The Retro File: Bromley FC 03/04 - A Tale of Turmoil

Colin Head takes us on walk down the Bromley FC memory lane

The Backdrop

Imagine a league where the bottom sixteen teams all get relegated. 

That was the reality of Bromley’s 03/04 season.

The Football Conference, pinnacle of the non-league pyramid, was about to have a shake-up. From the 04/05 season onwards, there would be two new feeder leagues, the Conference North and South. Their introduction would create a whole new level in the football pyramid, but it would have a big knock-on effect on the leagues below. 

Clubs in Bromley’s league, the Isthmian Division One South, were facing a reshuffle to accommodate the new league system. For one season only, a humdrum mid-table finish could mean relegation, but a top-place finish could shoot you up two leagues.

There was a lot on the line.

How it Worked

If the Ravens finished 1st, they would be promoted to the Conference South. Finish between 2nd and 6th and they would be ‘promoted’ to the Isthmian Premier Division. It wasn’t really a promotion though as it was the same pyramid level they were already playing at.

Finish 7th and they would enter a play-off for ‘promotion’ to the Isthmian Premier, played against their equivalent from the Isthmian Division One North.

But if Bromley finished between 8th and 23rd they would stay in the Division One South. That sounds harmless enough, but in the new system, this division was one pyramid level lower. In other words, they would be relegated.

Still with me?

New Season, New Hope

Well, where do you start? Over fifty players would play under five managers in Bromley’s farce of a campaign. Way back in August, however, fans had every reason to be hopeful. 

Over the summer, manager Stuart ‘Macca’ McIntyre added some solid signings to a squad that had finished sixth the previous season. That group also added the London Senior Cup to Hayes Lane’s trophy cabinet, so there was confidence in the camp. 

All Bromley had to do was repeat the trick of finishing 6th (or better) and they would be ‘promoted’ to the Isthmian Premier Division. And with their new signings in place, that looked like a safe bet. 

Tidy centre-back Dean Forbes returned from a spell at Tooting & Mitcham, attacker Tony Reid arrived from Lewes, and wily centre-back Mark Willy joined from Cray Wanderers. 

The blistering summer of 2003 made Bromley’s packed pre-season a sweaty affair, but heat stroke wasn’t their only concern. When the Ravens arrived to play their final warm-up game, the Wembley Cup away at Romford, the team-sheet was a worrying sight.

The 03/04 season was due to kick off in a matter of days, but Bromley had a bloated squad of 25 players. And as every single one of them appeared in the Romford game, it appeared that Stuart McIntyre was unsure of his strongest team. 

For what it’s worth, we won the cup 2-1. 

When Bromley scraped a 1-0 win in their first league game of the season, away at Croydon on a very hot day, fans began to wonder if their fears were unfounded.

In fact, the biggest talking point that day was seeing Bromley play in their new kit. The club had chosen black and white stripes for the home strip, rather than the plain white shirt they had favoured for over 100 years. Was this change a good or bad omen?

The following Tuesday, when Bromley hosted title-favourites Lewes, doubts about the squad’s character resurfaced. Having dominated the first half, the Ravens failed to make their chances count and were bulldozered in the second half. A 1-0 lead was thrown away to become a 2-1 loss. 

The roller coaster ride had begun. 

From one game to the next, fans had no idea which version of Bromley they were going to see. The Ravens thrashed Molesey 4-0 at home, then got a disappointing draw at Ashford Town. They knocked North Leigh out of the FA Cup, then lost 3-0 in a turgid performance against Walton & Hersham. 

But there was a very dark cloud hanging over that game.

The day before the home game against Walton & Hersham, news surfaced that Stuart McIntyre had released the popular and quite simply brilliant wing wizard Kirk Watts. He had been Bromley’s bright spark in so many dull and difficult games and suddenly he was gone.

Bobby Nolan arrived to do the impossible job of replacing Kirk Watts, but fans were in no mood to welcome him. Instead, they were calling for Macca’s head. Behind the goal that day, the Hayes Lane Ultras sang Kirk Watts’ name from the first kick to the last. A 3-0 loss was a fitting end to a miserable day.

