Hassocks Fatboys are set to take on the 23rd joint oldest football club in the world in an enticing double header at Ardingly College this Sunday.

Cuckfield Town were formed in 1872, some 146 years ago. That means that Jules Clay was only 27 when a football was first kicked in anger in the village of Cuckfield. It would be another 124 years meanwhile before Nick Jones was born.

While most teams are folding or losing sides, the Whitebellies have bucked the trend for this season by adding a reserve team to their club. Their first team finished 3rd in Mid Sussex League Division Two last season, just six points behind champions Balcombe Reserves.

There is quite a crossover in players between Town and the Fatboys. James Ballantyne, Sam Holman, Jordan Walsh, Stuart Brown, Daniel Pidgeon, Scott McCarthy and even Clay himself have all played for both clubs. Brown is even set to turn out for Cuckfield this Sunday rather than the Fatboys, which will inevitably mean he bags a hat-trick.

The sides have met only once before, a year ago in pre-season. An entertaining game ended in a 6-3 win to the Fatboys with goals from Chris Britton, Joe Brockes, Pidgeon, Peter Martin and a Walsh brace. We were even treated to the site of Town using Big Bally as a left wing back, a tactic that neither club has repeated since after a traumatic 10 minute outing on the flank.

In terms of squad news, both of the Fatboys sides look relatively strong except for in the goalkeeping position where a selection crisis is underway, although not quite so desperate as to Jamie Stratton dusting off his gardening gloves.

Scott McCarthy is sidelined with the concussion he received in the first teams 4-2 win over Lindfield Reserves on Wednesday night and with Jason Gander working, Justin Parker on honeymoon and Nick Clayton’s whereabouts unknown, Nick Jones is the only recognised goalkeeper available.

At this moment in time, the plan appears to be for Jones to play the first half of the first team game and the second half of the reserve team game. This will give the 22-year-old the opportunity to create a Fatboys first by getting lobbed for two different teams on the same day.

For the first team, Laurence Ridgewell will play his first football of the season while Ananda Hoque and Kieran Poulton return after missing last weekend through Pride. Daryl McLean is also back until he gets injured on Saturday but Jack Lewis is away at a Nigel Farrage Appreciation Weekend in Clacton-on-Sea.

The reserves can call upon Tommy Tyler for the first time this season but they’ve lost Stevie Stockwell who is away firing guns somewhere and Sam Harding who is visiting the west country in order to draw inspiration for his next own goal.

Both games kick off at midday at Nine Acre Field, Ardingly.

First team: Nick Jones, Jon Ballantyne, Rhyan Thwaites, John Humphrey, Gary Whittington, Rob Lloyd, Dave Linehan, Andy Brown, Ryan Collins, Daryl McLean, Laurence Ridgewell, Jordan Walsh, Joe Brockes, Ananda Hoque, Kieran Poulton.

Reserves: Reece Wickwar, Kevin Ticehurst, Sam Wilson, Stuart Young, Ross Joannides, Jules Clay, Russell Jebbitt, Nick Davie, Kane Wright, Mark Potter, And Knott, Josh Evetts, Simon O’Brien, Kenny Tinnion, Tommy Tyler.