Another Level

As calm is restored over Hayes Lane and plans for the next season begin to be made, the enormity of the achievement for my club is just beginning to sink in. Next season Bromley FC will play in The National League, the fifth tier of English football against former Football League sides and the big names in non-league football, many of them full time professionals. 

It was great to see so many long term fans celebrating the promotion on the pitch at the end and many of them took it on into the night and will do it again on the last day of the season at Gosport. 

The differences we can expect for next season include entering the FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round, having squad numbers, featuring on a weekly highlights show on BT Sport and possibly even being shown live on that channel at least once. Inevitably on a personal level for fans there will also be an impact, admission charges will be higher, there will certainly be a whole lot more travelling and each game will probably feel a bit like a cup tie at least for the first few months. 

For myself away games will be an even rarer treat, probably limited to Welling, Woking, Dover, Braintree, Aldershot and whoever wins the Conference South play offs. I said a long time ago I would want Bromley to play at the highest level possible even if it meant myself not being able to afford to go and that time now seems to be on the horizon, which will take a lot of getting used to, but with so many new fans coming in it won’t pose any problem for the club if a few of us oldies can’t take the price hike. We are one promotion away from the football league and can probably expect well over 1,000 for most home games next season. 

Bigger crowds remove the social element of the game slightly as I have been to matches this year and not even seen people I would call good friends as it’s been so packed, the bars are always rammed by 2pm and you have to queue for well over half an hour to get to any of the food & drink outlets. These things will probably have to be addressed with extra staffing and provision to keep punters happy and money coming in. Hopefully now the Reddings have gone the club shop will be fully stocked again once we have a new manufacturer for the kit etc. sorted, so fans new and old will be able to wear their colours. 

Good problems to have for Jerry Dolke and the new investors as we move on up to the highest level we have played at in the modern era.                              

Two Points from Making History

I’m writing this on the afternoon before the biggest game in Bromley FC’s history since 23 April 1949 when they won the FA Amateur Cup at Wembley in front of 93,000. Now in April 2015 we face Weston Super Mare at home knowing that two points from our last two league games will be enough to see us promoted to the Conference Premier for the first time.

If we win on Saturday then next season Bromley will be playing in a nationwide league against professional football teams and feature in a highlights show on BT Sport. 

If you rewind just over ten years then this would have seemed impossible to most Bromley fans, struggling in the Ryman League Division One facing possible relegation to the Kent League at once stage, playing in front of barely 100 fans it’s fair to say we have come a long way under the ownership of Jerry Dolke and the management of George Wakeling and then Mark Goldberg. 

Having stood on the terraces at Hayes Lane for 38 of my 44years this still seems a little surreal, the nerves kicked in this afternoon and the excitement too. I’d kept a lid on it all week, but now I’m feeling it. Even when we finished second in the Isthmian League back in 1987/88 I never really believed it would happen, but now it really is in our own hands. 

We have had many great players and wins, but if this side takes us up then they must be written in Bromley FC folklore for what they have done.   

Should we achieve promotion it will be cheered by many, but this will mean most of all to the fans who have put in the hard yards, the likes of Sue, Garvo and Mash who travel everywhere, the likes of Ben and Mike who never gave up even when it was really bad and to many others who have stayed the course and richly deserve the good times, Roy, JB and many others who have been going long enough to remember our last league title win in 1961. 

I’m now little more than a home game fan who only occasionally travels, but I’m quite sure that I will get emotional if we go up as if I still attended every game. Bromley FC will always be a big part of my life and mean far more than it should to a normal level headed person, my incredible wife and son put up with me through all the bad times and the good and they will be hoping as much as anyone that I come home from the game on Saturday night with a smile on my face, who knows they may even join me at the club for a drink!                   

Big Month Ahead

Following the 6-0 demolition of relegation threatened Staines Town on Saturday Bromley head into the Valentine’s Day match against Hayes & Yeading United at Hayes Lane second in the league after briefly leading for three days. With Ebbsfleet’s involvement in the FA Trophy at and end I fully expect Jamie Day’s newly assembled super squad to push for at least a play off spot if not the title. They may be twelve points behind us, but we play each other twice in the next month and the outcome of these matches will go a long way to shape how the season progresses from here especially considering that sandwiched between these games are tough trips to Sutton and Chelmsford. Basingstoke, Whitehawk, Havant et al will all being eyeing up Boreham Wood who seem to be on the edge similar to our capitulation at this stage last season.            

There are plenty of reason to be optimistic as a Ravens fan right now, recently returned Brad Goldberg has found his scoring boots along with new strike partner Ben May and the midfield are really stepping up with a lot of competition for places. The defence looks more solid and we now have a keeper who fills his teammates with confidence rather than doubt. Whisper it quietly, but with games in hand if we continue the good run of form, it really is a golden opportunity to move on up. 

Bones, Thugs and Harmony

As January comes to an end Bromley find themselves at a crossroads in the season starting with a very tough game against Havant & Waterlooville at Hayes Lane on Saturday. The next month will define just how the league campaign shapes up with games against three promotion rivals and three other teams desperate for points at the other end of the table. We have the chance to put some pressure on Boreham Wood and space between us and the other teams in the play off spots, but if we drop points we could soon be swallowed up by the pack.  

Last Saturdays win at Basingstoke lifted the spirits after what had been a poor start to 2015, with the arrival of a new keeper in Alan Julian, Ben May and Anthony Cook from Ebbsfleet, plus the return Bradley Goldberg on loan, MG and the club have shown they are willing to make the changes and add to the squad in order for us to compete. Damien Scannell has already gone and it is expected Seb Brown and one of the strikers will soon follow suite to balance the books.    

