Bromley Football Club is a professional

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

club based in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

, England. They are currently members of

EFL League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English ...

. Bromley play their home matches at

Hayes Lane Hayes Lane, currently known as the Copperjax Community Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football Football-specific stadium, stadium in Bromley, Greater London, England. Located between Bromley town centre and Hayes, B ...

. Formed in 1892, they were founder members of the Southern League in 1894, before becoming founder members of the London League in 1896. After winning the Division Two title, they spent one season in the Kent League. In 1907, they became founder members of the Spartan League and won the division title before joining the

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...

. They won the Isthmian League in 1908–09 and 1909–10 as well as the FA Amateur Cup in 1910–11. Bromley joined the Athenian League in 1919, which they won in 1922–23, 1948–49 and 1950–51. In this period, they also won the FA Amateur Cup in 1937–38 and 1948–49. They joined the Isthmian League again in 1952–53. After several promotions and relegations between Division One and Two of the Isthmian League in the second half of the 20th century, they joined the Conference South in 2007–08. They won the Conference South title in 2014–15 to earn promotion to the fifth tier. After two unsuccessful play-off attempts, as well as winning the FA Trophy in 2021–22 in this period, they won the National League play-offs in 2023–24 to reach the

English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

for the first time in their history.

History

Established in 1892,Bromley vs Whitehawk
Bromley F.C. Bromley initially played in the South London League,Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2013) ''Non-League Club Directory 2013: 35th Edition'' TW Publications, p273 before becoming a founder member of the Southern League in 1894, joining Division Two. However, after finishing bottom of Division Two in 1895–96 they left to become founder members of the London League, also joining Division Two. They won the division at the first attempt and were promoted to Division One.London League 1896-1910
Non-League Matters They switched to the Kent League for the 1898–99 season, but after finishing bottom of the league, they returned to Division One of the London League. During the 1899–1900 season the club withdrew from Division One, taking over their reserves' fixtures in Division Two. They withdrew from Division Two at the end of the 1900–01 season. In 1907 the club were founder members of the Spartan League and went on to become its inaugural champions. They joined the

for the following season, and won back-to-back titles in 1908–09 and 1909–10. In 1910–11 the club won the FA Amateur Cup, beating

Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham, England, Durham. M ...

1–0 in the final. However, the club then left the Isthmian League and returned to the Kent League, being placed in Division One.The 'original' Kent League 1894-1922
Non-League Matters They remained in the league until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but joined the Athenian League when football resumed in 1919. The club were Athenian League champions in 1922–23. In 1937–38 they reached the first round of the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

for the first time. After beating

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

in the first round, they lost 4–1 at

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

in the second. They also reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup again, beating Erith & Belvedere 1–0. The club repeated the feat the following season, this time playing Football League opposition for the first time as they lost 8–1 at Lincoln City in the second round. In 1945–46 another second round appearance resulted in a 4–2 aggregate defeat to

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

. In 1947–48 they held

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

to a 1–1 draw in the first round, before losing the replay at Elm Park 3–0. The club won another Athenian League title and the FA Amateur Cup in 1948–49, with the following season seeing another FA first round defeat, this time 2–1 to Watford. In 1950–51 the club won their third Athenian League title; the season also saw them lose 1–0 to

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

in the FA Cup first round. Going straight into the first round the following season, they lost 3–2 at

Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...

. In 1952 they rejoined the Isthmian League, and after finishing as runners-up in their first season back in the league, they were champions in 1953–54. They won the league for a fourth time in 1960–61. After finishing bottom of Division One in the 1974–75 season Bromley were relegated to Division Two. In 1976–77 the club appeared in the FA Cup first round for the first time in over twenty years, losing 7–0 at

Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...

. Division Two became Division One in 1977, and the club were promoted to the Premier Division after finishing as runners-up in 1979–80. They were relegated to Division One again in 1983–84, but returned to the Premier Division as Division One runners-up in 1985–86. Another relegation followed in 1989–90, but was followed by an immediate return to the Premier Division as Division One runners-up in 1990–91. In 1996–97 they qualified for the FA Cup first round again, but were beaten 3–1 at home by Enfield. Bromley were relegated to Division One of the Isthmian League again at the end of the 1998–99 season; non-league reorganisation in 2004 saw Division One become the eighth rather than seventh tier of the football pyramid. A fourth-place finish that season saw them qualify for the promotion play-offs, and after defeating Metropolitan Police on penalties in the semi-finals, they beat

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

3–1 in the final to earn promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division. In 2006–07 they finished as runners-up in the Premier Division, again qualifying for the promotion play-offs. A 1–0 win over AFC Wimbledon in the semi-finals and a victory against Billericay Town on penalties in the final saw them promoted to the Conference South. The season had also seen them reach the FA Cup first round again, eventually losing 4–1 at Gillingham. Further appearances in the first round were achieved in 2009–10 (against Colchester United), 2011–12 ( Leyton Orient), 2012–13 ( Fleetwood Town) and 2014–15 (

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...

