Di Paola returns to put the sting back into Hornets

Dominic Di Paola is back in the Ryman League as the new manager of Horsham.

The former Clymping FC, East Preston, Worthing and Hastings United boss was named by the Hornets as their new boss on Tuesday night, 24 hours after former joint managers Cliff Cant and Anthony Storey left Goring's Mead with three games of the campaign to go and relegation all but confirmed with the club eight points adrift of safety.

Di Paola, pictured, was interviewed for the Horsham post in January when Gary Charman departed and will take charge of the bottom-of-the-table club for the first time on Saturday when they travel to promotion-hunting Faversham Town.

The 35-year-old, who has been tasked with rebuilding the club's side next season, spent his playing days at Worthing and Worthing United and has been collecting trophies since taking his first steps into management with West Sussex League side Clymping FC aged just 25.

After leading them to promotion in his second season in charge, he followed that up by capturing the Sussex County League Division Three title a year later.

He returned to Worthing in 2010 to rebuild the side before taking the helm at East Preston in 2011 and winning five trophies in four years. His successes included guiding the club to Sussex County League title for the first time in their history in 2014 and reaching the last 16 of the FA Vase in consecutive seasons.

Last summer he took his first steps into Ryman League management when he replaced Terry White at Hastings in August but left after winning only five of his 14 games in charge.

Horsham chairman Kevin Borrett said: "Dom impressed us immensely when we first interviewed him for the manager's position in January but we felt that the start made by Anthony Storey and Cliff Cant earned them the opportunity to try and take us forward.

"Sadly it didn't work out as we had hoped and so we have given Dom a mandate to start preparing and planning for next season which, unless we are reprieved or the subject of a league reorganisation, is expected to be in the Sussex County League.

"We expect Dom to make even greater use of local players, and strengthen the link between the senior team and under-18s as well as place greater focus on pre-match training."

Image courtesy of www.wscountytimes.co.uk

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