'132 years in the making' - Bromley's wait is over

Hayes Lane will host its first ever match in the EFL when Bromley face AFC Wimbledon in League Two on Saturday

South London, Southern, London, Kent, Spartan, Isthmian, Athenian and the National League.

Bromley's journey through the lower echelons of the English football pyramid has spanned 132 years.

On the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, under the Wembley arch, the next step on that journey came down to one moment, a single kick of the ball.

Miss, and another season in the National League could well have beckoned.

But club captain Byron Webster stepped up to score the deciding penalty against Solihull Moors in the promotion final to send Bromley up to the English Football League for the first time in their long history.

And on Saturday, they will host their first ever home match in the EFL when they face London rivals AFC Wimbledon in a repeat of Tuesday's Carabao Cup first-round tie.

"We never dreamed this would happen, 132 years in the making," said lifelong fan and club historian Roy Oliver.

"It's mind-boggling."

'We're not a tinpot club - we're much more professional'

Bromley Football Club's story began in 1892 as part of the South London League before the club became a founding member of the Southern League two years later.

The Ravens had stints playing games at Queensmead Recreation Ground, Glebe Road and Plaistow Cricket Club, before finding their permanent home at Hayes Lane in 1938.

Oliver first started attending games as a child with his dad, George, in the 1950s.

They would arrive at half-time as you could get in the ground for free after the first half had finished, he recalled.

His grandmother served tea and Bovril to the supporters while they watched their team.

By 1961, he was attending every game home and away, as he does to this day, aged 77.

His collection of memorabilia includes matchday programmes from before World War One and medals that are more than 100 years old.

Such has been his prominence at the club, he was characterised in the 2018 film The Bromley Boys, set during the Lillywhites' dire 1969-70 season when they won just three league games.

"I did get quite emotional at the end of the game [the promotion final at Wembley]," he added.

"Supporting this team through thick and thin, through the good years and the bad.

"It's not just about staying in the league, we'll prove a lot of people wrong.

"For years in the National League, we were called a tinpot club, but we are not a tinpot club. We are so much more professional now."

'We've got to learn this league' - Bromley chairman

Robin Stanton-Gleaves is the chairman and owner of Bromley Football Club

The London club's breakthrough into the EFL is the latest landmark in a list of recent achievements under chairman and owner Robin Stanton-Gleaves and manager Andy Woodman.

Woodman, 53, joined the club in March 2021 and led the club to the play-off eliminator a few months later.

The following season, the Ravens beat Wrexham 1-0 at Wembley to lift the FA Trophy.

Bromley then reached the promotion semi-finals in 2022-23, losing 3-2 to Chesterfield after extra time, before achieving promotion via the play-offs last season.

Stanton-Gleaves said all their promotion prize money had gone towards replacing the old artificial grass with a new hybrid turf pitch at Hayes Lane that complied with the EFL's regulations, costing £750,000.

Woodman has had a "small and tight" budget to work with as a result.

Though the manager has been vocal in his determination the club can challenge for a play-off place in their first season in League Two, Stanton-Gleaves views avoiding relegation as Bromley's first priority.

"We're not getting carried away, we've got to learn this league," he said.

"We've got to learn to travel [further for away games] every other week, learn to manage the bigger squad, learn to operate within the transfer windows.

"And as we do that, then we develop the football ground and we keep our onward trajectory in our journey."

'I'd take Wimbledon as first home game over any other team'

Machel St Patrick Hewitt is the Bromley reporter for the Football League Paper and has been a fan of the club for 28 years

On their historic day, Bromley will come up against another side who have risen up the football pyramid in Wimbledon.

As well as Tuesday's Carabao Cup fixture, which was won 2-1 by Wimbledon at Hayes Lane, the two clubs have faced off in the Isthmian Division One South and the Isthmian Premier League, with Bromley defeating the Dons 1-0 in the play-off semi-finals en route to promotion to National League South in 2006-07.

Two years later, the two sides met again, this time in the sixth tier, with the match ending in controversy after Bromley midfielder Ryan Hall's lobbed effort made the score 2-2 in the 90th minute.

Wimbledon's bench and supporters felt the ball should have been returned to them after they had kicked it out of play so a Dons player could receive treatment.

"Some scuffles broke out at full-time, so a lot of bad blood came out of that day," recalled Bromley fan and reporter Machel St Patrick Hewitt, who has followed the club for 28 years.

"To me it [drawing Wimbledon as the first home fixture] was the story arch aligning – it's a London derby between two clubs who have a shared non-league history, who have played big games in the past. I would take Wimbledon as the opponents over anyone else in that league to mark our historical [home] debut in the EFL."

'Hayes Lane will be electric' - Webster

Bromley played on their new grass pitch for the first time when they hosted Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup at Hayes Lane on Tuesday

One man who was not involved on Tuesday but will hope to start Saturday's game is skipper Webster.

The 37-year-old was rested during midweek but has urged fans to get to the ground early for the sold out 12:30 BST kick-off.

Both teams go into the game having won their opening fixtures - Wimbledon defeating Colchester United 4-2 at Plough Lane and Bromley winning 2-0 away at Harrogate.

"I think it’ll be electric if I'm honest, it's going to be popping," Webster said.

"The whole day is going to be a great day to enjoy, you can soak in the atmosphere and I think the boys will be buzzing to get out and do the warm-up, to take it all in.

"But then as soon as that whistle goes for the first kick-off then it's down to business and knuckling down because it'll mean diddly squat if we don’t put a good performance in and get the three points."

With the big day almost upon them, the pitch, the fans and the club are ready to make history at Hayes Lane.

Bromley won their opening League Two fixture 2-0 away at Harrogate