SOME NON-LEAGUE NEWS FROM THE LOCAL AREA...

Worthing FC have unveiled a £150,000 project which will see their home ground (The Crucial Environmental Stadium) undergo a number of improvements. New floodlights, an additional bar, a new toilet block and improved changing rooms are to be built thanks £90,000 from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund together with sponsorship and donations thanks to some fine work by some hard working club officials behind the scenes. 

Their was a £43,000 funding gap which was incredibly crowd funded in only 14 days. Any additional money that is raised from the crowd funding effort which runs until July will be stored in a separate secure account and used only for further stadium improvements.

Ross Standen has been appointed as Horsham FC's new Assistant Manager to Dom Di Paola. He replaced Adam Westwood who left the club in April. Standen was part of the highly successful managerial team that saw Whitehawk's rise from the Sussex County League Division One to the Conference South as well as spending four months are caretaker manager of Lewes last season along side Tony Coade. 

Like their South Coast rivals Bognor Regis Town have also announced a fundraising drive to help cover the cost of ground improvements to their Nyewood Lane home. Planning permission has been granted for a new 367 seat grandstand. Details will be announced early next week including a chance to feature on a wall of the new stand. Meanwhile it's expected that striker Dan Smith who scored 26 goals for The Rocks in the 2019/20 season is likely to join Vanarama National League side Eastleigh. Smith joined the club on a full time basis last summer after spending part of the 18/19 campaign on loan from football league side Portsmouth. The deal has not been announced yet but reports indicate a deal may be done very soon. 

East Thurrock United Chairman Steve Wiseman has scotched rumours that were circulating that suggesting the Essex club were seeking to be placed at a lower level when football returns. He confirmed via the club's website that United will be continuing as members of the Isthmian Premier. Former Romford boss Paul Martin will be the man in charge following John Coventry's departure. The appointment of Magic (as Paul Martin is known) was well received by many local non-league fans after the circumstances he left Romford earlier in the 2019/20 campaign. 

Another Isthmian League side have announced that a planning application to Thanet District Council for stadium redevelopment has been submitted. Plans show that Margate's Hartsdown Park will have a fantastic new look with the East Stand and North Stand developed alongside a new 120 bed hotel and further facilities. The application has been developed in conjunction with the club's hotel partner IHG Hotels and their brand "Holiday Inn Express" to reflect the increased demand for hotel rooms in the area which will not only provide not only a first-class facility for all teams but also a sporting hub for the whole community. 

The East Block will comprise of a 120-bedroom hotel together with restaurant and bar facilities. The building will also include space for MFC club offices and a club shop together with the stadium control room. The stand will have a capacity of 650 all seated.

The North Stand will be a terrace with a capacity of 1,3000 with home and away dressing rooms behind together with several studio type spaces for various sports and associated activities. On the first floor there will be a café/bar facility which overlooks the pitch.

If the plans go through it will be an exciting time for The Gate who have played at Hartsdown Park since 1929 aside from a period ground sharing between 2002 to 2005 when ground redevelopment work took place. 

There was a huge turnout in Baldock today as people paid respect to Phil Hall who so sadly passed away in May. Due to the current restrictions people were unable to attend his funeral service today but both sides of Baldock High Street were lined with people who paid their respects to a man who was a amazing club committee member for Baldock Town FC that worked so hard behind the scenes - He was well respected and loved by many people. He was also an exceptional Landlord of The White Lion pub in the town with his food being legendary with players after training and matches. RIP Phil.