Solihull Moors vs Bromley (FA Cup 2nd rd) preview

Everything is narrative.

When this game was first announced as a TV fixture, it took me a while to work out the thinking behind it.

Who on earth, outside of the respective fanbases, could get behind a Solihull Moors vs Bromley fixture at 3 PM on a Sunday, live on ITV?

Then it clocked. Only six months ago, the two teams went toe-to-toe in the quest for unprecedented club history and a place in League Two.

We all know how that story ended, and here we stand again with both clubs on the cusp of history.

Both Solihull Moors and Bromley have never been to the third round of the FA Cup, and this is Bromley’s first appearance in the second round in 79 years.

Could the stakes be higher? Could the potential prize be bigger?

But hear me out for a second. Promotion to the EFL did not come cheap for Bromley. The subsequent ground developments, including ripping up the 4G pitch, have all come at a steep cost.

Andy Woodman has had to make the best of the budget he has been given, which by Robin Stanton-Gleaves’ admission isn’t particularly competitive.

Enter the FA Cup. If Bromley win today, there is no guarantee they will draw one of the Premier League big boys, but it is too big an opportunity to not do everything possible to get the victory.

If dealt the right cards in the next round, the club could see their money concerns almost evaporate.

Solihull will of course have their own burning desire to make round three, and given the recent history between the two sides, who am I to say they can’t beat Bromley?

Yes, Bromley are in League Two, but within the last year, Bromley and Solihull Moors have played each other four times. See the results below:

Solihull Moors 1-1 Bromley (National League)

Bromley 1-2 Solihull Moors (FA Trophy semi-final)

Bromley 3-0 Solihull Moors (National League)

Bromley 2-2 Solihull Moors - 4-3 pens (National League play-off final)

Given Bromley are currently 20^th in League Two while Solihull are 12^th in the National League, this isn’t a game between two ill-matched sides. Expect a close encounter, one that may well go the distance once again.

Since Bromley beat Solihull at Wembley, the Moors have lost some of their key players from that side, most notably Joe Sbarra (Doncaster Rovers) and Callum Maycock (AFC Wimbledon). But the general core of their Wembley squad are still there.

Manager Andy Whing has also added proven experience in the shape of Connor Wilkinson (Colchester United), John Bostock (Notts County), Sam Bowen (Newport County), and Jordan Tunnicliffe (Wrexham).

Their league form, however, has yet to demonstrate the consistency that got them into the play-offs last season. After 20 games, they have won 8, lost 8, and drawn 4, and in their last four games, they have drawn 3-3, won 6-0, lost 4-3, and lost 1-0. That’s very un-Solihull-like.

But the FA Cup is supposed to be a great leveller, so league form be damned.

Bromley come into this game off the back of a good 2-2 draw at 2^nd-place Walsall. Yes, Walsall scored a late equaliser, but on the balance of play, and given the context, it was one of the Ravens’ best performances of the season.

I expect that, injuries notwithstanding, Andy Woodman will go into the tie with the same XI that started against Walsall.

The wider question is who is available for the bench. Such is the lack of options that youngster George Penn made the bench against Walsall and was the only midfield option.

If Lewis Leigh is still suspended, and Ashley Charles isn’t available through injury, Bromley will need both Ben Thompson and Jude Arthurs to possibly play 120 minutes of football.

We come full circle. If Bromley can get through to the next round, the FA Cup money may be the boost Andy Woodman needs to add some game-changing depth to his squad.

But before I give my likely starting line-up, I want to take a moment to reflect on the untimely passing of one of our football family.

Earlier this week, David Fletcher passed away peacefully after a short illness. For men like David, we reserve the phrase: ‘A scholar and a gent’.

I’ve known him and his son Antonio pretty much since the day I started watching Bromley in the late ‘90s. They travelled the length and breadth of this country together, following Bromley in all manner of weather conditions. They knew the assignment: go along, hope for the best while expecting the worst, but always go along, no matter the level.

Just before this season started, the BBC was planning a feature on Bromley’s promotion to the EFL and wanted to speak to fans who had experienced the journey at different stages.

I didn’t hesitate to contact David to ask him to tell his story. It was a measure of the high regard in which I held him. As he told the BBC his story about following Bromley and what promotion meant to him, I could see first-hand just what that day meant for fans like him, fans who had never ever dreamt of such a scenario. In David’s words: “It was a genuine dream come true.”

After the interview, he confided in me about his illness, but was as positive as ever, vowing to tackle the circumstances head-on while reflecting on how grateful he was for the love he had experienced from those closest to him.

I shed a tear when I found out about his passing this week. It was a heavy blow to the soul, but I also know that David was the type of man who would definitely want us to reflect on all the good things.

So for those who knew him, and even those who didn’t, whether you are at Solihull on Sunday or watching on TV, before kick-off, take a moment to smile for David and give your positive thoughts to Antonio and his family as they navigate this difficult stage.

I hope Bromley will offer a minute’s applause before the Gillingham match on Wednesday so that we can all celebrate his life together. But for now, the best thing Bromley can do is celebrate his life with a bit of history-making.

The From Bromley with Love XI

Smith

Sowunmi Webster Grant

Imray Thompson Arthurs Odutayo

Whitely

Cheek Olomola

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Please note all match photographs in this article are by Martin Greig - please follow him on Twitter here

All articles are edited by Peter Etherington you can link to him here

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