Twelve Players Signed Up and MG Staying?

After a couple of quiet weeks media wise the club announced six new signings and the re-signing of another six on Wednesday night. It’s funny just how worked up a small number of fans were getting about the lack of updates prior to this announcement, it wasn’t too long ago that you had to wait for the first friendly to find out who was still at the club and who was trying out.

Staying at the club are popular figures Joe Welch, Mike Jones, Danny Waldren, Warren McBean and Elliot Buchanan, joining are Alex Bentley from Hornchurch, Jay May & Rob Swaine from Billericay, Sabir Mullings from Southend and Ashley Nicholls from Dorchester. It’s not even mid-June yet and we have a full team signed up! The club is also in talks with last seasons top scorer Pierre Joseph-Dubois about staying for another season.

Despite hinting at a move away from the club in April Mark Goldberg appears to be staying as manager for another season and has urged the fans to work with him as they aim to stay within budget and compete against some very affluent opposition. Achieving league safety will be the first aim for The Ravens and hopefully avoiding another nervous April. A mid-table finish with a cup run and a county cup win would no nicely, two of which we achieved last season, but over spent in doing so. If MG gets the mix right this season with battlers rather than ballets we could at least match what was achieved in 2012/13.                

Bromley FC 2012/13 Season Review

Bromley FC Season 2012/13 

The 20012/13 season was a strange affair for all concerned with Bromley FC, it started with optimism that the squad who finished last season would kick on from surviving relegation and possibly even mount a play off challenge, but while the cup competitions provided a lot of joy the league proved to be almost as difficult as the previous campaign and saw the relationship between manager and supporters turn sour for a while. 

After a solid pre-season it appeared that the main problem with the side again would be a lack of goals, Ali Chaaban & Richard Pacquette joined the team to give us more goal scoring options alongside last 2011/12’s player of the season Hakeem Araba and it was hoped that would be the key. Mark Goldberg had originally experimented with bringing back Nic McDonnell and Gareth Williams for their third spells with the club, but neither could rediscover the form of 2006/07 when they both notched over 20 in the promotion season and former top scorer Warren McBean’s return was halted by a torn achilies after just two friendlies. 

 The season began with a 0-0 at home to Staines, the lack of goals that blighted the previous campaign still seeming to be a major issue. A 3-0 defeat at Eastbourne the following Tuesday sounded alarm bells among the fans with players fighting each other over taking a penalty which inevitably was missed. Next a 3-2 loss at Chelmsford did see a much improved display with ten men, but the month ended without a win as we drew 1-1 at home to Tonbridge on the Bank Holiday Monday.

The next Saturday saw a 2-0 loss at Farnborough with tempers frayed behind the goal at another season of struggle this time on a much improved budget. Finally the win came with a 4-0 home win over an awful Hornchurch side with the players making a point of celebrating with the manager and blanking the fans. Wins over Bath & Truro lifted the mood and the league position going into the FA Cup.

A couple of league draws followed before Welling came to Hayes Lane for Non League Day. 1,334 watched an abject display from The Ravens with The Wings running out comfortable 2-0 winners. October came to an end with us still in the FA Cup and mid-table losing to league leaders Salisbury 2-1 in injury time before edging Maidenhead 3-2 in front of only 333 at Hayes Lane.

Once again The FA Cup provided some relief with the club reaching the First Round Proper again, impressive wins at Sutton & Dover set up a fourth qualifying round tie at home to Worcester. With a tense and close game looking set for a replay Bromley were reduced to ten men when Moses Swaibu was sent off, but remarkably The Ravens not only held on they snatched a win in the last minute thanks to Richard Pacquette converting a Ali Fusieni cross to spark off joyous scenes on the terraces. The first round draw set us up with a trip to the Lancashire coast to face League Two Fleetwood Town who had one the Conference Premier the previous season. Just over 350 Bromley fans made the trip, but they were denied any romance by a clinical display from The Cod Army scoring three first half goals to win 3-0 at a canter.

