When rumours
started to circulate last week than Gareth the Stadium cat at Bromley FC’s Hayes
Lane ground was going to be moved on to pastures new there was a general wave
of disappointment and concern for the old moggy, but it wasn’t just the
animal’s welfare that was the cause for annoyance it was what he stood
for.
Bromley FC
are in a great position at the moment, sitting fourth in the National League at
the highest level they have ever played at, with eyes on a promotion to the
Football League. The old Hayes Lane ground has had a remarkable make over
including new stands, floodlights and ongoing work on hospitality facilities.
They run successful Ladies, Under 23, Academy & children's teams, plus a
superb Community programme that reaches out to people across the whole borough.
There is so much to be positive about and attendances have gone from a few
hundred to around 2,000 for a home game in a decade.
With
progress comes change though and that’s not always easy for long standing fans like
myself to go along with. In recent times the club has changed the badge, the
kit (no more black shorts) and club colours (now incorporating gold). The old
photos of teams past that used to hang in the bar were left in a pile in the
club shop and eventually sold off to fans just before the pandemic. Spectators
can no longer pay cash on the gate to see a game, tickets are purchased in
advance from the website, there’s no more deciding at 2pm ‘I fancy seeing
Bromley play this afternoon’. The board carrying names of supporters who
sponsored seats in the old benches end back in 2014 to ensure the club could
compete in the play offs has disappeared and the pictures of cup winning teams
that adorned the walls of the entrance to the hospitality venues have been
painted over for a more corporate neutral feel.
Little
things really, but it felt like the past was being air brushed out. Then came
the news of Gareth’s intended relocation, a uniquely non-league quirk of a cat
living in the ground and generally being part of the fabric of the club. The
cat has been living at Hayes Lane for years and was named after former player
Gareth Williams who was a red headed striker from the 2007 promotion winning
side.
At times
it’s felt like when you get into a band who plays in small club venues and then
they move up to playing in front of a few thousand in arenas and you find
yourself sharing the experience with a whole lot of people you don’t know and
have a very different take on what the band stand for. You still love the band
and their music, but it’s not going to be the same.
Gareth’s
impending fate felt like a bridge too far in the club’s move to a more
professional feel and within hours of the rumours reaching social media #savegareth
was a thing. Within days of the impromptu campaign the club had changed it’s
mind and the cat was staying put. It was good news, not only for Gareth
himself, but for the fact that it proves the club still listens to it’s fans
old and new with their concerns. The club are in the process of setting up a
fans group to liaise with them and discuss issues like this. It has also since
emerged the name of fans who sponsored seats will be recorded in the new
facilities at the back of the Glyn Beverly stand when work in complete.
So although
things have change beyond recognition at Bromley as it’s moved forward in the
last few years, the spirit and a soul is still there.
Col.
PS.
Less than a month after I wrote this Gareth was evicted from Hayes Lane and moved to Beckenham Town FC, where he is reported to be very happy. Maybe that soul i referred to is in more trouble of being lost than I thought.
