The six-foot-four striker scored a hat trick when the Bulls went on the rampage two weeks ago, beating Horsham YMCA 10-1 at Springfield in their first-ever tie in the FA Cup in the extra preliminary qualifying round. And last week he added another when the Bulls beat Cobham 3-1 away from home in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South.
This weekend’s game sees the Bulls back in FA Cup action travelling to Newhaven FC in what is the preliminary qualifying round (there are six qualifying rounds altogether). ‘I don’t want to jinx it,’ Bickley said, ‘but the team are up for it and feeling good.’
The former De La Salle College student, who graduated from Wilmington University in Delaware in the United States in 2019, and who, before the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, signed contractual terms for Hartlepool United, has become one of the Bulls’ most formidable players in the new season, offering a different dimension in attack with his physical presence and aerial prowess.
‘My height can be quite intimidating,’ he admitted when asked to explain his goal-scoring flurry. But, he added, he was not unique. ‘We are a very tall team.’
Pushed further, Bickley explained that while his height was certainly an advantage, far more important to his recent run of success had been the hard work put in by the rest of the team. ‘The boys are totally committed. There is a real team effort in the side. We are not just playing for ourselves,’ he said.
The match kicks-off at 2pm.
