ADAM HINSHELWOOD is eyeing a South Coast double of winning the National League South with Worthing and watching his son Jack reach Europe with Brighton.
Hinshelwood Snr played for in the lower divisions during the Noughties but is now boss of their non-league neighbours who are in the boxseat for final-day promotion.
Adam Hinshelwood with his Brighton star son Jack Credit: David McHugh / Brighton Pictures
Dad Adam is hoping to win the National League South with Worthing Credit: David McHugh / Brighton Pictures
The table-topping Rebels can only be caught by second-placed Hornchurch, owing to their massive goal difference, and will reach the fourth tier if they beat Ebbsfleet at home on Saturday.
Seagulls star – who is well liked by Thomas Tuchel’s England staff – should be in attendance with sixth-placed Brighton not playing this weekend.
That was after Jack scored , which bolstered Albion’s European push and saw .
His old man told SunSport: “I think Jack is going to come along. He’s got a few days off to recover after their win over Chelsea.
“That’s one of the incentives for me not to end up with a play-off campaign, so I can get to go to Brighton’s next game at Newcastle away next weekend so I can support them up there.
“Brighton reaching Europe and us winning our league would be unbelievable.
“We’d definitely dine off that a few times in the summer if we can make that dream a possibility.
“It’s in both teams’ hands now. Both teams struggled at a similar sort of time and managed to turn it around. To finish the season off with big success would be amazing.”
Hinshelwood is in his second stint as Worthing boss, having first managed them between 2017-24 before a one-year spell at York, who themselves are close to an EFL return.
He returned to Worthing in October with the club lying in 16th after ten games but has them first with one match to play in an ultra-competitive division.
The Mackerel Men are on 81 points but ’ old club Weston Super-Mare are just four points behind and yet are in seventh.
Sixth-placed Ebsfleet need a result at Woodside Road to ensure their own play-off finish, with only first-placed gaining automatic promotion in the fifth-tier league.
Hornchurch, on 80 points, host Maidenhead United in what is set to be a fascinating afternoon of 12.30 kick-offs full of twists and turns.
There will be no blocking out how the other teams are faring, Hinshelwood believes, as Worthing’s barmy army will be keeping him well informed throughout the day.
The 42-year-old attempted to ease any nerves in his ranks with a seaside coffee break on Monday – though he momentarily feared he had incurred the wrath of owner George Dowell.
Hinshelwood explained: “We normally do a second-day recovery on Monday but we just took them for a walk down to Worthing pier and treated them to a coffee.
“I dented my bank balance a little bit.
“It was to be able to speak to some individuals and have a bit of a psychological approach. For anyone who was feeling the tension, trying to ease it with that human touch, really.
“I felt like a bit of a naughty schoolboy caught skiving off by the headteacher when I turned up though, because our owner George was in there with his family having breakfast. He must have wondered what we were doing there!
“But he was fully on board with what we were doing.
“We probably weren’t expecting to be in this position, if we’re being brutally honest, coming in 16th in table after ten games.
“But now we’re here we want to take full advantage of it if we can.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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