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While Andy Woodman would have loved for Bromley’s English Football League debut to be at Hayes Lane, the irony of an opening-day trip to Harrogate is not lost on the division’s newest boss.
Woodman masterminded history in May when the Ravens triumphed in a penalty shoot-out over Solihull at Wembley to secure a place in the EFL for the first time.
Fast forward three months and Bromley begin life in Sky Bet League Two on Saturday with an away day at Harrogate, which happens to be the residence of Woodman’s best friend and ex-Crystal Palace team-mate Gareth Southgate.
Whether or not Southgate, who left his role as England manager in July, can attend the fixture was not disclosed by Woodman, but the 52-year-old will relish match one of 46 this season where Bromley are underdogs.
Woodman told the PA news agency: “We have actually spoken about the Harrogate game so we’re keeping that secret! Yeah, Gareth is from that part of the world so it is quite ironic we are up there.
“Funnily enough I’ve got a few friends up in the north. Danny Mills lives in Harrogate but hopefully his son (George) is running for a gold medal in the Olympics, so he won’t be there, but it’s nice these people keep tabs on what you’re doing.
“Every game will be special. Every game will throw up new challenges and they will be big games for us, we can’t get away from that.
“You’ve got Bradford, Gillingham, all these clubs and they are big clubs compared to us. We’ll be the underdog in all of them, but I quite like that.”
It has been a remarkable journey for both Bromley and Woodman since his surprise appointment towards the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
Woodman’s only previous managerial experience prior to this job was a great escape act during three months at National League South side Whitehawk in 2017.
Even though Woodman spent the best part of three decades in football, enjoying lengthy playing spells at Northampton and Oxford and coaching roles at West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Arsenal, the Londoner acknowledged it was a “calculated gamble” to take over at Bromley.
However, it has paid off, with Bromley able to claim FA Trophy success at Wembley in 2022 before May’s memorable promotion despite being outsiders to go up due to the financial power of other clubs in the division.
“Well, it is funny because people always say ‘you haven’t been a manager very long’, but I’ve done a 37-year apprenticeship. I’ve worked with some really top managers and been lucky to sit on the bench and work alongside some top managers in the Premiership,” Woodman said.
“So, when this came up, it was for me a real no-brainer, but for everyone on the outside to leave Arsenal and tell my wife and family that I would be manager of a non-league club sounded like madness.
“But I just had this belief that myself, with the chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves, we could do something with this club and touch wood to date it has come off, so I’m not so mad at the moment.”
It's history, it's in the record books and we have to move on to create the next bit of history at this football club.— Bromley boss Andy Woodman
Woodman admitted the Wembley win sealed by a cool penalty from skipper Byron Webster, who was confidently wearing an EFL captain’s armband, feels a “lifetime ago” but is determined to etch more chapters in Bromley’s history.
He added: “It’s exciting. It’s exciting for the town, exciting for the club and everywhere you go people are wishing you all the best.
“You have moments where you pinch yourself and see flashbacks of the day with videos or people coming up to you. They are the moments I quite like.
“Yeah, it’s been great but sadly we’ve got to draw a line under it now and get on with this season.
“It’s history, it’s in the record books and we have to move on to create the next bit of history at this football club.”
