From the Premier League to the National League: my story

When you find the right football club you find home

Football has been a big deal in my family since the day I was born. My dad was a commentator back in Australia in the 80s and was a huge Spurs fan during the era of Ossie Ardiles, Glenn Hoodle, and Ricky Villa. But I didn’t get into football until I was about eleven. 

I came across it by accident when my school screened the 2002 World Cup games early in the morning. Noticing my growing interest, my dad insisted that I didn’t support Spurs. He said it was too painful watching Tottenham find new and inventive ways to bottle it. So I supported a different Premier League team who shall remain nameless. 

I think most people of my generation did the same thing: support a big or successful team in the Premier League. I watched my team win and lose leagues and cup finals, but something was missing and I could never quite figure out what it was. Later in life, I realised it was having an intimate connection with the club. I was on the outside, rather than being a part of it. A disconnect was inevitable.

So where does Bromley come into this? 

During the 2014/15 season, I started following the Ravens from afar, which seems crazy as I’ve lived in Bromley for nearly three decades. I kept an eye on the results and could see the club was on a path to promotion. Dad and I agreed that if Bromley got promoted to the National League we would go and see them play. And they did.

I don’t know why it took me so long, but I finally took dad to Hayes Lane in April 2017 as a birthday present. I remember walking into Hayes Lane with him that day. From the second I got my first high-five from Ronin the Raven, I was hooked. 

We watched Bromley play Wrexham. Wrexham, of all teams! It seemed like only yesterday they were a famous Football League club with Xabi Alonso’s best friend, Juan Ugarte, scoring goals for fun up-front. It was surreal and amazing to see Bromley playing a team as huge as them. 

This roller coaster of a game ended with Bromley winning 4-3. Blair Turgott had a blinder that day. Every time he got the ball it felt like something was going to happen. The fear he put in the Wrexham defenders' eyes was something to behold. After the final whistle, I said to myself, “I need to come here more often!” Clearly, I’d caught the Bromley bug.

The following season, I went to nearly every home game. One of the highlights was watching Brett Williams score a hat trick against his former team, Torquay United, in the pouring rain at Hayes Lane. I stood behind the dugouts that night. I was drenched, but seeing yet another former Football League team defeated by my local side was exhilarating. 

Of course, that season culminated in a trip to Wembley to watch us play Brackley Town in the FA Trophy Final. Like most fans, I was heartbroken by the result. I could easily write another article about where we went wrong tactically. However, while trudging home from Wembley, I said to myself, “I’m a Bromley fan for life now.”  

I may have only been supporting Bromley since 2016, but I don’t just feel like I’m part of a football club here. I feel like this is a place of belonging, where I can be with people who aren’t just fans but are our friends and family. That’s the power of this club. 

I wish I’d come across it sooner, but I believe everything happens for a reason. Supporting Bromley Football Club, whether we win, lose or draw, I know one thing: I love following my local club and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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