Welcome to the website of the Worthing Fivestar Table Football Club. Established in 1982, we are one of the longest running Subbuteo clubs in England, based in Worthing, West Sussex, England.
We play three Thursday nights each month (not the first Thursday of each month) from 7.15-9.45 at the Heene Community Centre in Worthing and welcome players of all levels, from novice to experienced players. We will also lend you equipment as you get started.
If you are interested in playing, please use the contact form below.
The last time we had a WASPA tournament in Worthing was back in February, when Shaun won against a field of 11 players. With Shaun, Joe and Brian all missing tonight, there was an opportunity for someone to stand up and take the title.
Session 1
Ian got off to a cracking start with a 4-0 win over Chris in the first session. Malc put the pressure on Ian with a narrow win over Dave. Nathan and Nigel settled on a goaless draw.
Results
Ian 4-0 Chris
Malc 1-0 Dave
Nathan 0-0 Nigel
NIgel in pensive mood against Nathan. The game ended goaless.
Chris lines up an attack against Ian. Ian was in great form and won the game 4-0.
Malc and Dave in close combat!
Session 2
At the top of the table, Malc took apart Ian and came out on top with a convincing 3-0 win. Nathan recorded his second goaless draw of the evening agsinst Steve. Dave put in a great performance against Nigel and came out with all three poinst.
Results
Ian 0-3 Malc
Nathan 0-0 Steve
Nigel 0-1 Dave
Session 3
Malc moved up the gears in his third game, with a convincing win over Nathan. Ian secured another win agaisnt Dave and Steve narrowly edged past Chris with a 1-0 win.
Results
Malc 4-1 Nathan
Dave 1-2 Ian
Steve 1-0 Chris
Session 4
Going into the fourth session, Malc was looking for a clean sweep of wins. Steve didn’t get the memo on this one and went on to beat Malc by a single goal. Ian also beat Nigel by a single goal. Dave recorded his second win oof the night, with a win agaisnt Chris.
This left Malc and Ian both on nine points at the end of the evening. Malc’s superior goal difference put him on top of the table and so claiming the April 2024 WASPA title
Results
Steve 1-0 Malc
Nigel 0-1 Ian
Chris 0-1 Dave
WASPA April 2024 – Final Table
Congratulations Malc!
WASPA World Rankings – April 2024
The WASPA World Rankings were published this week. The table below shows how the Worthing players are positioned.
Form Guide – April 2024
Congratulations to Malc – player of the month, with a win rate of 73%. Runner up was Steve, who finished the month on a win rate of 56%
The semi-finalists from group B in the Clifton Cup had been decided a few weeks back. Group A has been a different story – it’s been incredibly tight and went down to the last match this week.
2024 pre-Split League
Two games were played in the pre-split league this week – without any goals being scored! A club vote has decided that following the split, there will be five players in the Premier League and six players in the Championship. The fate of the players who joined too late to be a part of the pre-split league was also decided – Brian will be placed in the Premier League and Dave in the Championship
So what does this mean?
Dave, Chris and Nigel will definitely be in the Championship. Nathan is also likely to be, unless he secures a win in his last game and turns around a goal difference defecit.
Malc is guaranteed a place in the Premier League, with 17 points already and a game still to play. Brian will also take a place in the Premier League. So this leaves three more places up for grabs. Joe, Shaun, Ian and Paul could all take one of these three places. Joe has played all of his games, whilst Shaun has two more to play, against Paul and Chris – so could reach a maximum of 17 points, which would secure his place in the Premier League. Ian has a game to play and is sitting on 10 points, so could theoretically place in the top tier. Paul has got the most games to play. With three games left to play, a streak of three wins could take him to the top tier too. Steve is currently sitting on 10 points, having played all of his games. So he’ll just have to sit back and see what happens – his fate is out of his hands.
It will be an interesting finish.
