Three clubs have been promoted to the Southern Combination League Premier Division following the announcement from the Football Association of how the non-league pyramid will look for the 2021-22 season.
Littlehampton Town, Bexhill United and AFC Varndeanians are all elevated Division One based on results recorded over the past two curtailed seasons. They take the places of Lancing, Horley Town and Langney Wanderers.
The Lancers have been awarded a deserved promotion to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history after two outstanding campaigns.
Horley have been laterally moved back to the Combined Counties League following two years in the Southern Combination whilst Langney Wanderers have sadly folded, bringing to an end their astonishing story of rising from the Lewes Sunday League to senior football in a little over a decade.
As for the newcomers, Littlehampton have been pretty much unbeatable in Division One since 2019. They return to the Premier Division for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, when Hassocks completed a league double over the Golds.
Michael Death, Josh Tuck and Spencer Slaughter scored in a 3-1 win at the Beacon. The return at the St Flora Sportsfield ended in a 2-0 victory for the Robins through goals from young duo Jake Lindsey and Jack Wilkins.
Hassocks and Littlehampton Town have met on 33 occasions across four different competitions. The Golds lead the way with 17 wins to the Robins’ 13 with only three draws between the clubs – one to avoid on the coupon when the fixture comes around.
Bexhill were last in the Premier Division back in the 1990-91 season, after which they bounced between Division One and Two before becoming an established Division One club over the past decade.
Hassocks last shared a division with the Pirates in 1994-95, the Robins winning 4-0 at the Beacon and drawing 2-2 in the away fixture on their way to promotion from Division One.
There have been four cup meetings in the intervening 27 years. Hassocks have won three of those with Bexhill including the most recent clash when triumphing 3-2 in a Peter Bentley League Cup second round thriller in October 2018.
Jamie Bunn and Wayne Giles had the visitors to Mid Sussex 2-0 ahead at half time, only for the Robins to launch a magnificent second half comeback via goals from James Littlejohn, Dan Jacques and Phil Johnson.
That gave Hassocks their third success against Bexhill from eight matches in all competitions. The Pirates have won four whilst one draw rounds off the head-to-head.
AFC Varndeanians meanwhile have been promoted to the Premier Division for the first time in their current spell as a Southern Combination League club, which began in the 2014-15 season. They enjoyed a previous spell in the league between 1956 and 1973.
Hassocks have never met Varndeanians before at senior level, although the Robins’ Third XI were regular opponents against Old Varndeanians in the Mid Sussex League Premier Division between 2003 and 2012.
The most famous meeting came in the Montgomery Cup Final in 2004, when Hassocks III’s shocked V’s by lifting the trophy to deny that seasons Premier champions a league and cup double.
Nothing could separate the two sides in normal time at Leylands Park as the game finished 2-2. Phil Eldret and Tom Hall were the Robins scorers with David Bridges and Mark Lloyd netting for V’s.
Hassocks went onto triumph on penalties with Simon Maskell’s side that day containing an 18-year-old Ashley Mash and a 16-year-old Sam Fisk, both of whom went onto have pretty decent careers both at the Beacon and elsewhere.
The new Premier Division season is set to get underway on Saturday 31st July 2021 with full details of Hassocks’ pre-season schedule to be released soon.
Full Southern Combination League Premier Division line up for 2021-22:
AFC Uckfield Town
AFC Varndeanians
Alfold
Bexhill United
Broadbridge Heath
Crawley Down Gatwick
East Preston
Eastbourne Town
Eastbourne United
Hassocks
Horsham YMCA
Lingfield
Little Common
Littlehampton Town
Loxwood
Newhaven
Pagham
Peacehaven & Telscombe
Saltdean United
Steyning Town
