Hayes Lane: Bromley FC

From Bromley FC

Most people will call Bromley’s stadium Hayes Lane, even though it is sometimes known as other names owing to sponsorship reasons. It first opened in 1938 and is on the smaller side in terms of National League stadia. It has been the home of Bromley Football Club from the moment it first opened, also being used by Cray Wanderers for their matches. For a time, it was where Crystal Place Women played their games, but they left the ground in 2023. The club’s previous ground was actually located on the same road, making moving here relatively easy for all concerned.

For their part, Bromley were founded in 1892, the same year as Premier League giants Liverpool. Whilst the Ravens have had their fair share of success over the years, they obviously haven’t been quite as impressive as the Merseyside club. They were a founding member of the Southern League two years after the club’s own foundation, having previously played in the South London League, then in 1907 became founding members of the Isthmian League. Their first matches were played at the Queensmead Recreation Ground, moving to Glebe Road and Plaistow Cricket Club before a stadium on Hayes Lane was opened in 1904.

Stats

Hayes Lane Photos

Hayes Lane Stadium at Night
Martin Addison / Hayes Lane Stadium

Hayes Lane Stadium Bromley from Outside

Hayes Lane Stadium View from the Stands

Hayes Lane Seating Plan and Where to Sit

With a capacity of 5,000, Hayes Lane is certainly on the smaller side of stadiums further down the football pyramid. There are 1,300 seats, with 2,500 of the areas you can watch matches from being covered. Here is a look at what to expect:

• The John Fiorini Stand, named for the much-loved former Club Secretary, is fully covered and all-seater, being where the Directors and Exec Club guests sit, in addition to being where the players’ tunnel is
• The Glyn Beverly Stand was opened in 2019 and named after the Club Chairman who had passed away two years before. It is all-seater and is behind the goal
• The North Terrace is opposed the Glyn Beverly Stand and is a standing section
• The East Terrace runs parallel to the John Fiorini Stand, typically reserved for opposition supporters

Bromley FC Ticket Prices

If you’re looking to watch a Bromley men’s game, the price that you’ll pay for your tickets will depend on a number of factors. For the 2023-2024 season, for example, adults could be expected to pay £20 whilst concessions would be looking at £15. Those under the age of 16 would pay £7 and anyone under the age of 11 could get in for free with a paying adult. The prices increase from midnight the day before a match, going up by £2 across the board.

How To Get Bromley FC Tickets

If you’re hoping to go and see Bromley play then the first place to look for tickets is on the club’s excellent website. You can also buy tickets on the day, with the likelihood being that they won’t sell out in a hurry.

Where to Buy

• Ticket Compare

Getting To Hayes Lane

Train – Bromley South Railway Station is the nearest one for those travelling by train, being about 20 minutes walk from the ground.

Bus – If you’d rather not walk from the train station then both the 314 and the 119 travel from there to the ground and back.

Car – If you’re coming by car then the likelihood is that you’ll be on the M25, which you need to leave at Junction 4 and take the A21 to Bromley and London. After around four miles, take the A232, which is signposted to Croydon / Sutton. Turn onto Baston Road, or the B265, which you follow for about two miles before it becomes Hayes Road and then Hayes Lane.

By Air – Being on the outskirts of London, there are a number of different airports that you can travel to when heading to Bromley’s home ground. The closest is London City Airport, located about seven miles away, though neither Gatwick, Heathrow or Stanstead are all that far away.

Taxi – If you would rather get a train station from Bromley Railway Station than public transport, you’ll be looking at about a £10 fare or so, traffic dependant.

Parking Near Hayes Lane

For those heading to Hayes Lane by car, there is plenty of free parking in the large car park on site.

• See Available Parking Near Hayes Lane

Useful Resources

• Parking - Just Park

Pubs and Bars Near Hayes Lane

About Bromley FC

Founded in 1892, Bromley Football Club regularly moved to help set up new division in non-league, or switched between them depending on what was going on. From setting up the Spartan League and becoming its inaugural champions, they then moved on to the Isthmian League and won back-to-back titles there too. The history of Bromley is one of relative success in the lower leagues of English football, bouncing around between the divisions throughout the club’s history. The likes of the Football Conference, Isthmian League, Spartan League and London Senior Cup are all trophies won by Bromley.

The club has notched up several records over the years, reached the Second Round of the FA Cup in 1937-1938, 1938-1939 and 1945-1946. The latter was also the season that the club achieved its biggest ever win, smashing Redhill 13-1 in the Athenian League. Meanwhile, the club’s biggest defeat came in 1933-1934 when they lost 11-1 to Barking in the same division. Dave Roberts, a lifelong fan, wrote three books about his time following Bromley, one of which was turned into a film. Alan Davies, Martine McCutcheon and Jamie Foreman all starred in The Bromley Boys in 2018, should you wish to get a sense of what it’s like to follow the side.

Hayes Lane History

Having moved into a new ground on Hayes Lane in 1904, Bromley were relatively happy there for a few decades. In 1938, however, a new ground opened that featured a 2,500-seat stand along the side of the pitch, with banking surrounding the rest of it. It was opened by Stanley Rous on the third of September, with the first match seeing Walthamstow Avenue beat the home side 6-1. In 1960, floodlights were installed in order to allow the club to play matches at night time. In 1992, disaster struck when the original stand burnt down in the October. A smaller stand was built, with enough room for just 32o people initially.

In the April of 2017, Bromley announced plans to convert the playing surface to a 3G one instead of grass, as well as work on a new stand. It would be at the south end of the ground and have enough room for 1,450 seats. It opened on the 20th of July 2019. Hayes Lane has also hosted international football over the years, thanks in no small part to the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup. The likes of London Turkish, Tibet, Western Armenia and Barawa saw their matches hosted at the ground, in spite of its relatively small size when compared to other grounds in the country and particularly in the National League.