Awesome Win, Now it's Time to Kick On!

With a fantastic FA Trophy victory over Kidderminster lifting the spirits it’s time to focus back on the relegation fight for the next few weeks starting with a very tough home game against Chelmsford City on Saturday. The Christmas fixtures could go a long way to shaping the second half of the season for Bromley with a double header against Sutton either side of a visit to Tonbridge.

If the squad and management show the same drive and commitment they did in last Saturday’s game in the league fixtures we could pull out of the bottom three going into 2013 and if rumours are true of just how far the budget is being stretched at the moment then they really do need to start justifying the faith Jerry Dolke has shown in them all.

By the time we travel to Dartford for the last sixteen of the FA Trophy on 12^th January let’s hope the pressure is off slightly and we can fully enjoy a local derby with a place in the quarter finals at stake. This is the first time in 40years that we have made it this far in the competition, which is a fine achievement. If we can go any further then the lure of a game at Wembley will be back in the offing for the first time since the FA Amateur Cup Final win of 1949, but it will mean very little if we lose Conference South status in the same season and the financial meltdown that will come with it.  

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Still looking over our shoulder

After a very good 2-0 replay win in the FA Trophy at Boreham Wood, followed by a vital three points at Havant & Waterlooville winning 2-1 things seemed to be on the up for The Ravens, but it all went a bit sour on Tuesday night. Not only did we lose 3-1 at local rivals Welling, but we also lost Moses Swaibu to his second red card of the season and he will now miss a big chunk of December’s games as he had already reached five bookings. The one game Moses will be available for seems to be the FA Trophy Second Round game at home to Kidderminster Harriers which will certainly help again Conference Premier opposition.

League wise we are still far too close to the relegation zone and Saturday’s home game against Farnborough is an important one ahead of a trip to Woking to play Hayes & Yeading Utd and thenthe big Trophy game on 15th.

We really missed the influential Elliott Buchanan against Welling, he’d set up both goals for Joe Piggott in the previous game and was starting to look like the player he’d been billed as. Hopefully his injury won’t keep him out too long. Once Swaibu had gone off in the 11^th minute and Welling had scored the resulting penalty for handball it was always going to be an uphill struggle, quite literally in the second half at PVR. We did make a game of it, but were caught pushing forward late on and ended up empty handed.

Although Mark Goldberg has seen fit to bring in new strikers it hasn’t solved the fact that they are often left feeding off scraps with no creativity in midfield. Now without Swaibu for a spell to marshalthe defence it gives Rob Gillman a chance to establish himself in his third spell at the club. The former club captain and player of the season re-joined from Whitstable with Jerome Sobers going out to Kingstonian on dual registration. Whether we can get Jerome back for the next month remains to be seen, I guess it’s up to MG to sort out once he comes back from his holiday which has seen him miss the last three matches!                    

Groundhog Season at Bromley FC

After a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Billericay in the league which saw us slip to fourth from bottom Mark Goldberg was quick to act to rectify our profligacy in front of goal. First the league’s second highest scorer Louie Theophanous came in from Staines and then another forward Joe Piggott joined on-loan from Charlton. MG has stated at least one player will be leaving to balance the books and it doesn’t take a genius to know it will be a striker!

We had one strike on goal against Billericay and unfortunately that fell to left back Marlon Patterson. Once again we failed to compete against a route one physical side who let us pass all day in front of the back line, but never through it. Tactical naivety also had played it’s part a long with the poor form of the strikers and that needs to be sorted out as well if we are to do enough to stay up. 4-3-3 is leaving us far too exposed and not playing to the strengths of the current squad which could comfortably accommodate 3-5-2 or 4-4-2.  

Away from the league we progressed through to the Quarter Finals of the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday beating a young Gillingham side 3-1 and now on Saturday we are back in FA Trophy First Round action as we entertain Boreham Wood at Hayes Lane. Whether these successes in the knock out competitions proves to be a distraction from staying up or a boost to a poor season remains to be seen.           

Progress in The Trophy!

