Westlake promoted from first team coach to complete coaching team for 2024-25
Lewis Westlake has been named Hassocks assistant manager for the 2024-25 Southern Combination Premier Division campaign.
He replaces Tom Hughes, who left the Beacon at the end of last season after two successful years as number two to James Westlake.
The duo guided the Robins to a first top 10 finish for nine seasons in 2022-23. Better was to come last time out as Hassocks picked up a club record Premier Division points tally on their way to finishing fifth and qualifying for the playoffs.
Lewis spent three quarters of the season working alongside brother James and Hughes as first team coach after being told he required a third operation just five games into his comeback following over a year out injured.
He has now been promoted to assistant manager in the Robins new-look coaching team. Darren Budd has joined from Worthing as player-coach and Jordan Wilson will continue in his role combining coaching with scouting.
Despite being restricted to only five appearances last season, Westlake still managed to provide one of the most memorable moments of the campaign away at Sheerwater in the FA Vase.
His strike from a full 35 yards with 89 minutes on the clock finally decided a chaotic second qualifying round tie 5-4 in favour of Hassocks.
Westlake has turned out 118 times for the Robins over three separate spells. He first arrived at the Beacon in the summer of 2016 having previously played for St Francis Rangers and Lancing.
He made 62 appearances across two seasons before returning to the Lancers at the start of the 2018-19 campaign. Next came a move to Loxwood, for whom he played 22 times.
Westlake moved back to Hassocks in February 2019. His second spell consisted of 16 appearances in 12 months until Covid-19 brought football to a halt in March 2020.
When former Robin Spencer Slaughter was appointed Loxwood manager that summer, he made Westlake one of his first signings and handed him the captain’s armband.
Westlake skippered the Magpies to the final of the Southern Combination Premier Division Supplementary Shield, where they lost out to a Lancing side about to be promoted to the Isthmian League.
After Slaughter left Loxwood early in the 2021-22 season, Westlake had a brief spell at Steyning Town before signing for Hassocks for a third time.
He scored four times in his first five appearances, helping to spark the turnaround in form which saw the Robins pull clear of the relegation zone in the second half of the campaign.
The six goals Westlake plundered in 2021-22 made it the most prolific of his career. Installed as club captain for 2022-23, he played 10 of the opening 11 games before injury struck in a 4-2 victory at Horsham YMCA.
Westlake kept himself busy throughout the remainder of the season, providing matchday updates on the Robins Twitter account.
Particular fans of his work were goalkeeper James Shaw, Jack “He’s put the ball on the railway tracks again” Troak and half the Newhaven squad following their 2-2 draw at the Beacon on Non League Day 2023.
