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So, Bromley’s average attendance in 2022/23 is 2400. Hereford’s is 2300. However, our National League North guests bring about 17. Oldham took 400 to Bromley, therefore some sort of algorithm would conclude that Hereford are better supported. Obvious. (Incidentally York are averaging 5200 – impressive).
What about prospective match winners? For Hereford, Yan Klukowski scores when he wants, whereas Bromley can only offer Adam Marriott, a Kings Lynn reject who was subbed off on Saturday.
Who has the best FA Cup record? Hereford (United) have reached the fourth round eight times, Bromley got to the second round but that was in 1945 so it doesn’t really count.
As for overall pedigree, Hereford (United) very, very occasionally experienced a poor season in finishing 17th in Division 4, but it’s largely been a story of uninterrupted glory and silverware. Who could forget those big European nights against the likes of Flint Town United and Connah’s Quay Nomads? Bromley were Spartan League champions in 1907/08 - tinpot.
Finally, Bromley play on a plastic pitch, which they water, which is daft. Hereford play on grass; beautiful, manicured, with fancy patterns – classy.
Those are just plain facts, and you can’t argue with facts.
Bromley made it five games unbeaten as they shared the spoils with Gateshead in a 1-1 draw at Hayes Lane on Saturday.
Chris Bush, now with Bromley, was an unused substitute in that match. He had a sweet left peg for Hereford and always seemed like a nice lad, but that all feels like a very long time ago, so one has to assume that he’s now about 47. A simple Google search tells us that he’s apparently 30, but that’s probably a conspiracy.
Billy Bingham, who managed Northern Ireland in the Spain ’82 World Cup, which is surprising given that he seems to have been born eight years after that tournament, plays as a defender for the Ravens.
And OK, Adam Marriott may be a little more than a Kings Lynn reject. It would be fair to say that he’s actually a good deal better than the strikers typically faced in the NLN, and he’s in good form, so whichever four people are fit or germ-free enough for Josh Gowling to shoehorn into the back four for this one, whether they’re defenders, midfielders, strikers, ground staff or the driver of the team coach, they’ll have to be on their mettle. Luke Haines will be back, but may as well be injured and full of germs given the amount of sleep he won’t have had this week as a new dad.
Collectively, Bromley are really very good at home, winning five of their seven league games at Hayes Lane to date, and drawing the other two. They’ve conceded just TWO GOALS in those seven games. They’re fifth in the National League, right on the coat-tails of the two giants of that division, Notts County and Wrexham.
Chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves, who presumably didn’t go to a state school with a name like that, and if he did he was lucky to come out alive, seems to run the club as a personal fiefdom and plaything. His influence, OK cash, has contributed considerably to the club’s recently acquired status as promotion-to-the-Football-League contenders.
By all accounts it appears to be a well-run club with a good atmosphere in the ground.
As for Hereford, what a performance and result last Saturday at Boston, particularly given that awful current situation with illness and injury. It was such a testament to the togetherness of the squad, and Josh Gowling’s man-management. It was also good to see the team counter-attacking at pace and with such devastating purpose, ie playing to the strengths of the players Gowling has brought in. Precisely the approach that’s needed away from home for the rest of the season. Quite wonderful.
On Saturday yet another new goalkeeper will start, and as ridiculous as that situation has been so far this season, it’s been remarkable how good the various goalies have been. Let’s hope that continues with the latest one, before the poor sod inevitably gets struck by lightning on Sunday.
As for the rest of the starting XI and bench, there’s very little point in speculating on that given how unhealthy the Hereford dressing room is currently. Suffice to say, the option in the FA Cup of naming additional substitutes will almost certainly be irrelevant unless some of the under-10s are free.
That said, if eleven of the squad can be dusted down and made presentable, that togetherness, spirit, counter-attacking panache and growing confidence could go a long way, and a win here could result in Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, little Cheltenham or the Slop coming to Edgar Street in the first round proper.
Finally, a good omen to end on, which after all is what the magic of the Cup is all about: keen-eyed readers will notice that ‘Bromley’ starts with the letters B, R, O and M. It doesn’t take Mystic Meg to realise that those very same letters appear in exactly that order at the start of ‘Bromsgrove’, and where did the Bulls’ romantic FA Cup journey start this season? Well, OK, not actually at Bromsgrove, but against them. You couldn’t make it up, it’s written in the stars.
COYW