This season has already been going well for the Rebels so far, sitting firmly in promotion contention. The recent period has been even more special for Jack Spong who, when Weston-super-mare visited Woodside Road, racked up his 100th appearance in a Worthing shirt.
Before arriving in Sussex, ‘Spongy’, began his footballing journey at Brighton, appearing for both the Seagulls’ Under 18’s and Under 21’s, including a loan spell at Crawley Town in the second half of the 2022/23 season. He left Brighton for good that summer to join Queen’s Park in Scotland. Despite taking home the August Player of the Month award, his tenure north of the border was cut short in January.
His spell without a club only lasted a matter of weeks before becoming a rebel in February 2024, making Jack’s achievement all the more impressive.
“It feels really good. It’s come around so quick, after joining in basically the January window I’ve only had one full season. It’s just game after game and I’m really happy that I’ve done it. One big thing for me is to always be available for matches. It’s really good.”
Not only has he been able to make triple figures in less than two years, he managed to do it before turning 24, though he valued minutes on the pitch more.
“I guess it’s even better making it so young, one of my targets is just always to be available and injury free. I want to be able to play as much as possible, and that shows with making 100 appearances so quickly.”
During his stint in BN14, the highlight was also against Weston-super-mare, specifically, the magnificent recovery away at The Optima Stadium, that resulted in a 4-3 Rebels victory.
“My favorite moment in a Worthing shirt; the first game of the season last year was good. Being three-nil down at halftime and coming back, winning four-three and scoring two free kicks, that’s probably up there.”
His time at the club has also taught him lessons and presented him with challenges in equal measure:
“Stay in the present, because stuff can go so well and then so bad the days after, and then go back to so well. So stay in the present, that’s in football and life.
“The biggest challenge was being in full-time football pretty much all my life to then, well, obviously since 16 and then coming into Worthing and it was part-time at the time. That was probably the toughest bit. It was a big difference. I had to conduct myself off the pitch and do all of the other bits to stay fit and stay sharp.”
Owing to the fact his main career ambition is playing games over anything, an 100th appearance wasn’t something he was concerned with when he first came:
“I didn’t really think of making a hundred appearances. It was more just concentrating where the club was when I first came in, so trying to get promotion, enjoying it so much, and getting on so well with everyone. Buzzing that I’ve been able to stay here for that long and make a hundred appearances.”
On this trajectory it won’t be long until ‘Spongy’ doubles his number of games for the club, and after that, there’s no limit on how much he will endear himself into the hearts of the Worthing faithful.
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