Results
Shaun 0-0 Ian
Chris 0-0 Joe
Table
2024 Clifton Cup
Group A
At the beginning of the night Joe was sitting on top of the table with 7 points. Brian put himself in the mix with a narrow 1-0 victory of Paul, moving him to 7 points too. The last game saw Paul taking on Shaun. Having dropped points earlier in the campaig, Shaun needed a win or a draw to ensure qualification. Shaun went ahead in the first half with a decisive move down the middle. Paul wasn’t giving up though and a looping shot found the top corner of Shaun’s goal, equalising the score. Paul then went looking for the win and forced to defend resolutely for the last 5 minutes of the game. He managed to do this, securing the valuable point. Shaun’s superior goal difference took him to the top of the table, lining up a semi-final against Steve. Joe had to settle for second place and a tricky semi final against Malc.
So, the ‘group of death’ has finally reached it’s conclusion. What did the players have to say at the end of the evening?
Shaun – “I’m knackered after that! The quality of play at the club is just going up and up! I’m getting some energy back with some of Brian’s toffee crumble!”
Joe – “Just a few flicks between us!”
Paul – “What a group that was! Thought I played well in every game and ended up with one point!“
Ian – “Group of death! I lost just one game and out of it!”
Results
Paul 0-1 Brian
Paul 1-1 Shaun
Table
Group B
The top two places and semi finalists in group B had already been decided before tonight’s games – Malc and Steve. Chris and Nigel played out a goaless draw. In his second game, Chris found his range and beat Dave with three goals without reply. Chris against Nathan is the last game to play in the group – however, neither can get a top two finish.
Results
Chris 0-0 Nigel
Chris 3-0 Dave
Table
Casual League 2024
Outside of the main domestic competitions, the Casual League continued this week. Malc dropped points for the first time in weeks, with a loss against Joe and a draw against Steve. Malc will be hoping that this score against Joe isn’t mirrored in a few weeks time when the pair line up against each other in the 2024 Clifton Cup semi final. This brought Malc’s APPG down from 2.62 to 2.38. Another win for Joe against Dave, improved his APPG from 1.82 to 1.95. As he’s on 19 games, Joe only needs one more game to take him past the 20 game threshold for a placement – and to the top pf the table, as his APPG is superior to Steve’s 1.48. Shaun couldn’t take advantage of Malc dropping points, as he could only manage two draws against Brian and Nigel. This dropped his APPG from 2.25 to 2.0. A win for Paul agaisnt Dave lifted him above Shaun, with an APPG of 2.30.
There was a lot going on at the club this week. Following a spring clearout, Ian had some vintage heavyweight figures to sell to Shaun and Malc. He also found a programme from the club’s 2004 National Open tournament (see here). On the playing side, there were games played in the pre-split league, the Clifton Cup group stages and the Casual League.
League 2024 (Pre-Split)
Two games were played in the pre-split stage of the 2024 league this week. At the top of the table, Joe took on Shaun. Joe had the lion’s share of posession in the first half, forcing Shaun to defend for most of the half. Halfway through the second half, Shaun had a series of corners, which forced Joe into defensive duties. Joe held on well, until the final minute, when a defensive error gave Shaun a close up shot, which he dispatched into the top corner to claim the three points.
The other game saw Malc secure his place at the top of the table with a narrow 2-1 win over Nathan. Malc has one more game to play and Joe sits in second place, having played all of his games. Shaun has climbed up the table to third place, but still has three games to play. Malc, Joe and Shaun are very likely to take their places in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen who will be joining them. As Dave and Brian haven’t been involved in the pre-split league, they will join the Championship following the split.
Results
Joe 0-1 Shaun
Malc 2-1 Nathan
Malc and Nathan in league action
League 2024 (Pre Split)
Clifton Cup Group A
Two games that both involved Ian were played in group A this week. Shaun found his form and secured a 5-1 victory over Ian, whilst Brian could only manage a 1-1 draw. Where does this leave things in group A? Joe has played all his games and currently sits at the top of the table with seven points. Ian has also played all of his games and has 5 points, so has missed his chance of qualification. Shaun and Brian still have one game to play and so will be looking for a qualification spot. Shaun is in a stronger position here, as he has six points over Brian’s four points. Both could qualify and knock Joe out. Paul could thoretically also qualify, but would need to beat Shaun and Brian and overcome Shaun’s superior goal difference. Tricky, but certainly not impossible!
