Musselmen visit the Beacon rather than Robins travelling to Horley
Hassocks will have an unexpected home game for their third pre-season friendly. Instead of travelling to Horley Town, the Robins will host Division One outfit Shoreham at the Beacon.
It will be the first meeting between Hassocks and the Musselmen since they were relegated from the Premier Division at the end of the 2018-19 season. Shoreham did at least go down in a blaze of glory, winning their penultimate game of the campaign 5-0 at the Beacon.
The closest they have come to a return to the top flight was last season. A fifth placed finish resulted in a playoff spot, where Shoreham fell at the final hurdle to Midhurst & Easebourne after eliminating Epsom & Ewell in the semis.
Epsom provided the opposition in Hassocks’ first friendly last Saturday, winning 1-0 at the Beacon. Shoreham will offer another good test for new Hassocks head coach James Westlake and his squad.
The Musselmen also have a fresh face at the helm and it is one that will be very familiar to Hassocks fans. Michael Death is taking his first steps into management at Middle Road after retiring as a player at the end of last season.
A mercurial striker, Death spent three seasons at the Beacon between 2015 and 2018. He provided plenty of entertainment in his 112 appearances for the Robins, finishing as the club’s top scorer in the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons.
Death’s total of 38 goals in a Hassocks shirt puts him in 16th spot on the Robins all-time scorers in senior football list.
Prior to Shoreham’s relegation to Division One, Hassocks had faced the Musselmen 51 times in competitive action.
The Robins have 22 wins to their name and Shoreham 17. 11 games have ended level. The only senior football competition the two sides have never met in remains the FA Vase.
Kick off at the Beacon is at 3pm and admission is by pay what you can afford donation. The T Bar and Robins Bar will be open selling hot and cold food and drink and craft beer, and dogs are welcome.
