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

The Centre-Backs Edition

Welcome back for another instalment of my preview of Bromley Football Club’s 24/25 retained/released list. In case you missed the first two, I am releasing a series of articles looking at what may (or perhaps should) happen in each area of the pitch.

In this article, I cover the centre-backs. Do the Ravens already have League Two quality in their ranks, or are new faces inevitable? 

Read on to find out, and stay tuned for more articles in the days ahead.

The Centre-Backs

Callum Reynolds

One thing that has been synonymous with Andy Woodman’s sides over the last three years is a core of experienced players who are proven winners.

Earlier in the season, Callum Reynolds appeared on From Bromley with Love to have an in-depth conversation looking at his career. In the interview, available here, he described how he went from non-league to Premier League and back with no stops in between.

That bio will probably need an update as I suspect that Callum will be rewarded with a contract extension for Bromley’s inaugural season in League Two.

Callum is a Rolls Royce defender who is never flustered on the ball and is rarely beaten off it. However, because he doesn’t crave the limelight, he goes under the radar more than most. The simple reality is his ability and level of consistency deserves reward. 

Assuming that Byron Webster may not start as many games next season as he did this season, the most obvious thing would be to put Callum in the centre of the back three. That remains to be seen, of course. 

Alex Kirk

This season was most definitely a learning curve for the young Arsenal loanee. It took him a while to get up to speed and into the side, but from December onwards he was always involved in one way or another. 

Did he get better as the season went on? Most definitely. Did he have some dips in form? Yes, but that’s normal. Did he show versatility? Absolutely; at the back end of the season, he put in some more than useful cameos at right back. 

Given he is only 21 years old and may be out of contract this summer, there is scope for Bromley to try and secure his services for next season. 

He knows the club’s system and has sell-on value if brought on board, so the upsides are clear.

The question is whether Alex is willing to move away from the comfy surroundings of Arsenal to pursue meaningful senior first-team football. The second part of the conundrum is whether he and his agent believe a League Two campaign with Bromley is the level at which he ‘deserves’ to play.

I think it is.

Deji Elerewe

It is easy to forget that Deji is only 20 years old. The fact he had an amazing loan spell with Bromley in 22/23 and followed that up with a brief but clear upgrade in quality the following season means the decision to go all in on him at the start of 2024 was a fantastic piece of business.

Deji knows the Bromley system inside out and is loved by everyone at the club. He fits Bromley’s style of play and has a great upside in terms of being a sellable asset in the future.

I suspect Deji is about to be yet another Charlton academy graduate that the Addicks regret letting go so soon.

But Charlton’s loss is Bromley’s gain. Deji will be a first-choice centre-back next season. The only question is who will play alongside him. 

Byron Webster

At the start of the season, so many Bromley fans were eager to write Webster off and retire him to the scrapheap. Some had even wanted to do it the season before.

What sweet poetic justice that the person who scored the winning penalty to send Bromley into the Football League was the captain himself.

If I know Byron well enough, he will believe he can go again in League Two and offer some leadership, experience, and calm to the side.

Whether he should be an automatic first choice is up for debate, but I would expect Andy to want to keep him (with half an eye on increasing his involvement in the backroom setup).

Byron played 40+ games this season, so who is to say he won’t still have the fitness, drive, and hunger to play another full season for the club.

He will turn 38 in March next year, so managing his body will become increasingly important, but even if Byron is thinking about retirement, I think he will be asked to give Bromley one more season.

Is that such a bad thing? 

Kamarl Grant

It must be remembered that when Kamarl Grant joined Bromley in February, he had already featured regularly on the bench for Millwall’s first team. 

That he went on to play a crucial role in Bromley’s run-in to promotion should therefore come as no surprise.

Kamarl’s athletic attributes became increasingly evident with each passing game. He was a threat in both boxes and had the ability to provide attacking thrust from centre-back, which allowed him to grow into his role in the three-man back line.

However, that is where the good news ends. I don’t think there is any way Bromley could entice Kamarl back permanently, and I’m not sure Millwall would be willing to let him return on another loan deal next season, rightly or wrongly.

Clubs take different approaches to young players, but Kamarl surely wouldn’t have much to gain from another season in Millwall’s U21s. Occasional appearances on the first-team bench while playing youth football would put him back where he began this season. But maybe Millwall will feel that proximity to the first team is more beneficial for him at this point.

Chin Okoli

Chin’s time at the club seems like a lifetime ago because he returned to Millwall from his loan at the back end of December due to injury.

However, the imposing defender played 20+ games for Bromley at the start of the season, making himself virtually undroppable as the Ravens moved into the top three in the league.

Chin is a fantastic talent who seems like an old-school defender in the Byron Webster mould. He was a great fit in the Bromley system.

I would argue he wasn’t as comfortable moving the ball out of defence, but he offered a level of defensive solidity that belied his then-19 years.

That Millwall are blessed with Okoli, Grant, and Alex Mitchell (remember him), all of whom are yet to play a first-team league game for Millwall, tells you the strength in depth at that club.

Remember, we also poached Besart Topalloj from the Lions due to their defensive logjam.

Will Bromley use some of whatever budget they have to try to bring one of Grant or Chin back to Hayes Lane?

Given our good working relationship with the Lions, and the benefit we seem to bring to their footballers, perhaps Alan Dunne can weave some magic behind the scenes. 

However, let me strike a cautionary note. If Bromley cannot persuade one of Kirk, Grant, or Okoli to return, they will need at least two additions to the back line in the summer. 

In the previous write-up, I mentioned the possibility of moving Idris Odutayo or Besart Topalloj across to the back three, and that may be the correct solution, but it will be very interesting to see how Bromley solve their defensive puzzle.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Croydon, two of our former players are under contract at recently relegated Sutton. Would we welcome Joe Kizzi or Omar Sowunmi back into the fold?

Where is Cole Kpekawa by the way? I assume he will be released.

Lots to ponder, but what would you do? Are there any gettable centre-backs you would like to see in a Bromley shirt next season?

Let us know in the comments section below.

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