Results
Shaun 5-1 Ian
Ian 1-1 Brian
Clifton Cup Group A
Mark Ellis – withdrawn
Clifton Cup Group B
Four games were played in group B. Malc and Steve finished their matches and secured qualification with 1-0 wins over Nigel and Dave respectively. Elsewhere Dave earned two points with a brace of goaless draws against Nathan and Nigel.
Results
Malc 1-0 Nigel
Steve 1-0 Dave
Dave 0-0 Nathan
Dave 0-0 Nigel
Dave and Nigel in their goaless draw
Clifton Cup Group B
Casual League 2024
Steve and Ian both reached the 20 game threshold in the Casual League this week, which took Steve to the top of the table. On his way to the top, Steve recorded a historic win over Shaun – historic because it’s the first time in over a decade that Steve has managed to do this. When asked about this at the end of the match, Shaun replied “It’s simple. Steve had one shot and scored. I had six shots and didn’t. Congratulations to Steve, but it’s only the Casual League, so it’s all fine”
Elsewhere, Brian continued to find the form that has won him 58 titles since 1981. He beat Dave and Nathan, with a single goal in each game. However, he couldn’t repeat this with Joe, who came out on top – but only with a single goal. Malc returned the favour though, beating Joe 1-0 in their encounter. Malc also beat Steve 3-1. Shaun was in good form against Nigel, putting three past his keeper without reply.
Results
Dave 0-1 Brian
Nigel 0-3 Shaun
Ian 0-0 Nathan
Joe 0-1 Malc
Brian 1-0 Nathan
Steve 1-3 Malc
Steve 1-0 Shaun
Brian 0-1 Joe
Steve defends during his historic victory over Shaun
Brian launches an attack agsint Joe. Joe went on to win by a single goal
A moment of controversy! Joe though this was in the shooting area – teachnology had to intervene.
It was great to see club founder Brian Barnes back at the club tonight and ready to commit to playing on a regular basis. Since forming the club in 1981, Brian has won a staggering 58 titles. He’s won the first dvision 13 times, the Clifton Cup 10 times, the Heene Cup (Knockout Cup) 12 times, the Challenge Cup 7 times and the SFA cup 16 times. With that in mind, it was unsurprising that he made an immediate impact in the Clifton Cup tonight, putting himself very much in contention for qualifying from the group stages. Is he already dreaming of a Clifton Cup victory on his first full season back in five years? Only a fool would rule it out!
2024 League
There was just one game in the pre-split part of the league this week. Shaun beat Steve 2-1. Steve took the lead in the first half, with a cracking shot that left Shaun’s keeper no chance. Shaun equalised in the second half and looked as if the points were going to be shared. Late in the second half, Shaun got a corner and dispatched the moving ball into the top corner with the last flick of the game. Shaun has been struggling with his form in recent months, so he will have been pleased to have secured three points and lifted himself up towards the top half of the table.
Results
Shaun 2-1 Steve
2024 Pre-Split League Table
2024 Clifton Cup
Group A
Group A is rapidly becoming the group of death! As if it wasn’t hard enough anyway, Brian Barnes entered the competition tonight. Joe got his night off to a great start with wins against Paul and current holder Shaun, however, Brian had plans to ruin his party! Club founder Brian found his form and a goal in the first half. Despite relentless pressure from Joe in the second half, Brian held on and took all three points.
Ian was on great form against Paul and scored three times without reply, keeping his qualification hopes well and truly alive. In his game aginst Brian, Shaun found a rich vein of form with some very precise long flicks. He also found the net twice, earning him a win against his old adversary!
This group is incredibly open. Joe is in pole position with seven points, but he has played more games than anyone else. Ian, Shaun and Brian have all played just two games and will be eyeing up a qualification spot. watch this space!
