Johnson and Blake return to boost Hassocks FC

Striker Johnson made his Hassocks debut as a teenager towards the end of the 2007-08 season after coming to prominence with a sensational hat-trick for the Robins Under 18s in the Southern Combination Youth League Cup final that year.

He has since gone onto score 76 goals in 163 matches for Hassocks over two previous spells, leaving him in sixth place in the club's all-time senior football scorers list.

As well as the Robins and Crawley Down, Johnson has also turned out for Burgess Hill Town, Haywards Heath Town and Horsham YMCA. In his two-and-half seasons at Gorings Mead, he netted 53 times from 102 appearances at an average of better than one goal every two games.

Having already secured the signing of Pat Harding from Burgess Hill, new head coach James Westlake has the prospect of pairing two forwards with a combined total of over 200 Hassocks goals between them.

For full back Blake, this will be his second spell at the Beacon. He first arrived from Mid Sussex League side Sporting Lindfield in the summer of 2018, making the step up to senior football look easy by quickly establishing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Capable of playing down either flank, Blake played 67 times for Hassocks over the next two seasons, scoring three goals. Like Johnson, he moved to Crawley Down in 2020.

The captures of Johnson, Blake and Harding make it six new signings for the Robins so far. Also through the door are former Lancing midfielder Mike Williamson, Sam Cash from AFC Uckfield Town and promising young forward Leon Turner who arrives from Croydon via spells with Loxwood and Saltdean United.