Fan favourite Harvey returns after two seasons with the Anvils
Harvey Blake is coming back to the Beacon with James Westlake managing to land the the full back from Crawley Down Gatwick.
Blake needs no introduction having been a hugely popular figure during his previous spell at the club between 2018 and 2020.
Mark Dalgleish brought Blake in from Mid Sussex League side Sporting Lindfield. He made the step up to senior football look easy, taking to the Southern Combination League Premier Division like the proverbial duck to water.
Blake soon established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet as part of the Robins side who finished 12th in 2018-19, the club’s highest placing in the past eight seasons.
He played 40 times that year – only Liam Benson managed more appearances – scoring once. In 2019-20, Blake was one of the few bright spots as Hassocks struggled before the season was curtailed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Blake played 27 times prior to lockdown, netting twice. The second of those goals was one of the best strikes the Beacon has seen for many years.
It came in a surprise 2-0 win over Pagham. Blake picked up the ball deep inside the Hassocks half in his right back berth. The Lions invited him to run at them which was a dangerous move.
Blake advanced 25 yards up the pitch and then hit an unstoppable effort from 30 yards out which left Pagham goalkeeper Tom Crook grasping at thin air.
Along with his footballing prowess, Blake became a fan favourite at Hassocks for his willingness to help out around the Beacon off-the-pitch.
This included running the Robins Bar when he was injured and doing an excellent job of carrying out the half time raffle, ensuring that Dave John won every prize.
Blake departed for Crawley Down in the summer of 2020 after 67 games and three goals for Hassocks. In his two seasons at the Haven, he made 54 appearances for Down and scored a further three times.
He becomes Westlake’s fifth signing of the summer. Pat Harding, Mike Williamson, Sam Cash and Leon Turner are already through the door with further reinforcements expected to be announced over the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
Welcome back to the Beacon, Harvey.