The FA Trophy unusually saw us have a good run too, replay wins away from home over Staines & Boreham Wood set up a home tie with Conference Premier promotion hopefuls Kidderminster Harriers. Against the odds Bromley won 1-0 thanks to a Danny Waldren penalty and entered the last sixteen for the first time in the club’s history where they were drawn away to Dartford. A great travelling support made a fantastic atmosphere and pushed the side on against their Conference premier neighbours, eventually losing 4-2 in a thrilling match.

Amid the FA Cup and The Trophy games we played one league game in November a poor home display losing 1-0 to a rugged Billericay. Striker Joe Piggott joined on loan from Charlton and scored in the 2-1 win at Havant & Waterlooville, but two 3-1 defeats to Welling & Farnborough knocked us back before a spell of bad weather over Christmas saw  two games called off. 2012 came to an end with an impressive 3-0 win at Tonbridge in terrible conditions and there was even whispers of the play offs despite the fact a few players were let go or sent out on loan to balance the books. 

2013 got off to the worst possible start with a 2-0 home defeat to Sutton in front of a relatively poor crowd of 556. Then came a great run of league results that saw us beat Eastleigh at home 3-1, Dorchester 4-0 away and Bath 2-0 away. Forwards Louie Theophanous and Elliott Buchanan looking like great signings, but after another interruption for snow we lost 1-0 at home to Weston Super Mare and entered another slump. Great efforts hade been made my the club and fans to get the Weston game on, with the pitch cleared and two sides of the ground opened, but the performance at home was once again lacking.

February saw Bromley go five games with out a win before ending the month with a vital six points beating Billericay 3-2 away with a last minute Danny Waldren penalty and on the Tuesday a surprisingly poor Chelmsford 2-0 at home.

Our Kent Senior Cup campaign fell victim to the perceived chance of making the play offs with MG fielding a squad side that was destroyed in extra time at Tonbridge 6-1 after we had beaten Gillingham Reserves in the previous round. It was the London Senior Cup that would provide a vital source of positivity during the final six weeks of the season. A squad side provided home wins over Harrow & Tooting which then saw us travel to another Ryman League side Wingate & Finchley in the semi’s. This time a near full strength team drew 1-1 after extra time with the Premier Division strugglers, but edged the penalty shootout 4-3 to book a place in the final against Kingstonian.                       

Going into mid-March we still had a realistic chance of making the play offs, but the day before the transfer deadline Ali Fuseini was allowed to join Sutton amid rumours of budget cuts and from that point the team never recovered. A run of eight consecutive league defeats followed, the side were hampered by injuries to key players and a lack of depth in the squad only bolstered by Academy players thrown into a difficult situation. The Easter Monday defeat at second bottom Hornchurch saw tempers boil over. We lost to a poor side who were reduced to ten men before half time and we played with one up front with no urgency at all. The Urchins then nicked the game in the final minute pulling us down into the relegation mire once more. As the manager left the field he was told in no uncertain terms what one supporter in particular felt and as a result MG went to the paper again to criticise the fans and threaten to resign for the third time in the summer. The run of loses eventually ended in the penultimate league game with a win at Boreham Wood, fortunately Billericay & Hornchurch’s inability to win at all meant we were safe before the Conference South campaign ended with a 4-0 home defeat to play off contenders Dover. During the final game a group of fans unfurled a ‘Mark Goldberg Bromley Legend’ banner and following the match at the Player of the Season awards MG made a move to rebuild bridges with supporters during his speech and also in the press.     

Fortunately there was still the London Senior Cup Final to lift the spirits and end the season on a positive note. Kingstonian came into the game at Imber Court on an equally poor run of form, but regardless of this both teams provided a good match to watch with Bromley edging it thanks to two first half goals from Elliott Buchanan & Aaron Rhule and despite being reduced to ten men on the hour when Helge Orome saw red. K’s did grab a goal dead on the final whistle, but The Ravens lifted the cup with Mark Goldberg dedicating the win to the fans.