For the first time in five years we lasted more rounds than Audley Harrison in our FA Trophy campaign! A gutsy 2-0 victory at Staines Town in a replay on Tuesday night thanks to two quality goals from Tony Finn & Ali Chaaban set us up with a First Round Match at home to Boreham Wood on 24 November. The first game at Hayes Lane finished 1-1 after we had started well and faded badly in the second half, once again not making our dominance count when we had it, but Tuesdays result shows some real character from this current squad. Former Irish under 21 International Ian Daly finally got a start and reports back were that he had a good game and could be a useful addition to the forward line given we have a fairly poor record in front of goal so far in 2012.   

Before the next Trophy game we have a vital Conference South game at home to Billericay Town on Saturday and then a slightly less important game with Gillingham in the Kent Senior Cup when I expect MG to give a few squad players a run out. The last time we met Billericay was the Play Off Final in May 2007 that saw us reach this level of football, Town have now joined us after winning the Isthmian Premier last season. Three points on Saturday and we can hopefully go into the two cup games without the spectre of relegation looming too darkly over our shoulders.

              

Cup Football, Distraction or Bonus?

There was no cup romance to be had by the seaside as we were comfortably dispatched 3-0 by Fleetwood Town, all the goals and the game being wrapped up in 34 first half minutes. It was areal shame to see Bromley play so poorly until it was too late, they just didn’t play the way they usually do, instead they banged it long down the diagonals and played right into the home side’s hands. Once we got the ball down and played it was to late, but at least we gave opposition 60 places above us decent game for the second half. Fleetwood were great hosts and the day itself very enjoyable, I just hope if we do make it to the first round again we at least give a better account of ourselves on the pitch.

From playing in front of 1,696 on Saturday with 300 travelling up from Bromley, we then took on Harrow Borough in the London Senior Cup on Tuesday at Hayes Lane in front of 60! Elliott Buchanan’s sublime effort seeing us through 1-0 and setting up a Quarter Final tie at home to either Met Police, Beckenham or Tooting. This competition just really fails to capture the imagination of many fans right up until the final.

It’s cup football again at Hayes Lane this Saturday as we take on Staines Town in the FA Trophy. Once again a very uninspiring draw given they also play in our league and although there is prize money at stake I think most Bromley fans would swap a little progress in the Trophy for three vital league points right now. The league game on the opening day ended 0-0, let’s hope it’s different this time as a replay would not be well received.   

By the time we face Billericay at HL in the league on 17^th November we may be right back down in the mire again, but hopefully there is enough about the squad this year for us to pull clear earlier than the end of April like last season. If we hit a decent patch of league form then we might be able to enjoy a bit of a run in either the Trophy, London or Kent Cups without worrying about relegation.                         

Off to Fleetwood with 3pts in the Bag.

So after Saturday's last minute chocker against league leaders Salisbury City, losing 2-1 after matching them for most of the game, we did manage to get a vital league win on Tuesday beating Maidenhead Utd 3-2 ahead of the FA Cup first round tie at Fleetwood Town this Saturday.
For an hour we were superb on Tuesday, playing some really atractive football and creating loads of chances, but then at 3-0 up we hit the panic button and were lucky to hold on in the end for the win. Joe Welch's penalty save proving vital. Now ith a little breating space between us and the relegation zone things are all focused on the pressure free fun of the FA Cup.
There were amazing displays from the New Bloods behind the goal for the last two home games, I find the drum a bit much, but these kids have shown some real passion for the club and created much needed atmosphere at the lesss glamorous games.  
It looks like we'll be taking up around 200 fans to get behind the side on their very tough mission against League Two promotion chasers Fleetwood. The club have comissioned a special one of yellow shirt for the game as both our usual kits are too close to the home sides red & white. It'll seem a bit odd to see the lads take the field in Cray colours, but it's a lot better than the blue kit!
So it's an early start for a couple of hundred Bromley fans on Saturday morning looking forward to a great day on on the Lancashire Coast and anything else will be a bonus. 
    

Cup Euphoria, but Keep an Eye on The League!

