From Sydney with Love

An exiled Bromley fan explains his love for Bromley FC

On the 22^nd of April of this year, I announced on the ever-growing Bromley Fans’ Facebook Group that Bromley’s game against Chesterfield would be my last visit to Hayes Lane. I had decided to move back to the country of my birth, Australia.

It wasn’t an easy decision as I faced leaving so many friends behind, but returning to The Land Down Under was something that I’d always wanted to do and I’d been planning the move for some time.

The only thing stopping me from doing it sooner was the hope that, by some miracle, I'd get a full-time job at my beloved Bromley Football Club. I didn't even care what job it was, so long as it gave me a chance to devote myself to the club I love. 

To put myself on the radar, I threw myself into a part-time role as a coach for the Bromley FC Community Sports Trust scheme. But, despite my best efforts, in the autumn of 2022, it became clear there wouldn’t be a full-time job for me at the club. It didn’t matter how many hours I put in, how many sessions I planned, or how hard I pushed myself physically and mentally to advertise the club in the local area, the dream job remained just that, a dream.

Fortunately, it wasn’t my only one.

When I set the wheels in motion for my return to Australia, I did so knowing that I was giving up seeing the Ravens in the flesh. This was hard to get my head around. From the moment I stepped foot in Hayes Lane, it captured my imagination. It’s such a magical place to me. Watching Bromley reach their heady heights in this modest but history-filled stadium has been an experience I’ll never forget.

The close relationship with fans, players, and backroom staff you get at a club like Bromley is something you should never take for granted. Connecting with Andy Woodman and his team, past and present, will always mean a lot to me. And I feel blessed that I got to know the many wonderful people who work behind the scenes at the club.

My new life has begun, but there are things I miss about my life at Hayes Lane.

I miss getting to games early. I miss getting a portion of chips. I miss sitting in the Glyn Beverly Stand to analyse how the away keeper’s warm-up differs from other keepers in the league (they all have unique routines with their goalkeeping coaches, which fascinates me).

But the thing I miss most of all is the Bromley family. They became such a big part of my life, both at the club and outside of it. I’ve made friends for life and know that we’ll always have a special bond thanks to the football club.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have spent so much time with the club I love and the people who make it special. Much as I miss Hayes Lane, I realise that it doesn't matter that I can’t be there in person. You can take the boy out of Bromley, but you can't take Bromley out of the boy. Black and white flows through my veins and I’m on a mission to let Australia know all about my beloved Bromley Football Club. Until we meet again…

From Sydney with Love,

Adam Waine

---

Thanks for taking the time to read the match synopsis above.

This article was written by Adam Waine you can find him here

It was edited by Peter Etherington you can find him here

If you haven’t as yet make sure you read the other articles in the archive.

If you’d like to show an appreciation for the work that goes into this newsletter you can buy the team a coffee through the link below.

You can also find FBWL founder Machel St Patrick Hewitt on Twitter - here

Most importantly of all subscribe to the newsletter to ensure you get these updates direct to your inbox.