Versatile Bull looking to build on best season yet in a Hassocks shirt
Raging Joe Bull will be in Hassocks red again for 2023-24 with the versatile left-footer signing up for his sixth campaign at the Beacon.
Bull underwent something a reinvention under James Westlake last season, being deployed at left back for the first time in his career from the start of September onwards.
His form in his new position was enough to see him named Hassocks Player of the Month in October and resulted in more appearances for Bull than any other year during his time as a Robin so far.
Bull played 42 times in total, missing only five matches. He passed a century of games for Hassocks towards the start of the campaign and his overall record now stands at 137 matches and nine goals for the club.
Mark Dalgleish brought Bull to the Beacon as a 18-years-old in the summer of 2018 from Whitehawk, where he had trained on occasions with the Hawks first team when they were a National League South outfit.
Initially signed as a midfielder, Bull started 19 games in the 2018-19 season and made 18 appearances from the bench as Hassocks finished 12th in the Southern Combination League Premier Division.
2019-20 saw Bull pushed further forward with both the first team and Under 23s using him as a striker. He scored three times from five senior starts and nine substitute appearances, breaking his duck in a 6-1 FA Vase defeat at home to Horley Town.
Three was the same number of goals Bull plundered for Dave John in the Under 23s, coming from 12 outings before Covid-19 caused the early curtailment of the campaign.
Bull played 11 times in 2020-21 with John now at the helm of the first team before that season fell by the wayside in December, scoring his fourth goal for the Robins in the shock 3-2 win over title favourites Lancing at the Beacon.
Brad Sweetman used Bull as either a winger or forward during the 2021-22 season. Bull made 19 starts and 14 substitute appearances, weighing in with three goals.
Two of those helped Hassocks to important victories over fellow strugglers AFC Varndeanians and East Preston as Hassocks pulled clear of the relegation battle via much improved form from the autumn onwards.
Westlake is the fourth Robins head coach Bull has played under and his performances last time out were arguably his best for the club.
His wicked left foot means Bull provides a real threat from dead ball situations. Saltdean United discovered that to their cost when Bull’s corners had a hand in three goals inside of the opening 30 minutes as Hassocks sauntered to a 5-1 victory.
In addition to a plethora of set piece assists, Bull scored twice for Hassocks in 2022-23. He notched with a header in the 3-0 win over AFC Uckfield Town in January and fired home a piledriver via a deflection at Bexhill United on April Fool’s Day.