For the fourth time in six seasons Mark Goldberg had led a Bromley team to the first round of the FA Cup and when you consider that prior to this we'd only made it twice in 30years it shows what a great achievement it is.
Plans are being made and booked up for the trip to League Two Fleetwood Town, but we will travel hope rather than expectation given how good the opposition are and the fact that Moses Swaibu will be out suspended follwoing his red card against Worcester.  A generous benefactor has subsidised the coach travel bringing it down to £20 which should help boost the numbers travelling.
Prior to this though we have two home league games and with us only out of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference things can't be allowed to slip on this front. There are a few too many similiarities to last season when we suffered a massive cup hangover and then subsequent relegation battle.
Two former players who were with us last season are rumoured to be on their way back, neither of whom I can see will improve the squad and both have not exactly had a stabilizing influence before, I just MG knows what he is doing. I have an awful sense of deja vu and it put s a real dampner onwhat should be a massive FA Cup buzz right now.
Let's hope we can pick up points from the games at home to Salisbury & Maidenhead before our big day out on the Lancashire Coast on 3rd November with the pressure off.  
 

Proud to be A Raven.

Last Saturday saw one of the best Bromley performances I have been fortunate enough to see in the 35years I have supported the club. It was a professional and committed away performance against a very strong side and secured us a vital pot of cash from the FA Cup funds as we progressed to the fourth qualifying round. The players and management were a credit to the club and the fans certainly played their part too in earning us a home draw against Conference North Worcester City with the 2-1 victory at Dover.

It was great to see what was nearly our strongest possible line up take the field, even if some were taking a risk, and we stil have Albert Jarrett & Ali Chaaban to come back.  

Before that game we take on Welling United at home this Saturday in the league, with a big crowd expected for ‘Non League Day’ given that there is no Premier League or Championship football and it’s a local derby. The club have also launched a scheme whereby fans can gain entry for £6 before 2pm and they are also promoting the Kick it Out Campaign, hard to imagine Welling taking part in that a few years ago! Let’s hope all connected with Bromley FC are richly rewarded for these fine initiatives and can keep the impressive unbeaten run going.          

Walking Wounded Travel to Dover

After two solid performances against Havant & Basingstoke saw us pick up two more points in the league we are left facing the FA Cup trip to Dover with a threadbare squad thanks to even more injuries. The injury lists now reads Welch, Patterson, Dubois, Chaaban, Pacquette, Fuseini and Jarrett six quality players unable to play in the biggest game of the season so far.

Three at the back may be an option MG has to explore given what players he has available to him, personally I’d go with Howard, Sobers, Harwood, Swaibu, Ming, Finn, Waldren, Jones, Rhule, Buchanan, Malcolm.    

Academy kids have already been prepped to expect a call up for the bench and if by some miracle we manage to get a replay from our trip to the Kent Coast there’ll be some notes out to parents for Tuesday night.    

Let’s hope we can get a few more players back before next weeks game at home to Welling with Liam Harwood facing suspension after his early red card against Havant.  

Injury Time

A single goal with our only attempt on target gave us a much needed win in the FA Cup at Sutton last Saturday. Pierre Joseph Dubois 5^th goal in four games set up a third qualifying round match at Dover, pretty much the toughest match we could have got at this stage. Ahead of that we have two league games at home to Havant & Waterlooville, who have just sacked their manager, on Saturday and a trip to Basingstoke on Tuesday. Tough games at any time but increasingly more so given the amount of players who are currently injured with Ali Chaaban (ribs) and Albert Jarrett (knee) joining the list last Saturday.

Current form is good though, MG has us playing well and things seem to have clicked, our defence marshalled by Moses Swaibu looks solid and if we can take more of the chances we create at the other end then hopefully we can maintain our tenth place and give Dover a decent game next week.  

Cup Fever!

A win over life threatened Truro City saw us edge up to tenth in the table, which I think is about where this team should finish the season if it does itself justice. The only downside from the game being injury to Ali Fuseini following an appalling challenge just before half time, that and the fact we may lose the three points if The White Tigers do go bust. It looks at the time of writing that he and Richard Pacquette may be injury doubts ahead of the FA Cup game at Sutton Utd on Saturday, but hopefully the squad has enough depth of talent to cover this.

The significance of the FA Cup is massive as it is every season, success gives the club a much needed financial boost and heightens the interest of the local area in BFC, whereas an early exit can herald budget cuts and disillusion among the faithful. In the three spells MG has been in charge we have reached the FA Cup First Round three times, taking over 1,500 to Gillingham and Orient while almost selling Hayes Lane out for Colchester, but awe have lso experienced knock outs at the first time of asking. Back in September 2009 the home defeat to Hornchurch virtually killed our season off and saw several players leave in the following few weeks, we simply can’t afford to do that again if we want to avoid another relegation battle this season. No pressure then lads!

