Half price entry with a Christmas jumper as Hassocks host Saltdean
What did Hassocks do to get on Santa’s naughty list then? A final match before Christmas against Southern Combination League Premier Division leaders Saltdean United is certainly not a present the Robins would have wanted.
The Tigers will arrive at the Beacon in rampant form. Last Saturday, they put nine unanswered goals past East Preston. Then on Tuesday, they pulled off the shock of the season in Sussex football when eliminating Conference South side Eastbourne Borough from the Senior Cup.
Hassocks have been in decent form themselves over the past month. Losing 5-2 at Eastbourne Town in their last league outing was a harsh scoreline and prior to that, the Robins drew with free-scoring Peacehaven & Telscombe and high-flying Broadbridge Heath.
Injuries and availability have since stacked up for Brad Sweetman, making Hassocks’ task even harder. They will need a season’s best performance if they are to take anything from Saltdean – but this is the time of year for miracles, right?
Saltdean United this season
These are exciting times for Saltdean United. On the pitch they are challenging for a first ever Southern Combination title and off it, exciting plans are afoot to develop Hill Park.
The Legacy 2020 project was announced last month and involves a brand new pitch side clubhouse, a new stand and the installation of a 3G pitch which would turn one of the most picturesque grounds in Sussex into one of the most modern.
The aim is to transform Hill Park into a community hub playing host to Saltdean’s men, women and junior sections, similar to Steyning Town and the Shooting Field.
If the plans are approved, then it would also give the Tigers the facilities required to start progressing up the football pyramid.
For the women, that would mean promotion into the national leagues – and incredible achievement for a club only formed in 2017.
The men meanwhile would enter the Isthmian League for the first time in Saltdean history – something which the team that Bryan O’Toole has put together is more than capable of.
A glance at their squad reads like a who’s who of recent Southern Combination title winners, many of whom were involved in helping Hassocks’ Mid Sussex neighbours Haywards Heath Town become champions in 2018.
The Tigers arrive here today two points clear at the top of the table from Littlehampton Town. Newhaven, Bexhill United and Eastbourne Town meanwhile are not far behind in what is shaping up to be one of the more interesting title battles of recent seasons.
Hassocks v Saltdean United head-to-head
There have been 30 meetings between the two with the Robins having won 12 games and Saltdean 15, leaving just three draws.
Six of Hassocks’ victories came in six Division One matches when the Robins used to dominate the fixture in the early 1990s. Hassocks scored 19 goals over those matches at an average of more than three a game, conceding just four.
It has been a very different story since the Tigers won promotion to the Premier Division in 2017 following a 15 year absence from the top flight. Saltdean have won five of the six subsequent matches, scoring 19 goals of their own along the way.
Last time Hassocks played Saltdean United
The Tigers provided the opposition in Hassocks’ first game of the season and it was a bit of a bruising experience as a young Robins line up were hammered 6-0.
Trevor McCreadie notched his normal couple of goals against the Robins, Reece Hallard also claimed a brace with Thomas Caplin and Kieron Pamment rounding off the scoring.
Saltdean never made it to the Beacon in either of the past two curtailed seasons. You have to go back over three years to August 2018 to find their last visit to Mid Sussex, when former Robin Ben Bacon scored all four goals as the Tigers ran out 4-1 victors.
Admission prices and matchday information
Admission prices are £6 adults, £3 concessions with under 16s going free. Any spectator who turns up wearing a Christmas jumper will be admitted for half price. Dogs are welcome and a 44 page matchday programme is available for £1.
The Clubhouse will be open for supporters with the Robins Bar selling a wide range of beers from local breweries and beyond and the T Bar catering for hot food and drink. Contactless payments are available on the gate and in the Clubhouse.
Although Covid-19 restrictions have now been lifted, track and trace barcodes will still be available for those who wish to use them.
Masks are not mandatory inside but please wear one if you prefer and all two metre signage remains as a guide for those who wish to continue practicing social distancing. Hand sanitiser will also be provided around the ground.
