The Retro File: Bromley FC 04/05 – The Raven Rising

The 2004/2005 season was perhaps the most pivotal moment in the history of Bromley Football Club. In retrospect, it marked the start of the Ravens’ steady climb up the pyramid, which culminated in last season’s mind-bending promotion to the Football League. Would that accomplishment have happened without the events of 04/05? It’s easy to imagine that it wouldn’t have.

Midway through that campaign, there seemed to be no hope of the success that would follow. In fact, if you had told a Bromley fan how the club’s season would end, they would’ve laughed you out of Hayes Lane. But a managerial change, some inspired signings, and a superb run of results put the Ravens on a path to destiny.

Fans who arrived for Bromley’s first game of the season walked into a club that was still reeling from a tumultuous 03/04 campaign. Four managers and a conveyor belt of players had come and gone and the club desperately needed a steady hand on the rudder. Everyone hoped that hand belonged to manager Stuart McIntyre, who had spent the summer of 2004 assembling a squad that looked ready to challenge for promotion. By this point, Bromley had spent six long years in Isthmian League Division One and everyone was ready for the stay to end.

Talented goalkeeper Andy Walker joined from Finchley, former Millwall youth player Solomon Taiwo brought some flair to the midfield, and feisty South African right-back Steve Potterill re-signed with the club after an impressive debut season in 2003. But disaster struck the Ravens before a ball had been kicked in anger. In the final pre-season game, shrewd centre-back Mark Willy broke his leg. McIntyre acted quickly to bring former Colchester United prospect Samuel Okafor to the club from Hampton and it would prove to be a great signing.     

Bromley’s season began on August 14th with a home game against Horsham. The Ravens were back in their classic white shirts and black shorts combination, with traditionalists still recovering from the club’s flirtation with stripes the season before. Bromley Common-based firm RSR Tyres were the shirt sponsors.

The team on the opening day: Walker, Potterill, Okafor, Kember, Frost, Arkwright, Drewett, Taiwo, Watson, Amoako, Bennetts. Subs: Green, Vines, Henriques, Akdag, Hunter.

Bromley secured a 4-1 win over the West Sussex side that day, aided by a controversial red card shown to Horsham’s captain 33 minutes into the game. Not one of the 303 fans in the stadium that day had any idea how closely entwined the fates of these two teams would be as the season progressed.

False Flag

The Ravens drew at Ashford in their next fixture, then secured a 1-0 win at Dorking, and a 4-0 win over Whyteleafe. The highlight of these early results was Solomon Taiwo’s set-piece expertise and the form of goalkeeper Andy Walker. A slight wobble came when Bromley lost 5-3 at home to Bashley in a game that has found its way into folklore. Following an injury to the linesman, Bromley club legend Ron Coombs stepped forward and offered to run the line. Mayhem ensued. 

On flag duty in the first half, the silver fox gave a free kick to Bromley when the Bashley keeper appeared to carry the ball out of his area while kicking from his hands. Bashley were furious with the call, and were even more outraged when Bromley scored from the resulting free-kick. The Hampshire side were so unhappy that they refused to come out for the second half unless a replacement official could be found. After a lengthy delay, another qualified official took over.

In the aftermath, Bashley were playing with a grudge, and the delay had robbed Bromley of their momentum. Despite two goals from Adolph Amoako and one from Taiwo, Bromley shipped five goals and lost the game. The Ravens’ only other defeat in the first two months of the season came at Hastings United, where they were edged out 1-0. 

In the FA Cup, Bromley recorded wins over Chessington & Hook, Fisher Athletic, and Thamesmead Town, to set up a game at their local rivals Sutton United in the third qualifying round. A battling display against a side who were two divisions above them saw the Ravens secure a 2-2 draw. The replay at Hayes Lane the following Wednesday will live long in the memory of those who were there. Sutton United, two rungs up the pyramid, were humbled 2-1 at Hayes Lane thanks to two own-goals by former Bromley man Eddie Akuamoah, who sliced the ball into his own net from a corner not once, but twice.

The fourth qualifying round handed Bromley a home tie with another Conference South side in high-flying Cambridge City. In the league, however, Bromley suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat to their tenants Cray Wanderers. To rub salt into the wound, the Wands’ side featured a number of former Bromley favourites. It really hurt. That defeat almost certainly planted seeds of doubt in the Bromley team. 

A second-string side lost 1-0 to Hertford Town in the next league fixture, with manager Stuart McIntyre away in Scotland contemplating the big cup match with Cambridge City. He needn't have given it that much thought. In front of 732 fans, Bromley gave it their all but were no match for a very impressive Cambridge City side. It ended 3-0 to the visitors.

A 4-3 away win at Maidenhead in the FA Trophy and a 1-0 win at Tooting in the league kept things ticking over, but all eyes were on the next fixture against phoenix club AFC Wimbledon. Just shy of 2,000 fans flocked to Hayes Lane to witness an entertaining 1-1 draw, with Bromley’s goal coming courtesy of promising young centre-back Tutu Henriques. 

