After six months, Hassocks will finally play a competitive game of football with the Robins hitting the road to face Balham in the Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round.
It will be the first ever meeting between the two sides. Balham were only founded in 2011 and have endured a pretty meteoric rise through the football pyramid, rattling through the Surrey South Eastern Combination League, the Surrey Elite Combination League and the Combined Counties League in the past nine years.
The Blazers 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. For 2020-21, Balham will compete in the Southern Counties East League for the first time after being transferred by the FA.
That move came about due to Balham moving grounds. They had been based at Colliers Wood United’s Wibbandune Stadium before taking up residency at AFC Croydon Athletic’s Mayfield Stadium. Hassocks’ visit will be the Blazer’s first competitive game at their new home.
Balham have enjoyed an encouraging pre-season campaign, beating both Virginia Water 1-0 and Tooting Bec 6-1. They then lost 2-0 to Hendon in a London Senior Cup Quarter Final held over from last season before losing 1-0 to Forest Hill Park. The Blazer’s final pre-season fixture saw an enthralling 3-3 draw with Croydon.
With the goals flowing for Balham, Hassocks will be hoping to replicate the sort of defensive performance they put in on their last visit to south London in the FA Cup. That came a year ago at the preliminary qualifying round stage, when the Robins drew 0-0 at Isthmian League side Chipstead.
Following the game, the Hassocks players stopped off at a pub in Coulsdon to celebrate the first time they’d managed to avoid defeat against a side from a higher level since 2006. There was also the small matter of Liverpool v Arsenal on television.
What the squad had not considered was the reaction deep in Crystal Palace territory to 20 men walking into a bar wearing tracksuits emblazoned with the name of Brighton and Hove Albion fan site WeAreBrighton.com, one of Hassocks’ sponsors.
Needless to say, the locals were not happy. As a result, there will probably be no pub stop this time if Hassocks do manage to win through. The winners of the tie will face Bedfont Sports away from home on September 12th.
How to get to Mayfield Stadium
Follow the A23 past IKEA heading towards Thornton Heath. Once you pass a Sainsbury’s Local on your left, turn left into Silverleigh Road, bear left into Trafford Road and then into Mayfield Road. The ground is situated along a private road where you will find a car park.
