Cray Wanderers v Bognor Regis Town – Saturday 1st February, 3 pm – Match Preview
Pics: Ben Keyes
Cray Wanderers begin February with the first of three home matches in the shortest month of the year with Bognor Regis Town making their first visit to Flamingo Park.
Cray will be looking to bounce back after two straight goalless defeats on the road which ended a three game winning start to the season. On Tuesday night, Cray headed to Wingate & Finchley and a pretty dour game seemed to be heading for a goalless draw but Ben Watt’s stoppage time winner meant a 0-1 defeat.
Despite the two defeats Cray remained in 11th place in the Isthmian Premier on 38 points and with heavy, boggy pitches now out of the way for the rest of the season with thirteen games of the season to go there are still plenty of point up for grabs and a chance to get back on track.
Neil Smith did have the luxury of naming an unchanged side for the two away games and hopefully a freer injury room meaning more continuity. Certainly, defensively Cray have been excellent in January and the goals conceded against Whitehawk and Wingate stemmed from Cray attacks and where the Wands were looking for goals.
It has been a frustrating season so far for Bognor Regis Town who arrive bottom of the table on sixteen points and have won one of the last fifteen league games. However, Bognor have a more than decent record at Cray especially during the Hayes Lane years and did produce one of their best performances of the season to beat the Wands 3-1 on 20th September with goals from top scorer Tommy-Lee Higgs, Spencer Spurway and Dan Gifford with Kenny Coker replying late on for Cray. Bognor also last season were party poopers at the Wands final home game at Hayes Lane winning 5-1 after Nyren Clunis gave Cray the lead but there was no fairytale end epitaph as goals from Higgs, Jasper Mather (2), Craig Robson and Gifford made it a tough farewell.
Bognor have lost their last three games but were unfortunate not to pick up a point on Tuesday night at home to Dover after Higgs gave the Rocks the lead but Dover fought back to win with a stoppage time penalty. So both sides were given a bit of a late kick in the teeth that soggy night.
Since the last meeting between the sides, Bognor have come under new joint management in Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham. Away from home Bognor have won at Bowers & Pitsea (1-0) and Dulwich Hamlet (4-3) and drew at Hastings United (2-2) and Potters Bar Town (1-1). They were beaten at Cheshunt (2-3), Chichester City (1-2), Billericay Town (0-4), Dover Athletic (0-1), Lewes (1-4), Folkestone Invicta (1-4), Dartford (0-4), Horsham (1-2), Cray Valley (0-4) and Hashtag United (2-4).
Unusually it has been Bognor’s home form which has been a bit indifferent for their standards with two wins vs Wingate & Finchley (2-1) and Cray Wanderers (3-1). They did draw with Hendon and Carshalton Athletic but were beaten by Lewes, Canvey Island, Cray Valley, Cheshunt, Chatham Town, Whitehawk, Hastings United, Chichester City and Dover Athletic. In the FA Cup, Bognor reached the 2nd Qualifying Round after beating Aylesbury Vale Dynamo but were well beaten at home by Margate. In the FA Trophy, Bognor were one of Isthmian South-East highflyers, Sittingbourne’s victims losing 2-1 in Kent and in the Sussex Senior Cup were beaten in the 3rd round at Eastbourne Borough after advancing past Steyning Town. Higgs has 19 goals for the season so will have to be watched.
With this being Cray Wanderers 29th game of the season there are still 51 points up for grabs and with Bognor eleven points off 19th place this promises to be an end to end game and one with so much else going on.
There is the January 100 Club and Meat Raffle draws, fresh merchandise in the store, hot food and drinks and bars and there will be live football pre and post match in the club house.
It seems a long time since the last home game but with eight more games to go with the likes of Folkestone, Dover and Dartford still to visit this could still be a memorable end to our maiden season at Flamingo Park.
Admission £12 adults, £6 concessions, U16-U13s – on gate or online on our ticketing page – www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK FOR NEWCOMERS
Cray Wanderers FC – Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team, U23s, Youth Team games, Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events. For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park.
By car
From Kent – Via M20 or A2
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles. After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles. Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3, exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles. At the Swanley interchange, take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
From London, North & West
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212, A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St. George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles. Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles. Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles. Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles. Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles. Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C. London/Lewisham for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles. Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park.
From Essex/East Anglia
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles. At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles. Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles. Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles. At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Then merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
From: Sussex/South
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25. After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles. At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend. There are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham from London Charing Cross. For returns there are also four trains back to London.
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles. Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground.
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley, Sidcup, Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground. The 160 from Carlton Road, Sidcup stops at Montbelle Road as does the 162 which also stops at New Eltham Station and the Fiveways roundabout and is around a 22 minutes walk to the ground.
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
738 Sidcup Road, Eltham, London
SE9 3NS
Sat Nav Directions:SE9 3TJ
Directions:
From South Circular Road, take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways, where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane.
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music. There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop. Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from.
