WATCH Goosegate gets Burgess Hill Town in headlines – as team produce flying home start
Stand aside, star strikers, new signings and ambitious managers. The first big headline-maker of the non-league football season in Sussex is a winger… well, sort of.
The Burgess Hill goose has gained more attention over the past couple of days than most clubs could hope to get all season.
As we reported the morning after the game, when Burgess Hill Town got their 26/27 home Isthmian Premier league campaign up and runningby hosting league newcomers AFC Whyteleafe, there was a goose on the loose. It caused much amusement – and brought plenty of attention on social media.
The winged wonder decided to make a cameo appearance with 37 minutes gone. The game came to an abrupt halt as the bird landed to take up residence in the AFC back four. He broke forward with pace as he set off down the wing past both dugouts, where staff and players, and fans along the touchline, were cheering him on.
The goose managed to get to the Hill byline before stopping for a breather. With the whole crowd enchanted by his efforts he was gently picked up and ‘subbed off’ behind the goal-line fence so he could return to a more natural habitat.
It was relayed to the watching world on the club’s X account, which reported: “37’ Play has been paused as there is a GOOSE ON THE LOOSE ON THE PITCH. A goose. An actual. Honk. Goose. Am I hallucinating? 3-0.”
The club awoke on Wednesday morning to the event going viral across the country with the BBC and ITV taking up the story just as Sussexworld had. Lots of social media platforms have taken this up with many people punning for England. One observer said: “That bird should have gone to Sutton United... Gander Green Lane!” Another wag wondered if the Hillians had brought the goose back from their weekend trip to BRENTwood.
Apart from the feathered friend, there was some football too. And on the field it was the Hillians who were flying.
Club captain Kieran Rowe stole a yard in the first minute to open the scoring and get most of the 729 fans present on their feet. Chris Whelpdale scored a wondergoal from the halfway line after six minutes, with Rowe adding his second on 28 minutes.
All in all, it was a brilliant night for the club.
The new pitch invader might have grabbed all the headlines but securing those three points gave Hill a honking good home start...