Simon Wormull

Wormull wants his underdogs to show how far they’ve come

Burgess Hill Town preview ahead of the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final

The final of the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup is due to take place on Tuesday 7 May 2019 between Bognor Regis Town and Burgess Hill Town.

Bognor Regis Town vs. Burgess Hill Town
Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final - sponsored by Luke & Luke Construction
Date: Tuesday 7 May 2019 
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: American Express Community Stadium, Village Way, Brighton, BN1 9BL

Simon Wormull believes the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final against Bognor will be an opportunity for his Burgess Hill side to show how far they have come.

Wormull was a coach under former boss Ian Chapman when the Hillians lost 8-0 to Bognor last October. The defeat was part of a dreadful start to the season for the club, which eventually led to a change in management.

Although Burgess Hill have been unable to avoid relegation from the Bostik League Premier, they have improved considerably since that dismal day in October, losing only 2-0 to Bognor in the return fixture in January and continuing to grow as a side since then.

Ahead of meeting Bognor again, Wormull said: “What happened there, losing 8-0, really hit us hard but then we brought them back to our place in January and for 75 minutes we were a very good team. It was a dubious penalty which gave Bognor the lead and from there they went on to win the game.

“Bognor probably thought they were going to roll us over again but we showed we are really evolving as a team. Jack [Pearce, Bognor manager] came to watch us in the semi-final and said he was very impressed with us. For me, the final will be a good marker for us to see how far we have come.”

Sussex-born Wormull has fond memories of playing in the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, winning the competition as a player with both Crawley Town and Lewes. That is why he has resisted any urge to rest certain players in earlier rounds of the competition.

He said: “One of the first games when John Rattle and I took over was against Bexhill in the Senior Cup and we sent a really good side there. They were flying at the time in County League Division Two, we knew it would be a tough game and we had to respect them. I was asked if I was going to rest a few and I said, ‘No we are going for it’. It was the same with Pagham in the next round, when admittedly we had our luck with the lights going out when we were 2-0 down and then we won the replayed game 3-0. 

“I have always wanted to take this competition seriously and for us to get to the final is fantastic. It gives the fans something to look forward to. They are some of the best fans I have played or managed in front of in my non-league career and you want to win it for them. 

“It is a really big achievement for us to get there. We beat Eastbourne Borough in the quarter-finals and then in the semi-finals we had Haywards Heath who were flying in the Bostik South. A lot of people thought they were going to turn us over but we really turned it on that night to get the result.

“The added spice of the final being at the Amex gives it a nice feel. We know we are the underdogs but if we can go there and play how we want to play, then you never know, we might get our name on the cup.”

Ticket details:

Tickets for the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final, at the American Express Community Stadium, on Tuesday 7 May 2019 are still available and can be purchased online from Brighton & Hove Albion via seagullstickets.com.

Alternatively, both competing clubs are also selling tickets and further information can be found on their respective websites: 
Bognor Regis Town | Burgess Hill Town

Tickets purchased from the ticket office at the stadium on the day will be priced at £12.00 Adult (17+), £6.00 Concession (65+ and students with valid student ID card) and £4.00 Child (16 and under), plus a £1.50 per ticket booking fee. Tickets at the stadium on the day will be available to purchase up until half-time (approx. 8.30pm).

Turnstiles will open at 6.00pm with Bognor Regis Town supporters seated in the north end of the West Stand Lower and Burgess Hill Town fans seated in the south end of the West Stand Lower. Seating will be allocated in both sections.

Parking at the stadium is available to purchase from Brighton & Hove Albion, at a cost of £5.00 per vehicle via seagullstickets.com.

For further details about the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup please contact Competitions:

Competitions
T: 01903 753547
E: Competitions@SussexFA.com

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