Results
Joe 1-0 Paul
Brian 0-2 Shaun
Joe 2-1 Shaun
Ian 3-0 Paul
Joe 0-1 Brian
2024 Clifton Cup Group A
Group B
By contrast, group B is looking more straightforward! With two wins and a draw for Malc and a win and a draw for Steve, they should both be confident of qualifying – they both have 10 points with just one game to play. Mathematically, Nigel and Dave could catch them, but this would require a Herculian effort – and for one of them to lose their final game.
Results
Nathan 0-4 Malc
Nigel 0-1 Steve
Malc 0-0 Steve
Nigel 1-1 Nathan
Dave 0-3 Malc
2024 Clifton Cup Group B
2024 Casual League
Eight games were played in the Casual League this week. Brian made his debut with a draw against Steve and a very close win against Dave. As Dave is the only player who has currently played more than 20 games, he sits at the top of the table, despite a low APPG. Ian only needs one more game to make the 20 threshold, whilst Steve needs two. Steve has a higher APPG than Ian, so this will take him to the top of the table.
It’s a reflection of the quality of play at the club that the majority of games had just one goal scored in them. The exception to this was Shaun’s 3-0 turning over of Ian!
Results
Dave 0-1 Nathan
Brian 0-0 steve
Nigel 0-1 Paul
Joe 0-1 Malc
Ian 0-3 Shaun
Ian 1-0 Dave
Dave 0-1 Brian
Ian 1-1 Nathan
Casual League Table 2024
Form Guide – March 2024
The March player of the month, with a win rate of 80% was Malc – congratulations Malc!
Runner up was Shaun, with a win rate of 63% and then Joe at 57%.
The 2024 Clifton Cup got underway tonight. The Clifton Cup is one of the oldest major competitions here at Worthing. The competition is a seeded groups to knockout format. Shaun is the current holder, having won the cup in 2023.
When it was first contested it was called the ‘Groups Cup’. In 1983 one of the occasional Worthing players (whose name has sadly been lost in the annals of history) very sadly passed away, with a congential heart defect, aged just 15 years old. Their team name was ‘Clifton United’ (as they lived in Clifton Road, Worthing), so the Groups Cup was renamed the Clifton Cup in their memory.
Clifton Cup 2024 Group A
There was just one game in group A tonight, with Joe taking on Ian. Neither could take the early advantage though, with the game finishing in a goaless draw. Shaun, Paul and Kyle have yet to get their campaigns off to a start.
Results
Joe 0-0 Ian
Table
Clifton Cup 2024 Group B
Steve got his Clifton Cup campaign off to a great start, with two wins – one against Nathan and one against Chris. Chris also suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Malc. So at this very early stage, it’s Steve who sits on top of the table.
Results
Chris 0-2 Malc
Steve 2-0 Nathan
Chris 0-1 Steve
Table
Casual League 2024
Twelve games were played in the Casual League this week. Regular players were also joined by a guest from Solent TFC, Paul Izzard. Steve continued his good run of form, with wins over Dave and Mark. Guest player Paul must have been pleased he made the journey eastwards along the coast, as he chalked up wins against Ian and Mark and a draw against Dave and Malc. Joe also had a strong night in the Casual League, with wins against Mark and Dave. Malc secured a tight 1-0 win over Nathan, but Nathan bounced back with a 1-0 win over Ian.
Dave is the first player to reach the 20 game threshold, having played his 21st game this week. As he is the only one to have reached the threshold, he currently sits at the top of the Casual League. Steve, Ian and Mark are close behind him, having played 16 or 17 games.
Seven players were in attendance this week. Joe and Ian were away at the Amex stadium, lining up against the Roma Ultras! Matches were played in the Casual League and Pre-League Split.
Casual League 2024
Seven games were played in the Casual League this week. It’s becoming clear that Dave is going to be a player to watch. Dave was the National Youth Subbuteo Champion in 1974. As he gets used to the modern game and gets more games under his belt, he goes from strength to strength. This wa shown by a win against Nigel and a draw agaisnt Nathan. Steve and Paul had too much in the tank and both recorded wins against Dave, but it’s clear to see that he’ll be climbing up the Casual League.