I guess the smart money would be on a replay given that it is a derby match and we are in the same division, but it would be lovely to get the job done on Saturday and make progress. Early meets are planned, so at least the fans should be in good voice.   

            

Momentum

After a much needed win over Hornchurch we continued the good work with an impressive 1-0 win over Bath City at Hayes Lane, which leaves us unbeaten at home in the league after four games, a vast improvement on last season. Now it’s time to address the away form as we are yet to pick up a point on our travels so far this season and we have an opportunity to do so on Saturday at Truro City who are facing much bigger problems. 

I'm just pleased that for my friends who are making the trip on Saturday that there is a game to go to after it was in some doubt given the home teams perilous financial state it looked like the tickets and accomodation purchased in advance could be wasted. Fortunately it is game on with the White Tigers still alive for now.   

After the trip to Cornwall we then head off into Surrey for the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round to play Sutton Utd, it’s always disappointing to be drawn against a team from your own league, but at least when it’s a traditional rival then it adds a little spice to the occasion. It was another tough draw, as was Welling last season, I’d certainly be glad to take them back t Hayes Lane.   

Former Newport County striker Elliott Buchanan joined us prior to the Bath game with popular target man Hakeem Araba being released after losing his way following a summer of interest from higher placed clubs which came to nothing. Also leaving last week was Nic McDonnell whose second attempt at a comeback ended after a brief substitute appearance on the opening day of the season. Unable to recapture the magic which saw him dubbed McMessiah during his first spell with The Ravens he is now back off to run his own business in Thailand. If Buchanan can win the popularity of the fans like Nic & Hak did previously he will have done well as they are tough acts to follow.           

A Much Needed Win

A vital and long overdue first win lifted the gloom over Hayes Lane with a 4-0 defeat of an awful Hornchurch side who will struggle all season on this evidence. For once the slick passing football had an end product and once we took a 3-0 lead inside the first quarter of the game it was over as a competition. Fan unrest had began to bubble over after the previous defeat at Farnborough as we lost 2-0 to a side no better than us and once again failed to take our chances. Questions were being asked all round about the team and management prior to Hornchurch, it will now be interesting to see if the win proves to be something we can launch our season on or just another false dawn for The Ravens. Most people I spoke to would take a point from the Bath game this Saturday and then just hope that there is still a Truro City to play by the time we are due to travel there on 15^th September after The White Tigers went into administration this week with the players turning out unpaid. A timely reminder that things could be a lot worse I guess.           

Winless August.

August ended with us in the bottom three after four games played and two points gained from them. We put up a decent fight at Chelmsford and probably deserved a point, but once the home side were awarded their obligatory penalty a minute after we’d been reduced to ten men the game was up and we lost 3-2. It was good to see Richard Pacquette scoring and looking sharper, he could prove to be a good signing as he gets a few more games under his belt.

On Bank Holiday Monday we hosted Tonbridge and really should have taken all three points, but a combination of great goalkeeping from Lee Worgan and some poor finishing saw us end up with only a point to show for our efforts. The game pretty much followed the patter on the previous draw at Hayes Lane with Staines and a number of games last season, we dominated possession, played some nice football and even created chances, but just couldn’t find the net. This was made worse by the loss of Albert Jarrett to injury who had looked in great form on his first game of the season follwoing suspension.   

According to www.kentishfootball.co.uk Jerry Dolke held a crisis meeting in the dressing room after the game on Monday to address certain issues, most notably our awful home form and alarming league position. Coach Neil Smith says the management team have the owner’s full backing, but it’s understandable that questions need to be answered given we are third bottom with the quality of the squad and size of the current budget.

A trip to Farnborough is next up quickly followed by home games with AFC Hornchurch & Bath City, the games don’t get any easier and unless we find the killer touch in front of goal, we could find ourselves losing touch at the bottom prior to the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round on 22^nd Sept, which could have massive connotations for the budget.       

Tough Start - Still No Goals.

