Mounting gloom at bromley

9:18am Tuesday 23rd October 2001

Bromley is a football club in crisis. Two more defeats last week, leaving them without a win in 15 Ryman Division One games, no goals in six of their last seven matches, and now another managerial upheaval.

Alan Seamons, who took over as manager from Dave Garland in September and had only 11 games in charge, and player-coach Mark Tompkins have both resigned.

Stuart McIntyre has returned to the club, Ironically, after leaving in the summer to be replaced by Seamons.

Mark Harris, who is 38 and was a player until the end of last season with Kingstonian, will act as Seamons' assistant. Harris is expected to play in Bromley's defence, having played for Henley Town this season.

On the field, things are going from bad to worse as the disastrous run of results continued in midweek when Bromley lost 2-0 to Worthing.

Bromley started brightly and George Gibson ought to have done better when he mis-kicked in front goal.

Geradually, Worthing came more into the game and midway through the second half they took the lead, albeit luckily, when, following a corner, the ball ricocheted off Mark Nicholls past his own goalkeeper. It just about summed up Bromley's season.

Worthing added a match-clinching second 15 minutes from time when Gain Geddes, following a corner, found time and space to shoot low past Danny Harwood.

On Saturday, Bromley travelled to third-placed Tooting & Mitcham a daunting prospect given the two teams' conflicting fortunes so far this season.

And Bromley's cause was not helped by conceding a goal after just five minutes, when a defensive error allowed Nigel Webb the chance to take the ball along the bye-line before beating Harwood and tapping into an empty net.

Webb then repeated his bye-line trick but this time he set up Matt Gray for a casually-taken goal at the near-post on the stroke of half-time.

Justin Bowen then missed a great chance to get Bromley back in the game five minutes after the interval. But, after getting on the blind-side of the defence to meet Mark Tivey's free-kick, Bowen shot over ther bar from just four yards.

Dean Frost then cleared another Gray effort off the line with Harwood beaten, who was then glad to see Durrant Jermott's late effort go over the bar.

This Saturday, Bromley entertain unbaten league leaders Bognor Regis at Hayes Lane, kick-off 3pm.

Then, on Tuesday, Hoddesdon Town are ther visitors at 7.45pm for a third-round London Senor Cup tie.

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