Upcoming opposition - Bromley FC

[Shade]

Bromley visit Whaddon Road for the first time in just under 9 years this Saturday for our first ever meeting in the Football League. Founded in 1892, Bromley won the National League play-offs last season to enter the League for the first time in their history. Their honours include an FA Trophy win in 2022. Andy Woodman is their current manager.

Bromley currently sit 18th in League Two, two places and three points behind us, with a game in hand. They have 3 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. They have scored 15, and conceded 17. Since starting their first EFL season with back-to-back wins, they have struggled, with a 0-1 win at Doncaster being their only other victory. The stats for that match indicate a bit of a smash and grab. This, of course, indicates that in their last 11 league games, they have just 1 win, 5 draws and 5 losses.

Players of note:
Michael Cheek - their top scorer, having scored nearly half of all their League goals, 7. You may remember him as having played against us for Braintree under Danny Cowley in the National League season. He's been a fairly prolific non-league striker for 10 or so years and now, at 33, is showing he probably could have cut it in the EFL.
Byron Webster - I can't say that I know too much about him apart from knowing the name, but I'm sure we have probably faced him several times over the years looking at his list of clubs (Northampton, Yeovil, Doncaster, Hereford). However, he's their captain, has started every game, and is 37 years young, so may not enjoy the likes of Thomas, Archer and Miller running at him all afternoon.

Recent results:
CTFC 4-1 BFC, NL, 30 Jan '16
BFC 1-2 CTFC, NL, 13 Oct '15

Overall: 2 wins, 0 draws, 0 defeats. 5 goals for, 2 against.

Interesting things:
- Yes, this is the first meeting in the EFL but, as far as I can see, also only the third ever meeting of the clubs.
- The previous meeting at Whaddon Road was a comfortable winters afternoon, with Dan Holman all but sealing victory with goals in the 20th and 25th minutes. We never looked in danger, but Danny Wright decided to get two himself, in the 49th and 63rd minutes, before an 85th minute consolation for Bromley.
- The first meeting between the clubs, however, was not as comfortable. Billy Waters eventually gave us the lead in the 78th minute, only for Bromley to equalise from the spot in the 89th minute. Then Asa Hall popped up with a goal most of us probably remember, in the 91st minute. In a time when FGR were winning game after game in injury time, I remember it feeling very cathartic.
- Bromley entered the FA Cup at Round 1 for the first time this season, and won at Rochdale 3-4, meaning they have already matched their previous best run in the competition of reaching Round 2, for the fourth time. They last achieved this in 1945.
- Not only have we only played each other twice, but I can't find any playing links between the clubs. Anyone know of any? I'm sure some partially obscure player must have played for us both at some point?

[Jerry St Clair]

Scott Oldham will referee this one.

A very experienced EFL official with lots of history with Town. The most notable one was probably the last, the final game of the Wade era when Oldham sent off Olayinka and Butler-Oyedeji to seal WE’s fate.

Prior to that he’s taken charge of some more successful outings - a home win over Morecambe as well as victories over AFC Wimbledon and Swindon.

Last season he took charge of a L2 play off semi.

[Malabus]

Physical encounter, totally different game that we had with Bradford. I can see a goal or two will be enough for a victory against Bromley.

[Garby74]

Scanning through results from Bromley,
It strikes me they have played a lot of the top sides. Drawing a good portion of those fixtures.

It will be a tough match Saturday. I doubt it will be one for the purist!! More a battle of attrition.

Really looking forward to Saturday and hopefully keeping our fine run going.

COYR

[Jerry St Clair]

I’m sure they’ll come to be solid and take a point. Just hope we don’t get frustrated and get suckered into an hour and half of hopeful diagonals. That would be a painful watch.

[Robin]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

As for the game apparently they are a big physical side, really well organised and hard to break down but lacking a bit in technical quality. Expect a scrap and hope they don't take the lead as better sides have struggled against them when that happens.

[Si Robin]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

As for the game apparently they are a big physical side, really well organised and hard to break down but lacking a bit in technical quality. Expect a scrap and hope they don't take the lead as better sides have struggled against them when that happens.

They're currently averaging higher away attendances than we are at the moment. They're averaging 287 away fans to our 219.

[Ihearye]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

As for the game apparently they are a big physical side, really well organised and hard to break down but lacking a bit in technical quality. Expect a scrap and hope they don't take the lead as better sides have struggled against them when that happens.

If we play to our strengths, we can keep the big units running around after us all afternoon and wear them out

[Jerry St Clair]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

As for the game apparently they are a big physical side, really well organised and hard to break down but lacking a bit in technical quality. Expect a scrap and hope they don't take the lead as better sides have struggled against them when that happens.

They're currently averaging higher away attendances than we are at the moment. They're averaging 287 away fans to our 219.

Looks like they’ve sold just over 200 so far. Half of block 5 and a bit of block 6 in the Hazlewoods. Would guess they’ll have around 300.

287 is impressive. They’ve had some long old trips to the frozen north as well.

[Fuller]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

I think the crowd numbers have stood up pretty well this season so far, especially with the very poor start we made to the season and some disquiet behind the scenes. We’ve had plenty of seasons in league two where the attendance has often been below 3,000, especially when we’ve been struggling. I wouldn’t say 3,500 is an attendance to “dread.”

[Jerry St Clair]

Agreed. Bromley at home in Nov is one for the diehards. 3500 would be perfectly expected and acceptable.

[Wellwisher]

They're currently averaging higher away attendances than we are at the moment. They're averaging 287 away fans to our 219.

Looks like they’ve sold just over 200 so far. Half of block 5 and a bit of block 6 in the Hazlewoods. Would guess they’ll have around 300.

287 is impressive. They’ve had some long old trips to the frozen north as well.

Impressive indeed. Their aways this season have been to Bradford, Harrogate, Grimsby, Doncaster and Fleetwood, with only Colchester being reasonably close.

I'd guess that being so far South and East, they've clocked up a few more miles on the road than Cheltenham so far this season, Robins' trip to Carlisle notwithstanding.

I wonder how much of this is accounted for by the novelty of being in the EFL, and/or their away form (8 points from 18) being better than their home (6 from 21)?

[CS85]

I'm expecting another solid turn out of 3,500 ctfc fans. No reason why not as we've been around that on Saturday games all season and we're in good for.

As someone else mentioned,many seasons in league 2 have seen home turn outs closer to 3,000 and below even on weekend games.

[Shade]

Is this the next generation of hardcore fans that we've found, then, a regular extra 500 or so that have got the bug? (Bradford aside)

[Malabus]

I dread to think how low the attendance will be tomorrow as they probably won't bring more than a hundred, 3500 tops.

As for the game apparently they are a big physical side, really well organised and hard to break down but lacking a bit in technical quality. Expect a scrap and hope they don't take the lead as better sides have struggled against them when that happens.

They brought around 200 in the Vanarama league.

[Jerry St Clair]

Followed about 25/30 Bromley fans being escorted back to town by police. A bit of pushing and shoving and one of the coppers drew his baton at one points. A surprisingly feisty bunch, not helped by a few of our own cretins goading them.

[Wellwisher]

Bromley at home in Nov is one for the diehards. 3500 would be perfectly expected and acceptable.

As per BBC, crowd was 3,786.