The late-summer optimism had turned into a depressing sense of despair.

Mopping Up the Mess

With no width in the side, Bromley slipped to a 1-0 loss at Windsor in their next match. This seemed to spark a reaction from Stuart McIntyre, who stated his intention to be more rugged in future fixtures. 

He wasn’t lying. In the following game, Bromley kicked their way to an FA Cup replay with a brutal 1-1 draw at Ashford Town. New striker Leroy Huggins netted for Bromley that day, and a Joe Wade free kick won an equally brutal replay. 

That set up a cup derby at home to Dartford. Suddenly, things didn’t look so bleak. 

Macca’s new, more physical version of BFC went on to beat both Corinthian Casuals and Tooting & Mitcham 1-0 in the league, and the squad looked like they were up for the fight. I, for one, was eating humble pie.

Then came one of Hayes Lane’s great days. A bumper crowd of 542 fans showed up to watch the Ravens completely outclass Dartford in the FA Cup, running out 3-0 winners. 

Paul Kember bossed the midfield that day, young striker Adolph Amoako looked like a class act beside Reid and Huggins, and a back line featuring Dean Forbes, Joe Vines, and Mark Willy looked unbreakable. The only way was up!

A 1-0 win at Bracknell kept the good times rolling. Then Bromley did the cup double over Dartford, knocking them out of the Kent Cup with a 3-2 victory. This time, there were only 179 fans there to see it. 

In the FA Cup, Isthmian Premier League side Thurrock (the artist formerly known as Purfleet) came to Hayes Lane to face an in-form Bromley. This proved to be another spellbinding cup game.  

The Ravens went down to ten men early on and fell a goal behind, but Leroy Huggins smashed in a last-minute equaliser to send fans in the benches end bonkers and grab an unlikely replay. 

The following Monday, an injury and suspension-ravaged Bromley were dumped out of the cup with a 3-0 loss in Essex. Frustratingly, they never really threatened the opposition’s goal in that game, but the same couldn’t be said of their next match.

Four days later, thanks to an amazing 20-minute spell in the second half, the Ravens picked themselves up by thrashing Leatherhead 5-0 away. Paul Vines scored on his debut in that game.

Everything looked rosy in the Bromley camp ahead of a Tuesday night home game with Banstead Athletic. But then it all started to go wrong. 

Bromley dominated the match but could only manage a poor 1-1 draw with the Surrey side. Fans and board members were very vocal in their questioning of Macca’s decisions that night. 

The atmosphere was certainly sour, but no one expected that Stuart McIntyre would quit his job a day later. That was a very sad way for a good manager to say goodbye to BFC. 

Captain Dean Forbes posted on the fans’ forum to criticise the fans for their harsh words. According to Dean, the fans were “a joke.”

The Manager-Go-Round

In late October, with the team just outside the top six, 32-year-old assistant manager Eddie Saunders took over as caretaker manager. His first game was a good 2-0 win over Hampton & Richmond, followed by a solid display in a 3-1 FA Trophy defeat away at Carshalton Athletic of the Isthmian Premier Division.

When Bromley beat Staines 2-1, it seemed like the club was building up a head of steam. But then the wheels started to come off again, and it seemed to coincide with Eddie Saunders being given the manager’s post on a permanent basis. 

In quick succession, Bromley lost 2-1 at an impressive Worthing, lost 4-2 at Slough Town, drew 1-1 at home to Met Police, and exited the Bryco Cup with a 2-0 loss at Harrow Borough. 

Eddie appointed a new assistant manager in the shape of Curtis Warmington, but it didn’t improve the situation. Bromley lost at home to Egham, then suffered further embarrassment with a poor 1-1 draw against basement boys Epsom & Ewell. In fact, they were lucky to even get a draw! 