Elsewhere, Malc came out top in a five goal thriller against Steve. Shaun also recorded a win against Paul, finding the back of the net twice, without reply. Alongside his wine against Dave, Paul also claimed the three points against Steve, with a narrow 1-0 win.
Interestingly, after these seven games there were no positional changes to the Casual League table. No player is yet to reach the twenty game threhold in the league.
Results
Malc 3-2 Steve
Dave 2-1 NIgel
Paul 0-2 Shaun
Nathan 0-0 Dave
Steve 0-1 Paul
Dave 1-2 Steve
Dave 1-3 Paul
Casual League Table 2024
Pre-Split League 2024
Five games were played in the pre-split league tonight. Shaun opened up his pre-split league campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Nigel. However, things went downhill for the reigning champion from here. Nathan’s keeper was in stunning form against Shaun. He must have saved at least ten shots from an increasingly frustrated Shaun, with the game finishing goaless.
Having been defeated by Shaun, Nigel faced Malc next. The outcome was the same as his match against Shaun – a 1-0 defeat.
Next up for Malc was Shaun. Shaun thought he had gone ahead in the first half, having slipped the ball into an unattended goal. Malc disputed that the pass through had kept possession and claimed that it had touched his defender last. Shaun was adamant it hadn’t, but was sportsman like and agreed to chalk off the goal. He would come to regret that later, when Malc scored a great goal in the second half to claim the three points.
Talking after the game Malc said “Great game, with great sportsmanship as well. Roll on next time, I’m coming for your crown!“
Shaun replied “Games like this are testament to how far the club has come. The quality is such that there are no easy games anymore. At this level you’ve got to take your chances. Malc did and I didn’t – so congratulations to him. Just as well it’s only the pre-split, so all that’s needed is a top half finish to get into the Premiership. Then the real fun begins!“
Nigel finished his evening with a goaless draw agaisnt Nathan.
Results
Shaun 1-0 Nigel
Nigel 0-1 Malc
Nathan 0-0 Shaun
Nathan 0-0 Nigel
Malc 1-0 Shaun
Pre-Split League 2024
This is how the table is shaping up at the moment. Each player will play 10 games at which point the league will split. The top six players will play in the Premiership and the bottom five will be in the Championsip. They will also be joined by Dave and Mark, who were too late to join the pre-split league. This will take the Championship up to seven players (or six if Connor doesn’t fulfil his fixtures).
Malc and Joe are looking pretty safe in terms of their Premiership place. Shaun will be looking to improve after his stuttering start this week and climb up the table. As the current Champion, he’ll be keen to defend his title. Who will then claim the remaining three Premiership places? Tricky to say at this point!
Tonight saw action in the League and the Casual League. Steve and Malc also faced each other in the 2024 Intermediate Cup final.
Casual League 2024
There were 12 games played in the Casual League tonight. Paul jumped from 7th to 4th place thanks to wins over Dave and Mark. Two draws and a win saw Joe drop a place to sixth. Similarly Nathan also dropped down a place following a win against Mark, but a defeat at the hands of Steve. Despite a loss against Malc, two wins and a draw for Ian, were enough to lift him from tenth to ninth place. Shaun was absent tonight and Malc took full advantage of this. Wins against Dave and Ian saw him put more daylight in terms of APPG between himeslf and Shaun.
Joe tried a new kick off set up against Steve. Unfortunately noone told him he had illegally placed his figures, as they were inside the circle,
Results
Dave 0-5 Malc
Ian 0-0 Joe
Paul 2-0 Mark
Steve 1-0 Nathan
Dave 0-4 Joe
Ian 1-0 Mark
Mark 0-3 Nathan
Dave 0-1 Ian
Steve 0-0 Joe
Paul 1-0 Dave
Ian 0-2 Malc
Steve 4-0 Mark
Casual League Table
2024 League
Just three games in the pre-split league tonight. Joe secures his place at the top of the table, with a convincing 3-0 win over Nathan. In his othe game, Nathan shared the points with Paul in a 1-1 draw. Malc continued his 2024 campaign in positive form, with a 2-0 win over Paul. Current holder Shaun has yet to play any of his games, but will be watching on with nterest as the table unfolds.
