Nine goals in a breakthrough campaign for the latest first team regular off the Robins production line
Young forward Alfie Loversidge will stay with Hassocks for the coming season following a breakthrough 2021-22 campaign at the Beacon.
The 19-year-old established himself as a versatile first team regular in a variety of positions. He came into the senior side as a central midfielder but was soon pushed further forward.
That ultimately proved a wise decision as Hassocks found themselves scoring with much greater frequency following Loversidge’s redeployment after the team had endured a barren start to the campaign. He also did a job out wide on occasions.
Loversidge started 42 times and made one substitute appearance, netting nine times along the way to sit third in the scoring charts behind Jack Troak and Josh Short on 10.
Included in Loversidge’s impressive haul was a treble in a 4-1 win over AFC Varndeanians in October, making him the first teenager to score a hat-trick since Matt Amos 15 years earlier. Not bad company to be in.
Loversidge joined Hassocks Under 18s in the summer of 2018. Over the next three seasons, he played 30 times and contributed five goals.
The Robins finished Southern Combination Youth League North Division runners up in 2018-19 and were in title contention in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before Covid-19 caused curtailments.
In the 2021 Under 18s Supplementary Shield, Loversidge helped Hassocks to reach the semi finals where they were beaten by eventual winners Steyning Town.
Loversidge was given his first team debut in the 2019-20 season by Mark Dalgleish. He featured more regularly in the 2020-21 campaign under Dave John and impressed with a fearlessness for making things happen, which defied his age.
He made seven starts and 10 appearances from the bench, scoring twice. His first senior goal arrived in a 6-2 September defeat at Eastbourne Town.
Loversidge followed it up with the opener when the Robins won 4-2 at Crawley Down Gatwick in April’s Premier Division Supplementary Shield.
In total, Loversidge has played 61 times for Hassocks, scoring 11 goals. If he can match last season’s 41 appearances in 2022-23, then he will become the 42nd product of the Robins youth system to pass a century of senior appearances for the club before the campaign is over.
