Hastings United are delighted to announce the signing of Callum Erskine.
The exciting wide player joins the U’s following his release from League Two side Gillingham.
Blessed with an abundance of pace and skill, Erskine made his senior debut at just 16 years old, captained Lancing, enjoyed a spell with Lewes, and most recently earned a professional contract with Gillingham.
“I’m delighted to be joining such a big club like Hastings and I can’t wait to get going. I’m excited to bring energy and desire to the pitch, give the fans something to cheer about, and make my mark. Most importantly, I want to help bring the club back to winning ways.” – Callum Erskine
Manager Ronnie Dolan is pleased to finally bring Erskine to The Pilot Field.
“Callum is a player I first made contact with at the start of pre-season, but he had an opportunity to play at a higher level, which he understandably wanted to explore. I fully respected that decision.
For him to want to join us after that opportunity didn’t work out is a real testament to what we’re building at Hastings United and the direction we’re heading in.
He’s an exciting player with plenty of pace and quality, and I’m looking forward to seeing him entertain the fans and make a real impact for us this season.”
SPONSOR CALLUM
- Your name, brand or logo displayed alongside your chosen player on our website and match day programme.
- Invitation for you and a guest to join us at a League game for a prematch behind the scenes tour; meet your player and the team in the dressing room
- Receive your players shirt at the end of the season.
Home Shirt or Away Shirt £100.00 + VAT per season. Email commercial@hastingsunited.com
After an impressive pre-season campaign that saw him score six goals in seven appearances, the prolific forward has officially signed for the U’s ahead of the new season.
“After speaking with Ron and former teammate Jamahl King about joining Hastings and what they’re trying to build, it was an instant no-brainer for me. The unbelievable fans and the desire to win and compete are things that really align with me as a player, so I was immediately sold. I’m excited for the season to get started and hopefully give the U’s something to sing about!” – Kesna Clarke
Manager Ronnie Dolan is delighted to add Clarke to his squad.
“Kesna is a player we’re really pleased to bring to the club. His finishing ability is excellent, as we saw against Eastbourne United with four very well-taken goals. He gives us something different in the final third and we’re confident he’ll add goals to the team.He’s fully bought into what we’re trying to build at Hastings United, and we’re confident he’ll be a great fit for the group. I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing what he can bring over the course of the season.” – Ronnie Dolan
SPONSOR KESNA
- Your name, brand or logo displayed alongside your chosen player on our website and match day programme.
- Invitation for you and a guest to join us at a League game for a prematch behind the scenes tour; meet your player and the team in the dressing room
- Receive your players shirt at the end of the season.
Home Shirt or Away Shirt £100.00 + VAT per season. Email commercial@hastingsunited.com
A huge thank you for everyone who helped us in supporting our 25/26 Charity partner Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Charity.
Together we raised a total of fantastic total of £894.12
Kerry from KSS was thrilled with the amount raised and said – “To put that into perspective, this amount could fund; – 19 sets of defibrillator pads, which considering the main reason you were driven to fundraise for us, shows what a huge impact it could make. That’s 19 people who find themselves in sudden cardiac arrest, who will be given the best possible chance of survival“
KSS is a charity that is very close to all our hearts at HUFC and we are thrilled we could come together as a team to raise money to help them continue the great work they do.
A huge thank you to long-time Hastings United supporter and season ticket holder Harry Aslett for sponsoring our home fixture cards for the season ahead.
Harry approached the club with the idea of reinstating the printed home fixture cards, and they have already proved extremely popular with supporters, with cards being distributed to fans when they collected their season tickets.
At Harry’s request, a donation pot will be available for supporters who would like to contribute. All funds raised will be donated to the newly formed Independent Supporters Club to help support its fundraising efforts throughout the season.
Thank you once again, Harry, for your generosity, support, and commitment to helping both the club and its supporters.
As the Club moves forward with the re-development programme, we are preparing the information needed to support the planning application to be submitted this Autumn.
In addition to all the surveys that are required, we must also submit a Transport Statement, a significant part of which concerns travel to the ground and parking arrangements.