Results
Nathan 1-1 Paul
Paul 0-2 Malc
Joe 3-0 Nathan
2024 League Table (Pre-Split)
2024 Intermediate Cup Final
The final of the Intermediate Cup took place tonight. This sees the top second division players facing off against the lowest first division players. Malc and Steve lined up against each other, to see who would be taking home the cup!
The current holder Steve went 1-0 up, putting Malc under presure. Malc held his nerve though and came back with two goals, to win the cup 2-1.
Match referee Joe hands Malc the Cup. Steve looks on and rues letting his lead slip!
Malc – winner of the 2024 Intermediate Cup!
Result
Steve 1-2 Malc
Major Frameries 2024
Malc, Kyle and Brandon all heaeded across the channel to play at Mons – Europe’s premiere table football FISTF Grand Prix tournament. The standard of play here is always incredibly high, with some of the best players in the world competing. Here’s how they got on.
Open Individual
Brandon and Kyle both played in the open tournamet:
This week saw eleven players competing in the first WASPA tournament of the year. The last WASPA tournament was plaed in October 2023 and won by Malc. Our WSAPA toournaments are played in a Swiss ladder format.
Shaun and Malc both got their campaigns off to winning starts with wins against Steve and Joe respectively. Elsewhere, Ian, Kyle and Nigel also secured wins.
Results
Shaun 1-0 Steve
Nigel 2-0 Dave
Malc 2-1 Joe
Kyle 1-0 Mark
Ian 1-0 Paul
Session 2
Joe recorded the strongest victory in session 2 with a 3-0 victory over Mark. Shaun, Malc and Ian all recorded a 2-0 victory. Steve and Paul played out a goaless draw. Here’s what Nigel had to say about his game against Malc:
“I had a really great game with Malc, both of us going at it fast and frantic, hammer and tongs. Unlike some of my games which are mostly slow paced and cat and mouse, and only one or two shots on goal (which more often than not end up goaless, or me losing or occasionally wining 1-0). We both had half a dozen shots each in various ways. I hit the post twice and crossbar once, with snap shots and a few more that just trickles past or were saved. Malc the same, only one of his went in and then with a minute or so to go, I just put nine figures on his shooting line from my goal kick and tried a hail Mary attack. Naturally, he got posession back and with no defence, the inevitable happened – had to laugh. It could have ended up 4-0 either way or 4-4 on another day, but we both enjoyed it so much, the score didn’t really matter. Dave Cope was watching and must have wondered what he’s let himself in for!”
Results
Shaun 2-0 Chris
Joe 3-0 Mark
Malc 2-0 Nigel
Steve 0-0 Paul
Ian 2-0 Kyle
Session 3
Session 3 saw a very tense encounter between Joe and Shaun, which ended up goaless. Dave’s game continues to get better and better, and he was rewarded with a 1-0 win over Steve. Nigel beat Kyle by a single goal and Paul recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Chris. Ian and Malc played out a 1-1 draw.
Results
Shaun 0-0 Joe
Dave 1-0 Steve
Ian 1-1 Malc
Kyle 0-1 Nigel
Paul 3-0 Chris
Session 4
So on to the final session. Here’s Malc on his game against Shaun:
“Shaun scored a incredible opening goal, but I just could not turn my attempts into goals. Shaun was 2 up at half time. In the second half, I went for an attempted force for a throw in. I said knowing my luck it will go into the top corner and what happened? It went into my own goal, top bins. Absolutely crazy and boy did we laugh about it. I did score eventually, but Shaun was the deserved winner.”
This 3-1 win was enough to win the tournament for Shaun. Dave’s skills, hidden away since the 1970s, continued to wake up as he beat Kyle 3-1. Chris also recorded a 3-0 victory over Mark. Joe and Paul drew, as did Nigel and Ian.
