This article originally appeared in the Farnborough & Orpington Local Magazines.
Along with Bromley & Cray Wanderers, BR2 also boasts
another senior football club in the shape of Holmesdale FC. Based in Oakley
Road, Bromley Common, ‘The Dalers’ currently play in the Southern Counties East
Football League Division One (level six), although they may be due for
promotion if restructuring proposals go ahead across non league football in May.
In the last two seasons under manager Lee Roots, Holmesdale
have competed near to top of the SCEFL Division One, before both campaigns were
cut short by Covid 19, picking up an impressive points per game average of 2.2,
which sees them occupy second in the table over all. Dale play some really
attractive attacking football, which was starting to pull in larger attendances
before things came to an abrupt halt in November 2020 with the team on an
impressive unbeaten run.
Holmesdale began their current existence in1956 at The Oaks in
the Shirley area of Croydon, picking up the history of the original club which
had folded in the 1920s, before making the move over the border to Bromley
Common in 2000. As well as moving up the football pyramid, all the way to the
Kent League Premier Division at one stage (level 5), the club have also steadily
improved facilities at their Oakley Road ground with a nice bar, excellent
playing surface, floodlights and a new main stand built two years ago that
replaced the iconic scaffolding structure which had been put up just over a
decade earlier.
The club also has an extensive youth set up and an Under 23s
side to provide a pathway into the first team for up and coming local football
talent. With many players in the current squad having progressed this way.
Last season admission for games was only £7 for adults and
£4 for concessions and prior to the campaign being cut short Holmesdale had
progressed to the third round of the FA Vase, which is the furthest the club
had ever progressed in the national cup competition that has it’s final held at
Wembley Stadium.
The club is run by a friendly band of hard working
volunteers and a warm welcome is guaranteed for supporters who make the journey
to the ground, which is set back from the main road in a very green and pleasant
part of the borough. The ground is surrounded by fields, just down the road
from Bromley Common Cricket Club. Dale recently appointed Keith Bird as
Chairman who had previously been involved on the coaching side at Bromley &
Cray Wanderers.
Hopefully by the start of next season in August 2021 things
will be back to some kind of normal, at least to an extent that see fans return
to watching football at this level and Holmesdale FC can continue to progress
on and off the field whether that’s in the SCEFL Division One or Premier.
Col
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