Match Preview

Hastings United was founded in 1894 and, until the 1985/86 season, were playing in the Sussex County League. The club has previously played under the banner of Hastings & St. Leonards and, until the 2003/04 season, played under the name of Hastings Town. The 1984/85 season was to be the last as a member of the Sussex County League. Following the decision of the then Hastings United to cease trading, Town applied for membership of the Southern League and were elected to the Southern Division. At the same time, the club negotiated a long-term lease with Hastings Borough Council for the Pilot Field Stadium. 1991/92 culminated in a win at second placed Weymouth to clinch the league title and promotion to the Southern League Premier Division, where they played for the following six seasons. The end of the 1998/99 season saw Town in administration and despite the efforts of two lottery winners there was little success on the pitch.

The 2002/03 season saw Hastings Town renamed as Hastings United and following the restructuring of the non-league football pyramid, United kicked off the 2004/05 season in the Isthmian League First Division and beat Dover Athletic 2-0 in the play-off finals in 2006/07 to move up to the Premier Division. The Arrows stay there lasted six seasons before relegation in 2012/13 and after missing out on an immediate return in the play-off stages narrowly avoided a further relegation in 2014/15. Another 5th place position was achieved in 2016/17 but in the play-off semi-finals they were defeated by eventual winners Dorking Wanderers 3-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Hastings team on that day included Danny Leonard.

Hastings’ first two seasons in the Isthmian League saw them gain a 100% record against Herne Bay with four wins out of four and then in September 2015 the two sides met in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. Danny Walder earned the draw from the penalty spot in a match that saw Sam Hasler sent off for a moment of madness. In the replay at the Pilot Field Joe Nelder and Kane Phillip were also shown reds as Bay crashed out 2-3. In the league, it was a different matter, Bay winning 2-0 at home and then travelling to the Sussex coast for the last match of the season. Hastings needed a win to make the play-offs, and the tannoy announced the travel arrangements. Bay spoilt their party with a 2-1 win thanks to Danny Walder and an own goal.

Last campaign there were two 1-1 draws at Winch’s Field, the first in the league and the second in the Isthmian League Cup, when Bay lost 3-4 on penalties. The away league fixture was particularly forgettable as an understrength Bay lost 0-7. In September of this year, at the Pilot Field, came one of the classics in Herne Bay’s Isthmian League history. Two goals down within the first 17 minutes and the writing looked to be on the wall. Alex Mulrooney-Skinner pulled one back three minutes from the break and then ripped the Arrows’ defence apart, with Jake Embery scoring twice and Josh Wisson once.

Despite a great start to the season (seven points from nine), Hastings had dropped to 18th after nine games and were there again after 16. 10 games unbeaten (five wins and five draws) saw them rise to 11th at Christmas. Boxing Day and there was a trip to table-toppers Lewes and a 2-0 defeat, leaving them in 12th, one place and one point below Herne Bay with both sides having played 25 times.

In the past Hastings United haven’t exactly pulled the crowds in at Winch’s Field with an average from three league matches of 192. It would be great to see double that on Saturday.

This may well be the first time that Herne Bay play a match on the last Saturday of the year since they have joined the Isthmian League. In 2012 the trip to Sittingbourne was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch and a year later Folkestone Invicta had a stand blow down making it too dangerous to play the match. In 2014 and 2015 the dates of the Boxing Day matches left no game on the Saturday and last year the game with Chatham Town was moved forward to the Friday evening – Bay won 2-1.