If we can get PJD & Rob Swaine fit on a regular basis, plus Ali back in action then the squad is looking solid and capable with Moses Ademola, Danny Waldren & Cook all in good form.     

Among the other teams at the top Boreham Wood have brought in Daryl McMahon, Ebbsfleet have assembled a squad for League Two and others have strengthened so it’s going to be a battle right to the end of April for the title and Play Offs.      

Tis the season to play loads of football....

Heading into Christmas Bromley are looking well set for an exciting New Year challenging at the top of Conference South and still in two cups. After a decent second half performance against Leiston in the FA trophy saw us through on Saturday The Ravens have been rewarded with a trip to Torquay United in January, which feels like a real prestige tie given The Gulls Football League heritage. 

Ahead of this though there is plenty to play for in the league with the usual busy period over the Yule festivities. On Saturday we entertain St Albans City before travelling to Concord Rangers on Boxing Day and then hosting Wealdstone on Sunday 29^th and then Concord on New Years Day. We then have a free Saturday when we were supposed to be travelling down to Salisbury City prior to their unfortunate demise, which should at least give our small squad some breathing space after a crazy glut of games that are not only hard on the players, but also the fans financially and commitment wise. 

After the FA Cup exit the squad was trimmed down to a more reasonable size with players either loaned out or moved on where possible. We still have a very capable team and if we can avoid the terrible injury and suspension problems of the previous season we should be up there again come April. Ebbsfleet have probably now become favourites with Jamie Day in charge and incomparable resources it will be interesting to see if Boreham Wood can keep their fantastic run going which sees them six points clear at the time of writing. 

Christmas and Easter are the crunch times when it comes to issues at the top and bottom of the table, so let’s hope we can dig in and take the good form into 2015 to keep hope alive

Angels and Ravens

Following an excellent last gasp win over Sutton on Saturday there was frustration midweek as the game as Basingstoke was called off just prior to kick off after torrential rain flooded the pitch at Camrose. A tough one to take for all the staff and fans who had made the long Tuesday night journey into Hampshire only to be turned back on arrival. 

Hasting keeper Josh Pelling had been signed on dual registration for this game to cover Seb Brown’s suspension, but we now head in to the FA trophy game at Tonbridge Angels this weekend with one time reserve custodian Paul Agu seemingly set to play for the first time this season. We’ve had a little more success in this competition in recent times after what had been a desperately poor record previously. Whether we give it a go this season will remain to be seen as promotion is the priority and games against The Angels are always very closely contested.     

This game is quickly followed by a home London Senior Cup game V Corinthian Casuals next Tuesday with the added incentive of a home game against AFC Wimbledon waiting in the next round.   

We sit second in the table going into December six points behind Boreham Wood with two games in hand, but also with Gosport and Ebbsfleet (who have just sacked Steve Brown) on our tail and another dozen or so teams close behind. If any team can find a decent run of form then the league is up for grabs heading towards the New Year. 

We have the squad, the support and the backing so hopefully we’ll be at least in the play offs spots as it heats up into 2015 and hopefully in one or both of the cup competitions after the next two games.         

Another Big Game on Saturday

After the incredible FA Cup match against Dartford where over 4,000 packed in Hayes Lane  to see us lose 4-3 and then the disappointment of a home defeat in the league to 1-0 Hemel after playing with no recognised keeper and ten men for over 45minutes we got things back on the right path with a solid 2-1 win at Hayes & Yeading Utd on Saturday. Moses Ademola & PJD both notched again showing their value to the team and confirming they must start every game, with their tireless effort and the magic touch in front of goal. 

Of all the summer acquisitions Moses has proved to be the most valuable, while others with bigger reputations and everything that goes with that have failed to contribute the 25year old winger/striker has rarely put a foot wrong. PJD once again looks to be heading for a 20+ goal season from midfield and it’s somewhat surprising that a bigger club hasn’t lured him away with such consistency in his quality of performance. Reece Prestedge another close season buy has proved his worth whenever started and it’s quite a selection problem for MG to have three central midfielders all playing so well with Danny Waldren and Ali Fuseini also on the top of their game right now. 

With recent striking recruit Duncan Culley already scoring twice on his loan spell at Hampton, the light of scrutiny is shining on Adam Burchall and Jamie Slabber who have both failed to find any form so far this season and look to be struggling to recapture the game they once had. There is a massive back catalogue of strikers with big reputations who have joined Bromley in the past and then failed to deliver, let’s hope for the club’s sake these guys, both on two years deals, can turn it round.

At the other end of the pitch Seb Brown now faces a one match ban for the FA Trophy game at the end of November after his red card V Hemel. After a poor second half against Dartford the ex-AFC Wimbledon custodian has had a tough week. The acid test will be of MG choses to play one game with Paul Agu in goal or bring in someone else on loan, which would put Brown under pressure for his place in the team.                                 

Next up we host old rivals Sutton United on Saturday, there is always an extra added something when we play the amber & chocolates and this one will be no different. Sutton recorded the double over us last season and were up in the play off spots, this campaign has been tougher for them so far, but I’m sure they will still be a tough prospect. With former United players Jamie Slabber and Damien Scannell set to be in the squad for The Ravens it could be an excellent time for one or both of these players to win the hearts of the Bromley fans with a goal and performance against their old employers.