Being the new boys to the Football League can be scary, even more so as a club with the stature of Bromley, so how have the South London club adjusted to life in League Two?
Andy Woodman’s side gained promotion to the EFL for the first time in their history last season, after defeating Solihull Moors on penalties at Wembley Stadium.
Despite never playing EFL football before, Bromley have managed to obtain a strong start to their new environment and here’s why I believe they belong in the Football League.
Making the step up
Bromley had never played in the EFL and had been stuck in the National League since their promotion in the 2014/15 season.
Arguably the hardest league to be promoted from, the National League requires either winning the league altogether or promotion through the path of the ever-gruelling playoffs.
The South London club’s path couldn’t have been any more eventful.
The Raven’s eventful promotion season could have seen them go up as champions had it not been for the relentlessness of Chesterfield.
However, a drop-off towards the end of the season saw them finish third in the league, getting a bye into the playoff semi-final and home advantage.
Bromley’s opponents were known before a ball was even kicked in the eliminator, with Gateshead’s removal for failing to make the EFL criteria giving Altrincham the trip to Hayes Lane for the semi-final, an opponent they drew to last time out.
However, a spectacular second-half comeback sparked by Myles Weston (who would score his only two league goals in this match) would see them finish as 3:1 victors and face Solihull Moors in the final.
The Vanarama National League Promotion Final is often a nail-biter, and this one was no exception.
For 120 minutes both teams went back and forth, no team on top for long, and as the clock ticked down in extra time, it would be another Promotion Final that went to penalties.
Both sides managed to show enough quality to prove their worth in League Two, but the cruelty of this system showed itself yet again as Bromley won it out in a penalty shootout to keep Solihull Moors in the fifth tier.
Keeping faith, keeping consistent
As a side without as much money as some of their predecessors, Bromley has been forced to keep faith with their non-league cohorts.
Nine of the 11 that started the Promotion Final also started their historic 2:0 win against Harrogate Town, an amazing number considering that most of their players have been at the club for a while.
The likes of Michael Cheek, Corey Whitely and Byron Webster have been with the club through thick and thin, and this season could prove how key they are to the team.
Andy Woodman has provided the fans with a side that can produce when the occasion arises.
Their 2022 FA Trophy run will live on in the memories of the fans, and the club have consistently been able to control the bigger sides when they come to Hayes Lane.
Whilst their form over a season tends to fluctuate, they know how to win in any way necessary.
A club for the fans
Bromley wasn’t a club with as many supporters in the past, co-existing with the likes of Crystal Palace, Millwall and Charlton Athletic.
Times have changed since then, and the Ravens have found themselves an ever-growing fan base in the younger generation in the local area.
Hayes Lane is often sold out on match days and the majority of the fans are right behind the team. Morale couldn’t be higher.
This is a team that could not only stay up this season but thrive. Many people tried to write them off at the beginning of the season, but there is a genuine possibility this club gives a lot of teams a run for their money.
They’ve proved it so far; seven points in five matches is respectable for a promoted side. If they can keep this up, the fans will have many EFL away days to come.
