be alarmed if your drink is removed from it’s container. Supporters are reminded that food or drink purchased outside the premises is banned inside the stadium and will be confiscated.
A reminder that carrying or using pyrotechnics, including flares, smoke bombs and fireworks, within stadiums is strictly prohibited. Pyrotechnics can cause serious injuries, including burns and breathing difficulties, as well as damage to hearing, lungs and eyes. They also present a significant fire risk. It is illegal to bring them into stadiums, and doing so endangers the safety of yourself and others, while also putting the club at risk of sanctions, including fines.
Tickets
Tickets are selling out fast for tomorrow’s clash with Forest Green Rovers, with tickets available to purchase online and on the turnstiles.
However, as always, supporters are encouraged to purchase their tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment of missing out and to minimise the disruption when entering the ground. The Club can never guarantee the availability of tickets at the turnstiles in the event of a sell-out. Buy your tickets here: Worthing FC vs Forest Green Rovers Tickets
Segregation will be in place for this match. Away supporters will be housed in the North East corner of the stadium, with food and drink refreshments available, including vegetarian and vegan options.
Both Worthing FC and Forest Green Rovers supporters can purchase their tickets online via Fanbase.
Please note as part of a newly-introduced rule, children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult, otherwise they will be refused entry. Refunds are awarded at the Club’s discretion.
Pricing
Prices
Adults – £22.00
Concessions – £18.00
U22 – £16.00
U19 – £9.00
U14 – £6.00
U7 – £1.00
Timings
Supporters are advised to arrive well in advance of kick-off, in order to prevent being caught in queues and missing some of the action as a result. Fans are recommended to turn up at least 30 minutes before the game is set to start to avoid disappointment.
13:00 – Turnstiles open
13:00- 17:30 – DJ in FanZone
14:15 – Team news & Warm-Ups
14:55 – Teams Emerge From Tunnel
15:00 – Kick-off
16:45– Full-time
(All timings are approximate and subject to change if necessary)
Stadium Map
A bird’s eye view of the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, including entrance points, refreshment outlets and other facilities.
Bowls Club Exit
Saturday’s match will be a segregated fixture, with Forest Green Rovers supporters congregating in the North East Corner of the stadium.
Our continual agreement with our neighbours at the Bowls Club will be in place, with side exit next to the Arrow Taxi South Stand being opened, which will allow fans to leave quicker via that alleyway and reduce congestion.
The exit will be clearly marked out by our helpful stewards, who will assist fans in departing the ground.
Supporters are kindly asked and expected to follow the stewards’ instructions and leave in an orderly manner. If this doesn’t happen, the Club – and you as supporters – will lose this privilege, thus making it much harder for supporters to exit the stadium for the rest of the season.
Please not, this is an exit that becomes available after the full-time whistle ONLY and not an entrance point for any supporter.
Food and Drink
FanZone & DJ
Our FanZone, sponsored by ST Containers, will be open and is the perfect place to feel the buzz before kick-off, as the atmosphere builds ahead of first home clash of the 2026/27 campaign. For this historic occasion, a DJ will be present playing some tunes to get everyone in the mood for an afternoon of football.
Alongside the The Container Bar, the FanZone also has multiple TV screens installed on the walls which means supporters can enjoy some pre-match entertainment in the lead-up to kick-off.
Several refreshments are available to purchase under the canopy, including alcoholic beverages and soft drinks only.
From this season onwards, there are now four points of service, which will increase the speed and efficiency of the bar.
Please note, no snacks are on offer from this outlet, with the newly-introduced Tuck Shop the place to satisfy your sugary cravings (see below).
Tuck Shop
The Club is delighted to introduce our new Tuck Shop, which has replaced the area that formerly housed our Club Shop. Positioned in front of our Stand Bar, the tuck shop will be selling selling teas, coffees, cold drinks, slushies (red only of course), sweets and chocolate and other snacks.
Stand Bar
As usual, the stand bar is expected to be very busy this weekend, with the bar renowned for being one of the more popular locations for supporters to congregate ahead of kick-off.
The Bar will serve alcoholic, soft drinks and hot drinks, but there are no snacks available in here. Again, supporters are directed towards our new tuck shop to fulfil your sugary-based needs.