Then came another wobble. A loss to Dover in the Kent Senior Cup was followed by a 3-2 defeat at Burgess Hill, a 1-1 draw with Leatherhead, and an FA Trophy exit at the hands of Cheshunt. A promising season was in danger of going off the rails.

Death Spiral

On Tuesday 30th November, Bromley travelled to a league game at Molesey in Surrey knowing they needed a win to get their season back on track. The Ravens’ travelling fans made up around 80% of the official attendance of 126 that night. Those hardy souls witnessed a seminal event in the club’s history. Bromley’s talented team, who were easily good enough to challenge for promotion, lost 3-0 to a team who looked no better than a pub side. And not a very good pub side, either. 

That inexplicable loss left the Ravens flapping in fifteenth place in the league. Chairman Jerry Dolke was so embarrassed that he personally apologised to the club’s fans as they left the ground. We all sensed that Stuart McIntyre’s time as manager was coming to an end. During a brief stay of execution, Macca secured a surprise 1-0 win at rivals Dulwich Hamlet thanks to a Mark Watson goal. But the ruffled Ravens soon stumbled to a 1-1 draw at home to Croydon Athletic. That was the final straw. The next day, Stuart McIntyre was relieved of his duties. Strikers Mark Watson, Leroy Huggins, and Bernard Labadie departed in unison.

The Phoenix Falters

On Thursday 9th December, Jerry Dolke pulled off a masterstroke by bringing former manager George Wakeling back to Hayes Lane. He would be assisted by Billy Smith and another Bromley legend, Frank Coles. This change gave players and fans alike the optimism and belief that things would soon be on the up. With a new management team in the dugout, Bromley looked like a different proposition. It started with the Ravens once again putting four goals past Horsham, beating them 4-0 away from home with two goals from Colin Luckett and strikes from Amoako and Henriques. A superb run of wins followed. Fleet 2-0. Ashford 3-0. Met Police 2-0. Walton & Hersham 1-0. Hope had returned to Hayes Lane.

George Wakeling set his side up in a 5-4-1 formation with Adolph Amoako as the lead striker and Solomon Taiwo just behind him. Talented young striker Amoako revelled in the role, scoring seven goals in five games, but Wakeling also brought strong forward Adrian Stone to the club to bolster the front line. Around this time, another key signing entered the fray, with midfield general Danny Carroll arriving to add steel to the team.

A hat-trick from Adolph Amoako secured a 4-2 win at Barking & East Ham in the London Senior Cup, but Bromley were kicked out of the competition soon afterwards for fielding an ineligible player (Tom Stradwick had played for Greenwich Borough on loan in an earlier round). Everyone hoped it wouldn’t be a bad omen for the games to come. It was.

New Year, No Hope

Christmas is a time that fills Bromley fans with fear. Anyone who’s followed the Ravens for more than a season or two will know that a Bromley FC post-Christmas slump is as traditional as dry turkey and over-cooked sprouts. And so it came to pass.

The New Year saw Bromley suffer a dip in form that threatened to undo all of their good work and trash their outside shot at promotion. Defeats at home to Tooting, away at AFC Wimbledon, at home to Banstead, away at Leatherhead, and at home to Hastings put the mood in the camp at an all-time low. The loss at Hastings wasn’t helped by goalkeeper Andy Walker receiving a red card from the unfailingly controversial referee Gary Johnson. 

The run of defeats was halted by a disappointing 1-1 draw with Corinthian Casuals. Another draw followed against Newport IoW, where Tutu Henriques scored from the halfway line to rescue a point. Despite this glimmer of sunshine after a dismal run, Bromley fans couldn’t help but contemplate another season in Division One. The play-offs were still a mathematical possibility, but the chances were remote.

Another glimmer of hope came in the shape of a 4-3 home win over Croydon, with another hat-trick from Amoako and a goal from Kevin George. But the following Saturday, Adolph Amoako missed a crucial penalty that sent Bromley crashing to a 1-0 loss at Croydon Athletic. In a bold move, George Wakeling dropped Amoako for the next fixture, possibly in a bid to unburden the young Ghanaian. It didn’t harm the Ravens’ performance as they racked up an impressive 4-0 victory over Molesey. 

Then another future Bromley legend arrived at the club. Following a mid-season friendly at Beckenham Town, George Wakeling re-signed the imposing and experienced striker Wade Falana.  In the next game, Bromley scraped a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Dorking thanks to a Gavin McGowan goal. 

Great Friday

A key game arrived when Bromley faced off against Whyteleafe on Good Friday. If they lost this one then a mid-table finish was almost inevitable. 

It was 0-0 at half-time and the performance had been depressingly poor. Fans had every reason to fear the worst. But Bromley emerged from the John Fiorini stand looking like a completely different team. Suddenly they were fighting for every ball and creating chances. Three second-half goals, two from Wade Falana and one from Gary Drewett, meant the Ravens ran out 3-0 winners. There was something about this game that reignited belief around the club. It felt like a massive result, and the team visibly grew in confidence in the weeks that followed. Where had this Bromley FC been hiding?

