RELIGHTING THE WICK

Southwick might not have the bling and bright lights of Brighton but the small town to the west of the city has a much more illustrious past - from prehistory to the Romans, Tudor to the Victorians, giving the place its unique character. It is also home to punk-poet Attila the Stockbroker - and Southwick FC.

The football club currently play in the Southern Combination Division One. One below the Southern Combination Premier and ten leagues below the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion. They have a bar open seven days a week but their ground has seen better days with crowds averaging around 50.

With the FA taking the decision early on to void Steps 3 to 7 (a season that had already been battered by bad weather and postponements) Southwick have kept busy on social media delving into their past exploits. Behind this twitter frenzy is Dan Gander whose dad has been supporting Southwick since the 1960s, and club secretary Clive Harman who made over 200 appearances in senior football including playing for Southwick. Both Dan and Clives first taste of live football was watching the Wickers, so it's fair to say the club is in their blood.

There's been lots of posts about the heyday of Southwick - cup finals, big crowds, away to Bournemouth. How did that come about?

"We have had great feedback regarding the twitter posts; people from all over the world whether its an old supporter whose moved away or past and present players. It's very easy to forget history but if we can bring back memories for people and put a smile on their faces then that's great. A lot of people don't realise how big Southwick Football Club was. FA Cup days, league titles, cup winners. When a professional was released from Brighton, Southwick was the team they wanted to play for. Growing up it was a big part of a lot of peoples lives, but over the years it's lost that appeal. The world has changed, there is a lot more things for adults and children to do. But we would love to bring those days back to Old Barn Way."

There's so many teams within touching distance of each other, how hard is it to compete for players, sponsorship and support?

"It's very difficult as you have the likes of Shoreham, Mile Oak and Lancing all within a few miles of each other. A lot of clubs I know have built a good relationship with sponsors over the years which helps massively. When it comes to looking for new sponsorships it often comes down to who you know; you might have a player who owns a trade/shop/business or a family friend who has the same.

Brighton playing at the Amex has had a big affect on Sussex County football. When Brighton are at home attendances around the non league circuit are down but when Brighton are away attendances are up. Players now also have season tickets at the Amex so player availability is sometimes hard.

On the playing side of it too, players like to be comfortable. You find in most County League sides the players have often grown up with each other through school or playing junior football over the years with each other. At Southwick we try our best to get players who look forward to turning up to training and being with each other. Who want to almost be like a family and work hard for each other on and off the pitch.”

If you could grant 3 wishes from the FA to help transform clubs like Southwick, what would they be?

"I think it would be to stablise and keep an eye on local grassroots football a lot more. The money in the professional game is enormous and if that could be filtered down it would massively help. You find a lot more football clubs are going into liquidation and administration (*two clubs folded in the Southern Combination this season) simply because they cannot afford to keep going. 

To have visits from the professional games representatives would also be a good idea, so that you know your not a forgotten grassroots team.

A lot of people’s times, effort and life’s goes into non league football and if they could be recognised and rewarded that is something that would also be appreciated.”

How do you think football will look after this pandemic  

"It will take a while for football to adapt and to carry on as normal, especially not knowing when it will restart or even if it will be this year. Financially, I think it could affect certain clubs very hard with upkeep, rent and maintenance side of things. Hopefully with the FA's help this can be cushioned a little bit. Going from what I read on social media, a lot of people are getting the preparation off their pitches started already, which I think is great and again goes back to taking your mind off things that are happening. We all know football is the least of people's worries right now but also there is nothing wrong with planning and looking forward. 
The price of professional football means lot of people have to miss out as they cannot afford it, so when the season starts we would love to be able to offer friendly, fun and enjoyment to everyone from all walks of life. To be that club people look forward to watching, coming too socialise with friends and family. It may take a few years to get where we want too be, but you can never say never and you have to dream big in any walk of life."  

You can follow Southwick on twitter, facebook or visit their website.