The season began with a hard fought draw at home to a rugged Staines side that were happy to set up for a point and see if they could grab anything else. It wasn't a bad performance at all, but a lack of cutting edge in front of goal from either side meant that 0-0 was probabaly a fair result.
Prior to the game it emerged that Warren McBean would be out for six months with a ruptured achilies and man do we miss his touch in front of goal! Richard Pacquette came in to fil the gap, but as yet hasn't looked to be match sharp and to make thigs worse Nic McDonnell has now pulled his hamstring.
Then came Eastbourne Borough away, last season saw us lose 5-0 with a rookie keeper, this season it was only Joe Welch in goal that kept it down to 3-0. Two late penlaties in the first half and a cracker early in the second had the game all over before the hour mark and even when we were presented with a chance to get our first goal of the season Hakeem Araba missed his penalty. This probably wasn't helped by the fact he had to wrestle Pacquette for the ball to take it. Eastbourne were a good side with a great front three, but not as good as we made them look I'm sure.  
Now we face  a trip to Chelmsford which will be very tough before hosting Tonbridge Angels on Bank Holiday Monday. An optimist would hope for four points, but a realist would settle for two and sadly I think we may only get one!
The squad on paper looks more than capabale of staying up, but unless we find someone who can score on a regular basis and show a bit more belief we have a hard season ahead.            

New Season, Old Worries.

So here we are again. After a summer of Euro football and Olympic achievement we make our way down to Hayes Lane for the start of a new Conference South League season. The pre-season campaign doesn’t always count for a lot and lets hope this one is no exception given that we have been poor at best.    

Mark Goldberg & Neil Smith have both indicated that we are aiming for a play off spot in interviews, but the evidence on the field is that we will struggle to win games as we have no bite up front and thanks to injuries picked up in games we look vulnerable in midfield. Although there have not been that many new faces the side has looked anything but settled, familiar old faces who left under clouds previously have been given another opportunity including Nic McDonnell, Ali Chaaban, Tony Finn and Warren McBean. Sadly for Wozza his return was halted by a terrible tackle from a Cray Wanderers defender which has ruled him out for two months. Whether the appearance of Richard Pacquette last Saturday was anything other than a cameo remains to be seen, but we desperately need a proven striker to avoid the relegation battle of last season.

The bookies have had us out at 88/1 for promotion, which was shortened to 66/1 after a lot of interest, but they are rarely wrong and we may find ourselves with a tough nine months ahead.

The fine work that goes on off the field is still yet to be matched on it in recent times, I hope those behind the scenes get better rewarded this term. It all starts with the visit of Marcus Gayle's Staines Town side this Saturday, lets hope Ali Chaaban can find his goalscoring touch against his old club.              

Season Review 2011/12

Bromley FC Season 20011/12 Review

Season 2011/12 was another one to file under ‘Eventful’ in the Bromley FC files with a FA Cup first round appearance, a relegation battle and nearly 50 players representing the side over the nine months of the campaign. 

It began with uncertainty over the manager’s role with Hayden Bird resigning half way through the summer and Mark Goldberg returning only a fortnight before the pre-season games started. A hastily assembled squad on a reduced budget began with a surprise 2-0 win over Gillingham, but after a few more games it was clear that the team was going to struggle with the manager saying that league consolidation was the main aim for the coming season. Striker Danny Hockton came back for another spell from Maidstone Utd, midfielder Danny Waldren came in from Croydon Athletic, powerful forward Hakeem Araba from East Thurrock and utility man Mike Jones joined from Greenwich Borough to boost the squad remaining from the desperate second half of the previous season. The inability to sign a regular goalkeeper would haunt the side right up until late January with six custodians pulling on the shirt with varying success, the unfortunate Paul Agu making several mistakes in the friendlies that resulted in defeats to Erith & Belvedere & Cray Wands.

By the first league game of the season Dean Santangelo had been brought in on loan from Reading and he kept a clean sheet as we ran out 2-0 winners at Hampton & Richmond with goals from Orlando Smith & Mike Jones. The good form continued with a 4-0 win at home to Boreham Wood the following Tuesday which included a first goal and man of the match performance from Araba. The good form ended at home to Maidenhead as we lost 1-0 and then was rudely exposed with a 5-0 defeat at Eastbourne Borough the following Tuesday. There was a fair draw at home to Salisbury before heavy defeats at Staines & at home to Woking showed us up to be weak in several areas, but we did find some joy in the FA Cup.

