When you’ve got a football mad daughter whose birthday is this time of year, where better to celebrate than at the home of English football…

A few years ago, I began what seems to have become a “regular” visit when I took Chloe to Non-League Finals Day – and Wembley – for the very first time for a “birthday treat” … Let’s face it after watching football at Kent Non-League grounds and at Priestfield, Wembley really is a truly amazing experience… Sadly, like most things the pandemic put pay to Finals Day under The Arch and so this year, after we’ve all had a couple of years to forget, Daddy was determined that our Birthday trips would start again… and boy oh boy was this trip one that will be remembered!

To start with, my younger daughter Kensi joined the expedition for the first time, we had a Kent side to cheer in the Trophy Final whilst in the Vase Final, there was chance for “revenge” …

Before all that began, there were the sightseeing pictures – the girls both gazing down Wembley Way; by the side of the Wembley sign at the foot of the Arch and of course the statue of Bobby Moore – before entry into the ground and meeting with a Kent footballing legend.

I haven’t seen Tommy Sampson for many years and to actually have lunch with the first Kent boss ever to lead a side to a Wembley win was truly amazing and brought back so many memories of Deal Town’s incredible triumph in 2000 – that said, neither me or Tommy could believe it was twenty two years since Roly Graham’s incredible winner… only football that can really leave you with memories of runs and days like those! 

Back to the present, and last season, the girls and I had been welcomed into the wonderful family that is Sittingbourne Football Club. The Brickies had been literally dumped out of the FA Cup early doors by Littlehampton Town – the Sussex side rode their luck with “curious” decisions going their way; just don’t ask me the score!!!

Anyway, to see that same side walk out at Wembley to face Newport Pagnell Town – yes, I’d only heard of the service station too – and get their amber and black rears well and truly tanned by three goals to nil (the first of which easily a contender for Goal of the Season and one to perhaps rival Roly’s all those years ago – perhaps). 

After recovering from being baked by the Wembley sunshine for two hours – we retook our seats, not that far behind the Bromley bench, for the Ravens’ search for redemption. It helped that Chloe had been to Primary School with the nephew of one of the Bromley starters and with our collective support of Kent football, supporting Andy Woodman’s side was easy, even if it took a few minutes to work out why they had changed their normal white shirts for black against a team who normally wear red but chose to wear white! 

Confused? Join the club…

Anyhow early on, Wrexham, whose fans had tried to drown the singing of God Save the Queen – boo hiss – but bravo to the Bromley thousands who didn’t let them, looked more dangerous with Paul Mullin causing all sorts of problems to our new heroes’ back line with movement that really showed why he should be still playing in League One at least – but money talks I guess!

Goalless at the break and the more the game went on, it was always going to be a case that Bromley would grow stronger into the game. That began courtesy of a master stroke from the boss as a back three quietly became a back four with Chris Bush taking a closer interest in Mullin – a job he did truly magnificently indeed.

Then came the moment that the massed ranks of Bromley fans – and the gathered backer of our glorious Kent’s football teams – waited for as the Black shirted heroes broke down the right and an excellent centre fell to Michael Cheek who drilled the ball into the top corner of the Welsh net – cue absolute bedlam in our seats let alone behind the goal that had now been breached.

The invading Welsh hordes were silenced but increasingly found their ever-increasing desperate voices as the clock ticked by; 75 became 80, eventually became 85, move clock please… and then came the other moment that will forever live in the annals of Bromley (and Kent footballing) history as keeper Ellery Balcombe – remember the name, I know I will!

A huge throw into the box – propelled I’m sure by thousands of Welshmen blowing – was flicked on for sub-Jake Hyde, who couldn’t really have met the header any better. What happened next was a true Wembley moment! Surely it was just a case of the ball hammering into the roof of the Bromley net sending us to at least another half hour… but no – hang on; there was a flash of yellow and the ball was over the bar. Somehow, incredibly, and I’d even say if I hadn’t seen it myself almost impossibly, Ellery had got something on a ball that must have been behind him to get the ball over the bar Seaman-esque!

Wrexham did get the ball past him with literally the game’s last attack – again an offside Hyde was initially denied by a stunning point-blank reflex block – but Bromley were not to be denied just Kent football’s second only triumph in the competition’s history. The final whistle brought scenes of dreams bathed in warm early evening sunshine and as the mass exodus to North Wales began – and believe me when I say a lot of Welshmen seemed in a hurry – the Bromley celebrations were only just starting and will probably continue all summer long.

This particular Green birthday outing will certainly be one that none of us will ever forget – here’s hopefully to the next instalment in twelve months time…