There are three points of service at the bar and capacity is limited. Please use the inside of the building to queue, rather than outside the door, as the rules for alcohol consumption in sight of the pitch remain in action. Please don’t open the windows, as they are frosted to ensure that we comply with these rules.
St Elmo’s Shack
We are pleased to announce that our Kiosk situated in in the North West Corner of the stadium, affectionately referred to as our St Elmo’s Shack will now be serving beef-based products alongside the delicious chicken from last year.
Several items are just waiting to be devoured – including burgers, tenders and even a foot-long hotdog!
Main Kitchen
The Full Menu will be on offer at this weekend’s match, including vegan and vegetarian options and the new aforementioned king-size hotdog!
Pop-Up Bars
Two Pop-Up Bars will be in operation for tomorrow’s match, both situated behind the North Stand.
One Bar will be serving Camden Pale, Camden Hells and Koppaberg, while the other will have Stella, Camden Hells & Kopparberg also on draught.
Products purchased from these Pop-Ups Bars can only be consumed behind the stand, with the consumption of alcohol in the stand or in line of sight of the pitch prohibited in all areas around the ground.
Drink Promotion
Between the hours of 1pm-2pm and any time after the full-time whistle, the Club Food & Beverage Provider Jim Jam’s Catering are pleased to announce an offer discounting all pints of beer, ale or cider to £5.50.
This applies to all outlets other than our 1886 Lounge, in partnership with Jones & Tomlin.
Club Shop
Our Club Shop will open at approximately 1:00pm – shortly after the gates open and close just after half-time. The shop is the perfect place to grab some official Club merchandise ahead of the season, with all three official club shirts and our Champions 2025/26 tees in stock and ready to be bought!
The Shop is situated directly in front of the turnstiles and to the right of our FanZone, making it a prime location for supporters with easy access. For al clothing items – ranging from headwear, to old shirts – the shop is the place to be!
HOW TO FOLLOW
If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official Twitter account.
Or if you prefer, you can watch Behind- the-Scenes access over on our Instagram account.
You can also listen to live commentary through the club’s official commentary service or watch the match live on DAZN.
Scoreboard
Our Scoreboard, sponsored by Gorringe Kitchens & Bathrooms, will be in operation for the weekend’s action.
The screen is situated in the South West corner of the ground. If you are interested in any commercial opportunities associated with the scoreboard, please contact commercial@worthingfc.com.
H&T Pawnbrokers have activated the Official Premium Digital Scoreboard Partnership, with their brand logo now visible at the bottom of the screen underneath where the score and timings are displayed, guaranteeing a minimum of 90 minutes of constant exposure.
A few Digital Scoreboard Advert slots, costing £1,000 + VAT for the season, remain available to activate – another way for your brand/business to be seen by supporters on a matchday. Prior to the match, your business will be visible as part of a revolving advertisement display, in the hours leading up to the match. This advertisement scroll will also be played at half-time.
Mackie the Mackerel & WFCSA
Our Official Club mascot, Mackie the Mackerel, will be attendance for our first home game of the 2026/27 season and is looking forward to greeting some fans! Mackie will be parading around the pitch before the game, make sure you say hello!
*Weather dependent. Mackie’s fins love water but they don’t like the rain!
The Worthing FC Supporters Association are looking for some new members as the Reds embark on a new era at Woodside Road. At every home match, the WFCSA will set up a stall adjacent to the FanZone and near the Club Shop, and are inviting all supporters – new or old – to join their membership scheme and purchase their merchandise.
Head to the stall tomorrow afternoon, or visit www.worthingfcsa.co.uk for more details.
You will also see the new signage dotted around the ground, with QR Codes that will direct you to vote for your WFCSA Player of the Month, which will begin once all fixtures in August have been completed.
Travel and Parking
The ground is situated in the heart of a residential area and parking is severely restricted on a matchday. We ask supporters to travel together and use public transport where possible. If travelling by car, please respect our neighbours by parking considerately.
We encourage visitors to travel to the ground by public transport wherever possible to reduce congestion and emissions.
Worthing and West Worthing train stations are both approximately a ten-minute walk to the ground. Supporters travelling by train, please check Southern Rail’s website before your journey. Ensure you leave early and in plenty of time.
Ground Regulations & Accessibility
For more general stadium information, including our accessibility guide, ground regulations and behaviour guidelines, please visit:
Originally published by Worthing FC ↗