Warmington began throwing his weight around, first releasing shrewd striker Leroy Huggins, then sacking popular goalkeeper Danny Harwood. With Bromley languishing in lower mid-table, and the mood at rock bottom, chairman Jerry Dolke acted quickly to sack Saunders and Warmington. 

For the second time in a matter of months, Bromley were without a manager.

On a chilly Tuesday night in December, Bromley fans travelled through the fog to Horsham. When they emerged in West Sussex that night, they found chairman Jerry Dolke and midfielder John Myatt in the dugout. The Bromley squad had also been bolstered by the return of a cult hero, striker Wade Falana.

With Horsham leading 1-0 in the second half, Wade came off the bench to try and find a way through. Within minutes, he had helped create two goals for Adolph Amoako. Bromley ran out 2-1 winners, sending fans back to Bromley with a sense that things might be about to get brighter.

Bromley beat Croydon the following Saturday in a game with a great atmosphere thanks to the Hayes Land Ultras behind the goal. With Jerry Dolke in the dugout, optimism was creeping back into the stands, but a 2-0 defeat at home to Marlow was something of a reality check. 

Jerry once again acted swiftly to appoint former Tonbridge Angels manager Alan Walker as manager, assisted by Lloyd Hume. A squad shake-up followed. Walker released Tony Reid and Jason McKoy, and sent Dean Forbes out on loan. Joe Vines, meanwhile, left for Crawley Town. In came former Tonbridge men Peter Overton, Sam Tydeman, and Adam Larkin. 

After a ten-day break for bad weather, Bromley drew 2-2 at home to local rivals Dulwich Hamlet in Walker’s first game. It was a fantastic match that saw Wade Falana net once again for the Ravens. 

Had Bromley finally found their rhythm?

New Year, New Hope(less)

2004 began with Bromley coming from behind to grab a 2-1 win at Molesey, but a stuttering 1-1 draw at Whyteleafe saw the Ravens fall further down the table. The mood soured once again. Splits were appearing in the players’ camp, and assistant manager Lloyd Hume was sacked by Jerry Dolke for ‘unacceptable behaviour.’ 

Four days later, following a pathetic 3-1 defeat at home to Horsham, Alan Walker was in hot water. The majority of his playing staff refused to ever play for him again, and with the club mired in the mid-table muck, the fans were on his back too. Jerry had little choice but to show Walker the door. 

Another manager had come and gone. Whatever next! Fortunately, when Bromley took the field at Banstead the following Saturday, there was a familiar face in the dugout. 

Stuart McIntyre had been restored as Bromley manager. 

After lengthy clear-the-air talks with Jerry, Macca had agreed to try and lead Bromley back into the top six. His new reign started with a great display of attacking football in a 2-1 win on the Epsom Downs. That was quickly followed by wins over Leatherhead in the league and Tonbridge in the Kent Cup. 

All eyes were on the top six, so Bromley gave a lame defence of their London Senior Cup title, falling to a toothless 1-0 loss at Dulwich Hamlet. I seemed to be the only fan who was disappointed by this.

Bromley now entered the business end of the season. If they were going to achieve their goal of a top-six finish, this run of games would be crucial. 

It started well enough with a 3-1 win at Met Police, but then the Ravens were destroyed 4-0 at home by an excellent Slough Town side. A creditable 0-0 draw with Worthing did little to help the league position, but they turned on the style at Hampton & Richmond, running out 3-1 winners. 

Once again, fans had no idea which version of Bromley they were going to watch. There was clearly a good team in there somewhere, but they were desperately lacking consistency. 

Fans’ hopes were pinned on new signing Kevin George, who could run the midfield at a canter on his day. Could he be the one to get the Ravens’ clock ticking?

Within weeks, a dark cloud had descended over Hayes Lane once again as two disappointing home draws with Croydon Athletic and Whytleafe seemed to have all but ruled out a place in the top six. But then a fine 2-0 win at Croydon Athletic offered a ray of hope. 

It was all well and good winning away games, but fans began to voice their disquiet about Bromley’s home form, particularly in Tuesday night games. What was the cause?

