Horsham FC busy off the field - if not on it

Ian Burlinson has been appointed as the new chairman of the Horsham FC committee.

After overseeing two promotions and the opening of The Camping World Community Stadium in his five years at the helm, former committee chairman Sean Bravery was accepted on to the board of directors in the summer, along with vice-chairman Sam Borrett.

It was agreed Burlinson was the perfect candidate to lead the committee into the future. Mark Barrett has been named vice-chairman.

A supporter since the early 80s, Burlinson joined the committee in 2018, becoming the club’s community engagement officer, and has since become the club’s equality and diversity officer.

He said earlier this year: “It’s about being able to help the club develop with the skills and knowledge I have from the jobs I have done and continue to do. If someone has a skill or knowledge that the club could use then why not help?” Burlinson works for Out There West Sussex, a project which provides sports and leisure activities for adults with learning difficulties and autism.

Asked for his aims, he said: “On the football side, it would be to engage with more women’s teams from junior to walking football. Off the pitch, it would be to continue developing the facilities in due course, budget permitting.”

Barrett is the man typically found behind the microphone on matchdays.

He started following the Hornets in 1994 and joined the committee in 1999. Having taken on a number of roles, the taxi driver is part of the marketing team.

Horsham officials congratulated the pair and thanked Bravery and Borrett for their ‘magnificent’ efforts on the committee.

On the pitch, Isthmian League fixtures are on hold and hopes for a prompt restart after the festive period appear to be fading fast.

Large swathes of the south-east have been placed into a tough new Covid tier four and the majority of the league’s 81 clubs are in those areas, the resumption of fixtures does not look likely in the very near future.