Langney Wanderers make their first ever visit to the Beacon this Saturday which is the latest stop in a whirlwind journey that has seen them climb from Sunday League to senior football in just seven years.
As recently as 2012, Wanderers were plying their trade in Lewes & District Sunday League, taking the bold step to transition to Saturday football for the start of the 2012-13 season.
Since then, there has been no looking back. They won the East Sussex Premier Division at the first attempt and followed that up by being crowned Southern Combination League Division Two champions a year later.
Wanderers were denied promotion due to the lack of floodlights at their former Shinewater Lane home but once planning permission was won, they were able to take their place among the ranks of Sussex’s senior clubs in the summer of 2015.
After several years of consolidation in Division One, they finished runners up to Little Common last year and a move to groundshare with neighbours Eastbourne Borough at Priory Lane brought Premier Division football to Wanderers for the first time this season.
At the time of writing, it looks like it’s going to end up being a success as well. Wanderers would have been looking for survival and they are currently on course to do that, sitting six points clear of the relegation zone.
They’ve made something of a name for themselves by being a difficult team to beat, recording nine draws which is the second highest total in the division with Saltdean United and Eastbourne Town just a couple of the high flying sides who have failed to beat them so far.
Langney’s meteoric rise means that Hassocks only encountered them for the first time in a competitive first game when the sides met back in September.
The omens from that meeting a good for this weekend, an entertaining 2-2 draw which proved to be very exciting for the neutral, if not those in either dugout!
Prior to that, Hassocks had ran out 2-1 winners in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2016 through goals from Josh Hawkes and Ben Bacon while Roy Staughton’s reserve side saw off Wanderers 3-2 in the semi final of the Sussex Intermediate Cup in February 2013 through a Neil Kane brace and Laurence Robinson.
With no football in the top two divisions due to the international break, Hassocks are offering half price entry to any supporters with a season ticket from any other football club. Full prices are £6 adults, £3 concessions and under 16s go free.
The Robins Bar will be open serving alcohol throughout the afternoon and the T Bar will have hot food and drink as well as some of the Beacon’s famous cakes.
The matchday programme will also have voting forms for fans to cast their votes for Supporter’s Player of the Season, so make sure you get your hands on the 32 page edition which costs just £1.