Results
Shaun 3-1 Malc
Dave 3-1 Kyle
Joe 1-1 Paul
Nigel 0-0 Ian
Chris 3-0 Mark
Final table
The final table saw Shaun claiming the first WASPA victory of 2024. Ian will have been really pleased with finishing second, against a very strong field. Malc and Nigel both finished on seven points and the same goal difference, but Malc edged it into third place, having scored more goals. In his first WASPA tournament, Dave finished a highly credible fifth.
Form Guide
This week was the final session in February. Who were the top performing players this month?
A bumper crop of 11 players were in attendance at the club tonight, which is absolutely fantastic news for the growth of the club. The 2023 Heene Cup was completed this week, and there were also games played in the Casual League, the pre-split league and the Intermediate Cup.
A new page has also been added to the site – the ‘All Time Honours‘. This lists all players who have won the major Fivestar titles, which titles they won and how many. It’s no surpirse to see that the most successful player the club has seen is club founder Brian Barnes. His record is incomparable. 13 league titles, 10 Clifton Cup titles, 12 Knockout Cup titles, 7 Challenge Cup Titles and a staggering 16 SFA cup titles. This makes a grand total of 58 titles! Brian has been on a playing break since our restart in 2021, but hopefully we’ll see him back at the club.
The Heene Cup 2023
Tonight saw the last piece of the 2023 season jigsaw slotting into place, with the the Heene Cup being concluded. It started with Shaun taking on Joe in the semi-final. As is always the case when these two go head to head, it was a very tense affair. Shaun took an early lead in the first half, with a shot from the right that nestled in the top corner. The rest of the match was like a game of chess. Both players tried to find a way through, but both defences were resolute and there were very few chances. Shaun shut up shop in the second half and managed to run the clock down, earning himself a place in the final against Malc.
Shaun last won this title in 2005 and Malc has yet to win a Fivestar title. Shaun got off to a strong start and was 2-0 up by half time. Malc is a canny player though and wasn’t ready to conceed defeat just yet. Midway through the second half, Malc broke through Shaun’s defence and got a goal back, bringing the score to 2-1. With seconds to go, Shaun was trying to manage the game and see down the clock. However, a moment of clumsiness saw him give away a free kick, due to a finger foul on the edge of his box. Malc took full advantage and slotted away an equaliser.
So extra time it was. Both players had their chances, but neither could find the golden goal. So the only way to separate the two was through shots. The first two shots from both both players were either saved or hit the crossbar, but both found the back of the net with the third middle shot. It was still honours even. Shot 4 was saved by both players, so it came to shot 5. Malc stepped up first and Shaun’s keeper stopped his shot. With the pressure mounting, Shaun could win the title with his shot. A looping shot found the top corner of Malc’s goal, winning the game and the title for a very relieved Shaun.
Shaun Allison – 2023 Heene Cup Winner
This means that 2023 was Shaun’s most successful season in his playing career. Alongside the Heene Cup, he also won the League title, the Clifton Cup, the Challenge Cup and the casual League. A very impresive haul.
Match referee Nigel presents Shaun with his trophy
Finalsits Malc and Shaun with match referee Nigel
League 2024 (Pre-Split)
Three games were played in the pre-split league. Steve moved up to second place with a draw against Chris and a win against Joe. In the other game, Ian and Nigel saw out a goaless draw. Shaun is still waiting to get his 2024 league campaign underway.
New players Dave and Mark will not play in the pre-split games, as these are already underway. However, following the split, they will be placed straight into the championship.
Results
Ian 0-0 Nigel
Chris 0-0 Steve
Joe 0-1 Steve
2024 Pre-Split League Table
The Casual League 2024
A good number of games were played in the Casual League this week. Brandon was on fine scoring form, netting 18 goals in just three games, against Nathan, Dave and Malc. Credit to Malc who scored the only goal against Brandon! Shaun secured two wins against Ian and Dave, as did Nathan against Mark and Ian. New players Dave and Mark went head to head in a tight encounter, with dave just edging a 1-0 victory.