 A tough draw at home to Welling in the second qualifying round saw us edge them out 2-1 and then two weeks later we came back from 2-0 down to beat Margate 3-2 at Hatrsdown Park, two goals coming from Warren McBean who made a brief return to the club. This set us up with a trip to Dartford in the fourth qualifying round where against all the odds we won 2-1 and a place in the first round proper. The draw the following day sent us to Leyton Orient of League One and by the time we travelled there the club had sold a remarkable 1,600 tickets. The away support that day was fantastic and the players seemed genuinely moved by the backing they received. Sadly quality outed in the end and we lost 3-0 despite matching The O’s for long periods of the first half.               

The decline in fortunes that followed the FA Cup game was incredible, in the week after the game Leon McKenzie was sent out on dual registration to Grays Ath and Warren McBean was released, there were obvious cracks in team spirit caused in part by the manager’s son Bradley, who had arrived a week earlier on loan from Charlton, being brought on in the second half at Orient in front of players who had contributed to the cup run and partly by senior players who were nothing short of sulking. We departed from the two county cups at the first time of asking, although credit to the club for reducing prices to £5 for both games.  

We lost our next nine games including an FA Trophy exit at home to Didcot who were two divisions below us and suffered thrashings at Chelmsford (6-1) & Dover (4-1). A dull 0-0 draw at home to Dorchester played between two teams who were more scared of losing than wanting to win stopped the rot, but it would be seventeen games before we’d actually win again. Countless loan signings came in and out from local professional clubs, the goalkeeper changed every few weeks and experiments with tactics and formations failed (Liam Harwood in midfield, leaving Danny Waldren on the bench as punishment for a red card etc.). In short it was a disaster. Joe Dolan left as did Rob Gillman and Bradley Goldberg went back to Charlton after the decision to bring him on for Hakeem Araba against Basingstoke was booed. There had been improved performances in the two Christmas period games against Tonbridge which ended in draws, but it all fell apart with the defeat to Basingstoke which saw us fall into the relegation zone. Finally in mid-January the club awoke to the threat of the drop and responded by loosening the purse strings, most supporters had known this would be necessary two months earlier.   

Keeper Joe Welch came in on loan from Ebbsfleet eventually signing permanently, Ali Fuseini, Albert Jarrett, Anthony Thomas, Luke Medley & Michael Malcolm all joined in the space of a few days having all previously played with Moses Swaibu (who rejoined us in December) at Lincoln City and the squad now looked strong enough for the relegation battle ahead. The impact was immediate as we won 3-0 at Weston Super Mare, our first league win since 8^th October at Havant. The momentum was halted by two weeks of snow before a draw at Thurrock on Valentines Night quickly followed by a 2-0 win at Salisbury and 1-0 at home to Chelmsford. Would this be a quick run out of trouble and up the table? No, this is Bromley FC and we hit the buffers somewhat after the great start from the new look squad.

There was an ill tempered 2-1 loss at Welling followed by four draws and one defeat in the next five games, the most heartbreaking of all being a 99^th minute equaliser conceded at home to Staines, scored by ex-Raven Ali Chaaban, who had shown up an hour late for the kick off. Staring the bottom three in the face we recorded a precious home win over Weston Super Mare thanks to an Ali Fuseini goal and followed it up with a point at play off chasing Sutton Utd on Easter Saturday. Despite a late rally we lost 1-2 at home to Dartford two days later, the spirit and effort on show gave us hope that we could still survive.

As we travelled down to Truro City the table suggested we needed seven points from the last three games to survive and on the marvellous day 300miles away from home and in pouring rain we won 2-1 thanks to goals from Michael Malcolm & Danny Waldren, this was a massive win. The following Saturday we misfired again with a 0-0 at home to relegated Thurrock, but other results favoured us for once and we now only needed a point at Dorchester on the final day to be sure of safety. As it turned out we didn’t even need that, Hampton’s loss at home to Basingstoke midweek was enough for us to keep our Conference South status and hope for better things next season, boosted by the signings for next term of Welch, Fuseini, Swaibu, Dubois, Jarrett & Malcolm.

