BROMLEY Manager insisted his side were ready for Saturday's FA Cup tie against BAT Sports at Hayes Lane on Saturday writes Stephen McCartney.

Bromley came away from Alwyns Lane with all three points beating bottom of the table side Chertsey Town on Tuesday evening in a 4-1 victory to climb up the Ryman League Division One South table to 13th place.

Bromley raced into a 2-0 lead with a Kirk Watts strike after 6 minutes and Adolph Amoako after 33 minutes. Chertsey pulled a goal back after Paul Read's 68 minute and caused Bromley problems in a ten minute spell. Bromley put the game beyond doubt with two goals in the space of a minute. Carl Bartley scored after 81 minutes lobbing the ball over Mark Pisani and a minute later Kirk Watts scored his second and the Ravens fourth when he fired into the top left hand corner of the Chertsey net to send Bromley into 13th place after 6 games.

A happy Bromley Manager, Stuart McIntyre, said: "It was a good night and a good performance. We concentrated when we had a rocky patch in the second half. Last season at Margate in the Kent Senior Cup we kept them on their back foot for 10-15 minutes and Chertsey did the same to us. It was a good strong performance where we showed a lot of character. Other teams in this league will find coming to Chertsey a problem as they have poor changing rooms, poor floodlights and a poor pitch."

McIntyre has made it clear he is taking each game one at a time.

Bromley host Wessex League Division One side BAT Sports in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round on Saturday (3.00pm). BAT Sports go into Saturday's game on the back of a 8-1 away defeat at Andover on Tuesday night, and have fallen from sixth place to eleventh in the Wessex League's top flight.

McIntyre said: "We are up for the FA Cup game and ready for it. We have no injury worries and look to play the same starting eleven that played at Chertsey on Tuesday. Adolph Amoako should recover from a knock he received in the Chertsey game."

BROMLEY SUPPORTERS CLUB AGM 25TH JULY 2002

Report By Colin Head

The unfortunately poorly attended meeting started with Jim Brown’s address to the supporters. The fine state of the pitch and the ground was mentioned and thanks was given to all those who helped work on the ground over the summer, especially Tony Lettington. The younger fans who did not seem to want to know the club during the close season were criticised. New home and away shirts will be available in the club shop soon and they are meant to be very smart. It is hoped the SC will organise more trips and functions and ideas are welcomed. Also JB asked for any fans ideas for merchandise to be sold in the shop. JB had been approached to sit in on Board Meetings and liase between the Board and supporters.

Brian Olley the SC Secretary announced he was to resign after being frustrated at the poor response from fans to the SC’s social functions. He also thanked the people who had worked on the ground and targeted a ‘certain section’ of the support for not getting involved. He said that they had enquired about getting SKY TV in the clubhouse, but £200 a month was deemed too expensive. Mark T was elected as the new secretary bringing in some youth to the set up. The supporters club’s officers were re-elected and best wishes were sent to Maureen Paffett.

Paul Greenwood who runs the club alongside Jerry Dolke then stood up and made an impressive speech. JD & PG finally took full control of the club in June, only a few shares were now outstanding and they were soon hoped to be purchased. PG said he was very upset after Saturday’s game against Thamesmead and didn’t want fans to have to suffer performances like that in future. This season could not be the same as the last! He was delighted by the buzz after the Wimbledon game and wanted that every week at the Lane. With the size of the Borough he believed good results and performances would bring in the crowds and generate the income for bigger things.

Changes on the pitch were promised and Macca was to be given carte blanc to get the team together that would get BFC promoted.

PG asked supporters for their ideas for their club and that he and JD were open to all ideas and the only thing not allowed from fans was negativity. He wants all fans to pull together and to have a unified club. Mistakes may be made but the best interests of BFC will always be the prime objective. PG wants a team to be proud of and aground to be proud of too. Plans were near completion for new floodlights to be installed now the 20 year lease was sorted, planning permission and funding was also being put together for 5 a side pitches, a new boardroom, function rooms and s bigger stand. All debts have been cleared and the club was now ‘in the black’. Student Rates will be considered along with the kid for quid scheme and he seemed pleased to receive the idea.

There was to be no reserve team this season, Cray will play a The Nest for at least another term under 18,16 & 9 teams will play under the BFC banner at Mottingham, with the occasional cup match on the first team pitch. Paul Greenwood was very impressive and set a positive mood for the clubs future.

Team Manager Stuart McIntyre then addressed the fans and was also very impressive and enthusiastic for the clubs prospects for the season and beyond. He compared the club to Manchester City and said that a new regime, finance and belief behind the club will bring it long awaited success. Although not many new faces in the playing staff had yet pledge themselves to the club, the attitude had changed and training was far more professional and focused. More changes were promised, but the players had to have the right outlook and be of sufficient quality. Sadly the clubs recent form did not attract players to the club, but they were soon impressed when they saw the new regime in action. Garry Drwett had signed a new contract and Thomas, Thompson and Akuamoah would all be playing for BFC on Saturday against Gravesend, though none of them had signed yet.

McIntyre had been working full time scouting for new players and only 2 had made it through from 50 who had applied to the club via the local advert. They were young but promising. 28 players had trained that night and only 18 would make the final cut for the season. Andy Silk and Vlad Lazic had been released, Gavin McGowan, Grant Watts & Kriss Hollidge had all been given ultimatums to improve their attitude and adopt a pro-outlook or be shown the door. Macca wants a professional attitude from all his squad and full commitment to the club. Eddie Akuamoah was currently un-decided as to his signing for BFC, but Macca was hopeful. 8 contracts would be signed this season and the team would be ready for the first league game on 17th August, but it may well change as the season goes on, especially with such a big program of games this season. Squad players will be kept fit by playing friendlies, but it is a difficult task to keep them happy if not playing. It had been hoped to start an Under 21’s side to play in the New Style Kent League Div One, but this had not been possible in the end as the idea for an Under 21’s League was shelved at the Kent League AGM. A lack of a reserve team was not seen by Macca as a very big problem, as Reserve league football was often a waste of time.

Macca believed it was possible for BFC to attract 1,000 fans for each home game given the right results and that the AFC Wimbledon game had made him realise how much the club would thrive on that environment. He and the Board wanted the fans to enjoy their football again. He aimed to have the club in the top six by December and the top three by March. Then we would see about promotion, which is the goal for this season. He believed that the club was on the verge of something very special and wanted the fans to share his vision along with the Board.

A fines system will be brought in for any ill discipline from the players and there are concerns over the new directives about bookings for swearing. The players will be stronger, fitter and more focused this season and only quality winners will be added to the squad. This again was an inspiring address that left me feeling very positive about the new season ahead and beyond.

The last two points were raised by Roy Oliver and Peter Fiorini. Roy wanted the profile of the club to be higher in the community and stated that the locals attitude towards the club had to be changed. He urged for fan unity and for them to work together. Peter wanted the nickname of the club to be officially recognised as The Lillywhites and for the newly adopted Ravens tag to be dropped from all official press and merchandise. He wanted the clubs history maintained and that The Ravens was not an official nickname and had nothing to do with the club. A long argument then ensued and nothing was really settled. The Ravens tag was not very well accepted by the old school of the club and Peter believed his late father would not have appreciated the loss of the traditional Lillywhites, which had been the nickname of the club since it began in 1892 when John Lillywhite was the original club Groundsman.

That was about it really, although not all was rosy with the Supporters Club, the future of Bromley Football Club looked bright on and off the pitch.

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