The more things change, the more they stay the same. 25 years may have passed between Hassocks’ 2-1 victory over Steyning Town on Saturday and the previous league meeting between the sides in 1995, but there was a familiar name on the bench as the Robins’ sub goalkeeper on both occasions.
Nick Greenwood and Peter Liddle had named a 20-year-old Phil Wickwar on their bench for Hassocks’ 3-0 victory over the Barrowmen in the second tier of what was then known as the Sussex County League.
With only a couple of subs allowed back in those days, Wickwar’s versatility was important—as well as donning the gloves, he was also adept playing out pitch should the need arise.
Fast forward a quarter of a century to 2020 and Wickwar was again among the substitutes, this time combining his role as physio with that of backup goalkeeper should any misfortune strike down the Robins’ young number one Charlie Pugh.
25 years and still the same sub goalkeeper—it’s the sort of ridiculous, quirky statistic you only find in non league football. And, this being non league football, it of course comes with an equally ludicrous story – as Wickwar explains.
“I’ve sat on the bench so many times that a lot of the games tend to blur into one,” said Wickwar. “Steyning at home though always sticks in my mind because in the warm up, Roger Meier got smacked in the face with a ball which knocked one of his contact lenses out.”
“Rather than warming Roger up, I spent 20 minutes crawling around on the floor looking for this contact lens.”
“We never did manage to find it, Roger just played the game without it. It must have been alright though, he kept a clean sheet.”
Meier, Wickwar and co ended up winning promotion to the top flight at the end of that 1994-95 season as runners up to Mile Oak. Today’s visitors Horsham YMCA finished third to join the promotion party.
Hassocks have stayed there ever since and after 25 years, Steyning have now joined them in the Southern Combination League Premier Division.
In that time, Wickwar has managed the Robins’ reserve team, third team and had a spell as joint first-team boss alongside Mark Dalgleish.
He’s played for every one of the club’s teams from Under 18s through to veterans, run the club’s social events, been a long-serving member of the committee, worked behind the bar and can now be found treating injured players – as long as their problems don’t include lost contact lenses, presumably.