The final day saw us draw 1-1 at Dorchester with a good travelling support giving the team a send off in style, but the overriding feeling for me was this never needed to have happened if the right thing had been done back in November. With poor home form and increased admittance prices it was testament to the loyalty of Bromley fans that crowds still stayed respectable for the most part, but if the quality of football that was on display for the last few months of the season can be maintained along with slightly better results then next season should be a lot better, we have to wait and see...  

Col.                   

Safe!

In the end it only took a point against Thurrock and a defeat for Hampton the following Tuesday to preserve Bromley’s Conference South status for next season. It should have been done and dusted last Saturday as we battered Thurrock, but despite dominating the game we failed to find the net and had to settle for a draw. The game summed up the second half of Bromley’s season perfectly we had loads of the ball, played some lovely football, but failed to get the job done and turn a draw into a win.

We now travel down to Dorchester with the pressure off and with the backing of the fans who have taken advantage of the free coach travel courtesy of Jim Brown hopefully the team will be lifted to notch up another away win just like Weston, Salisbury & Truro.

I was delighted to see Hakeem Araba win the Supporters Player of the Season, he is currently being linked with Football League clubs so if Dorchester does prove to be his last game for us I hope he bows out with a goal and another one of those celebrations.

When the dust settles on the season many questions will need to be asked about why we struggled so badly and how this was ever allowed to happen, but for now we’ll have a few days and one final game just savouring the relief of avoiding the drop.         

Two Games Left, Four Points Required.

After a point from a tough Easter weekend, (more than I thought we'd get), we knew that at least seven points were required from the last three games to avoid relegation.
We got the  first part done with a great 2-1 win at Truro City with the players and fans giving everything in the pouring rain. That trip will go down in Bromley FC legend, but it will hav even more gravity if we get the rest of the job done starting with Thurrock at home on Saturday.
Although 'The Artist formerly known as Purfleet' are already down, they are no mugs only losing to better sides than us by single goals recently, and the two teams were evenly matched back in February when we drew 1-1 at their place. Former Bromley captain Rob Gillman will be in no mood to let his new employers give us an easy ride to safety.
With Farnborough's points deduction along with Havant & Hampton losing games in hand this week our fate is now back in our own hands.Four points will do the trick, three on Saturday would be a great start. The rain may do us a favour as we have performed well on heavy pitches at Weston, Salisbury & Truro in the last few months and it may keep the ball down on our very bumpoy pitch.    
The club are running a free coach to Dorchester for the final game of 20011/12, lets hope this is rewarded with a good turn out and is a happy bus on the way home!     

Easter Points Hunt

The Easter fixtures are always key for any side either challenging for promotion or trying to stay up and this season it’s certainly the case for Bromley. Five years ago it was wins over Ramsgate on Good Friday and Carshalton on Easter Monday that set us up for a second placed finish and eventually promotion, now it will be games against play off chasing Sutton and Dartford that could see us virtually safe from the drop or facing a very nervous last three games two of which are long journey’s out west.

Saturday’s 1-0 win over Weston Super Mare was a crucial result and with Hampton losing one of their games in hand on Monday night our fate is back in our own hands. The general feeling is that seven points from the remaining five games would do the trick. With Ali Fuseini’s goal giving us the narrow lead over Weston we may well come to think of Liam Harwood’s overhead kick off the line and Joe Welch’s injury time save as moments that turned the season around once it all comes to an end on 28 April. If we can pick up any points from the next two tough games then things will be looking more positive ahead of the final three.       

No Longer in Our Own Hands

As we were failing to hold on to our half time lead at home to Farnborough on Saturday many of the teams around and below us were busy picking up points and dragging us closer to relegation. Our fate is no longer in our hands if the teams below us win their games we’ll finish in the bottom three and the big budget gamble the club chose to make at the end of January will have lost.

Despite Joseph-Dubois, Welch, Fuseini & Malcolm all signing contracts for next season realistically if we go down the club will have to sell them cut price on to get them off the wage bill as we cut our cloth for a very austere future in the Ryman League.

