Bromley Green FC

Derek West: keen to hear from all Green old boys

Can anyone out there help? Derek West our esteemed researcher is appealing for information on the colours of the original Bromley Green kit. We will be having a replica strip for the Saturday first team as soon as possible in the New Year to mark the 80th anniversary of the club but, whilst we have photos, they are naturally all in black and white! We don’t want to guess and common thought is that our original colours did not include green … or did they? There must be some ‘mature’ person out there who can solve Derek’s dilemma. Please email or ring Derek if you have any information on what colours we wore in the early years [or indeed any facts/tales from 1930-1973 that will help him to continue putting together a coherent record of our past]. In case any Green old boys are reading this, we include a picture of 1930/31 that may help jog the memory. Without wishing to cause any embarrassment, or make anyone feel uncomfortable, if any of the lads are still alive from those early days, please, please, get in touch with Derek as there are so many questions we still need answering. Derek can be contacted on 07799272926 or email him on dwest23@mac.com

1930/31 but what were the colours?

As far as we know, there are no local games on tonight (Wednesday). Last night’s Chatham-v-Folkestone Ryman League match was abandoned after the Chats Mark Green, playing against his former club, suffered a triple leg break 12 minutes from time. For the record, there was no score at the time and the game will have to be rearranged. We wish the player a full and speedy recovery.

 Preview by Dave Smith of APM-v-Green this coming Saturday

Hopefully weather permitting we will start the new year away to APM, who sit one place below us on level points, but with 2 games in hand, so a win for us is vital. APM is always a good place to go and play as they have one of the best pitches in the league and this should suit our footballing style of play, we just need to make sure we turn up ready for what will be a tough game but one I know that if we play to our potential we are more than capable of coming away with all 3 points.

A good well attended training session should hopefully have shaken a bit of Christmas excess off, so lets hope the new year eve’s drinking leaves all the players fit and well.

The squad is the same for the postponed game before Christmas, which is pleasing and lets all look forward to a good second half to the season and I am convinced we can go on and make this a season to remember.

Squad: C.Smith, T.Poyner, M.Hadlum, M.Doyle, A.Mercer, R.Greenfield, G.Mackett, L.Milton, L.Hayles, D.Cornell, T.Head, R.Smith, J.Mifsud, R.Strand.

Players to meet at the ground 12.15 pm sharp

The answer to the competition is … PETER WILSON

Lots of entries for Lee Williams and Mr Skillett guessed Jamie Allen at the last moment … logical as Jamie was playing … anyway, good fun and thanks to all for having a go

Next Tuesday’s competition will now be worth £20

Ian Mace recalls playing against the Green in a cup final

Ian Mace recalls playing against the Green in 1993

Saturday reserve team manager Ian Mace proudly wears his Green tie but Binsy remembers one of his biggest games as a player was against the Green in the 1993 Ashford Charity Trophy final at Homelands. His side, Ashford Crusader, put up a valiant show before losing 4-0 with the Green goals coming from Micky Rivett (2), Richard Fitzgerald and Alan Stevens. The star-studded Green squad that day was Ben Bryant, Gary Holloway, Dave Brookes, Chis Houps, Ciaran McQuillan, Micky Rivett, Alan Stevens, Nicky Bacon, Richard Fitzgerald, Steve Wilson, Harry Hills, Haig Miles, Terry Perk.

 

LATE NIGHT, LAST CHANCE! Nobody has yet correctly named the Green No1 in the cup final picture competition. If no correct answer by midnight, I will give the answer and roll it over to make a £20 prize for another competition in readiness for next Tuesday! Last knockings as the clock is ticking! Midnight deadline then…

Firstly thanks to the large number that attended training this afternoon despite the awful weather; secondly, if like myself, you were going to watch Ashford -v- Ramsgate tonight please note the game is off due to the incessant rain. DH

Congratulations to Joe Mifsud and Jenny who announced their engagement over the Christmas period

Competition: we forgot to draw a winner out…so, the first person to email me the correct answer tonight will get the £10 voucher. Please do not email the website but contact me direct on dhomewood@yahoo.com and the winner will be published later

TRAINING ON TUESDAY FOR ALL PLAYERS BEGINS AT THE SWAN GROUND AT 1PM

The vast majority of you are not back at work, so managers are expecting a big turn out. Please remember to bring some money if you still have club debts!

Sunday night latest: Today’s friendly on astroturf ended Artois United 5 Star United 1. Click on the Artois United link for their manager’s match report. The Green travel to Kingswood to meet Star next Sunday for the delayed Kent Sunday Premier Cup 3rd round tie.