George Wakeling wasn’t done with the mid-season signings. Former Orient man Adam Locke came in to add some know-how to the midfield, and experienced striker Mark Tompkins returned to Hayes Lane to partner Wade Falana up front. The seasoned striking partnership combined to great effect. Tommo scored twice and Kevin George once as Bromley won 3-0 at Bashley in the New Forest. The momentum continued with a revenge-tinged 3-2 win over Cray Wanderers in front of 510 fans at Hayes Lane. A 2-0 win away at Fleet followed. 

Adolph Amoako may not have been the first-choice striker anymore, but his season wasn’t done. He came off the bench to great effect in a 1-1 draw at home to Met Police in an ill-tempered match. The good form continued with a 2-0 win over Dulwich Hamlet in the penultimate game of the season. When they looked at the league table after that win, Bromley fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Having seemingly been out of the race in February, Bromley were somehow on the cusp of securing a play-off spot. The Ravens travelled to Banstead for the final game of the regular season knowing that a single point would be enough to secure their ticket to the postseason. A Mark Tompkins penalty, and some dogged defending, saw the Ravens run out 1-0 winners. Not only had they confirmed their play-off place, they had jumped ahead of Cray Wanderers and Met Police to claim 4th spot.

The following Tuesday, Met Police travelled to Hayes Lane for the first play-off game. It was a nervy affair played out in front of 351 fans, and a 0-0 stalemate took the tie to extra time. When Bromley won a penalty, Colin Luckett scored to hand the home side the advantage, but former Raven Mark Watson scored a sickening late equaliser against his old club to take the game to penalties. 

The kicks were taken at the benches end and some fans were so nervous they couldn’t watch. The deciding penalty would be taken by 22-year-old centre-back Tutu Henriques, who stepped up and Bromley coolly slotted home to book Bromley’s place in the final. A feeling of sheer elation swept through the old benches end. The confidence the side had shown in the shoot-out had fans believing that Bromley could seal the deal in the final against Horsham, who had beaten Cray Wanderers in their fixture.

Crunch Time

On Saturday 7^th May 2005, Bromley fans travelled in great numbers to Horsham’s Queen Street ground for the Ryman League Division One play-off final. Horsham had not only been Bromley’s first opposition of the season, they were also the first opposition George Wakeling faced when he arrived as manager in December. On both occasions, Horsham had conceded four goals. Bromley might have been the away team, but the omens were in their favour.

Among the 1,200 who packed into the old ground were fans from several other sides in the division, including old rivals Leatherhead and champions AFC Wimbledon, who were all supporting the home side. Even so, they were still outnumbered by the massive Bromley turnout who made a hell of a noise. 

Bromley’s team for the play-off final: Walker, McLeod, Luckett, Potterill, Henriques, Okafor, Carroll, Falana, Tompkins, Locke, Drewett. Subs: Amoako, George, McGowan, Stradwick. 

The game started with Horsham attacking down the slope. They settled quicker and carved out numerous chances before winning a penalty. Andy Walker saved the spot kick and Bromley seemed to take heart from the let-off. The momentum suddenly swung in the Ravens’ favour and Wade Falana made the most of it with a well-taken goal. But Horsham rallied and quickly pulled it back to 1-1. Then, just before half-time, the Ravens seized the advantage when Alan McLeod’s cross-shot from distance swerved in from a tight angle.

The 2-1 scoreline had Bromley fans’ spines tingling at half-time.

The Ravens were playing down the slope in the second half and it helped them to dominate and keep the pressure on their rivals for long spells. But even though they were in the ascendency, Bromley fans’ nerves were jangling. That was until Colin Luckett sealed the deal with a dynamite free-kick from 30 yards to make it 3-1. What a hit!

The final whistle confirmed Bromley’s promotion back to the Ryman League Premier Division after a six-year absence. At long last, after what felt like decades in the doldrums, the club was on the rise. 

Out of all of the promotions and successes the club has achieved in recent years, this is still the most special to me. It represented the rebirth of our club under the ownership of Jerry Dolke, and it lit the fuse for all of the good things that have happened in the last twenty years.   

Where Are They Now?

In the 2024/25 season, Bromley and AFC Wimbledon will compete in Football League Two, while Cray Wanderers, Dulwich Hamlet, Hasting United, and Horsham will play in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Many of the class of 04/05 have slipped down the pyramid into county football, with Croydon, Banstead Athletic, and Newport IoW having fallen furthest.

Three of the teams Bromley played against that season no longer exist. Dorking folded in 2017, with Dorking Wanderers now occupying their old Meadowbank ground. Whyteleafe and Croydon Athletic also folded, but have relaunched as phoenix clubs with an AFC prefix. Both were promoted last season. Who knows where they will be in another twenty years, particularly as Croydon Athletic have got a bit of money behind them. 

Will we see Croydon Athletic rise like the Ravens?

---

Thanks for taking the time to read the article - you can expect more like this as well as videos, audio posts, interviews etc etc

You can find Colin Head on Twitter - here

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

If you havent as yet make sure you read the other articles in the archive.

If you’d like to show an appreciation for the work that goes into this newsletter you can buy the team a coffee through the link below.

Most importantly of all subscribe to the newsletter to ensure you get these updates direct to your inbox.