To help with this the Club has prepared a Travel Survey which can be completed on-line through the Facebook pages and via the website. It will also be possible to complete the survey at our friendly game against Hashtag and one of our first home games. The Club is very grateful to the newly formed Hastings United Independent Supporters Club for help with this matter and volunteers from the Club will be available on the day to help collect survey information.
This is a vital and important piece of documentation for our planning application so please spare a few moments to complete the questionnaire. Thank you and COYU’s.
TAP HERE TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE
We are delighted to have received delivery of this year’s season tickets which will be available for collection from our club shop at this Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Hashtag.
Our turnstiles will be open from 12:30 and collection from our club shop will be available from 12:30pm until kick off at 3:00pm
If you are unable to attend on Saturday, there will be additional collection dates and times to give you plenty of opportunity to collect your ticket before our first home league game on Saturday 15th August. Please keep an eye on our social media for the additional dates and times.
When collecting your season ticket, please bring along the email confirmation you received when making your purchase. This can be shown on your mobile device or as a printed copy.
If you have purchased a concession season ticket, please also bring proof of eligibility.
We would like to thank all our season ticket holders for your continued support. We truly appreciate it and are very much looking forward to welcoming you back to The Pilot Field for what is promising to be a very exciting new season.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our ticketing partner Online Ticket Seller for their sponsorship of this years HUFC season tickets and Ben Smith Appliance Specialists for sponsoring our Academy Season Tickets.
There was only one United that showed up on Tuesday evening. With Hastings United heading into their penultimate pre-season game of 2026 away from home, they produced a performance full of intensity, quality and purpose.
First half:
Having already been on the receiving end a few times in pre-season conceding first, it was Hastings who got off to a flying start. Within the first 30 seconds and a high press from trialist A saw him win the ball off an Eastbourne United centre back and with a quick spin, managed to get a shot away low into the bottom corner struck with some power.
Despite gaining territory in the Hastings half, Eastbourne rarely troubled Harry Haines in the Hastings goal until a clever bit of play from an Eastbourne player in the Hastings penalty box saw him not touch the ball until Ollie Black got near him. With the Eastbourne player going down, the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and James Hull’s spot kick was kept out by Haines who dived to his bottom left.
The save gave Hastings a rocket boost as United doubled their lead shortly after as some patient passing from Hastings who more or less kept the ball along the deck all game with some sharp movement all round resulted in a well deserved second. Once again, trialist A received the ball and outmuscled his opponent with ease turning him on a sixpence, replicating what he did with his first goal, adding his second and Hastings’s second.
Two became three when an Eastbourne free kick inside the Hastings half was intercepted by some pressure and Tom Chalmers drove forward with the ball some distance before having a quick look up and finding trialist A who was in the right place at the right time to add his third before the half and a third for the U’s.
With an Eastbourne corner headed out to the edge of the box which saw a shot come through a crowd of players and gathered by Haines, the Hastings no.1 will have been pleased to have ended the first half with a clean sheet.
In similar fashion to the first goal, Hastings were far from done, and after a short pass out from the back by the Eastbourne goalkeeper, some dilly dallying saw trialist A press high to intercept and with all the time in the world, he composed himself and placed the ball into the top corner giving the Eastbourne goalkeeper no chance scoring his fourth before the half could even draw to a close.
With Callum Barlow at the other end, trying to wriggle his way past two Hastings defenders before getting a shot away, there was not much power behind it at which point the referee blew for half-time.
4-0 at half-time and a very disciplined performance from Hastings in all areas on the pitch.
Second half:
Holding onto their 4-0 lead, Hastings nearly added a fifth early on. Max Walsh had an effort which bounced in front of the Eastbourne goalkeeper who parried it away to safety.
Joe Clifford was also pushing higher up the pitch and received the ball inside the Eastbourne penalty box but was denied from getting a shot away at the last second by a combination of last-ditch defending and goalkeeping.
Some good link up play between Tom Chalmers and trialist A saw Tom receive the ball back and his effort on target was kept out by the Eastbourne United goalkeeper.
