Councillors voted unanimously on 30 September to give Worthing FC the borough's highest honour, the first since 2018 and the first ever to a sports club.

Worthing Football Club now holds the Freedom of the Borough of Worthing. It is the highest honour the council can give.

Councillors voted unanimously for it at a special meeting of Worthing Borough Council on Wednesday evening, 30 September. The council announced the result on Thursday.

Updated 2 October: the vote has taken place. This article first ran on 29 September, before the meeting.

The honour had not been given since May 2018. On the council’s own list, which goes back to 1894, no sports club had ever received it.

What happened on Wednesday

After the vote, the Mayor of Worthing, Councillor Lysanne Skinner, presented a framed, signed scroll to the club. George Dowell, the club’s owner, and Barry Hunter, its chairman, accepted it. Dozens of people from the club attended at Worthing Town Hall, the council said.

Councillor Caroline Baxter, the council leader, nominated the club. She said: “Worthing Football Club is so much more than a football club. It’s an important part of the fabric of our town, bringing generations of people together and creating a real sense of community and belonging.”

Mr Hunter said the club was “incredibly honoured”. He added: “It’s absolutely a team effort, and I’m so pleased.”

He also welcomed that the award went to the club as a whole. “There are so many people involved with the football club, past and present, who have earned this, so it’s really great that this is something that’s been awarded to the club rather than anyone individually,” he said.

What councillors voted on

The resolution councillors passed was set out in full in the meeting papers:

That the Freedom of the Borough of Worthing be granted to Worthing Football Club in recognition and high appreciation of the honour and distinction brought to the Borough by the club’s players, coaches and staff through their outstanding sporting achievements and their lasting legacy to Worthing Football Club.

The resolution also calls the club “an inspiring beacon of civic pride” that has been “at the heart of the Worthing community for generations”.

The law requires a special meeting for this. Section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972 lets a council admit “persons of distinction” who have “rendered eminent services” to the area. Council officers advised that a club can qualify, because in law a “person” includes a body of people.

How the club was nominated

The nomination came from the council leader, Councillor Caroline Baxter. Her supporting statement sets out the case:

  • The club was formed in 1886, making it one of Worthing’s oldest community institutions.
  • The men’s first team won promotion to the National League this year, which she called “a significant moment in the town’s sporting history”.
  • Investment led by local businessman George Dowell OBE paid for a new 3G pitch and major improvements to the Woodside Road ground.
  • The Worthing Football Club Foundation runs sport, health and recreation work across the town.
  • The club has a growing women’s section, youth teams across several age groups and disability football.

“The case for recognition extends far beyond footballing achievement alone,” she wrote.

Local MPs Dr Beccy Cooper and Tom Rutland backed the nomination, according to the council report. So did several local businesses and sponsors.

The Joint Audit and Governance Committee considered it on 7 July. Its minutes record a real debate. Members discussed whether the freedom was the right level of recognition for the club, and whether the council should set criteria for the honour in future. The committee still backed the nomination. Full Council then agreed on 21 July, unanimously, to hold this week’s special meeting.

Who has had it before

The council’s report lists every past freedom. The most recent go back decades:

Freedom of the Borough of Worthing, conferred since 1950
RecipientDate
The Mayor of RichebourgMay 2018
Lord Higgins of Worthing7 November 1997
HMS Sussex, The Sussex Division RNR21 June 1990, handed back on disbandment in 1994
Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk CBE21 November 1978
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (formerly Queen's and Hampshire)4 June 1959
Charles Bertram Barber JP30 April 1959
Alderman Joseph Arthur Mason OBE6 April 1956

Earlier names include Andrew Carnegie in 1909, and members of the Worthing company of the Royal Sussex Regiment’s volunteers who served in South Africa in 1900 and 1901. The first on the list is Edward Harrison, in October 1894.

What it costs

Very little. The council report said it is customary to present a commemorative scroll and hold a reception. The scroll comes out of existing budgets. The leader said she would work with the club, local businesses and sponsors on the arrangements and the cost of any celebrations.

What it means for you

  • The freedom is honorary. Section 249(10) of the 1972 Act says it confers none of the rights of the old freemen. It is marked with a commemorative scroll.
  • Worthing FC joins a short list. It is the first new name since May 2018, and the first sports club since the list began in 1894.
  • Any celebration is still to be arranged. The council report said a reception is customary, and the leader would work with the club and sponsors on it and its cost. No date has been announced.

Sources