Newly-Promoted Worthing Set for Carlisle Trip in National League Opener
Newly-promoted Worthing will travel to Carlisle United for the first National League game in their history on the opening weekend of the season, Saturday, 8 August.
The Rebels will compete in fifth-tier football for the first time during the 2026-27 campaign after winning the National League South title last season.
This marks a second season in the division for the Cumbrians since their relegation from League Two. The club has recently appointed former Gateshead boss Rob Elliot to replace Mark Hughes as head coach.
Elsewhere, National League South play-off winners Hornchurch, who are also in the fifth tier for the first time, host National League North play-off winners Kidderminster Harriers.
Beaten National League play-off finalists Boreham Wood welcome Tamworth, while Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers start at home against Halifax Town.
Harrogate Town and Barrow, who both suffered relegation from League Two last season after six years in the EFL, will host Solihull Moors and visit Hartlepool United, respectively.
National League North champions AFC Fylde will host Wealdstone.
The regular season concludes on Saturday, 24 April. Teams finishing between second and seventh will then contest the play-offs, with the final promotion spot decided at Wembley on the weekend of 8 May.
The first two rounds of fixtures will appear on the streaming network DAZN, as the traditional 15:00 TV blackout does not apply on those weekends.
National League opening day fixtures in full
Saturday, 8 August
AFC Fylde v Wealdstone
Altrincham v Southend United
Boreham Wood v Tamworth
Boston United v Aldershot Town
Carlisle United v Worthing
Eastleigh v Gateshead
Forest Green Rovers v FC Halifax Town
Harrogate Town v Solihull Moors
Hartlepool United v Barrow
Hornchurch v Kidderminster Harriers
Scunthorpe United v Yeovil Town
Woking v Sutton United
All games are scheduled to kick off at 15:00 BST
Second round of fixtures
Saturday, 15 August
Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United
Barrow v Hornchurch
FC Halifax Town v Boreham Wood
Gateshead v Woking
Kidderminster Harriers v Eastleigh
Solihull Moors v Boston United
Southend United v Scunthorpe United
Sutton United v Altrincham
Tamworth v AFC Fylde
Wealdstone v Harrogate Town
Worthing v Forest Green Rovers
Yeovil United v Carlisle United
All games are scheduled to kick off at 15:00 BST
Final day fixtures
Saturday, 24 April, 2027
Aldershot Town v AFC Fylde
Barrow v Woking
FC Halifax Town v Eastleigh
Gateshead v Boreham Wood
Kidderminster Harriers v Boston United
Solihull Moors v Hornchurch
Southend United v Hartlepool United
Sutton United v Carlisle United
Tamworth v Forest Green Rovers
Wealdstone v Scunthorpe United
Worthing v Altrincham
Yeovil Town v Harrogate Town
All games are scheduled to kick off at 12:30 BST
History for Worthing and Hornchurch
The original Hornchurch Football Club and its 2005 reformation have never played in the fifth tier of English football until now.
For Worthing, the 140-year wait to reach the top rung of the non-league ladder ends with a 720-mile round trip to play before up to 17,000 fans at Brunton Park.
The average attendance in National League South last season reached about 1,300.
Hornchurch played in the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2023-24, but two promotions in three seasons under manager Daryl McMahon propelled them into new territory.
Worthing’s path follows a similar trajectory, rising from the eighth tier in 2016 to the National League.
Hornchurch will visit Carlisle on 22 August—a notable matchup given the clubs sat four tiers apart in the pyramid just three seasons ago.
They will welcome the Cumbrians to the Hornchurch Stadium—the smallest ground in the division with a 3,500 capacity—for the reverse fixture on 27 February, 2027.
Hornchurch’s coaching staff will include former West Ham United defender Anton Ferdinand, who joined the club in June.