New beginnings start with goodbyes
Bromley FC ended 2021/22 making history - but it wouldnt be football if we didnt have to wave goodbye to some of the history makers
Bromley FC - 2021/22 FA Trophy winners
Out with the old and in with the new - for me that meant finally getting round to starting this brand new independent media venture.
Welcome to From Bromley with love.
For those that know me you’ll know I run a successful podcast and write about West Indies cricket, but you’ll also know that Bromley FC are my first love. Over the last five seasons I’ve had the opportunity to cover Bromley FC for the Non-league paper, occasionally on BBC Radio Kent and via London Football Scene.
However I’ve always felt that given the exponential growth of the football club in the last 15-20 years there remains a gap in the ‘market’ for a detailed regular focus on the club.
More than match reports, the level the football club plays at and the success they have brought to the borough demands deeper analysis of the club on and off the football pitch.
Procrastination is a hell of a drug but if I’ve learnt one thing in this life, if you want something done properly do it yourself and take the bull by the horns.
The aim is to keep this free to read (initially) and see what kind of readership there is for this content and take it from there.
From Bromley with love isnt here to win friends and influence people it will merely exist to offer a balanced perspective on the football club and by proxy the non-league game.
With that said and done and introductions out of the way, what better way to start than to look at those who have moved on from the football club in the close season.
Having won the FA Trophy in a dramatic final at Wembley on May 22nd you could be forgiven for thinking Bromley manager Andy Woodman would stay faithful to the majority of his squad.
However he used this close season to part ways with a number of stalwarts signed by his predecessor. In his season and half in charge Woodman had guided Neil Smith’s squad to a playoff finish (20/21) and a FA Trophy win (21/22).
Despite that success he has rolled the dice on refreshing things in order to bring in his own recruits with the clear goal of a ‘promotion/playoff’ challenge.
In that context he could never hope to please a fanbase that would see many of the players released as fans favourites but ultimately that’s why Woodman is the manager and we are the fans. He is paid to make difficult decisions that he then has to live by.
Below I take a look at the possible rationale for each departure.
Mark Cousins:
The writing was always on the wall for Cousins having been replaced, some say needlessly so, by Brentford loanee Ellery Balcombe in February 2022. In truth no adequate explanation was ever given for why the move was made as Cousins hadn’t played poorly to deserve a drop but dropped he was.
He never played again and Balcombe arguably justified the decision with his injury time wonder save from Ollie Palmer at Wembley.
Yet the whole thing left a bit of sour taste in the mouth for a man who had never let the club down in his two and a half season stint. It was no surprise when he moved on at seasons end for regular first team football. He will get that and then some at Ebbsfleet United.
For Bromley they must hope that Cousins replacement (Balcombe again???) will be as reliable and good.
Liam Trotter:
This move made sense. Trotts had given Bromley two seasons of solid service but his contribution was perhaps summed up at Wembley. He came on for Billy Bingham for the last 25 minutes of the game and helped marshal Bromley to victory. His experience and know how was key but you knew he wouldnt have been able to start the match and play at full pelt for longer than 60 minutes.
Far be it for me to claim his legs are gone, not at all but it was more that the wear and tear of injuries meant Woodman had to use Trotts carefully and sparingly to maximise his use. When Trotts was good he was really good but we werent able to get him on the pitch regularly enough to see that.
At 33 it made sense for all parties for him to go part-time with Chelmsford and work on his opportunities outside of the fulltime game.
Joe Partington:
As I understand it Joe is based in Hampshire so it perhaps should come as no surprise that he jumped at the chance to join Aldershot. It’s a two year deal, he’ll be a guaranteed starter and be closer to home. It’s a no brainer of a move.
His one year spell at Hayes Lane was bittersweet, he surely would have wanted to play more games and was always dependable when he did play. Despite that he found himself benched for the FA Trophy final only to come on and play the crucial pass that set Corey Whitely away to square for Michael Cheek to win the game.
He can leave the club with his head held high. It would be interesting to know if he was offered a new deal as Callum Reynolds his replacement is basically the same player? I suspect Joe wanted out rather than Woodman pushing it.
Jack Cawley:
Jack was a curious signing at the time. Essentially signed as injury cover but when people returned from injury he found himself surplus to requirements. Good player but probably for a lower level National League club thus it made sense why he left and signed with newly promoted Maidstone United.
Luke Coulson:
This one is controversial for sure. For the record I had Luke down as one to stay but no longer first choice. Primarily used as a wing-back for the duration of 2021/22 Luke was always going to struggle to be first choice with Harry Forster returning to full fitness. No one can doubt Luke’s technical ability and deadball delivery but if Bromley are insistent on playing a 3412/352 Forster is the more obvious direct threat.
Additionally in that shape Luke doesnt really fit as a #10 so it was wing-back or bust. Hence why I would have kept him but only as a squad player. If one accepts that argument then the next factor is whether Luke himself would be happy to have a squad role.
There is no doubt in terms of location it would have suited Luke to stay but maybe not under the terms Bromley were offering. Luke can look back at his four season contribution to Bromley with distinction and was a statement signing when Neil Smith brought him to the club.
Maybe, however, just maybe the club is ready to move to the next level without him. Notably his next move has been to drop down to National League South with Dartford. That is a surprise as that is well below his level but again locally it probably works and perhaps they have given him a financial package that suits him for what he wants to do outside the pitch?
James Alabi:
Another fans favourite says goodbye to the club but it’s another departure fans should have seen coming. Dare I say Woodman has got this one right for both Bromley and for James.
James has been vocal about what he felt was disrespectful treatment, having been offered a deal then cold-shouldered by the club at the last minute.
That notwithstanding I get why the club has looked to move on. As it stands there are still too many strikers at the club but Woodman is clear that the team had to improve from its over-reliance on Cheek to score goals. Letting Alabi goes ultimately shows Woodman does not believe he can solve that conundrum.
Alabi was primarily used as an impact sub for the season and 14 games Woodman has been in charge and at this stage of Alabi’s career he shouldnt want that irrespective of how much he loved being at the club.
There were plenty of games last season where Alabi turned things around with his presence and goals. However he now needs to be ‘the go to guy’ at a National League club much like he was at Chester. He will never be that at Bromley while Cheek is at the club much less Adam Marriott.
I was pleased to see Maidstone United pick him up as that should be the perfect fit for James. He will be first choice and be told he is the guy.
In that regards it makes sense for both Bromley and James to now go seperate ways.
Scott Wagstaff:
Joined in January 2022, played 10 times and spent most of the time injured. He was supposed to add experience to the fold but was never off the injury table long enough to show that. I guess the only surprise is that he only got a short term deal that expired in the summer.
Sam Skeffington/Toby Stevenson/Kory Roberts/Ben Margetson:
Of this list I will just say Kory Roberts should not have ended up in National League South playing on loan with Dartford. He is a classy defender who should be picked up by a National League side. If I was a NL manager I would be taking a keen look at him right now.
As for the rest Skeffington is now at Cray, Stevenson is at Billericay and Margetson I am unaware of next moves. That rather sums up why they are no longer at Bromley.
The above represents a very lengthy intro post to get the ball moving on this new media venture of mine - you can expect more detailed writings like this as well as videos, audio posts, interviews etc etc
By all means let me know what you’d like to see going forward and share this with whoever you feel would like to read about Bromley this season.
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