Bromley FC: Should they stay or should they go now?

The Goalkeeper edition

The second Byron Webster’s penalty hit the net and Bromley clinched promotion to League Two, the club would have begun planning for new adventures on and off the pitch.

There will be plenty of speculation over what Hayes Lane will look like come the start of the new season, but the bigger question is what the squad will look like. 

Who stays and goes?

As is the case with most newly promoted sides, there will be an instinctive pivot to nostalgia. After all, it only feels right to reward the players who got you to the higher level.

But Andy Woodman and his backroom staff are no mugs. I don’t expect them to sacrifice quality for the sake of sentiment.

With that in mind, ahead of the club’s eagerly awaited retained/released list, I will release a series of articles looking at what may (or perhaps should) happen in each area of the pitch.

In this article, I cover Bromley’s goalkeepers for the 24/25 season.

Stay tuned for more articles in the days ahead.

The Goalkeepers

Grant Smith

The National League’s Goalkeeper of the Season 23/24 was a brilliant piece of close-season business by Andy Woodman. 

Many fans would have been happy with the retention of Reice Charles-Cook, but when that ship sailed, Andy found a way to upgrade. 

His reward for securing Grant Smith’s services was the second-meanest defence in the National League. There is no doubt that having the England C number one was a massive factor in that.

The 30-year-old hasn’t played in the Football League for five seasons, with his last blast being a hit-and-miss couple of years at Lincoln City. 

Speaking about that period in a recent interview with the Non-League Paper, Smith remarked: “At the time, I was young, inexperienced and a little bit naïve as well. I didn’t really feel I belonged there.”

Perhaps now, as he now enters his prime years, he will feel that this is his moment to seize.

I’m rarely privy to who has signed one-year, one-year-option, or two-year contracts. Whatever his situation, it is an absolute no-brainer that, injury-permitting, Grant Smith should be Bromley’s first-choice goalkeeper in League Two.

Lewis Thomas

Contracted to Bristol City, Lewis signed on loan after Grant Smith was sent off for a fracas at Wealdstone. He was a more than capable deputy, most notably helping the side keep a clean sheet at Dorking.

The 26-year-old stopper was recently named in Bristol City’s retained list for next season, and internet research suggests his contract runs until 2025. Assuming that information is correct, I think it is unlikely we will see him back at Bromley. I don’t see the club paying a fee for him, and if Lewis seeks another loan move he would likely want a starting role. 

However, if he is released for any reason, I would expect Bromley to enter discussions.

David Aziaya

The former Norwich City trainee had loan spells with Chatham and Dover last season and is fondly remembered by Bromley fans for his heroics at Wealdstone in the aftermath of Grant Smith’s sending-off. 

At just 19 years old, David was listed among the club’s ‘First Year Pros’ last season. If Bromley retain the young stopper for their League Two squad, I think it is likely he will be made available for an extended loan spell at an Isthmian Premier or National League South club.

If Bromley need an emergency number two due to injury, I can see Andy recalling David and showing some faith in him.

Gloves Off

Andy Woodman has always expressed a desire to have competition all over the pitch. The goalkeeping department is no exception. 

As a former Football League goalkeeper himself, Mr Woodman has blessed us with excellent goalkeeping picks season after season and I expect that to continue.

Whether it’s a wise old head or a youngster with pedigree, I think we will see a high-quality goalkeeper arrive this summer, especially as clubs can name seven substitutes in the Football League. 

But what are the key components for a back-up goalkeeper in League Two?

This is unchartered territory for Bromley. With the exception of the duel between Mark Cousins and Ellory Balcombe in 2022, having two equally talented goalkeepers in the squad hasn’t been financially viable in the past. 

The Ravens have got away with having a consistent number one who rarely gets injured or sent off, which is a common sight in the National League. Some clubs at that level, like Bromley at times, even operate without a goalkeeper on the bench. 

But Bromley aren’t in the National League anymore.

In League Two, Andy will surely want to have two equally-matched keepers in his squad. But can Bromley find a stopper of Lewis Thomas-like quality who is happy to bide their time behind a first-choice keeper like Grant Smith?

Chelsea youngster Teddy Sharman-Lowe was supposed to be that player in 23/24, but a lack of game time saw him recalled from his loan in January. Bromley didn’t replace him until March.

Transfer and registration deadlines are different in the Football League, so Bromley will have to get used to planning ahead rather than plugging gaps on the fly.

So, what would you do? 

Sign a talented but untested loanee from the Premier League or Championship to save the budget, or splash some cash on an established pro who is unquestionably good enough to be number one?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Please note all photographs in this article are by Martin Greig - please follow him on Twitter here

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