If things weren’t bad enough Mark Goldberg has chosen this moment to criticise the fans and say the don’t back him. He may well be right to say that the team needs the full backing of the supporters from now on, but he is wrong to lump all fans in with a vocal minority who stand behind the dug outs and slag him off every game no matter what the result.

I doesn’t bode well that with 6 games to go cracks are appearing, the mood is dark and results are not improving.

Saturday’s result left me feeling so disappointed and with that sinking feeling in my stomach. I get a horrible feeling I’ll be returning to that place again over the next few weeks and it could be along journey back from Dorchester on 28 April.               

Hitting The Buffers.

After another disappointing week for Bromley we now face Farnborough at home on Saturday in another ‘must win’ game if we are to avoid relegation. Keeper Joe Welch aside the team under performed at Basingstoke losing 1-0 and then misfired at home to Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday night with Welch once again our star player in a goalless draw along with Jerome Sobers re-signed on dual registration with Billericay to cover Moses Swiabu’s suspension. 

The defence looks pretty solid and we are hard to break down, but we just can’t score goals and draws are just not going to be enough in the run in. The worrying things is that the creative players and the forwards all seem to be having a confidence crisis just when it matters, the swagger and style of the performances that saw us beat Weston, Salisbury & Chelmsford has disappeared and been replaced by the football of fear.     

March has seen us pick up three points from draws and score only two goals which simply won’t be enough if that form continues into April. To be confident of another season in Conference South we need nine points from our last seven games and for that to happen we need top stay tight at the back and our forwards need to find some form and quick.         

Still Fighting

It’s the middle of March and it’s still no clearer what division Bromley will be playing in next season. We are three points above the relegation zone, but with Thurrock the only side looking doomed it’s any two clubs from five or six others who made be joining them in relegation come the end of April. All the teams involved have improved of late, but none are really putting a series of wins that will see them clear and that includes The Ravens. Since the squad was overhauled in January we look a much better side and have picked up some great results, but since the defeat at Welling we’ve stuttered to two draws thanks to a 99^th minute equaliser conceded to Staines and a late missed penalty against Eastleigh.

Questions have to be asked why it was left so late to get in the reinforcements and strengthen, a couple of weeks earlier and this nervous few weeks may even have been avoided.   

The club have signed up four quality players from the current squad for next season, let’s hope they will be playing for us in Conference South!            

Still in That Creek, but we Now Have a Paddle!

After impressive wins at Salisbury (2-0) and at home to Chelmsford (1-0) and five games un-defeated Bromley have given themselves half a chance of survival going into March. The extra investment in the squad has paid off in results so far and there are one or two of the new faces who look to be playing below their natural level. The form of Ali Fuseini & Albert Jarrett in midfield have been key to the up turn in form along with Hakeem Araba’s goals and the central defensive combination of Liam Harwood & Moses Swaibu in front of a solid Keeper in Joe Welch, we now have a central core of quality that the side has lacked all season.

There are some tough games ahead and we are not out of danger yet, but hope is very much alive at

Hayes Lane

after months of despair and disillusion.              

Glimmers of Hope

I left the blog for a while as it would just have been very negative thoughts on the club I love’s seemingly imminent demise, but now seems a good time to revive it like the season itself.     

After a terrible run of 17games without a win we finally came good away to Weston Super Mare winning 3-0 a vital win that not only lifted us out of the relegation zone it lifted the spirits of everyone connected with the club. Dropping into the bottom three was the catalyst to big changes in the squad and the owner & manager have decided to loosen the purse strings in order to aid survival. We’ve given two ex-pro’s who lost their way a chance to revive their careers in Ali Fuseini and Anthony Thomas, plus brought in some quality players from the league above in Pierre Joseph-Dubois & Ron Welch. Albert Jarrett & Michael Malcolm also look good signings on paper as we add some experience to the young squad. I shed no tears at Rob Gillman’s departure, he always seemed to have one eye on the door, and partnered with Jo Dolan they were too slow but was sad to see Rory Hill go after what had been a decent first half a season in midfield for us.

Once this cold snap has gone, very frustrating after just getting back to winning ways, if we can get this current squad settled and playing to their potential then we have an excellent chance of staying up and playing some winning football that will hopefully bring back a few more fans to Hayes Lane for our home games.