In short, Horsham are one of the teams that we get a chance to meet once in a blue moon by virtue of a random cup draw. The case in point here with the Hornets is our 2008-9 FA Cup run, which saw us pair up with the West Sussex outfit in the Fourth Qualifying Round. To their credit, they came to our place and gave us a right good scare; Boro’ needing a late equaliser to avoid an embarrassing exit. In the replay, we went down to them and got the job done. We know what it’s like, of course. We’ve been in their shoes ourselves.
Horsham: The Facts
The Hop Oast Stadium,
Worthing Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0AD
Horsham Football Club have been with us since 1871; an impressive and long effort in English footballing circles. The counter point is that the Hornets haven’t made a huge mark on things; limited to non-league action for the entirety of their history. Indeed, they spent the period before World War Two inside county boundaries; first as founder members of the West Sussex League in 1896, which they won on a good few occasions. Next, and a bit late to the party, was the Sussex County League in 1926.
The Hornets were county champions six times during the 1930s and racked up more than 100 goals on a regular basis. They picked up where they left off after the war to claim the championship in 1947 too. The success at this level already had them thinking about what came next. But it appears the Athenian League were always too fast to turn them down. So, in 1951, the Hornets moved into the Metropolitan and District League – and won it at their first attempt.
Six years later, the club joined the Corinthian League for the last six years of the competition’s lifespan. It meant that, in a roundabout way, the Hornets would get their Athenian League membership in 1963. After one step back, they then took two steps forward in 1973 to win the Division One title; joining the Isthmian League. What kept us apart in the mid-1980s was the regionalisation; them in the South, us in the North.
How to get to Horsham – Travel Information – Distance: 79 miles
By Road
Likely to be the easiest way to get from home down to Horsham, go south on the A1(M) and head counter-clockwise around the M25. Exit the motorway at Junction 9, which is signposted Leatherhead; taking the third exit on the roundabout for the A243. Continue along the A243 around the edge of Leatherhead until you hit Beaverbrook Roundabout. Here, take the second exit for the A24.
Stay on the A24 at the various roundabouts that will come your way until you reach Hop Oast Roundabout. Take the first exit by the Shell garage. With the Park and Ride site on your left, the entrance to the ground is on your right after 0.2 miles.
You can’t park at the stadium – but you can at the Park and Ride opposite. It’s only five minutes across the road. If we’re deemed to be a big game, however, additional parking arrangements could be in place and the club ask that you use the RSPCA car park. You can find where this is on the Horsham website.
By Rail
Station: HORSHAM
Services to: STEVENAGE
It’s a fair old walk from Horsham’s station. But it’s doable. Come out of the station and go south-west on North Street. As the road bends round to the left, a side street goes off to the right. Take this and then use the pedestrian overpass to cross the main road through the town. Keep going in more or less a straight line until you pass the Museum.
Turn right and head towards a big Sainsbury’s. Go through the car park and come out onto a roundabout at the other side. Turn left onto Worthing Road and the ground will be on the left in just over a mile.
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