Pre-season continues for Cray Wanderers on Saturday as game 6 takes the Wands to Beckenham Town for a local derby. Please note kick off at Eden Park Avenue is 2pm
Cray continued a solid start to pre-season with two wins starting with a 4-2 win against the AFC Wimbledon Academy side last Sunday and followed that up with a stirring fightback from 0-3 down early in the second half to beat Glebe 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The first half side in Chislehurst included a handful of trialists but the second half team was a more established line up and after going three nil down a Cameron Brodie strikes was soon followed by a powerful Lee Lewis finish to make it 3-2 with half hour to play. Danny Kedwell showed his undoubted quality to shoot Cray level and then Lewis scored again to complete the comeback with thirteen minutes to go.
There are three more weekends of pre-season games before the Isthmian Premier season starts on 14th August and at this stage still 5 games still to play. The game planned at Sittingbourne on Wednesday 28th July has now been cancelled but it is hoped that opposition for an away friendly on Tuesday 27th July will be found. Before that, Cray meet Beckenham Town on the always immaculate playing surface at Eden Park Avenue.
This season promises a new dawn for our friends at Beckenham Town who for the 2021-22 season begin a new life in the Combined Counties Premier South. Jason Huntley’s side were top of the SCEFL Premier when the 2019-20 season was abandoned and 5th in the early stages of the 2020-21 season before the season was curtailed. Beckenham certainly have a colourful opening day of the season next Saturday at home to Jersey Bulls so will be travelling to Jersey later in the season. Their FA Cup adventure begins on Saturday 7th August at home to Colliers Wood United while on 11th September they travel to K Sports in the FA Vase. Beckenham have a very strong squad assembled including ex-Cray Wanderers goalkeeper and Isthmian South-East Champion Nick Blue who returned to one of his former clubs earlier this week with another ex-champion Archie Johnson in the squad
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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.
All at Cray Wanderers wish Beckenham Town well in the Combined Counties League and hope they enjoy their new travels for the season including the trip to Jersey.
DIRECTIONS TO BECKENHAM TOWN FC:
Beckenham Town FC
Eden Park Avenue
Beckenham BR3 3JL
Admission:
Adults £5
Concessions 60+ or U16s £2
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.
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.
Nearest pub/restaurant: The Toby Carvery at Eden Park opposite the railway station but you will find plenty of pubs in Bromley or Beckenham if you come in that way.