The season came to an end with Bromley 14th, having reached the first round of the FA Cup, last sixteen of the FA Trophy and won the London Senior Cup. A decent return on paper, but for many it still felt like an under achievement given the increased budget and the flirtations with relegation after Christmas. We go into the summer with a great deal of uncertainty over the future of the club and management, MG had said he will make a decision in June depending of if a take over goes through. Whatever happens hopefully the relationship between club and fans will continue in the good vein they ended the season and the disputes can be put behind us all so we can face the new challenges united.

Players In During the Season:           

Richard Paquette Aug                           

Ian Daly Sept                                        

Elliott Buchanan Oct

Louie Theophanous Oct

Joe Piggott (loan) Nov

Rob Gillman Nov

Harry Harding Nov

Helge Orome Dec

Solomon Taiwo Dec

Ishmael Welsh Jan

Max Noble Feb

Players Out:

Hakeem Araba Sept

George Howard (loan) Nov

Richard Pacquette Dec

Rob Gillman Dec

Harry Harding Dec

Jerrome Sobers Dec

Ian Daly (loan Dec)

Joe Piggott (loan ended) Jan

Michael Malcolm Jan

Ali Chaaban Jan

Solomon Taiwo Feb

Ali Fuseini March 

Col.           

Bromley 2 Kingstonian 1

After nine defeats from the last ten league games and surviving relegation with two matches to spare thanks to other teams being even more inept it wasn’t looking like a great end to the season, but we had one chance to lift the spirits before the summer and thankfully we took it.

Going into the London Senior Cup Final against Kingstonian neither side were in good form, K’s Ryman Premier season had finished with them in mid-table, but on a poor run equal to ours, so confidence wasn’t high in either camp. Once again though Mark Goldberg found the magic formula when it comes to cup games and put out a side motivated and determined to win. There had been conciliatory words between manager and fans at the Player of the Season awards and also in the local press. With the players also on message there was a sense of unity again about the club for the big game.  

We took the lead inside the first minute thanks to Elliott Buchanan’s low strike from 20yards and added to the lead on 38minutes when Aaron Rhule converted Louie Theophanous’ cross to lead 2-0 at the half. Despite losing both starting centre backs, Moses Swaibu to injury and Helge Orome to a 58^th minute red card, The Ravens adapted and overcame. Danny Waldren & Jack Holland fitted into the back line and despite K’s dominating play in the final 20minutes a combination of determined defending and great goalkeeping from George Howard, Bromley held out until the final kick of the game when Okai bundled the ball home dead on the whistle.

It was a great night and the unity was exemplified by having Helge stand among the fans after his sending off.

What the future holds for Bromley FC is very uncertain, Mark Goldberg had said he will consider his future over the close season and without extra investment into the club it will struggle to stay in Conference South, even more so if he withdraws his. Most of the players who gave their all on Tuesday night will be on their way, but whatever comes they gave us a night to be proud of and we have the London Senior Cup at Hayes Lane for the first time in ten years.                

Have a great summer…

Given up Too Early?

It’s rarely dull at Bromley FC and it certainly hasn’t been lately, after two defeats over Easter we now find ourselves less than secure from a relegation battle, one which we a poorly equipped for. Ali Fuseini was allowed to leave to Sutton, Aaron Rhule farmed out to Hastings on dual registration and then we lost Pierre Joseph-Dubois & Marlon Patterson to injury, Moses Swaibu to new fatherhood and Joe Welch has a one game ban coming up. With the transfer deadline gone and Academy kids on the bench plus long term injuries Warren McBean & Albert Jarrett nowhere near a return the squad looks lightweight and fragile. Any team facing us til the end of the season will be relishing the opportunity to over power such a vulnerable under managed side.