Max Walsh had another effort at goal, as did Fin Chapman but both efforts failed to test the Eastbourne United goalkeeper.
With Haines having very little to do in the second half, he produced another important save towards the end of the game, keeping down a low strike before Eastbourne sent a ball back into the Hastings penalty box which clipped the crossbar before going behind for a goal-kick.
Eastbourne United 0-4 Hastings United it finished. A very disciplined performance from Hastings in both halves who came out on top. Hastings head into their final pre-season game of 2026 at home to Hashtag United on Saturday 1st August.
Match Report:
Tom Dyson-Laurie
As we enter our third season in partnership with Kurt J. Lesker & Co Ltd, Hastings United FC is proud to unveil a special addition to this year’s matchday range — a limited-edition, premium grade, fourth shirt that carries deep meaning for both organisations.
The connection between the Kurt J. Lesker family and Hastings United Football Club dates back to 2003, when Kurt’s sister, Jenna Lesker, played in a tournament between Century United (Pittsburgh) and Hastings United FC Women’s. During that visit, a commemorative pennant was exchanged — a piece of history that remains proudly held at the club today.
Since 1991, Kurt J. Lesker has based their European headquarters here in Hastings, but the company’s Global headquarters and roots lie in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it was founded in 1954.
Inspired by the city’s iconic black and gold sporting colours, this limited-edition shirt pays tribute to those shared origins. It symbolises not only the heritage of Kurt J. Lesker, but also the strength and longevity of a partnership built on mutual respect, belief, and community.
While Kurt J. Lesker’s name continues to feature across our Men’s, Women’s, Under-23s and Under-18s kits, this fourth strip goes a step further — telling a story that is truly unique to our club.
This is more than a kit. It’s a celebration of history, identity and a special relationship that continues to grow with every season.
Special thanks also go to our technical kit partner; Dave Henham and his team at Macron Sports Hub for bringing this limited-edition shirt to life.
You can order our new limited-edition shirt (please allow up to two weeks for delivery), along with all other Hastings United replica kits and merchandise. Your order will be delivered to The Pilot Field at no extra cost, ready for collection at our opening league fixture on Saturday, 15 August.
Coming into Hastings’s third pre-season game away from home against Lewes, it was announced prior to the game that there would be a few new arrivals, and with Archie Cassidy being one of them, who predicted the others being Ollie Black and Tom Chalmers?
The last time both Ollie and Tom featured for Hastings was back at the end of the 2023-2024 season when the U’s drew 0-0 away to Canvey Island in the final game of the season. In addition to both returning, it was also announced that Tom Chalmers was named as the club captain for this coming season.
Relishing in his new role as club captain, and wanting to use those long throws, both Ollie and Tom were named in the starting 11 alongside some other new trialists, with Ronnie Dolan occupying the midfield and Harry Haines starting in goal.
First Half:
The conditions could not have been better as the sun was shining with both teams raring to go.
Hastings kicked off from right to left in their sky blue kit and had the first effort of the half when a failed defensive clearance from the Lewes backline saw Freddie Legg strike the ball cleanly but fired over the crossbar. Fin Chapman had an effort charged down moments later.
The hosts took a little while to get back into the game, however after finding an opportunity to break the lines down the Hastings right, a through ball chipped in behind saw a lapse of concentration in the Hastings defence resulting in a Lewes making a run to perfection to the ball, driving forward and firing low past Haines into the bottom right hand corner giving The Rooks a 1-0 lead.
Former Hastings goalkeeper Louis Rogers had very little to do in the first half until a free kick from Ronnie Dolan went narrowly wide of the left hand post. Hastings were seeing momentum going forward but opportunities to force the Lewes no.1 into making any real saves were between far and few.
A Lewes corner up the other end was dealt with by Haines after the Hastings defence failed to clear their lines whilst the last action off the first half resulted in Lewes outmuscling a Hastings player in the middle third and saw them break down the Hastings right which saw a direct and low shot flashing wide of Haines’s right hand post. How fortunate Hastings were it did not end up elsewhere.
