Adam Hinshelwood is facing the prospect of an unexpected first marathon, thanks to the generosity of Worthing supporters.

The former Albion defender will run and walk the 27 miles from his home in Selsey to Woodside Road if a fundraising target is reached.

Indications are Worthing well-wishers will smash that target with time to spare as they chip in towards improvements at their home ground.

That will leave Hinshelwood and two colleagues reaching for their trainers.

Worthing need £150,000 to pay for work at what is now known as the Crucial Environmental Stadium.

They plan to install new floodlights, an additional bar and a new toilet block while also improving the changing rooms.

A £90,000 grant from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund, plus other contributions, left them with £43,000 still to secure, which they hope to do through crowdfunding.

The response so far has been impressive.

Hinshelwood, the Worthing manager, said: “I had a crazy idea just to help get things ticking along that, if they got to £20,000 by next Saturday, I’d run from home to the ground in full Worthing kit along with a couple of colleagues.

“At the time it was about £5,000 so we thought we would give them a little push.

“Forty-eight hours later, it was up to £17,000 already. I don’t know if my knees are ready for this!

“I need some knee braces and some new running shoes. But it looks like we will have to do it.

“There will be lots of walking, no doubt, but we will get it done.”

Hinshelwood’s professional career was cut short by injury – as were hopes of running a marathon.

He said: “I’ve always quite fancied it but I had to retire with my knees. But I’ll give it a go.

“When the club come up with this idea I’m thinking, ‘Blimey, it’s a bit of tough time to be suggesting something like that and asking for money’.

“But it makes everybody look towards the future.

“We have a lot of fans who come to our games and for them to be rewarded with good facilities would be amazing.

“It gives them something to look forward to. In this current situation, I think it’s the only way you can look - forward.”

Kitman Stuart Evans and coach Cameron Morrison will join Hinshelwood on the road.

Worthing were seven points clear at the top of the Isthmian League when the season was curtailed and declared null and void.

But Hinshelwood is confident the club, who have ambitions to play National League football, will maintain momentum.

He said: “At the moment there is only one catering block so you have got 1,000-odd fans and the queue is quite long. It puts some people off.

“The floodlights are desperately in need of upgrade.

“It’s quite dark when you’re playing matches.

“It’s the darkest pitch we play on in evening games.

“It should all help with the experience of coming to Worthing.

“That’s what we want - people to come and enjoy the football and the experience they have.”

Improved facilities will also help the club’s successful women’s team.

Chairman Barry Hunter said: “It’s our intention to complete the works through the summer and ahead of the new season.

“This leaves us a quite narrow window to raise funds, focused on May and June, at which point we will review what, if any, funding gap still remains and plan a July push to complete.”

Hinshelwood is keeping in regular contact with his squad as he plots another promotion push.

He said: “I’ve been phoning all the players to say we are planning to start at the beginning of July.

“If the league come back and say next season will start as normal, I don’t want us to be surprised. We will keep the players updated.”

“We’ve got six weeks and a lot can change and happen in that time.

“We will keep monitoring it week on week.”