Robins face Becks with Wembley only eight wins away
Hassocks will start their FA Vase adventure against Combined Counties Premier Division South side Beckenham Town at the Beacon on Saturday 25th September with a 3pm kick off.
It will be the first ever meeting between the Robins and the Becks. In a sign of what a tough assignment faces Hassocks, Beckenham defeated South East Counties side K Sports 5-0 away from home in the first qualifying round. The Robins received a bye to the second qualifying stage.
Beckenham had been in contention for promotion to the Isthmian League in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 curtailed seasons.
In the former, they led the way in the South East Counties Premier Division and looked well placed to come out on top in a fascinating four-way battle for the title until the campaign was declared null and void.
They then made a sluggish start to last season before finding form and motoring into fifth place by the time the winter lockdown arrived and non-league football was abandoned for the second year running.
Beckenham were moved from the South East Counties League into the Combined Counties for 2021-22. Long serving manager Jason Huntley has kept together most of the squad who performed so well over the past two seasons and with several shrewd additions, Becks look well placed to achieve their aim of step four football.
They are unbeaten so far and sit third in the table with 16 points from six games, leaving them two behind leaders Badshot Lea.
Beckenham’s current points total is the same as Horley Town, who plied their trade in the Southern Combination Premier Division last season before suffering the same fate as Becks in being moved by the FA.
Although there are no ties between Hassocks and Becks, Beckenham do have a strong link with Sussex football. One of their most famous former players is Pat Saward, who began his career at Beckenham before going onto play for Millwall, Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland, for whom he earned 18 international caps.
Saward was appointed as Brighton & Hove Albion manager in July 1970 and led the Seagulls to a surprise promotion to the second tier at the end of the 1971-72 season.
He was controversially sacked by the Albion in October 1973, although the anger of Brighton supporters soon dissipated when his replacement was announced.
Chairman Mike Bamber pulled off one of the biggest coups in English football by convincing Brian Clough to take over a struggling Division Three South side after leaving Derby County, who he had led to the Division One title.
Admission for Hassocks v Beckenham Town will cost the normal £6 adults, £3 concessions with under 16s free.