Second Half:
A few changes were made with Hastings attacking from left to right this time.
A spell of dominance early on from The Rooks saw an effort being kept out before being blocked on the second attempt.
Both teams had scrappy spells with neither team managing to keep hold of the ball. Around the midway point, and Ronnie Dolan broke up the play in the midfield driving forward inside the penalty box and with having the option to shoot, decided to lay the ball off to a trialist who from only 5 yards out, made no mistake and drew Hastings level.
With the score being all level, both teams were upping the tempo and Lewes went straight up the other end with an effort that was charged down by a Hastings played which then resulted in Fin Chapman winning the ball back for Hastings and playing in a trialist, who struck the ball with some force, which equally matched a very impressive strong hand from Louis Rogers in the Lewes goal keeping the ball out and going behind for a Hastings corner.
A draw may have been coming, however a moment on the Hastings backline saw a mistake allowing a Lewes player to shoot into an open goal restoring their lead back to 2-1.
Hastings did not give up and a free kick which came off the crossbar was questioned by several fans nearby who were adamant that Rogers got a touch to tip the ball onto the crossbar. Certainly the linesman shared with the fans nearby no such touch occurred.
Haines and Hastings were under the cosh for the latter few stages of the game, being kept busy as The Rooks had two chances which should have killed the game off. After a break down the right, an effort was heading for the bottom corner which saw Joe Clifford get back in time to clear off the line with Haines beaten. Miraculously though, Haines got himself back up and adjusted himself in time to beat the second attempt away from danger.
A Rooks free kick late on somehow was headed back across the face of goal and then headed over from a player in a red shirt. The Hastings defence were lucky it did not result in 3
And it was just as well it did not, as Haines and the Hastings defence pulled together to produce some more last ditch defending and keep the ball out from the goal with the Hastings no.1 getting down low producing a fine low diving save.
With the final score finishing 2-1, it is now onto Tuesday evening as Hastings take on Roffey away hoping to get back to winning ways.
Match Report: Tom Dyson-Laurie
Hastings were on the road for another pre-season friendly game this time facing Roffey at The Theatre of Trees.
Wearing their claret and blue shirts on this occasion, Ronnie Dolan also made a few rotations to the starting 11 from the Lewes game which saw youngsters Elijah Shute and winger Ayo Olasimbo get a start.
United kicked off the first half from right to left however the hosts were moving the ball quicker and finding opportunities to get in behind the Hastings defence. With Olasimbo having two powerful efforts which were blocked and went high and wide, former Hastings midfielder Jordan Mase was having a relatively quiet half.
After Monty Watson-Price kept out a Hastings effort, Harry Haines was tested up the other end keeping out Teddy Wood with a solid stop low down to his left.
Before half time and a well worked move down the Roffey right the Hastings defence not react to the ball as quick and the Roffey No.2 who started the move finished it off.
1-0 at half time to the hosts with what could only be described as a very fast paced first half from both teams.
Second half:
With Hastings going from right to left, Fin Chapman, Trevor McCreadie and Archie Cassidy were all bought on.
An early free kick from Freddie Legg narrowly missed a few Hastings players at the back post whilst Roffey came into the second half the same way they finished the first.
The impact of McCreadie almost bought Hastings an equaliser when some quick thinking from Fin Chapman saw him drill a long pass out to the right for Matty Astle who delivered a cross which took a slightly awkward bounce in front of McCreadie who did get a shot away but lacked any sort of power to properly test Watson-Price in the Roffey goal.
Jordan Mase then had his first glimpse of action into the game and after beating Archie Cassidy cut back onto his left foot but aimed a shot straight down the throat of Harry Haines.
Another goal looked like it was coming and some quick thinking from Roffey saw a through ball played in behind the Hastings defence and was slotted home for 2-0.
2 could have been 3 had it not been for another important save from Harry Haines just moments later.
The referee blew for full-time after that with the hosts running out as 2-0 winners. Only Concord Rangers this Saturday for Hastings who will look to react quickly.
Match Report: Tom Dyson-Laurie
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