5thdec03

Bromley chairman Jerry Dolke has announced the club's Hayes Lane ground is going to improve in the next few month's, writes Stephen McCartney.

The ambitious and hardworking chairman at the Ryman League Division One South club has worked extremely hard bringing over eighty sponsors to the club.

Their Hayes Lane ground, Bromley's home since 1938, is sponsored by local company Clive Christian, and Bromley based company, Freelands Plumbing Heating & Tiles are the club's shirts sponsors.  One of the terraces at the ground is sponsored by local newspaper The Bromley Times and the perimeter fencing around the pitch is completely filled with advertising boards.

New floodlights and an all-weather five a side pitch are both planned at one of the most famous clubs in the history of the Isthmian (Ryman) Football League.

Dolke said: "Our Football Foundation grant for new floodlights and towers has been accepted and goes to a committee in mid January.

"We as a club will be funding the new five a side facility that will be a floodlit all weather surface that should be finished in March and will become a facility much needed to local teams in our borough, and more importantly a quality training facility for all the Bromley Football Club sides."

Dolke apologised to supporters for the late postponement against Croydon Athletic on Tuesday 25 November.

The game was postponed ten minutes before kick off as two bulbs in one tower that had come on earlier in the afternoon as the pitch was being marked out, failed to come back on an hour before kick off.

The match referee was forced to postpone the game as one corner of the pitch was in darkness.

Dolke said: "I would like to apologise to supporters for the postponement, which made us very unprofessional.

"Both lamps in one floodlight tower had blown, but at the time we thought it was just a problem with the volume of rainfall, and they might just be temperamental and come on if the match started.

"However, the referee wanted guarantees that they would, and clearly we couldn't give him any."

The Clive Christian Stadium is also the home ground to current Go Travel Kent League champions Cray Wanderers and current league leaders of the Nationwide Women's Premier League, Charlton Athletic.

Charlton Athletic entertain their Birmingham City counterparts at the Clive Christian Stadium next Sunday (7 December) kick off 2.00pm.

Bromley are dedicated to youth football with an under eleven side in the Tandridge League and four teams (under 14, 15, 16 and 18) playing in the MUSH Kent Youth Football League.

Meanwhile, children can watch Bromley at the Clive Christian Stadium for just £1 each in the Ryman League, and their next home game is against Croydon on Saturday 13 December (3pm).

To sponsor every story on www.kentishfootball.co.uk telephone Stephen McCartney on 07979 418 360 for further details