9thjuly03

McIntyre: My aim is still a top two finish
Exclusive Interview by Stephen McCartney of www.kentishfootball.co.uk

Bromley returned to pre-season training on Tuesday without defenders Michael Harney and Joe Vines who were still on holiday.  However, manager Stuart McIntyre blew away the summer cobwebs and cast his eye on a number of trialists
and his first team regulars.

Bromley's youth team were also put through their paces in a separate group.

Former Bromley players Dean Thomas and Tom Ellis were also at the training session.

Bromley winger, Kirk Watts, scorer of the club's winning goal in the London Senior Cup Final, is back in England after a seven week stay in Australia.  He sat out of the training session, but Bromley will be pleased to see him back in action.

Billy Manuel has left Bromley and has joined Ryman League Division One North club Waltham Forest.  In two spells at Hayes Lane he made 33 appearances, scoring once.

Goalkeeper Chuck Martini has also left Bromley.  After 52 appearances for Bromley, McIntyre said: "I don't know where Chuck Martini has gone.  Maybe he has picked up his illness again?"

Mark Harris, (date of birth 15-07-1973) has retired after a long career.  After joining Bromley in October 2001 he was McIntyre's first signing when he took over at the helm.  The assistant manager, based in Reading, will still be involved on an ad-hoc basis in a coaching capacity as McIntyre looks for a new number two.  Harris, with 90 appearances and 7 goals to his name at Bromley, wasn't at Tuesday's training session.

After missing the whole of last season due to a knee injury, central defender Dean Frost is back in training with Bromley.

Adolph Amoako, Gary Drewett, Colin Luckett, David Smith and new signing from Tooting & Mitcham United, Dean Forbes are key players who  have signed contracts at Bromley.  Another new signing, Wayne Cort, was also put through his paces last night.

Last season's top goal scorer, Adolph Amoako, who found the net sixteen times for the Ravens in 42 games in his first season at Bromley after his release from Crystal Palace is a target for Dr Martens League Premier Division club Crawley
Town.

McIntyre revealed: "Crawley have made an attentive enquiry for Adolph Amoako.  Their assistant manager knew Adolph when they were at Crystal Palace together. I don't think it will be followed up.  We have made it clear to Adolph that we
see his future is at Bromley.  He was training tonight and trained well.  He has got a bit of work to do as he isn't fit as he needs to be.  I don't think it will be followed up at this stage but I expect Adolph will be a property we will need to work hard to keep hold of during the season."

After finishing in sixth place last term and with the London Senior Cup in the trophy cabinet, McIntyre, who aimed for promotion last term is firmly fixed giving Bromley Premier Division football in season 2004-05.  He explained he doesn't want to earn promotion via the re-structuring hitting non-league football next season.  He wants to win promotion by finishing in the top two.

McIntyre said: "Promotion is my aim, the same as it was last season.  We went very close last season.  By finishing in the top six isn't promotion.  We finished twelve points from promotion last season and dropped points mainly to teams in the bottom half of the table.

"We know what we need to address.  We need to be more consistent and to raise our game against teams in the lower half of the table."

McIntyre put forward this question.  We are aiming for the top two, is this a viable proposition?

He answered: "Well, if you look at our form against the top ten teams last year, I think we would have finished in the top two.

"If we tidy up our form against the bottom ten, the team we have at Bromley is very close to a promotion side."

Bromley have added central defender Dean Forbes from Tooting & Mitcham United and forward  Wayne Cort from Hampton & Richmond Borough.  Forbes looked very fit during the training session, and once again looks to be another good signing, in his second spell at Hayes Lane.
 
"We will be adding a centre midfield player.  I am talking to a couple of guys who are both from the Ryman Premier", revealed the Scot.

"I learned from last season.  The mistakes are varied.  It's a responsibility thing.  I expressed this at the Dulwich Hamlet game.  I told the players to deal with their own responsibilities.  Don't come onto the pitch looking to sort out someone else's game, but to sort out your own game first."

The good form Bromley showed at the end of last season is what Bromley want to repeat.  Last season, three defeats from their opening four league games put Bromley fourth from bottom with one point.  This proved costly as Carshalton Athletic and Bognor Regis Town filled the two promotion places into the Ryman Premier Division.

McIntyre continued: "There are a couple of players I need to weed out but I need replacements first.  I have spoken to players in the close season.

"We haven't brought in a lot of players.  We did that last year as we had a lot of changes.  We are a good side but we need to polish up the quality so we have lost three players but we have added three or four."

McIntyre praised the loyal supporters who back their team both home and away, but there are still some with a negative attitude who don't see the progress made at Hayes Lane by McIntyre.

McIntyre said: "I think the supporters need to get a programme out the game before I took over in October 2001, and look at our league position then.

"They need to think about our performances then rather then now, then start to compare.  No-one is saying anything is perfect, but we finished sixth last season with 76 points and we beat the top sides.

"A little bit of responsibility should be taken and a little bit of endeavour to ensure we don't give away cheap goals and a lot more will happen.

"The thing I would say to the supporters is: I enjoy the 70-100 supporters who go to away games.  But I come to Hayes Lane and it's like a morgue!  It's quiet, and it seems to be the teams responsibility to get the game going.  Doom and
gloom is easy but constructive criticism is far more beneficial!"

"I would like all the supporters to back the players.  Remember we have to work to a budget, and remember it takes time to get something right.  It's not always going to be perfect every Saturday, but that's non-league football.  Players have to work and football isn't their main job.

"If you go through the side now you look at players like Danny Smith, Colin Luckett, Joe Vines, Gary Drewett, Kirk Watts, Adolph Amoako and Bobby George it's quality all over.  When we really get going we will destroy people!"  said McIntyre.

"We didn't score as many goals as our play deserved last season.

"I won't be beaten by the supporters.  It's my third season at Bromley and I still keep telling people we are still at the beginning.

"This club was so low when I took over, shockingly low for a club of this stature.  And It's taken until now, to get the belief.  The cup win, whilst it's not the most important trophy in the world, it was the first cup that this club has won, apart from the Kent Senior Cup, since 1951.

"Winning becomes a habit, and that is what we have to focus on." added McIntyre.

Bromley's Pre-season friendlies:
Tuesday 22 July 7.45 Home Beckenham Town
Saturday 26 July 3.00 Home Boreham Wood
Tuesday 29 July 7.45 Home Kingstonian
Saturday 2 August 3.00 away Thamesmead Town
Tuesday 5 August 7.45 away Tilbury
Saturday 9 August 3.00 Home Grays Athletic
Tuesday 12 August 7.45 away Romford (Wembley Cup)