Worthing to make National League debut at Brunton Park on 8 August

Newly-promoted Worthing begin their first ever National League campaign with a 720-mile round trip to Carlisle United on the opening day of the 2026-27 season.

After 140 years of existence and a remarkable climb through the non-league pyramid, Worthing Football Club will finally sample fifth-tier football this coming August. The Rebels, who won the National League South title last season, have been handed a baptism of fire for their historic debut: a trip north to Brunton Park to face Carlisle United on Saturday, 8 August, with all games kicking off at 15:00 BST.

It is a fixture that captures the imagination of anyone who loves football outside the top four divisions. Worthing, a club from the West Sussex coast, heading to one of English football's most famous away ends, in front of a crowd that could reach 17,000 — a figure that dwarfs the average National League South attendance of roughly 1,300 from last season. The round trip alone stretches to approximately 720 miles. If ever a first game was going to test a newly-promoted side's character, this is it.

A climb that began in the eighth tier

What makes Worthing's story so compelling is the sheer distance they have travelled. Back in 2016, they were operating in the eighth tier of English football. Step by step, season by season, they have worked their way to the top rung of the non-league ladder. The National League is the destination many clubs dream of but few ever reach, and the Rebels have done it the hard way.

They will not be the only club making history on opening day either. National League South play-off winners Hornchurch are also in the fifth tier for the first time in their existence — a club that has been around in one form or another for well over a century, yet has never played at this level before. Hornchurch open at home to National League North play-off winners Kidderminster Harriers, another fixture that reads like a genuine occasion.

Carlisle under new management, familiar challenges

For Carlisle, the 2026-27 campaign will be their second consecutive season in the National League following their relegation from League Two. The Cumbrians have made a managerial change ahead of the new term, appointing Rob Elliot — formerly of Gateshead — to replace Mark Hughes in the dugout. There is real expectation at Brunton Park that they can push for an immediate return to the EFL, and a home fixture against a side experiencing National League football for the very first time is exactly the kind of game they will be targeting from the off.

A division with stories across every fixture

The opening weekend serves up plenty more talking points beyond the headline tie at Brunton Park. Robbie Savage's Forest Green Rovers host FC Halifax Town, while Boreham Wood — beaten play-off finalists last season — welcome Tamworth. Both Harrogate Town and Barrow, who each spent six years in the EFL before dropping into the National League last term, return to action against Solihull Moors and Hartlepool United respectively. AFC Fylde, the National League North champions, begin at home to Wealdstone.

Both opening rounds of fixtures — the 8 August and 15 August cards — will be broadcast in full on streaming platform DAZN, with the standard 15:00 Saturday TV blackout lifted for those two weekends. That means fans unable to travel will be able to watch Worthing's first steps at this level from wherever they are.

The regular season concludes on Saturday, 24 April 2027, with the play-off final at Wembley pencilled in for the weekend of 8 May. One automatic promotion place and one play-off berth await, with teams finishing second through to seventh contesting the knockout rounds. For Worthing and Hornchurch, just staying in the division would represent a success story. But football has a habit of surprising people, and both clubs have already shown they are rather good at defying expectations.

Frequently asked

When do Worthing play their first ever National League game?: Worthing's first National League fixture is on Saturday, 8 August 2026, away at Carlisle United's Brunton Park, kicking off at 15:00 BST.
How did Worthing get promoted to the National League?: Worthing won the National League South title in the 2025-26 season, earning automatic promotion to the National League — the fifth tier of English football — for the first time in their 140-year history.
Where can I watch National League games on TV in 2026-27?: The first two rounds of National League fixtures, on 8 and 15 August, will be televised on streaming platform DAZN. The usual Saturday 15:00 blackout does not apply on those opening weekends.