Beckenham Town vs Cray Wanderers – Pre-Season Friendly – Saturday 30th July, 2pm – Match Preview & Directions
General Admission: £5 (cash only) – Please note there is rail strike on Saturday for anyone wanting to travel to Eden Park by train.
Cray Wanderers play their penultimate pre-season game ahead of the start of the season on Saturday 30th July as Neil Smith’s side make the short trip to Eden Park Avenue and the always immaculate grass lawn to face Isthmian South-East newcomers Beckenham Town. Kick off is 2pm.
Cray will be looking to end pre-season with more of a flourish following three straight defeats including at Sevenoaks Town on Wednesday night. A Wands side with a number of second half trialists did rally before the end pulling a goal back but were well beaten by a strong Sevenoaks side. The Wands are at home to Bromley U23s next Saturday with the big kick off at Billericay Town just two Saturday’s away.
Beckenham Town have had a very solid pre-season losing just one of eight matches and beat Kent Football United 7-1 at home on Tuesday night. This will be their final game ahead of their season starting next Saturday at Horsham YMCA in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round. Their first Isthmian South-East league game will be at Lancing on 13th August with the first home match vs Corinthian on Tuesday 16th August.
Beckenham | England | 24 July 2021 | Eden Park Avenue
Beckenham Town v Cray Wanderers
Pre-Season Friendly
(Photo: © Jon Hilliger / HilligerPix)
Jason Huntley’s side, in their first season in the Combined Counties Premier South had a remarkable winning run in the last half of the campaign and ended up winning the title by one point from Walton & Hersham on 92 points to earn their place in the Isthmian South-East for this season.
Beckenham | England | 24 July 2021 | Eden Park Avenue
Beckenham Town v Cray Wanderers
Pre-Season Friendly
(Photo: © Jon Hilliger / HilligerPix)
The original Beckenham club were regular opponents of the Wands including in the London League, Aetolian and Greater London Leagues and many fine battles ensued. In 1969 the club folded and reformed in 1971 as Beckenham Town. The club were promoted to the Premier Division of the London Spartan League the year Cray won the league for the second time in 1977-78 so missed them when Cray moved to the Kent League but Beckenham too entered the Kent League from 1982-83 and played consistently up to Cray winning the title in 2003-04 and gaining promotion to the Isthmian Division One South. Beckenham Town were runners up in 2005-06 behind Maidstone United and won the Kent Senior Trophy & League Cup double in 2013-14. Beckenham were involved in an exciting four team race for the SCEFL Premier title in 2019-20 along with Corinthian, Chatham Town and Sheppey United and had a two point lead at the top when the season was abandoned due to Covid-19. The club moved across to the Combined Counties League Premier South for the 2021-22 season winning the championship at the first attempt.
DIRECTIONS TO BECKENHAM TOWN FC:
From the Cray’s. Head to Southborough Avenue then go through two roundabouts for 1.1 mile. At roundabout take 2nd exit onto Crown Lane for 0.2 miles then on Crown Lane Spur and at roundabout take 2nd exit onto Bromley Common/A21 for 0.6 miles.
Continue onto Masons Hill/A21 for 0.4 miles then Masons Hill/B228 for 0.1 mile. Then left onto Westmoreland Road/B228 for 0.9 miles. Turn right onto Hayes Lane B251 for 1 miles. At roundabout continue straight onto Stone Park Avenue for 0.5 miles, then turn left on Village Way for 0.1 mile then onto Eden Park Avenue for 0.2 miles then take a left to the ground.
By Train: Nearest railway station. Eden Park (Hayes Line) and 0.6 miles away. Please note there is a rail strike this Saturday. Here are directions if you catch a bus to Eden Park.
Walk onto Upper Elmers End Road then a right onto Upper Elmers End Rd/A214 for 0.1 mile passing a Sainsbury’s store along the way. Then turn right onto Eden Park Avenue and then a left into the ground.
Buses to the ground: 194, 356 or 358 which departs from Orpington, Bromley or Shortlands and takes you close to the ground.
