By Scott McCarthy

The turnstiles at the Beacon have been open for a month now and one of the unexpected consequences of Covid-19 and the ban on spectators at professional football is that crowd numbers have gone through the roof.

Football fans looking for the live action they cannot get at the Amex or elsewhere are instead flocking to non-league grounds. What they are finding is entertaining football, value-for-money, good food and the option of having a pint of beer while they watch.

It is a different world to the mega-rich Premier League, where you will pay £4 for a bag of Minstrels and £3 for a bottle of water. £7 will get you a hotdog, a burger and a large plate of cheesy chips at the Beacon in comparison!
And Hassocks are selling a lot of those. The Robins have seen more than a 100 percent increase in attendances at their home fixtures so far, a massive boost for the club’s finances after going from March to September without a single penny of income.

Visitors old and new are not just being treated to unorthodox three course meals for less than a tenner; Hassocks has rebuilt its squad over the summer with a youthful, new-look team who have shown plenty of promise so far.

If you are a football supporter who is missing watching in the flesh, then come and spend a Saturday at the Beacon. Hassocks have three home games in October, all detailed on the club’s website and tickets are available on the gate for £6 adults and £3 concessions. Under 16s go free.

Of course, nobody knows how long the turnstiles will be open for – this information is correct at the time of going to press. Should further restrictions be placed on grassroots football, then the Beacon may have to shut again.

For now though, Hassocks and all their new-found supporters are determined to enjoy football while they can!