Popular goalkeeper re-joins Hassocks from AFC Whyteleafe
Goalkeeper James Shaw has re-joined Hassocks for a second spell as the Southern Combination Premier Division enters its final run-in.
Shaw previously played 17 times for the Robins in the final three months of the 2022-23 campaign. Within his first nine games for the club, he kept five consecutive clean sheets to set a new Hassocks club record.
There was plenty of other entertainment along the way, making him a popular figure with the Hassocks Hotel Beacon faithful.
His form in a Robins shirt was enough to earn a move in the summer of 2023 to Burgess Hill Town. Unfortunately, an early season injury put paid to Shaw’s hopes of establishing himself as number one at the Home Call Carpets Stadium.
He subsequently joined Southern Counties East side AFC Whyteleafe, helping them to win the Division One title last season.
Promotion saw Leafe moved to the Combined Counties League for the current campaign, where they have already secured a playoff place and reached the semi finals of the FA Vase.
Shaw played 27 times in all competitions for Whyteleafe before his time at Church Road came to an end, leading to his return to the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground.
A familiar face on the Sussex non-league circuit, Shaw has made it his mission over the past 17 years to play for every club in the south east of England.
Shaw made his senior debut for Eastbourne Borough and subsequently worked his way through – deep breath – Hurstpierpoint, Oakwood, Shoreham, Worthing United, Lancing and Dorking Wanderers.
He helped Wanderers win promotion to the Isthmian League in 2014-15 as Southern Combination runners up and then went one better in 2015-16, picking up a league winners medal with Horsham.
Shaw moved to Haywards Heath for 2016-17. He played a big part in the Heath’s championship challenge before switching to Burgess Hill Town for the final months of the campaign.
He become a hugely popular figure as the Hillians pulled off a remarkable great escape from relegation on the final day.
Shaw went onto play for Three Bridges and Hayes & Yeading United after leaving Hill before landing at Tooting & Mitcham in 2019-20.
He conceded the fewest goals in the league and won Tooting’s Members Player and Supporters Player of the Year Awards for the Covid-19 interrupted campaign.
Shaw spent most of the 2020-21 season in National League South with Tonbridge Angels, with the highlight of his time at Longmead Stadium making it to the first round of the FA Cup and a home tie against League Two side Bradford City.
He played for Westfield and Barking after leaving Tonbridge before returning to Tooting in the summer of 2022. It was from Imperial Fields that Shaw made the switch to Hassocks in February 2023.
