In the dying minutes, tucked into the away end at the brilliant Aggborough Stadium, I held my breath as an instinctive shot looped up and onto the post before being cleared.
Excellent story thanks . As some know as an "exiled bluenose" my first love was Birmingham City . When in 1961 my family moved to Bromley I visited every League club in London area but not one appealed . Years passed and then 34 years I took my son to see Bromley first time ,yes it was on the same day of year as our Wembley play off final!! We were "hooked " from that day even though the result was relegation . What memories what friends what players .
This struck a chord with me (and I guess it will with quite alot of Bromley's fanbase). I grew up in Reading, and had a season ticket there long after I left Berkshire for Orpington over 20 years ago. I watched them from Div 4 right up to Premier League (and now most of the way back down) so I have seen close up how gambling hundreds of millions on a chance of reaching the "promised land" and a sole ambition of finishing 17th has completely ruined that club, almost to the point of extinction. Matchdays ceased to be enjoyable years ago, even when the team were reasonably successful, because the club and its owners and players were just so distant and out of touch with the fan base. And that is where Bromley, and I'm sure other clubs of similar statures, are different. Give me Bromley and 11 guys absolutely busting a gut for the shirt and the team over a bunch of overpaid mercenaries who couldn't even spell the word "loyalty" let alone explain what it means. The relative successes of the two clubs over the last three or four years is immaterial...I want to be associated with a club who really value their supporters, a team that I can relate to, players like Michael Cheek who make time for selfies with my daughters after the Altrincham game. I think more and more people will become as disillusioned as I have with the Premier League (even the Championship) and its complete distortion by Sky's money and foreign interference, the desire to not be a community club but a money printing monster just wanting to part the fans with as much of their hard earned cash as possible and pricing so many of them out in the process. Not for me any more...give me a club like Bromley any day
Interesting article. All my family came from Plumstead and Woolwich so back in the early seventies I followed my grandafter and father to watching and supporting Charlton Athletic. From 1976 to 2016 I was a seaason ticket holder through lots of good and bad times, I used to come to Hayes Lane and watch Bromley occaisonally if Charlton wern't playing. Then Charlton had a really bad owner in 2013 (they actually had a few in the past but he was really objectionable breaking up all the club stood for). I decided then I would not put anymore money into his pocket by buying tickets and the soul had gone out of the club and the matches not enjoyable. I then started watching Bromley more and more and thoroughly enjoyed it until becoming a season ticket holder in 2018. I am enjoying going to football more than ever and although Charlton now have better owners (or so it seems at present) and I will always follow them as my second favourite team, Bromley are now my number one team and will remain so.
Your reasons for supporting Brom are the same as mine, forget the overpaid Prem players. I gave up my Arsenal ST 15 years ago and have only missed having it on a couple of occasions, I love going to Bromley home and away now, hopefully we have plenty to look forward to!
Mash 100%. I have been supporting Bromley for over 40 years. I remember many a Tuesday evening with less than 300 in attendance. Now the dizzy heights of league football. Who would have thought all those years ago, that we would end up in the Football league. I just wish the likes of Glynn Beverly and John Fiorini were here to witness it. ❤️
Big thanks to Mach for agreeing to share my story on the blog <3
Excellent story thanks . As some know as an "exiled bluenose" my first love was Birmingham City . When in 1961 my family moved to Bromley I visited every League club in London area but not one appealed . Years passed and then 34 years I took my son to see Bromley first time ,yes it was on the same day of year as our Wembley play off final!! We were "hooked " from that day even though the result was relegation . What memories what friends what players .
Ah amazing!
This struck a chord with me (and I guess it will with quite alot of Bromley's fanbase). I grew up in Reading, and had a season ticket there long after I left Berkshire for Orpington over 20 years ago. I watched them from Div 4 right up to Premier League (and now most of the way back down) so I have seen close up how gambling hundreds of millions on a chance of reaching the "promised land" and a sole ambition of finishing 17th has completely ruined that club, almost to the point of extinction. Matchdays ceased to be enjoyable years ago, even when the team were reasonably successful, because the club and its owners and players were just so distant and out of touch with the fan base. And that is where Bromley, and I'm sure other clubs of similar statures, are different. Give me Bromley and 11 guys absolutely busting a gut for the shirt and the team over a bunch of overpaid mercenaries who couldn't even spell the word "loyalty" let alone explain what it means. The relative successes of the two clubs over the last three or four years is immaterial...I want to be associated with a club who really value their supporters, a team that I can relate to, players like Michael Cheek who make time for selfies with my daughters after the Altrincham game. I think more and more people will become as disillusioned as I have with the Premier League (even the Championship) and its complete distortion by Sky's money and foreign interference, the desire to not be a community club but a money printing monster just wanting to part the fans with as much of their hard earned cash as possible and pricing so many of them out in the process. Not for me any more...give me a club like Bromley any day
Spot on. For me it's the community the club is building around itself aligns far better with my own values than a PL club ever could.
I didn’t truly appreciate football until watching a live game at Hayes Lane. Like you say, it means more!
Interesting article. All my family came from Plumstead and Woolwich so back in the early seventies I followed my grandafter and father to watching and supporting Charlton Athletic. From 1976 to 2016 I was a seaason ticket holder through lots of good and bad times, I used to come to Hayes Lane and watch Bromley occaisonally if Charlton wern't playing. Then Charlton had a really bad owner in 2013 (they actually had a few in the past but he was really objectionable breaking up all the club stood for). I decided then I would not put anymore money into his pocket by buying tickets and the soul had gone out of the club and the matches not enjoyable. I then started watching Bromley more and more and thoroughly enjoyed it until becoming a season ticket holder in 2018. I am enjoying going to football more than ever and although Charlton now have better owners (or so it seems at present) and I will always follow them as my second favourite team, Bromley are now my number one team and will remain so.
Thanks for sharing Brian! It's astonishing how much damage owners can do the average match-day fan.
Your reasons for supporting Brom are the same as mine, forget the overpaid Prem players. I gave up my Arsenal ST 15 years ago and have only missed having it on a couple of occasions, I love going to Bromley home and away now, hopefully we have plenty to look forward to!
Hopefullu another promotion so we can have more away days that aren't hundreds of miles away...
Mash 100%. I have been supporting Bromley for over 40 years. I remember many a Tuesday evening with less than 300 in attendance. Now the dizzy heights of league football. Who would have thought all those years ago, that we would end up in the Football league. I just wish the likes of Glynn Beverly and John Fiorini were here to witness it. ❤️
Can only imagine those days. Reading The Bromley Boys really opened my eyes to just how far this club has come in a relatively short time.