Scroll down for Christmas pictures of the past and how the fans used to roll up in numbers for the Bank Holiday derbies between Ashford and Folkestone…

Have a look at the latest Competition with the prize handed out on Tuesday after training

Local Boxing Day results in the Ryman League

Premier

Maidstone 0 Margate1 (225)

Tonbridge 2 Hastings 2 (517)

Division One South

Folkestone 1 Ashford Town o (522)

Ramsgate 0 Whitstable 0 (284)

Sittingbourne 4 Chatham 0 (218)

Perhaps some consolation for the local Ashford Town side is that their nearest candidate for the relegation spot, Eastbourne Town, were humiliated 9-0 away to Horsham YMCA.

Fixtures in the Premier: Hastings-v-Maidstone on Monday (3pm) and Margate-v-Tonbridge on Tuesday (7.45pm). In Division One South there are three more Kent derbies on Tuesday with all kick offs at 7.45pm: Ashford Town-v-Ramsgate Athletic; Chatham-v-Folkestone; Whitstable-v-Sittingbourne.

Meanwhile things have not gone completely to plan for Dover Athletic in the Blue Square South and a 6-3 Boxing Day battering by lowly Lewes at The Dripping Pan leaves the Lilywhites way out of touch of leaders Newport County. On Monday (3pm) Chelmsford are the visitors to Crabble and the Kent side will be keen to prevent the Essex boys taking the points which would draw them level with Dover in the play-off zone.

Remembering Forty Yuletides Ago…

For those who say us oldies imagine that things were better when we were ‘young’, here is a fact about attendances forty years ago: a crowd of 1515 visited Cheriton Road on Boxing Day to see Folkestone Town beat Ashford Town 2-0 and the following afternoon 1571 were inside Essella Park for the return which, after a goalless first half, was won 3-0 by Folkestone. I watched both affairs and in truth Ashford were abysmal on both occasions but better days were round the corner as loan signing Ian Broomfield (Bristol City) and former Spurs man Eddie Clayton led Ashford to promotion to the Premier Division of the Southern League. The last game at home to Rugby ended 4-1 to the Town with Clayton (2), Broomfield and another former Spurs man David Gillingwater netting the goals in front of 1227 fans. Leading scorer Bobby Laverick (pictured), formerly of Chelsea, Coventry, Everton and Brighton, went on to enjoy his football with Sunday side Denmark Arms as age caught up with him. Most of the Ashford squad were ex-Football League players, the main exception in those days being local lad Tony Beale, who later played for the Green and still bikes across to watch sometimes. The manager was the late Peter Sillett, who played for Chelsea and England. It has changed … hasn’t it?

I have been trying to dig out old Christmas photos … here is one from 1988 when Parents & Staff took on the Under 16s at Carters Field. Can anyone name all 26 players?

 … and below is the Bromley Green Ladies side from Christmas 1989

Bromley Green Ladies December 1989

Back row: Jenny Homewood, Yvonne Hover, Joan Heather, Janet Brockway, Clair Brockway, Clair Swaffer. Front row: Nicola Southern, Judy Andrews, Milly Heather, Rebecca Lambert, Debbie Homewood

Recent years have seen momentum lost on and off the pitch during November and December due to the weather and 2009 is no exception with a host of postponements resulting in many of our players barely kicking a ball for much of the last two months. We can’t alter the elements but something must have changed over the decades as I well remember a full local programme on Boxing Day. We also used to have staff-v-youth and one year a ladies game over the Christmas break on good playing surfaces. Lots of fun events that there seems little point in organising these days as the pitches are always sodden or frozen! However, every cloud, it is said, has a silver lining and what this enforced lay-off has done is afforded us all a chance to take stock and in effect prepare for a fresh start in the New Year.

There is no doubting that the next few fixtures for all of our sides will be crucial. The stringing together of a sequence of wins, plus a little bit of the rub of the green, will leave everybody in with a shout of glory in both league and cup competitions. I am not going to undermine managers by commenting on playing matters here – these I believe should be discussed internally at our committee meetings, in the clubhouse, and aired at the open forums. What I will do is publicly thank our managers and coaches for their time and effort … it is often a thankless job and of course pleasing all of the people all of the time is not possible. That said, if you manage at this club then you have to accept that you are in a goldfish bowl; but that’s the challenge and the rewards and satisfaction for success are huge. I take it as a compliment that, in spite of a little dip in recent seasons, we are still the team to beat!

We have a large and talented playing staff that is decidedly diverse in attitude, culture and aspirations – and yet I really sense we are gradually building a great club spirit with everyone understanding that, once that white line is crossed, wearing a Green shirt demands total commitment. My thanks to all the players for their endeavours and I fully understand the total frustration with the constant ‘match postponed’ announcements. But, these games will have to be played and there is an enormous amount of football to look forward to between now and May. Two points: our poor disciplinary record has to change for the better and players please stop this pathetic habit of coming to games without your sub money. Back to the football and hopefully all agree that the so-called ‘transition period’ is now consigned to history and with self-belief, dedication and sheer hard work we will soon bring back the good times. Good luck and let’s make sure we are all ready for the big challenges about to begin at the start of 2010.

