Newly promoted non league club apologises to fans after players fail to turn up to parade

Newly promoted non league club Horsham FC apologises to their fans after players fail to turn up to the victory parade.

Horsham expressed gratitude for community support after their Men’s First Team won the Isthmian Premier League and Sussex Senior Cup.

Between 800 and 1,000. fans celebrated at a vibrant event on May 30th at the Carfax Bandstand, supported by volunteers, Horsham District Council, and local businesses.

But the club has said sorry for the absence of players at the event due to communication issues, holidays, work, and personal circumstances, disappointing young fans.

To make amends, an open training session will be held in July for fans to meet players and take photos. The club thanks supporters and looks forward to the next season.

A Heartfelt Thank You and Our Sincere Apologies

A club statement about Friday’s evening’s celebration event in the Carfax.https://t.co/vp5ECNB1CO #horshamfc pic.twitter.com/kpRAwrsFWv

— Horsham F(C) (@HorshamFC) June 1, 2025

STATEMENT:

We at Horsham FC are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible support our community has shown throughout the season and following our Men’s First Team’s historic double, securing both the Isthmian Premier League title and the Sussex Senior Cup.

The celebration event on 30th May at the Carfax Bandstand was a truly special evening, with 800-1,000 of you coming together to share in this joy. The vibrant atmosphere, brought to life by fantastic live music from Zak Williams and the tireless efforts of our volunteers, was a testament to the heart of our club. We’re deeply thankful to Horsham District Council, Gavin Hewins from Visit Horsham, and every volunteer who made this community moment possible, while also supporting local businesses with a busy Friday night.

We sincerely apologise, however, for the disappointment caused by the absence of our Men’s First Team players at the event, especially for our younger fans who were so excited to meet their heroes. We understand how much this meant to you, and we deeply regret that this part of the evening did not meet your expectations. The lack of players present has identified some communication lessons on our part, combined with half-term holidays, work commitments, and unexpected personal circumstances, as our players balance their lives as non-full-time professionals. Our players and management truly value the support you show them every week.

Your passion fuels Horsham FC, and we’re committed to making this right. To make it up to our fans, especially our youngest supporters, we will hold an open First Team training session in July as pre-season begins. This will be a chance for families to watch training, meet the players, take photos, and create lasting memories with the team. We’ll share full details nearer the time via our website and social media.

We’re so grateful for the growing number of supporters who fill our stands – you are the foundation of our success. Thank you for standing by us, and we can’t wait to continue the journey with you all next season.

With heartfelt thanks,

Kevin Borrett, Chairman Horsham FC

The club said in a statement in the days leading up to the parade: “It’s just two days to go until we join forces with Horsham District Council to stage a very special evening of live entertainment and celebration, in Horsham’s Carfax, to celebrate our Men’s team’s recent victories, winning the Isthmian Premier Division and the Sussex Senior Cup.

“This Friday, 30th May, from 6pm – 8pm the Carfax will be abuzz, with the normal range of food and drinks vendors seen at Horsham District Council’s popular Friday Lates, which happen every Friday through June, July and August.

“As well as food and drinks, there will be live entertainment from Zak Williams and Horsham FC officials, plus players from all our teams, will be on the Carfax Bandstand with all the trophies we have won this season.

“Everyone is invited to come along and enjoy the celebrations, sporting their Horsham Football Club colours if possible. Some food vendors will be offering discounts for those wearing official Club merchandise.

“The Club will also be selling merchandise and Season Tickets for our 2025/26 campaign in National League South. And you can win one of five family tickets to a league match of your choice by signing up for our mailing list.

“We can’t wait to see you there for what promises to be a great evening of celebration!”

Here’s how social media users reacted as the newly promoted non league club apologises to fans after players fail to turn up to the victory parade…

Still loved it though! https://t.co/RoVTfzUFlm pic.twitter.com/qOJwOTwg8l

— On The Ball ⚽️⚽️⚽️ (@OnTheBall_Paul) June 1, 2025

@strax1969: It’s such a good and honest statement. Refreshing in today’s world.

@PaulJ9: No need to apologise! Congrats @domdipaola and all involved!!

@Gasson__Holly: Not sure why it was advertised that the players would be there if there wasn’t communication between the organisers and the team?

@Daniel_Tester85: It’s half term, most of the team are probably away on holidays with their families, wish I could be

@MarkCFC2021: Thank you for making me laugh, has made me forget how inept Bognor were last season!! 🤣🤣🤣

Louise Hulmes: The atmosphere was electric! Great evening 😀 and love the training idea.

Andrew Deeley: I am pleased the club have made a statement on this.

Dan Hall: Great response Horsham FC and fully appreciated. I loved the event, and it was brilliant to see the town come together! I hope we have more events in the future that celebrate the town and club we love, win or lose. It was actually quite emotional to see how big the crowd was and how joyous the atmosphere was. My disappointment was purely down to how it was communicated, as I and many others I’m sure, want to thank the players endlessly for the history they made this season. The offer of an open training session is a classy touch. Love that 👏 Let’s not forget also, the players and staff were exceptionally generous with their time at the trophy lift a few weeks back. Everyone I spoke to was very friendly and nothing felt rushed. That’s the Horsham I know 🙂 Anyway, a fun time was had by all and I can’t wait for next season already. You’ll be sure to see me at pretty much every game cheering the lads on! 💛💚

Ian Evans: A great response from HFC to have an open training/meet the team session in answer to young fans disappointment. Well done with the speed and thought behind it.

Dixie Dean Laker: Would that have happened if more home-grown players were in the first team?

Janis Randall: We had a fantastic evening. It was great to see some club officials, a significant number of the club volunteers, representatives of the youth club proudly exhibiting their cup win and of course the chance to catch up with fellow fans to celebrate our success and actually be able to handle the amazing silverware we’ve won and to evaluate the forthcoming season for which we’re excited for… Well done Horsham FC 💛💚💛💚

Peter Lidbetter: We still had an amazing evening ⚽️🟡🟢⚽️

Jodie Munday: Ah – nice one 💛💚 Well done for acknowledging this and for coming back with such a lovely session for the young ones! Can’t wait for next season xxx