Post by exiled on Apr 19, 2015 21:16:00 GMT
I don't think it's really sunk in with me yet, over a day after we achieved promotion to the conference national. Many memories from over the years have buzzed around my head today, a few in particular:-
1) A conversation outside Dagenham's ground in the early 90s involving a 12/13 year old me, my Dad and George Wakeling. It was the first time we'd played Dagenham since I'd been following the team, they'd just come down from the conference into the Isthmian league and we were (as usual) battling the odds to get some lower-mid-table position. Everything about them seemed big - the fact that they'd been in the conference, the ground etc. George told us that he'd turned them down to manage Bromley. The reason he gave was because he thought Bromley could become a bigger club. This baffled me but it had to be true, George had said it. The fact we went on to win the game 2-0 (I remember a rare Ian Rawlings goal) briefly ignited in me a belief we were going to fly up the leagues, but that was perhaps a bit premature.
2) The second time I'd seen Bromley relegated, the second time playing Slough Town. George's departure had led to the inevitable result of relegation following a terrible second half of the season, yet the Bromley fans were singing. The song "the Ryman league is upside down, we're going up to the conference" - a dream that seemed would never come true, all the more in the seasons of purgatory (sod that, it was hell) that followed in Ryman One and later Ryman South.
3) The end of our first season back in the Ryman Premier under Billy and George. At Northwood, having just played Wealdstone. After the years of gloom, the fans were happy that we were back in the middle reaches of the Ryman Premier and were celebrating that fact. The conference south was a pipe dream, the conference national the stuff of hallucinogenics.
4) A rainy day in Truro 3 years ago, where a band of hardy soles who had trecked across the width of the country to watch what was effectively our last stand in avoiding relegation from the conference south and saw drama at it's finest when we came from behind to get 3 priceless points. We were just happy to stay in the conference south.
5) The day I think the wheels started to click into motion and started our march up the leagues. Whyteleafe away in the ryman south on Good Friday in 2005. Wade Falana scored twice in the second half. We won. Mark Tompkins left Whyteleafe a few days later, signed for us and scored the goals that took us up.
A random set of memories from over the years and all so distant to event yesterday. Surely it was just a dream? :-)
1) A conversation outside Dagenham's ground in the early 90s involving a 12/13 year old me, my Dad and George Wakeling. It was the first time we'd played Dagenham since I'd been following the team, they'd just come down from the conference into the Isthmian league and we were (as usual) battling the odds to get some lower-mid-table position. Everything about them seemed big - the fact that they'd been in the conference, the ground etc. George told us that he'd turned them down to manage Bromley. The reason he gave was because he thought Bromley could become a bigger club. This baffled me but it had to be true, George had said it. The fact we went on to win the game 2-0 (I remember a rare Ian Rawlings goal) briefly ignited in me a belief we were going to fly up the leagues, but that was perhaps a bit premature.
2) The second time I'd seen Bromley relegated, the second time playing Slough Town. George's departure had led to the inevitable result of relegation following a terrible second half of the season, yet the Bromley fans were singing. The song "the Ryman league is upside down, we're going up to the conference" - a dream that seemed would never come true, all the more in the seasons of purgatory (sod that, it was hell) that followed in Ryman One and later Ryman South.
3) The end of our first season back in the Ryman Premier under Billy and George. At Northwood, having just played Wealdstone. After the years of gloom, the fans were happy that we were back in the middle reaches of the Ryman Premier and were celebrating that fact. The conference south was a pipe dream, the conference national the stuff of hallucinogenics.
4) A rainy day in Truro 3 years ago, where a band of hardy soles who had trecked across the width of the country to watch what was effectively our last stand in avoiding relegation from the conference south and saw drama at it's finest when we came from behind to get 3 priceless points. We were just happy to stay in the conference south.
5) The day I think the wheels started to click into motion and started our march up the leagues. Whyteleafe away in the ryman south on Good Friday in 2005. Wade Falana scored twice in the second half. We won. Mark Tompkins left Whyteleafe a few days later, signed for us and scored the goals that took us up.
A random set of memories from over the years and all so distant to event yesterday. Surely it was just a dream? :-)
