Robins number one joins exclusive club of Hassocks goalkeepers
Alex Harris has become the latest inductee to the Hassocks Centurions club, joining a select list of goalkeepers to have made 100 appearances for the club in senior football.
Just three other number ones have a century of games at this level for Hassocks to their name – Joel Harding, Paul John and Jack Simpson. Not bad company to be in.
Harris has reached the landmark over nine years and five different spells with the Robins, the first of which began in the 2013-14 season when he was just 16-years-old.
Mickey Jewell brought Harris to the Beacon on dual-signed terms from Woking, where he was Under 18s goalkeeper. The Cardinals wanted Harris to gain experience of senior football and Jewell needed somebody to deputise for Simpson, who was off backpacking three months into the campaign.
Harris initially sat on the bench as number two to Simpson before getting his opportunity in November. He made a total of 16 appearances for the Robins.
His second spell at the Beacon came midway through the 2015-16 campaign. Hassocks were embroiled in a relegation battle when Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar signed Harris from Metropolitan Police.
It proved to be an inspired piece of transfer business. Harris played a major role in helping the Robins climb away from the danger zone, including keeping four clean sheets in a club-record run of eight consecutive wins.
Harris lost his place to James Broadbent at the start of the 2016-17 season, subsequently moving to Burgess Hill Town.
His third spell at Hassocks came at the start of the 2017-18 season after Broadbent moved onto Ryman League Shoreham.
Harris vied with Nathan Stroomberg for the number one jersey before again departing. Dalgleish then re-signed Harris for a fourth spell at the start of 2018-19 but again, it was short-lived.
His current spell has been by far his most successful as a Hassocks player. Harris has firmly established himself as number one over the past year, making 44 appearances since Brad Sweetman brought him back to solve the selection inconsistency which blighted the Robins’ goalkeeping department.
Hassocks defensive record from November onwards with Harris playing regularly was much improved, including keeping six clean sheets from the final 13 games of the season.
This tightening up at the back provided the bedrock for the Robins to finish nine points clear of relegation and make the semi finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup.
Congratulations to Alex for reaching the milestone.
