Cray Wanderers vs Millwall XI – Pre-Season Friendly – Tuesday 23rd July, 7.45 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers pre-season continues to gain momentum on Tuesday 23rd July as a Millwall XI visit Flamingo Park for the first home midweek friendly. KO: 7.45 pm
Cray will come into the game on the back of the first win of pre-season on Saturday with a team of a mixture of first team/trialists beating Bromley U21s 4-2. Coming back from 0-2 down with goals from Alex Teniola, Nyren Clunis and two trialists helped set Cray up for the visit of the Lions.
Since then, Alfie Evans and Archie Johnson have re-signed for the season and with still three weeks to go until the start of the season the squad is beginning to take shape with still plenty of time for additions.
The last three Saturday’s have seen Cray Wanderers getting settled in the new ground and already is starting to look, feel and smell like home.
Millwall will be sending an Under 21 side with the first team in Alicante for a couple of matches against Nottingham Forest and Murcia this week. The U21s play in the Professional Development League and won the title in 2022-23 (pictured) and the South Division last season under the management of Kevin Nugent and Paul Robinson so will send over a very talented team used to winning and the possibility of being first team players for the future.
The first team finished 13th in the Championship last season and Neil Harris’ side begin their league fixtures on Saturday 10th August at home to Watford and will visit Portsmouth in the 1st Round of the Carabao Cup on 13th August and come into the season with fresh optimism.
Millwall have a very storied history after being formed in 1885 as Millwall Rovers changing their name to Millwall Athletic four years later. Playing in the Millwall area on the Isle of Dogs the club were twice Southern League Champions and FA Cup Semi-Finalists in 1900 and 1903. They moved away to the New Cross area and now known as Millwall joined the Football League in 1920-21 in the 3rd Division South. They won the Division in 1927-28 earning promotion to Division 2 and reached the FA Cup Semi Final in 1936-37 losing to Sunderland.
After World War II, Millwall were relegated to Division 3 South in 1948 and were founder members of the 4th Division in 1958-59 winning the title in 1961-62, were relegated in 1963-64 but then achieved back to back promotions and between 1964-67 went 59 matches unbeaten at home.
In 1971-72 Millwall went within one point of promotion to the 1st Division just missing out to Birmingham City with just two teams going up. Two seasons later the rules were changed to allow three promoted clubs. In 1974 Millwall played Fulham in the first ever league game played on a Sunday. Millwall were FA Cup Quarter Finalists in 1977-78 but were relegated to Division 3 the following season. In 1982-83 under George Graham’s management Millwall won the Football League Trophy and in 1984-85 were promoted to Division 2 and reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals.
Millwall’s greatest achievement came in 1987-88 when John Docherty’s side were promoted to the top flight for the first time winning the 2nd Division Championship and on 1st October 1988 topped the league after a 3-2 win vs QPR at the Den. They would end up finishing 10th and despite briefly topping the league again at the start of the 1989-90 season would be relegated in the only season where there were four South London clubs in the 1st Division along with Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Wimbledon.
Millwall 1987-88 season – The Lions would go on to become 2nd Division Champions
In 1990-91 Millwall reached the 2nd Division playoffs and again in 1994-95 although they were relegated the following season. After reaching the Football League Trophy final in 1999 they were promoted to League 1 as champions in 1999-00. They were playoff finalists again in 2000-01 and 2001-03.
There was another great milestone in 2003-04 when Millwall beat Walsall, Telford United, Burnley, Tranmere Rovers and Sunderland to reach the FA Cup Final for the first time before losing to Manchester United in Cardiff (pictured). This qualified Millwall for the UEFA Cup in 2004-05 where the Lions were beaten by Ferencvaros. Since then there have been a couple of promotions in 2009 and 2017 to the championship with a relegation in between but overall Millwall are a fairly settled Championship club which often goes under the radar nationally but have always made a big noise especially in London and the South East and do an incredible amount of work in the community and have a successful Academy, Development and Youth setup.
This is the first of three friendlies against teams from the EFL or Premier League and we look forward to welcoming all supporters for what should be a great evening as the Wands prepare in earnest for the start of the Isthmian Premier League season.
Admission £10 adults, £5 concessions, £2 U18s – on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK
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.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend.
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.
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
