Horsham FC 'still working' on player recruitment as 14 stay and two join ahead of the new season

The Hornets have confirmed 14 of last season’s squad have committed to the club - including skipper Jack Brivio and last year’s player of the season Harvey Sparks. But keeper Taylor Seymour and striker Eddie Dsane have departed.

It has not been confirmed if last season’s top goalscorer Jack Mazzone will return, but Di Paola revealed Horsham had a few players they were ‘still working on’.

They have signed ex-Brighton defender Sami El-Abd, 35, and popular midfielder Charlie Harris has returned to the club following an Isthmian South East promotion-winning season at Whitehawk.

The 27-year-old made 142 appearances for the Hornets before moving to the Hawks last May.

Di Paola said: “We wanted to keep the majority of the squad as all the boys did well last year. We’re pleased we’re keeping as many as we have. It shows it’s not a bad club to be at and that they enjoy their football here.

“We’ve got a few that we’re still working on. There’s a few on the list you might not have noticed, but we’re working through the team as we speak. We’ve got the vast majority.”

El-Abd has joined the Hornets following his release by Dorking this summer.

Di Paola said: “He’s a really good guy. I’ve seen that already in the first week. He’s a fantastic lad to have around the group.

“I hope he’ll impart some of his experience. In his own right, he’s an excellent defender, he’s got mountains of know-how in his football.”

There have also been changes in the Hornets coaching set-up.

The departure of assistant manager Adam Westwood has been offset by the arrival of Jon Meeney in a coaching role.

Westwood joined the club in 2015 and helped Horsham progress from the Sussex County League to the Isthmian Premier.

Meeney, who spent the first few months of the 2018-19 campaign with the Hornets, returns after spells at Crawley, Worthing and Hastings.

Di Paola said: “I always felt we needed another coach because we’re so short-handed at Horsham. It’s been me and Jimmy Punter who’s been doing the coaching, so it gives us another person who can coach the team.

“Wezzo [Westwood] was always the assistant manager. He wasn’t a coach, he was part of the management team with me.

“He’s a brilliant person, a brilliant guy around the team, and he’ll be a big loss.

“It was something we felt we needed to add, hence why Jon’s come in.”