Hassocks take on Southern Counties East side K Sports this weekend looking for their first victory in the FA Vase since 2014. Here’s a look back at how the Robins have fared in a national cup competition they’ve been entering since 1995.
Five games from Wembley
The closest Hassocks have ever got to reaching Wembley in the FA Vase is the second round of the competition, a stage that the Robins have reached on four previous occasions.
The most recent of those came in the 2014-15 season and it was an evening to forget for Dave John’s young side as they were hammered 7-0 by Ashford United – Hassocks’ heaviest defeat in the competition. That was the season in which the Robins most recently won a game in the Vase, the previous round seeing a 3-1 home win over Cortinthian thanks to two goals in the final five minutes from Phil Johnson and Nathan Miles.
Hassocks’ other games in the second round stage were less chastening than that Ashford experience; 1-0 defeats away at Lymington Spa and Kingsbury Town in 2007-08 and 2005-06 respectively and a 2-1 loss at Banstead Athletic in 1998099.
That Banstead defeat as preceded by probably Hassocks’ best ever set of results in the competition. The Robins weren’t drawn at home in one round but picked up quite brilliant wins on the road in tough away games at Knitbury Rangers (3-2) and then a stunning 3-0 win away at Ware.
Stung by the Hornets
The Vase seemed to love throwing up games with Horsham in the early 90s and Hassocks and the Hornets faced off three times in the FA Vase between 1995 and 2000.
The first of those came in the first season that the Robins entered the competition, Horsham winning a topsy-turvy game 6-3 at Queen Street in the first round in 1995-96. Ramsgate became the first side Hassocks ever beaten in a national cup competition in the previous round following a 2-1 away win.
John’s side then went out to the Hornets again in 2000/01 thanks to a 2-1 repay defeat at Queen Street after they’d done fantastically well to hold their higher division visitors 2-2 here at the Beacon. The fact that game went to a replay was a rarity in itself, as only one other time in over 20 years of enterting the competition have Hassocks needed an additional 90 minutes to decide a game.
That came in the first qualifying round game against Farnham Town in 2011-12. Both of those matches ended in 1-1 draws with Town eventually triumphing 8-7 on penalties on a horrible Tuesday night in Surrey. Phil Gault scored the Hassocks goals in both games and it was the unfortunate James Westlake who missed the decisive spot kick.
No Deal at Deal
There have been five other exits at the first round stage, the most disappointing of which came at Deal Town in 2012-13. Hassocks had finished the previous season in fourth place in the Sussex County League – their highest ever finish – and had arguably the best squad in the clubs history but they simply didn’t turn up on the day, going down 2-0 to a set of gloating hosts.
The only positive from the experience came with meeting the ‘Deal Duck’, Town’s mascot that was effectively a bloke dressed in a Donald Duck outfit. Spencer Slaughter in particular was delighted to meet him, demanding a picture after the game in what was otherwise a pretty poor afternoon on the road.
The Robins other first round exits have come at the hands of Chessington & Hook United 3-0 in 2013-14, Witney United in 2004-05 just before a certain David Cameron became the local MP, fellow Sussex side Sidley United 3-1 in 2001-02 and away at Herne Bay in the 1996/97 season.
Sussex sides send the Robins crashing
Of the Robins six other second qualifying round exits, three of them have come at the hands of clubs from the Southern Combination League. Littlehampton Town accounted for the Robins exit from the competition in 1997, Arundel in 2003 and Eastbourne Town in 2006.
That Eastbourne Town defeat was particularly harsh on the Robins as they took took the eventual Premier Division champions all the way to extra time before succumbing 3-1.
Two of the other three exits were all by a single goal – 3-2 away at BAT Sports in the 1999-00 season and at home to Chertsey Town 3-2 AET in 2008-09. There was also a disappointing 2-0 defeat away at Molesey in the 2009-10 campaign and last seasons 3-0 home defeat to Spelthorne Sports.
Out at the earliest
Given that Hassocks have rarely finished in the bottom six during their 24 years in the top flight of the Southern Combination, it has not been often that they’ve entered the FA Vase at the first qualifying round, as is the case today.
The last occasion came in 2016-17 when Hassocks were on the end of a 4-2 defeat away at Horley Town in the clubs first game in the competition for two years, having failed to enter for the 2015-16 season.
The Robins only other exits came in 2010-11, 3-2 away at Blackfield & Langley in a game that is probably best remembered for young Hassocks left back Andy Whittingham receiving a quite sensational red card for attempting to kung fu kick an opposition player in the face. There was also a 3-2 defeat at big spending Moneyfields in 2003-04.
Hassocks have won two games at the first qualifying round of the competition previously including one of the most entertaining in the Vase, a 4-3 win over Three Bridges in 2008-09 in which Jack Simpson made his Hassocks debut. The other victory came by three goals to one the following season at home to Sevenoaks Town.
