As a Queen of the South fan originally from Dumfries, and now a Bromley season ticket holder, I definitely concur! Very similar with Queens, a tight hardcore of support where success brings new supporters along for the ride. Queens, like Raith and Bromley, have always had a lot to compete with, Old Firm, Saturday Leagues, shopping, apathy. I remember going to away games on a half filled coach being passed by full coaches of fellow Doonhamers heading up to either one of the ugly sisters of Scottish fitba, waving and laughing at us. At school I was definitely in the minority as a Queens supporter! What is pleasing to see at Bromley is the local/
Community aspect of the club coming to the fore. This is what I love about Bromley, walking to the ground of my local club. Reminds me of walking to Palmerston. It is also pleasing to see a growing number of young Bromley supporters. My son is now a diehard Bromley fan and since we started going he hardly seems bothered by the PL anymore, his heroes are now the likes of Michael Cheek and Louis Dennis rather than some multi million pound signing in the PL. Encouraging pride in your local team and a new young generation of supporters is the key. I can see that Bromley have been working hard in this respect and whilst this won’t be an overnight revolution I think things are moving in the right direction. Winning promotion won’t hurt either of course and, I don’t want to jinx it, I’d say we are moving in the right direction there too! ‘Mon the South/Up The Brom! Cheers Graeme Ps I remember in 86/87. Queens were having a distinctly less than average season, we drew Raith at home in the Scottish cup. Raith were flying high in Div 2 at the time and I remember the amount of passionate fans you took, largest away support at Palmerston that season, bar maybe Kilmarnock or Dunfermline. Pps love the photaes!
Hi Graeme, good to see another fellow Scotsman supporting the Brom! I'm really glad the article resonated with you and thanks for the kind words.
I wouldn't be surprised if my dad attended that game in 86/87, then again he was going steady with my mum back then so perhaps not (another factor?!). I jest, I jest...
I remember my first away game to Palmerston Park back in the early noughties. My last visit was in November 2021 strangely enough as I was in the Lake District and Rovers so happened to be playing (I say happened, no coincidence whatsoever) QOTS in the league that weekend we were up.
To hear your son is a diehard Bromley fan is music to my ears.
I think every non Old-Firm fan has had their experiences with vast exoduses from their hometowns making their way to the ugly sisters games. It's a real shame and I must admit it escaped my mind a little while writing this article on attendances as it's such a ubiquitous issue across Scottish Football. You need only look at clubs like Hamilton for how badly this can affect the immediate areas surrounding Glasgow.
I was one of those who's been a bit disappointed by attendences this season, but last night's trip up to Dagenham really showed me that the cost of football, even at our level, is high.
£25 quid for the away ticket, £10~ on food and drink in the ground, then the best part of 20 quid on travel. All of a sudden a quick jaunt up to Dagenham turns into a £50 evening out.
Granted, away days are more expensive, but an afternoon at Hayes Lane isn't cheap, especially, as you've rightly pointed out, there's plenty to do in and around Bromley that's far cheaper.
It's a good point, it's not just the entry ticket into the stadium that costs and god forbid if you have young uns! It all stacks up very, very quickly.
I must admit though, away days like yesterday really do make it all worth it. They're the kind of victories and memories you'll cherish forever.
I thought Saturdays attendance was disappointing. With Bromley on a good run playing (relatively) big name opposition and with perfect weather then all the stars were aligning towards their being a big crowd, say 3,500.
Maybe the fact that Oldham have been doing so badly at the moment was a key factor but I cant now see 3,500 turning up at for game except maybe Chesterfield in February if Bromley are still high flying at the time.
I have a Bromley season ticket but also a season ticket for Spurs, so I'm paid up, as it were, but go to Spurs if there's a 3.00 pm Saturday clash. This bears out the point made in the article - that there are other things to do - but also emphasises that attendance isn't the only measure of support and income, because I suspect I'm not the only season ticket holder who, for whatever reason, doesn't attend every match. As it's also noticeable that attendance is affected by the perceived quality of the opposition, here's probably further support there for the Sutton Utd increase also referred to. They're bottom of the table now (such a shame), so if they're relegated I assume their attendances will drop. So - yes - hang on to Andy, get us up and we should hit 3,000 at least.
Great article. Probably worth noting that Scotland has the highest number of people attending football matches every week per capita in the whole of Europe. You can’t put a price on the passion for the game up there.
Bromley were averaging 250 only 20 years ago, So to have ten times that now is some achievement.