The display at home to Eastbourne was flat and uninspiring, but the loss at Hornchurch to a late goal against ten men was so poor it left some fans unable to back the management any more. To see us playing with one up front clinging on to a point, when the game was there to be one, was embarrassing. To then lose it was humiliating and unacceptable.    

Our next game is at Weston Super Mare on Saturday minus most of our senior players before the semi final of the London Senior Cup at Wingate & Finchley and then it’s Hayes & Yeading at Hayes Lane on 14^th.

I am heading off on holiday and missing all three of these games, when I return I hope we are in a cup final and safe from relegation, but I have my doubts.             

Budget Cuts.

Following two disappointing away defeats at Dover & Staines plus two postponements which have clogged up the fixtures schedule the curtain has come down on the play offs and we now aim towards the London Senior Cup to salvage some pride.    

Dover saw Joe Welch sent off and he will face a one game ban for this a week on Saturday when we travel to Weston Super Mare. Staines saw us capitulate after going in front early on and missing a penalty, we certainly need to get a good performance under our belts this weekend to arrest the decline.  

The rumours going round of budget cuts and possible player departures have turned out to be true, Ali Fuseini the highest profile departure so far. There is still an extensive injury list too and we had to name a very young bench for Tuesday’s game with more Academy lads being signed on forms this week. The season could be coming to a very disappointing end after some notable achievements in the cups at the end of 2012. We’ve flirted with relegation and the play offs in recent times, but now neither look a possibility to again I hope MG does the right thing by the fans and fields the strongest team available for the Wingate & Finchley semi final on 9^th April.

Ahead of that we host strugglers Eastbourne at home on Saturday and then travel to AFC Hornchurch on Easter Monday, what kind of fight we put up against sides desperate for points remains to be seen, but to use a seasonal term out eggs all appear to be left in one basket as far as 2012/13 is concerned.           

Silverware or Fools Gold?

After a stylish 4-0 win over Truro we consolidated our ninth place in the league, there has been talk of the play offs, but really this is fools gold given the small squad we have, the injury list and the fact we are seven points off the last place.

On Tuesday Mark Goldberg took the gamble of playing a young reserve side in the London Senior Cup Quarter Final, this time the gamble paid off with a 2-0 win over Tooting with some good displays from reserve and academy players. We now travel to Wingate & Finchley in the semi’s on 9^th April, only a week before the final. The advantage of this is that we will know where we are in the league by then and hopefully put a strong enough team out to get into the final where if successful we would face either Cray, Dulwich, Hanwell or Kingstonian. It’s been six years since we lifted a trophy and the fans deserve a good night out, although sadly the supporters seem to be very low on MG’s priority list.

On Saturday we travel to fifth placed Boreham Wood and then to Dover on Tuesday, a couple of wins would keep the play off talk alive for a few more days, but with only one recognised centre back fit a couple of points would be a good result against two strong sides.     

Time to Start Another Run

After another impressive win on Saturday over an in form Dorchester we moved up to ninth place and the relegation fears of a month ago were lifted, sadly we couldn’t make it six games unbeaten on Tuesday as we lost away at Sutton 4-3. With Moses Swaibu & Liam Harwood injured out teenage centre backs were unable to cope with the power of Craig Dundass and Sutton’s set piece delivery. There was a 15minute flicker of hope when we came back from 2-0 down to 3-2 up, but then again the home side showed they wanted it more and could have won by more in the end, eventually scoring the winner in the 95^th minute.

Saturday sees Truro City come to Hayes Lane, the Cornish side look certain for relegation after financial problems and a points deduction, but they have not rolled over for anyone this season. With Elliott Buchanan scoring off the bench in the last two games it would be good to see him given a start alongside Louie Theophanous and us taking a more attacking approach.

Following that Tooting & Mitcham Utd rock up for a London Senior Cup Quarter Final on Tuesday, arguably the most important game we have left this season given it’s the only thing we can still win and a mid table finish now looks assured. The fans deserve a cup final to end an interesting season on a high, let’s hope MG sees it the same way.