The midfielder hangs up his boots after the Robins won the Southern Combination League title and Peter Bentley League Cup; the first two pieces of senior silverware in Hassocks’ 123-year history.
Budd arrived at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground last summer from Worthing as player-coach and has been hugely influential both on and off the pitch in his single season as a Robin.
He made 28 appearances and scored twice, including a stunning 92nd minute free kick in September’s 2-1 home win over Peacehaven & Telscombe which sent Hassocks top of the table for the first time in their championship winning campaign.
Budd’s experience has proven invaluable to the Robins, providing the know-how to help a relatively young squad learn how to ruthlessly close out games. Something Hassocks lacked when finishing fifth in 2023-24.
And that experience came to fore at the Peter Bentley Cup final. With James and Lewis Westlake away, Budd helped manage the the Robins to a 3-1 victory against Crowborough Athletic alongside Jordan Wilson and Sean Fernley.
When Budd was substituted in the 75th minute at the Window Workshop Sports Park, Crows fans greeted his withdrawal with ironic cheers. It was the perfect way for a player known for his banter with opposition supporters to leave the field for the final time.
Hassocks captain Harvey Blake then invited Budd to lift the Peter Bentley Cup afterwards. The last piece of silverware in the storied career of a man who won trophies wherever he went.
Budd started out playing youth and reserve team football at Brighton before embarking on his path to legend status in Sussex non-league circles with Bognor Regis Town, Eastbourne Borough, Worthing, Horsham, Whitehawk, Burgess Hill Town and Lancing.
He is probably best known for his time with the Hillians and Worthing. Budd made 216 appearances over two spells at Leylands Park, including captaining Hill to the 204-15 Isthmian Division One South title in 2014-15.
For Worthing, Budd had three spells as a player and one as a coach. The second saw him become one of the first signings Adam Hinshelwood made as Rebels boss in October 2017. Hinshelwood instantly made Budd club captain; a role he impressed in enough to quickly be handed a player-coach role.
Budd remained player-coach for the next five-and-a-half seasons. He left Woodside Road in the summer of 2023 due to work commitments having made over 150 appearances, scoring seven goals and winning the Isthmian League Premier Division title and Sussex Senior Cup with the Rebels.
When Hinshelwood left for York City in February 2024, Budd returned to Worthing as part of the interim management team alongside Aarran Racine and former Brighton midfielder Dean Hammond.
The trio led the Rebels to the National League South playoffs for the first time in their history. Worthing made it to the final, where they were only a cruel 4-3 playoff final defeat to Braintree Town away from reaching the top flight of non-league football.
Budd made his move to Hassocks after that, dropping down to the Southern Combination League for the second time in his career.
The first also ended with a trophy. When the 2020-21 Isthmian League season cancelled due to Covid, Budd joined Lancing for the Southern Combination Premier Division Supplementary Shield competition.
Played in April and May as lockdown restrictions were lifted, Budd scored five times in eight appearances to help the Lancers win the Shield.
They beat Loxwood in the final, managed at the time by ex-Robin Spencer Slaughter with current Hassocks boss James Westlake as his assistant.
Announcing his retirement on social media, Budd posted: “Thank you to all my past clubs, teammates and fans who have been a part of my footballing journey. I have meet some fantastic people on the way and made friends for life.”
The replies from former teammates, opposition players and supporters of clubs who Budd played for and against were testament to the popularity of a player who has made a mark across Sussex.