The games don’t get any easier for Hassocks. Next to visit the Beacon are Peacehaven & Telscombe, one of the most successful clubs in Southern Combination League history who are well in the hunt for what would be their ninth league title.
The Tye look on course to have their best season since they were last crowned champions in 2013 which was the start of a golden period at the Sports Park.
Back-to-back promotions took Peacehaven into the Isthmian League Premier Division, the highest level the club has ever played at and they also had a day out that nobody will ever forget when lifting the Sussex Senior Cup at the Amex in May 2014.
The Tye’s fall was nearly as quick as their rise and successive relegations followed, leaving them back in the Southern Combination Premier Division for 2016-17.
More concerning was the financial troubles that gulfed and could have easily killed off this most famous of Sussex Non League clubs.
The people of Peacehaven rallied however and the Tye were eventually saved, now thriving as a community owned football club.
Under the management of Mark Shutt, they shocked higher division Haywards Heath Town to win the Sussex Prinicipal RUR Chairty Cup at the end of last season.
That’s proven to be a springboard to bigger and better things this time around and they arrive at the Beacon sitting third in the table, seven points behind leaders Eastbourne Town with a game in hand.
The Tye have already defeated Town once this season, eliminating them from the Peter Bentley League Cup before going onto knock out Lancing who are the only other team above them in the table.
Those two results show just what a dangerous outfit Peacehaven could be and given that they’re still in that competition, the RUR Cup and the Sussex Senior Cup, chances are there will be at least one piece of silverware heading towards the trophy cabinet at the Sports Park come the end of the season.
They’ll fancy their chances of keeping pace with the top two after today if their record against Hassocks is anything to go by.
32 times we’ve met in the past with Peacehaven winning on 17 occasions, including nine of the last 10. Hassocks’ only win since 2011 came in August 2016 when Phil Gault and Nathan Miles were both on target in a 2-1 success.
On the Robins bench that day was Bradley Bant who will be returning to the Beacon this weekend in Peacehaven colours. Bant will be sure of a warm welcome having racked up 131 appearances in three-and-a-half years with Hassocks between October 2014 and August last year, when he made the move to the Sports Park.
Kick off is at 3pm and entrance is priced at £6 adults and £3 concessions with Under 16s going free. The T Bar will be serving hot food and drink throughout the afternoon and the Robins Bar will be open for alcohol.
There will be a raffle featuring money-can’t-buy prizes and our 32-page award-winning matchday programme will be on sale for £1.
