The draws for the early qualifying rounds of the FA Cup and FA Vase have been made with Hassocks facing tough tasks in both of the national cup competitions
In the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round, the Robins will travel to Southern Counties East League Premier Division side Balham on Tuesday 1st September. The game will be played at AFC Croydon Athletic’s Mayfield Stadium, where Balham are currently tenants.
Balham were only founded in 2011, since when they have enjoyed something of a meteoric rise through the divisions. In the past nine years, they have rattled through the Surrey South Eastern Combination League, the Surrey Elite Combination League and the Combined Counties League.
They sat 13th in the Combined Counties Premier with 11 wins, three draws and 13 defeats from their 26 games when the 2019-20 campaign was abandoned back in March. 2020-21 will be their first season in the Southern Counties East League after being transferred by the FA.
The winners of the tie will take on Isthmian League outfit Bedfont Sports away from home in the preliminary qualifying round. Sports play in the South Central section of the Isthmian League, where they sat 12th in the table before last season was declared null and void.
Should Hassocks make it through to face Bedfont, then it would be the first meeting between the two. The tie would take place on Saturday 12th September.
In the FA Vase, the Robins will face a more familiar face after being drawn at home to fellow Southern Combination League Premier Division side Peacehaven & Telscombe.
The Tye were on the cusp of the title race for much of last season, having been one of the most consistent teams in the top flight over the past few years, including when winning the Sussex Prinicipal RUR Charity Cup in 2018-19.
It will be the second time that the sides have met in the FA Vase. The previous occasion came in the 2004-05 season when Hassocks won 2-0 at the Beacon in the second qualifying round.
Pat Harding and James Laing scored to send the Robins to Oxfordshire in the first round proper, where they lost a seven goal thriller 4-3 against Witney United.
That FA Vase victory represents a rare success against Peacehaven for the Robins. The teams have met on 33 occasions with Hassocks winning only seven. The Tye have triumphed 19 times and there have been seven draws.
Peacehaven’s visit to the Beacon takes place on Saturday 19th September. If Hassocks win, there could be a quick-fire reunion with Balham as either they or South East Counties Division One side Lewisham Borough will make the trip to Mid Sussex in the second qualifying round.
