Everything you need to know as the Robins face Peckham Town for the first time
Stick a pony in your pocket and fetch the suitcase from the van… Hassocks are off to Peckham Town to kick off their 2023-24 friendly fixtures against Kent League opposition.
It will be a good first test for the Robins against a side who finished mid table two steps below them on the non league pyramid, the Kent Premier being the equivalent of Southern Combination League Division Two.
Playing Peckham has also meant plenty of Only Fools & Horses references and could make for a pun-filled match report once proceedings at the wonderfully named Menace Arena are concluded.
Hassocks will be the highest placed side Peckham face in pre-season. The Menace switched from Sunday League to Saturday football in 1996, playing in the Bromley District League and living a nomadic existence without a home ground.
That was until they moved to the Menace in 2003, since when it has been transformed into a venue popular with visiting teams and groundhoppers alike. It features “the world’s smallest stand” and has a beer selection from Brick Brewery which might even rival that of the Beacon.
Peckham won promotion to the Kent League in 2012, climbing through Division Two and Division One but being denied a place in the top flight in two consecutive years due to ground grading.
They temporarily moved to Pynners Playing Fields for 2016-17 to secure their promotion to the Premier, moving back to the newly upgraded Menace Arena in 2017-18.
Peckham have since finished runners up in the Kent League on two occasions, the most recent being 2021-22. In the 2019-20 campaign, they lifted their first senior silverware when winning the London FA Senior Trophy.
The Menace eliminated two higher division sides along the way whilst also making history for another reason; manager Mary Phillip becoming the first woman to lead a men’s side to a senior trophy.
For those heading to the Menace Arena, it is relatively straightforward to reach from Mid Sussex. Follow the M23/A23 through Streatham, joining the A205 towards Dulwich.
Drive past West Dulwich Station (the nearest rail link for fans heading by train) and the ground is on the left just past the entrance to Dulwich Park.
Admission is £4 for adults with free entry for under 16s. Peckham have produced a printed programme covering all their home pre-season fixtures, which will be available for £1. Kick off is at 1pm.