There will always be the local Premier and Football League clubs who catch the eye of local kids, we are a lot of local people’s second team, which is why the club need to be careful with its ticket prices.
It costs the same to go to Gillingham as it does Bromley on the day.
The link with the community it vital.
My son is a Bromley fan and goes to every home game, but also supports Spurs as his Mum is from Tottenham. We simply can’t afford to take him to see them even if we could get tickets.
It’s going in the right direction at Bromley for sure and if we do step up to the FL things will have to improve off the pitch as the chaos at the Wrexham game in February proved.
Thanks, Col and noted on the highest attendance per capita! I did include that in the * at the end as it is always a valid indicator of why Scottish attendances can seem very high in direct comparison.
"The link with the community it vital." I fully agree and it needs to be sustained to foster these "hardcore" fans I talk about. In this day and age it's important to note that the young generation absorb all the social media presence that the club put out and this is a huge part of why I do what I do as a photographer as the importance of that tangible media outlet is vital in my opinion.
Thank you Paul, glad you enjoyed it. I completely agree, the Old Firm must have one of, if not the biggest, gravitational pull of any club worldwide between the two of them. It's a completely different dynamic in Scotland as opposed to down here, perhaps down to the higher volume of "big" teams.
In the playground anyone who asked who I supported and heard the reply back "Raith Rovers" always followed up with the pre-emptive question of "but who are your BIG team?" as if the only logical response was Celtic or Rangers or one of the "Big Four" down south. I can only imagine something similar happens amongst schools in Bromley and the surrounding areas.
When you put into perspective an average of 250-300 fans only twenty years ago at Hayes Lane it's incredible to think where the club is now at. If the club keeps the current momentum and upward trajectory, I can only see this improving further and that 3000 average target might yet be hit this season. Long may it continue.
Sep 20, 2023·edited Sep 20, 2023Liked by Machel Hewitt, Martin Greig
Great to hear from another Scottish Bromley fan Paul. I plan on going to more away games this season, when commitments permit. Maybe I’ll catch ye at one of those. All the best Graeme
As a Queen of the South fan originally from Dumfries, and now a Bromley season ticket holder, I definitely concur! Very similar with Queens, a tight hardcore of support where success brings new supporters along for the ride. Queens, like Raith and Bromley, have always had a lot to compete with, Old Firm, Saturday Leagues, shopping, apathy. I remember going to away games on a half filled coach being passed by full coaches of fellow Doonhamers heading up to either one of the ugly sisters of Scottish fitba, waving and laughing at us. At school I was definitely in the minority as a Queens supporter! What is pleasing to see at Bromley is the local/
Community aspect of the club coming to the fore. This is what I love about Bromley, walking to the ground of my local club. Reminds me of walking to Palmerston. It is also pleasing to see a growing number of young Bromley supporters. My son is now a diehard Bromley fan and since we started going he hardly seems bothered by the PL anymore, his heroes are now the likes of Michael Cheek and Louis Dennis rather than some multi million pound signing in the PL. Encouraging pride in your local team and a new young generation of supporters is the key. I can see that Bromley have been working hard in this respect and whilst this won’t be an overnight revolution I think things are moving in the right direction. Winning promotion won’t hurt either of course and, I don’t want to jinx it, I’d say we are moving in the right direction there too! ‘Mon the South/Up The Brom! Cheers Graeme Ps I remember in 86/87. Queens were having a distinctly less than average season, we drew Raith at home in the Scottish cup. Raith were flying high in Div 2 at the time and I remember the amount of passionate fans you took, largest away support at Palmerston that season, bar maybe Kilmarnock or Dunfermline. Pps love the photaes!
Hi Graeme, good to see another fellow Scotsman supporting the Brom! I'm really glad the article resonated with you and thanks for the kind words.
I wouldn't be surprised if my dad attended that game in 86/87, then again he was going steady with my mum back then so perhaps not (another factor?!). I jest, I jest...
I remember my first away game to Palmerston Park back in the early noughties. My last visit was in November 2021 strangely enough as I was in the Lake District and Rovers so happened to be playing (I say happened, no coincidence whatsoever) QOTS in the league that weekend we were up.
To hear your son is a diehard Bromley fan is music to my ears.
I think every non Old-Firm fan has had their experiences with vast exoduses from their hometowns making their way to the ugly sisters games. It's a real shame and I must admit it escaped my mind a little while writing this article on attendances as it's such a ubiquitous issue across Scottish Football. You need only look at clubs like Hamilton for how badly this can affect the immediate areas surrounding Glasgow.