Results
Mark 0-3 Nathan
Malc 2-0 Dave
Ian 0-2 Shaun
Nigel 0-0 Steve
Mark 0-1 Dave
Brandon 7-0 Nathan
Mark 0-5 Joe
Dave 0-6 Brandon
Ian 1-2 Nathan
Malc 1-5 Brandon
Shaun 2-0 Dave
Mark 0-4 Chris
Chris 0-1 Joe
2024 Casual League Table
The Casual League is taking shape, but there is still a long way to go. No players are close yet to the 20 game threshold to secure a placing – and there will definitely be some movement as the year progresses.
Shaun contemplating an attack against Ian. Shaun went on to win 2-0
Nigel has a chuckle at Steve’s attack. The game ended goaless.
Joe in action against Chris. Joe went on to win by a single goal.
Malc launches an attack against Dave. Malc went on to win 2-0
Nathan takes aim against Mark. Nathan won 3-0
The Intermediate Cup 2024
This competition sees the top second division players from last season facing off against the lowest first division players.
Steve has already claimed his place in the final, so was keen to find out who he would be playing as Malc and Chris lined up in the second semi-final. Malc won the game 2-0, so will face Steve in the final.
Steve has won this title in 2022, 2015 and 2012, so will be looking to get his hands on the cup again. Will Malc scupper his plans?
2023 SFA Cup Qualification
With the 2023 Heene Cup being concluded this week, this meant all of the 2023 major titles were complete – which meant the SFA qualification table could also be completed. The SFA Cup is the premier trophy of the Worthing Fivestar League. It is played for on an annual basis, with the club’s two most successful players from the preceding season meeting in a curtain raiser final. Each of the major titles has qualifying points for the SFA Cup (further details on this here).
The total points can be seen below. Based on this, the 2023 SFA Cup Final will be contested by Shaun and Joe. Shaun won the SFA Cup in 2022 and 2003. Joe has yet to win a Fivestar title. Whose name will beon the 2023 cup?
This week saw another new player come along to the club. Pete Baines, joined other new members Dave Cope and Mark Ellis down at the Heene Community Centre. It’s great to see the club attracting new players and going from strength to stength. We’re gonna need a bigger hall!
Casual League 2024
We’re a long way off a meaningful Casual League table at the moment, as the threshold for a placing has changed to 20 games this season. Joe will have been delighted with his two wins agaisnt Steve and new player Mark. Despite losses against experenced players Malc and Ian, new player Dave will also have been very pleased to have got his first three points under his hat, with a win against fellow newbie Pete. Dave also had a goaless draw against Mark. As a former Junior Subbuteo champion in the 1970s, it’s no surprise to see Dave already getting some results in. Paul also had a solid night with a win against Mark and a draw against Nigel.
Results
Malc 2-0 Dave
Joe 1-0 Steve
Dave 0-0 Mark
Mark 0-2 Paul
Dave 2-0 Pete
Nigel 0-0 Paul
Ian 1-0 Dave
Mark 0-3 Joe
New players Dave and Pete in action. Dave went on to win 2-0.
Nigel showing new player Mark the ropes. Paul working the camera!
Ian practices his most recent magic trick, whilst new player Pete watches on.
Casual League Table 2024
League 2024 (Pre-Split)
The pre-split league continued to progress tonight with three games being played. Joe secured his place at the top of the table with a win over Nigel. Steve also beat Nigel, which moved him up to third place. Ian and Malc had a four goal thriller, which kept Ian in second place. Shaun and Connor have yet to get ther league campaigns off to a start.
Results
Nigel 0-1 Joe
Malc 2-2 Ian
Steve 1-0 Nigel
NIgel in reflective mood after back to back league losses
League Table 2024
The Intermediate Cup 2024
This competition sees the top second division players from last season facing off against the lowest first division players.
Semi Final 1
Paul 0-1 Steve
Steve now has to wait to see who he will play in the final when Chris takes on Malc in the other semi-final. Previous winners can be sen here.
Worthing Fivestar Table Football Club 