No one had an answer to that conundrum, so the inconsistency continued. 

Bromley slipped back to mid-table with a 4-3 defeat at Tooting & Mitcham and were then trounced 3-1 at Staines. It was around this time that Dean Forbes went missing for the final time. He had barely played since the Saunders debacle. It was a sad end to his time at the club.

Having dispatched Corinthian Casuals 3-0 at home, Bromley travelled down to the south coast to play a Lewes side that included former Ravens Kirk Watts and Joe Vines. Despite playing really well, Bromley lost 3-1. Lewes would go on to be worthy champions that season. 

In the days after the loss at Lewes, Macca held a fans' forum where he admitted that releasing Kirk Watts was a mistake. It certainly seemed obvious to the fans at the time!

More misery was to follow when Bromley faced Folkestone Invicta in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final. On a murky Tuesday night at Hayes Lane, the Ravens were destroyed 5-0 on their own turf. It was a cup tie to forget.

Shortly afterwards, talented midfielder Kevin George left the club for Lincoln City of League Two. In the same week, however, Bromley were boosted by the signing of striker Mark Watson, who led the line brilliantly on his debut in a 4-0 win over Bracknell.

Then, in a game that rather summed up Bromley’s season, the Ravens threw away a two-goal lead twice to draw 3-3 at Walton & Hersham (aka Whack’em & Hurt’em), who were close to the dirtiest team I have ever seen! 

Crumble at Crunch Time

Out of the blue, a 4-1 win at Egham United lifted everyone's spirits. Could Bromley be about to make a final heroic tilt at a top-six finish? 

It was still mathematically possible. If they could just win their last few games then they stood an outside chance of ‘promotion.’

Alas, it was not to be.

Under a sky the colour of concrete, the Ravens capitulated to a 3-2 defeat against Ashford Town. When the full-time whistle blew, it confirmed that Bromley would spend the following season playing at the lowest level in the club’s history. 

It was all over.

As if to rub salt in the wound, the lads picked themselves up and hammered local rivals Dulwich Hamlet 4-0 at Champion Hill. That game featured a breathtaking goal from Landry Zahana-Oni, two from Mark Watson, and one from a Colin Luckett corner. 

Bromley then went on to score a 1-0 victory over a title-chasing Windsor & Eton side that featured former Ravens Tony Reid and Chuck Martini. A week later, Bromley gave Epsom & Ewell the runaround in a 2-0 win in their final home game of the season. 

That run of wins left many fans with a sense of what might have been. Why couldn’t the lads have played like that more often? They were clearly capable! 

Despite the inconsistent results, there were some stand-out performances in the class of 03/04. Young Adolph Amoako was rightly named Supporters’ Player of the Season in recognition of his 26 goals. That tally from a 20-year-old was some achievement. The superb Mark Willy was voted Players’ Player of the Season. He had been a calm figurehead throughout the chaos and deserved that trophy at the very least.

The final game of Bromley’s season was a poor and utterly forgettable 1-0 loss at Marlow. It was a fitting end to a depressing campaign.

Bromley finished the 03/04 season in 8th position, just one place shy of the league’s single play-off position, which, in a bitter twist, was occupied by local rivals Dulwich Hamlet. 

Frankly, it was a poor league. Given the talent at their disposal, Bromley should have finished much higher. If there had been more stability off the pitch, it’s easy to imagine that results would have been better on it. 

Instead, fans were treated to a season of turmoil. 

Having started the season with hopes of promotion, Bromley were left to pick up the pieces one rung down the non-league ladder.

The Football Conference had never seemed so far away.

Postscript

Twenty years on, not only are Bromley playing at the highest level in the club’s history, they are also playing at the highest level of all of the clubs in their 03/04 division. 

Hampton & Richmond, Worthing, and Slough are in the National League South. Windsor & Eton and Croydon Athletic both folded and reformed. The rest of the clubs are playing at a similar level or below. 

It’s amazing how much a club’s fortunes can change in the space of twenty years. 

Who knows where Bromley will be in another couple of decades?

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