), but they were beaten on each occasion. In 2014–15 Bromley won the Conference South, earning promotion to the renamed National League. Another FA Cup first round appearance in 2017–18 saw them defeated by

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

. The season also saw them reach the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

of the FA Trophy, where they lost 5–4 on penalties to Brackley Town after the match had ended in a 1–1 draw. In 2020–21 the club finished seventh in the National League, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 3–2 to Hartlepool United in the quarter-finals. The club won the FA Trophy for the first time in their history in 2021–22, beating

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...

1–0 in the

. In the 2022–23 season they finished seventh in the National League again. In the play-offs the club defeated

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

2–1 in the quarter-finals, before losing 3–2 to Chesterfield in the semi-finals. In the 2023–24 season, Bromley achieved promotion to League Two after defeating Solihull Moors 4–3 on penalties in the promotion play-off final, entering the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

for the first time in the club's history. On 10 August 2024, Bromley beat Harrogate Town 2–0 to win their first

match, with Michael Cheek scoring the club's first League goal. They then played south London rivals AFC Wimbledon at Hayes Lane twice in four days, losing their

EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

first round tie 2–1, then winning their first home league game 2–0.

Ground

The club initially played at the Queensmead Recreation Ground, before moving to Glebe Road. Seven years later they moved to the Plaistow Cricket Club ground when Glebe Road was bought for use as housing.Bromley
Pyramid Passion However, the cricket club's ground was also obtained for housing in 1904, leading to the football club (and the other sports club using the ground) moving to a site on Hayes Lane. The new ground was opened on 3 September 1904. In 1938 the club moved to the current Hayes Lane ground. The record attendance of 10,798 was set during a game against a Nigeria XI in September 1948. The ground currently has a capacity of 5,150, of which 1,606 is seated and 2,500 is covered.

Current squad

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Honours

*FA Trophy **Winners 2021–22 *National League **Play-off winners: 2024 *National League **Conference South champions 2014–15 *Isthmian League **Champions 1908–09, 1909–10, 1953–54, 1960–61 *Athenian League **Champions 1922–23, 1948–49, 1950–51 *Spartan League **Champions 1907–08 *London League **Division Two champions: 1896–97 *FA Amateur Cup **Winners 1910–11, 1937–38, 1948–49 *London Senior Cup **Winners 1909–10, 1945–46, 1950–51, 2002–03, 2012–13 *Kent Senior Cup **Winners 1949–50, 1976–77, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07 *London Challenge Cup **Winners 1995–96 *Kent Floodlit Trophy **Winners 1978–79 *Kent Amateur Cup **Winners 1907–08, 1931–32, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1959–60

Records

*Best

performance: Third round, 2024–25 *Best

performance: First round, 2024–25 *Best

EFL Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Motors, Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football, football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and ...

performance: Group stage, 2024–25 *Best FA Trophy performance: Winners, 2021–22 *Record attendance: 10,789 vs Nigeria XI, 24 September 1948 *Biggest victory: 13–1 vs Redhill, Athenian League, 1945–46 *Heaviest defeat: 11–1 vs Barking, Athenian League, 1933–34 *Most appearances: George Brown (1938–1961) *Most goals: George Brown, 570 (1938–1961) *Record transfer fee received: Undisclosed sum from

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

for Ben Krauhaus, January 2024

In popular culture

Lifelong fan Dave Roberts wrote three books on his experiences following Bromley FC: ''The Bromley Boys'' (2008), ''32 Programmes'' (2011) and ''Home and Away'' (2016). The first book was made into a 2018 film, '' The Bromley Boys'', available on DVD and via streaming, starring Martine McCutcheon, Alan Davies and Jamie Foreman.

References

External links

Official website
{{Football in London Football clubs in England Football clubs in London Sport in the London Borough of Bromley 1892 establishments in England Association football clubs established in 1892 Southern Football League clubs London League (football) Kent Football League (1894–1959) Spartan League Isthmian League clubs Athenian League National League (English football) clubs English Football League clubs