We’ve been used to success across the club over the last two years and we are hungry for more, says Bromleians manager Danny Wakeling

BROMLEIANS manager Danny Wakeling says he is hungry for more success this coming season.

The Bromley based outfit travel to Chislehurst tomorrow to play Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division side Glebe as they open their pre-season campaign.

Wakeling has guided the Lower Gravel Road club to back-to-back title-winning promotions and are preparing for their debut campaign in the Andreas Carter Joma Kent County League Premier Division.

“We’ve had two very good sessions which have been bright and enthusiastic,” said Wakeling.  “Our sessions are always 100% ball-based activities which tends help create that kind of positive environment.

“We’ve actually taken in a fair amount of carefully selected players in this year so far.

“We reviewed the playing side of the club months ago and set about improving key areas that we identified and felt needed improving.

“We run three senior sides and a Vets XI on a Saturday and upon review set about targeting areas and players we felt had the requisite personality and characteristics as well as the right playing capabilities in line with our club core values.

“We’ve managed to add some much-needed stellar maturity to the club, which we expect will improve us on and off the pitch, whilst also aligning that with some raw younger lads with good potential to create a better depth and balance to the composition of the entire playing side.

“We don’t feel we need wholesale changes at first-team level and two back-to-back promotions with the respective league championship titles banked along the way is a testimony to the fact.

“We do, however, feel that we owe it to our lads at first-team level to be pushed further and harder by more lads that can genuinely and potentially earn a first-team shirt for themselves.

“We owe it to those lads to keep setting goals for the club and we are sure everyone will enjoy being kept on their toes and will respond positively to the challenge.

“The lads that have come in have already show brilliant attitudes and applied themselves thoroughly so for now it’s a very positive start.

“I’d also add they’ve been made very welcome by existing players too which is a great strength of our club.”

Wakeling says he is “delighted to be playing Glebe,” as he makes a return to his old club.

“Having spent some time at the club myself I’ve maintained a good relationship with the chairman Rocky McMillan and also have kept in fairly regular contact with the manager Anwar Uddin since his appointment too,” said Wakeling.

“I think they’ll have a good season ahead to be fair. I’d imagine Anwar is relishing a full pre-season to set them up for the year ahead.

“Myself and all at Bromleians FC would like to thank them both for the game and also for hosting us post game to watch England’s World Cup Quarter Final tie against Sweden.

“We expect a very tough afternoon and it’s exactly what our Broms very much need and also want.

“We know that we need to be placed under duress and into chaotic situations and to also have the opportunity to deal with sustained levels of adversity at times. These kind of games are proper tests and our players do have the right mental attitude to meet these kind of tasks head on.

“We’ve grown well over two years and we shall continue to do so. We will have our own objectives to achieve from the game and our own processes to go through that are personal to ourselves.

“We have gone through the same process in each of our last two pre-season campaigns and this one won’t be any different.

“We’ve won just under 75% of our competitive games over the last two years so we clearly trust our own processes and objectives and how we deal with the outcomes and we all know it’s about being able continue to take steps, build, progress short term week by week with the longer term aim of getting ready for our first ever Step Seven game as a club on August 11th.”

Looking ahead to their League campaign, Wakeling has set his sights high once again.

“We’ve been used to success across the club over the last two years and we are hungry for more.

“We are always respectful and we are in the same situation as we were last summer having won a title and gained promotion.

“We are embarking on yet another challenge of higher level football. We are mindful that yet again we are the newbies in another level and we will seek to earn our respect on a game by game basis. We are a positive thinking and hard-working family minded football club and our teams shall endeavour to continue to reflect that on the pitches.

“We have our targets for the season but at this stage it’s all about focusing on solely on getting prepared week by week to be ready Saturday 11th August.”

Visit Bromleians’ website:  www.bromleiansfc.co.uk

Glebe  v  Bromleians
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 7 July 2018
Kick Off 12:00pm
at Queen Mary University of London Sports Ground, Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD