The Wands finally flung open the doors to their brand new £5m Flamingo Park Stadium for its first ever competitive fixture on Tuesday night, bringing an end to 26 years of groundsharing at Bromley’s Hayes Lane.
Although recognised as London’s oldest football club – dating back to 1860 – it is the first time that Cray have acquired a ground of their own in 164 years of existence. Wanderers no more.
Ironically, near neighbours Cray Valley PM – for so long in their shadows – were the visitors for the big occasion and, in front of a crowd of 840, it was they who spoiled the happy homecoming with a 2-0 win to record their first ever Step 3 success.
So, the Millers may have taken the spoils on the field but, off it, it was very much Wanderers’ day. Unsurprisingly, after having waited so long for a home to call their own, CEO Sam Wright was in emotional mood.
“It is hard to put it into words,” he said. “We are all walking around looking a bit insane with huge smiles on our faces. Things haven’t really sunk in yet that we now have a ground to be proud of.
“We would actually have suffered a big problem if we were still groundsharing at Bromley because they’ve been promoted to the Football League. Therefore it has panned out extremely nicely for us.
Denne historien er fra August 18, 2024-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra August 18, 2024-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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WEATHER'S ON THE UP
MARC WEATHERSTONE reckons Welwyn Garden City's togetherness is a big part of their hot start and exactly why he thinks they've got the cahunas if and when the going gets tough.
ROW ARE RAISING A GLASS!
DIRECTOR of football Anthony Millerick has revealed the secret behind Hartley Wintney's recent upturn in form players staying behind for a beer after the game.
TOP TEAMS FIGHT TO QUICKFIRE STALEMATE
GLOUCESTER CITY and Basingstoke Town managed to keep their respective unbeaten home and away records intact, with both sides refusing to be defeated in a well-fought top-ofthe-table battle.
McKIMM MAKES A GOOD POINT
Millers manager takes the draw
WANDERERS LET OFF THE FIREWORKS IN THRILLER
FIREWORKS were on display at Cherrywood Road in a game that crackled and fizzed with plenty of bang for your buck.
EZE DOES IT WITH DAZZLING DISPLAY
BOLTON loanee Dubem Eze stole the limelight with a scintillating first-half display, culminating in a stunning strike on the cusp of half-time which effectively wrapped up the points for the Magpies in the battle of the promotion chasers.
SEAGULLS FLY HIGH IN DEFEAT
WESTON-super-Mare boss Scott Bartlett I was proud of his team's performance, pushing Bristol Rovers to within 25 minutes of penalties.
BENBOW SENDING OFF HITS THE PICS
RUSHALL OLYMPIC manager Adam Stevens pointed Re to the dismissal of striker Luke Benbow as a key moment.
HEARTBREAK AS SHRIMPER DREAM DIES AT THE DEATH
Maher's mad at dramatic collapse
TIME TO POPP THE CORKS AS NILE BECOMES A DERBY HERO
KETTERING Town ignored the 78 places gap to down local rivals Northampton Town with a stunning performance at Sixfields.
