Cray Wanderers form partnership with SE Dons

CRAY WANDERERS have announced a newly-formed partnership with a local Sunday League side SE Dons that are full of Isthmian League footballers.

 

The Isthmian Premier Division club issued the following statement on its website http://cray-wanderers.com

“The Dons needed a new home ground and the Wands had just purchased Flamingo Park on which to build their new stadium.  Football was coming home for the Wands after 14 years in planning and after that long wait, two more years whilst the build took place didn’t feel too bad for the first ball in a Cray shirt to be kicked.

“However, now that the Dons have found a sponsor to fund the installation of a new grass football pitch, which they will be sharing with the Cray U13’s and U18’s teams for the upcoming 2019/20 season, football is now coming home even sooner than any Wands fan could ever have imagined.

“This is also obviously great news for the SE Dons as well, who will now have a permanent pitch to call home in their quest to win the league title that they narrowly missed out on after their great cup double, winning both the Kent Cup and the Paul Picard Cup in the 2018/19 season.

“This partnership feels like a perfect fit with both football clubs having a huge focus on community engagement and we look forward to the journey ahead.

“SE Dons were founded in 2014 by Grime musician Don Strapzy and unusual for a Sunday League side have used the power of social media to get their message across to huge success with You Tube followers in excess of 100,000. 

“SE Dons play in the Orpington & Bromley Sunday Football League Premier Division and finished second in their first season at that level. 

“April 2019 was a great month for the team as they were successful in cup competitions winning the Sunday Premier Cup Final beating six time winners Sun FC 4-0 in the Final at Maidstone in front of a huge crowd of 2000 breaking records for a Sunday Cup Final.

“Two weeks later they won the Paul Picard Cup beating Kenningwell United 2-1 at Hayes Lane in the Final to complete the double. 

“SE Dons were looking for a new home to play at and after receiving sponsorship a new pitch will be laid at Flamingo Park while the main stadium is being built in time for the 2019-20 season which will also be used for the Cray Wanderers Youth U13 & U18 teams.  Therefore, football will be being played at Flamingo Park sooner than first envisaged.

“With both clubs upwardly mobile and looking ahead to a bright future this is a very big partnership for both parties and will mean the return of Sunday League football to Flamingo Park and eventually to Cray Wanderers coming home.”

Visit Cray Wanderers website: www.cray-wanderers.com