Great write up, enjoyed that.
I was one of those who's been a bit disappointed by attendences this season, but last night's trip up to Dagenham really showed me that the cost of football, even at our level, is high.
£25 quid for the away ticket, £10~ on food and drink in the ground, then the best part of 20 quid on travel. All of a sudden a quick jaunt up to Dagenham turns into a £50 evening out.
Granted, away days are more expensive, but an afternoon at Hayes Lane isn't cheap, especially, as you've rightly pointed out, there's plenty to do in and around Bromley that's far cheaper.
Thanks, Max. Glad you enjoyed it.
It's a good point, it's not just the entry ticket into the stadium that costs and god forbid if you have young uns! It all stacks up very, very quickly.
I must admit though, away days like yesterday really do make it all worth it. They're the kind of victories and memories you'll cherish forever.
Absolutely - the last 15 minutes or so yesterday were just immense. The constant singing, the players with us at the end -- nothing beats it.
I thought Saturdays attendance was disappointing. With Bromley on a good run playing (relatively) big name opposition and with perfect weather then all the stars were aligning towards their being a big crowd, say 3,500.
Maybe the fact that Oldham have been doing so badly at the moment was a key factor but I cant now see 3,500 turning up at for game except maybe Chesterfield in February if Bromley are still high flying at the time.
I have a Bromley season ticket but also a season ticket for Spurs, so I'm paid up, as it were, but go to Spurs if there's a 3.00 pm Saturday clash. This bears out the point made in the article - that there are other things to do - but also emphasises that attendance isn't the only measure of support and income, because I suspect I'm not the only season ticket holder who, for whatever reason, doesn't attend every match. As it's also noticeable that attendance is affected by the perceived quality of the opposition, here's probably further support there for the Sutton Utd increase also referred to. They're bottom of the table now (such a shame), so if they're relegated I assume their attendances will drop. So - yes - hang on to Andy, get us up and we should hit 3,000 at least.
Great article. Probably worth noting that Scotland has the highest number of people attending football matches every week per capita in the whole of Europe. You can’t put a price on the passion for the game up there.
Bromley were averaging 250 only 20 years ago, So to have ten times that now is some achievement.
There will always be the local Premier and Football League clubs who catch the eye of local kids, we are a lot of local people’s second team, which is why the club need to be careful with its ticket prices.
It costs the same to go to Gillingham as it does Bromley on the day.
The link with the community it vital.
My son is a Bromley fan and goes to every home game, but also supports Spurs as his Mum is from Tottenham. We simply can’t afford to take him to see them even if we could get tickets.
It’s going in the right direction at Bromley for sure and if we do step up to the FL things will have to improve off the pitch as the chaos at the Wrexham game in February proved.
Thanks, Col and noted on the highest attendance per capita! I did include that in the * at the end as it is always a valid indicator of why Scottish attendances can seem very high in direct comparison.
"The link with the community it vital." I fully agree and it needs to be sustained to foster these "hardcore" fans I talk about. In this day and age it's important to note that the young generation absorb all the social media presence that the club put out and this is a huge part of why I do what I do as a photographer as the importance of that tangible media outlet is vital in my opinion.
Great stuff Martin. Thanks again for the article. I’ll Come and say hello one time Cheers Graeme
Thank you Paul, glad you enjoyed it. I completely agree, the Old Firm must have one of, if not the biggest, gravitational pull of any club worldwide between the two of them. It's a completely different dynamic in Scotland as opposed to down here, perhaps down to the higher volume of "big" teams.
In the playground anyone who asked who I supported and heard the reply back "Raith Rovers" always followed up with the pre-emptive question of "but who are your BIG team?" as if the only logical response was Celtic or Rangers or one of the "Big Four" down south. I can only imagine something similar happens amongst schools in Bromley and the surrounding areas.
When you put into perspective an average of 250-300 fans only twenty years ago at Hayes Lane it's incredible to think where the club is now at. If the club keeps the current momentum and upward trajectory, I can only see this improving further and that 3000 average target might yet be hit this season. Long may it continue.
Great to hear from another Scottish Bromley fan Paul. I plan on going to more away games this season, when commitments permit. Maybe I’ll catch ye at one of those. All the best Graeme
Ha ha that’s brilliant, love the reason you support Ayr, and kept it going. Might see you at York then. Cheers Graeme