Hinshelwood’s young Worthing side thump uncle’s Selsey in pre-season run-out

Worthing eased to a 3-0 win at Selsey in a pre-season friendly, with boss Adam Hinshelwood revealing that his side’s promotion to the National League will only truly “feel real” once the fixture list is released this week.

According to The Non-League Football Paper, Hinshelwood watched a young Worthing side get the better of Selsey, the club managed by his uncle Martin and the very team where Adam himself took his first managerial job at the age of 28.

The friendly comes ten weeks after Worthing clinched the National League South title, securing a first-ever promotion to the National League for the Rebels and setting up a landmark season at the fifth tier of English football.

Fixture list to make it “feel real”

Hinshelwood, who previously managed York City, is eagerly anticipating the release of the National League fixture list, expected on Friday, as the moment when the scale of Worthing’s achievement truly sinks in.

The Non-League Football Paper reports that seeing Worthing’s name drawn against established National League opposition will provide tangible confirmation of the club’s rise up the pyramid, following a summer of celebration and squad planning.

The friendly victory over Selsey offered an early glimpse of the squad Hinshelwood is assembling for the step up, with several younger players given the chance to impress in what was a comfortable outing for the Rebels.

A family affair at Selsey

There was an added personal dimension to the fixture, with Adam facing off against his uncle Martin’s Selsey side at the ground where his own managerial journey began nearly two decades ago.

It marked a symbolic staging post for Hinshelwood, whose career has come full circle from those early days in charge at Selsey to now preparing Worthing for life among the National League’s elite.

Attention now turns to the release of the fixture list, which will confirm the opponents and dates awaiting Worthing as they embark on their maiden National League campaign.

Read more: Worthing boss Hinshelwood can’t wait for maiden National League fixture list