The 80^th anniversary coincides with exciting developments off the field and these will be explained further as progress is made. Briefly, as most of you know, we are to work in partnership with other agencies for the maintenance and utilisation of the Swan Ground/Swan Centre complex. This will see the building of a youth centre, more changing facilities and really importantly a floodlit multi-use games area that should solve our training problems.

Andrew 'Will' Myall of The Albion with The Patron

There are more negotiations to take place but at least we are moving in the right direction. The ethos of working with other organisations is crucial to our securing funding for future development and you will be kept updated. Another friendly liaison involves the local pub, The Albion, of whom we have been associated with for many years. A recent donation of £200 [see picture] was gratefully received and this will be used to repair/renovate the halfway dugouts which were damaged during November by strong winds.

My contribution [as Patron] to the 80^th anniversary year will be to commission/purchase a replica kit to be worn for two seasons and I will move on this at next week’s gathering at the clubhouse. The idea is that players will buy their shirts at the end of the two years [or they can be auctioned off/e-bay] and the money put towards a new contemporary strip. Other events lined up are a vets game with Kennington, perhaps a match against the County League rep side, a Sunday League rep side and/or a triangular tournament involving  the ‘old enemies’ – Bromley Green, Lydd Town and New Romney. I have not had time to write to Lydd and Romney with an official invite yet so out of courtesy that is all I will say at this stage. The 80^th anniversary dinner is scheduled for 25 June at the Ashford International and more details will follow in due course. It is clearly going to be an expensive year for the club and any contacts any of you may have with potential sponsors, please let me know.

My thanks go to the small band on the Executive Committee who work hard, to our special cameraman, our historian, those who prepare refreshments on match days and to our supporters. You will note that not a single name has been mentioned. This is not to offend – merely to illustrate that we each have a role to play [we all know those that are pulling their weight at present] and it is my wish that every one of you become ‘involved’ in your own way.

Finally, to all our friends in Australia, South Africa, and former players and their families across the globe who follow the Green on this website, please accept compliments of the season from everybody at the club. To the rest of you here in Kent: Happy Christmas and together let’s meet the challenge and make 2010 a year to remember – a year of total commitment; indeed a year of which our founders would have been proud.

Dave Homewood

{Patron Bromley Green Football Club]

Birthday wishes

Congratulations to Mark Howells who is 21 today (Wednesday)

Marriage

The club sends its best wishes for the future to Vice President Peter [Intrieri] and Carolyn who were married on Wednesday

Two days to Christmas Day and greetings are arriving from far and wide. Compliments of the Season are extended to everybody in the great footballing fraternity. Chairman Stan’s December bulletin is published today. The Patron’s Christmas Message will follow shortly. DH.

From Clubbz. From everyone here at Clubbz.com, we would like to wish you and everyone at Bromley Green Football Club a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 From Mitoo. Happy Christmas from the goalrun-football.mitoo team. We would like to wish all our goalrun and football.mitoo users a happy Christmas and as many wins as possible over the busy festive period. We hope the Green don’t miss too many games due to bad weather!

Most eyes will turn to the big boys in the Premiership over the Bank Holiday period but there is some local action. Two Ryman local derbies catch the eye with Ashford at home to high-riding Folkestone on Saturday (3pm) and Ramsgate entertaining Whitstable (1pm). On Tuesday 29 December Ashford welcome the Rams to Homelands (7.45pm). One interesting affair is a friendly between Artois United and Star United this coming Sunday on Astroturf: Star of course are the Green’s opponents in the Kent Sunday Premier Cup in the New Year while Artois are next up for Bliby.

* Tuesday night there is no training [as published on Diary Dates over the weekend] but anyone wanting a couple of early pints is welcome to join Dave Homewood, Steve Mailey and Phil Wedge in the Phoenix at 5.30pm tonight. As always be good to see any members/friends.

There is not much football action over the next week or so for local amateur league supporters but we will keep you in touch with what is going on. Hopefully the local Ryman and Kent League fixtures will beat the weather and we have something to watch. For the Green boys, it is frustrating as they would rather be playing than having yet more time off; none more so than for the Sunday seconds who will go into the New Year with just one outing in nine weeks. The Green’s next training will be on Tuesday 29 December starting 1pm at the Swan Ground and managers are asking all players to attend. Don’t forget, if you have not paid your annual sub you will not be playing the following weekend … so bring it along next Tuesday please!

ALL GREEN GAMES ARE OFF THIS WEEKEND … SORRY BUT THE WEATHER HAS WON AGAIN

HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY AT THE GROUND TODAY (from 1pm) AND SUNDAY  (from 11am) PLEASE RING IAN FOR HIS CLOSING TIMES

The Rams game at Fleet in Hampshire is off; Canterbury, Lordswood, Faversham, Hythe, Ashford all lose out to the snow and frozen pitches. In fact the only local match that appears to have survived is at Dover. But give them a ring before travelling just in case!