Third highest scorer in Hassocks history aiming to add more goals to his total
More than two decades since he made his Hassocks debut, the Beacon faithful are going to be treated to another year of one of the greatest players in Robins history.
Super Pat Harding has signed on for the 2023-24 season, which will be his second campaign back with Hassocks after first leaving for Eastbourne Borough in 2006.
Harding became James Westlake’s first signing as Robins head coach a year ago, bringing to an end his 11 seasons at Burgess Hill Town.
In his time at the More Than Tyres Stadium, Harding made over 450 appearances and scored 131 goals to become one of the most revered players in Hillians history.
Harding broke into the first team at Hassocks whilst still playing Under 18s football. He was part of the Young Robins side who completed a treble in the 2001-02 season of Southern Combination League Under 18 North Division champions, overall champions and Sussex Dennis Probee Under 18 Cup winners.
It did not take long for Harding to become one of the most feared strikers on the Southern Combination League circuit. He broke Robbie Kitchen’s Hassocks scoring record of 123 goals, plundering 131 from 193 appearances before moving to Priory Lane.
Included in that total was a scarcely believable 43 goals from 57 games in the 2005-06 campaign. Harding also enjoyed one of the most astonishing Sussex Representative side debuts of any player, scoring five times on his first appearance for the county.
At Eastbourne Borough, Harding won promotion from Conference South into the National League. After leaving the Sports, he went onto play for Horsham and Whitehawk before landing at Burgess Hill in 2011.
Harding had been in good pre-season scoring form for Hassocks following his return to the Beacon last summer, only for three broken ribs in a friendly against Whitehawk to rule him out for the start of the campaign.
Once recovered, Harding went onto play 37 times, consisting of 22 starts and 15 substitute outings. He contributed four goals, two of which came in the final three games of the season, suggesting the campaign ended at just the wrong time.
Harding’s overall goals total of 141 in 238 appearances leaves him third on the all-time scorers list, just two behind James Laing on 143 but someway off the 190 of Phil Gault.
Super Pat will no doubt be aiming to cut Lord Gault’s lead at the top this season and Hassocks fans will certainly enjoy watching a universally popular player do so.
