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Cray Wanderers F.C.

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Not to be confused with Bray Wanderers A.F.C..
Cray Wanderers
Full nameCray Wanderers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Wands
Founded1860[1]
GroundHayes Lane, Bromley
Capacity6,000 (3,000 seated)
ChairmanGary Hillman
ManagerTommy Warrilow
LeagueIsthmian League Division One North
2013–14Isthmian League
Premier Division, 24th (relegated)

Cray Wanderers F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Bromley, Kent. It is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club was established in 1860 in the twin villages of St. Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray, near Orpington.

They currently play their home matches at Bromley's Hayes Lane ground (capacity 5,000). Cray Wanderers were Kent League champions four times, and have reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup once in their history. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One North.

History

Cray Wanderers F.C. was formed in 1860. In 1894 they joined the first incarnation of the Kent League, where they were champions in 1901–02. After World War I the team switched to the London League but returned to the Kent League in 1934.

In 1937 Wanderers lost the use of their Fordcroft ground in St. Mary Cray and were forced to drop into amateur leagues such as the Kent Amateur League whilst using various temporary grounds. They finally regained their senior status, and also rejoined the London League, in 1951, finding a new home at Grassmeade three years later.

Cray were London League champions in 1956–57 and 1957–58, and in 1959 became founder members of the Aetolian League, where they were champions in 1962–63. Shortly after this the Aetolian League merged with the London League to form the Greater London League, where Cray played until they moved to the Metropolitan League in 1966. This league merged with the Greater London League in 1971 to form the Metropolitan-London League, which in turn merged with the Spartan League to form the London Spartan League in 1975.

Cray were London Spartan League champions in 1976–77 and again the following season, after which they joined the reformed Kent League, where they were to remain until 2004. They were league champions in 1980–81 but then endured a long barren spell until they won the title again in 2002–03 and again in 2003–04, the second title win earning them a place in the Isthmian League, where they play to this day.

Kent League champions in 1981.

In the 2007–08 season Cray reached the play-off final after finishing 3rd in the table, but lost to Tooting & Mitcham United 1–0 at Imperial Fields. They also reached the Kent Senior Cup final, played at Hayes Lane on 26 July, where they lost to Ebbsfleet United 4–0.[2] Cray again reached the play-off final the following year, in which they beat Metropolitan Police 1–0 and were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Cray Wanderers celebrated their 150th anniversary during the summer of 2010, including friendlies against the other two oldest clubs in the world, Sheffield and Hallam, in a three-team tournament.

Ian Jenkins, who had managed the club since 1999, left in September 2013.[3] Keith Bird and Mike Paye, managers of Bromley's reserve team, were appointed as manager and assistant manager respectively. The team was relegated into the Isthmian League Division One North at the end of April 2014. Gary Abbott and Mike Paye became joint managers of the team at the start of October 2014. On 5 January 2015 the club appointed Tommy Warrilow as the new manager.

On 3 October 2014 Cray Wanderers signed a conditional contract to purchase Flamingo Park Sports Centre on the A20 Sidcup bypass. The club has an 18-month period to obtain planning consent from Bromley Council for a new sporting community hub, featuring a new multi-sport stadium with a spectator capacity of 2,200.


League history

Season League contested Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Final league position
2013-14 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 46 7 5 34 40 137 26 24th of 24
Relegated
2012–13 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 10 13 19 60 85 43 17th of 22
2011–12 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 20 8 14 74 55 68 9th of 22
2010–11 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 20 9 13 72 46 69 9th of 22
2009–10 Isthmian League
Premier Division		 42 14 9 19 54 70 51 15th of 22
2008–09 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 24 7 11 87 54 79 2nd of 22
Promoted
2007–08 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 25 11 6 87 42 86 3rd of 22
2006–07 Isthmian League
Division One South		 42 14 12 16 67 69 54 12th of 22
2005–06 Isthmian League
Division One		 44 20 8 16 80 74 68 11th of 23
2004–05 Isthmian League
Division One		 42 19 16 7 95 54 73 6th of 22
2003–04 Kent League 32 22 4 6 88 35 70 1st of 17
Promoted
2002–03 Kent League 29 19 5 5 68 23 62 1st of 16
2001–02 Kent League 30 15 6 9 56 44 51 5th of 16
2000–01 Kent League 32 10 5 17 39 46 35 12th of 17
1999–00 Kent League 34 10 3 21 42 80 33 13th of 18
1998–99 Kent League 36 8 9 19 53 66 35 14th of 19

Grounds

Cray Wanderers currently play their home games at Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9EF.

Cray started playing football at Star Lane, now a cemetery. After playing at numerous other grounds, Cray played at Grassmeade from 1954 to 1973, after which they moved to Oxford Road. Unfortunately for the club, in 1998 the Kent League ruled that clubs must have floodlighting. As Cray were unable to have lights installed, they were forced to move out and share the Hayes Lane ground of Bromley, although their reserve and youth teams still play at the former ground.

Cray Wanderers at Oxford Road in 1997.

In the summer of 2008, Cray announced plans to move to a new stadium near Orpington by 2014.[4][5] Official plans published on the club's official website on 18 February 2009 confirmed that the new ground at Sandy Lane would be open by 2014, for the 2014–15 season, subject to planning consent.[6] The stadium, which is proposed to be part of a new "Sports Village-like complex" is set to be eco-friendly and be built to an initial Conference standard.

The bid was rejected unanimously, by all councillors on Bromley Council's Development Control Committee on Thursday 20 September 2012. This was for a number of reasons, but mainly because the Club was hoping to build a Football League sized stadium, using the profits from building nearly 200 houses and a large hotel on Green Belt land.

In the debate on the application, which was opposed by the Police and the GLA as well as other bodies, it was clear that Councillors were supportative of a proposal to relocate Cray Wanderers to a new home in St. Pauls Cray, but not to the building of houses, a hotel and another swimming pool, given that LA Leisure already have a swimming pool opposite the site, in order to fund it.

On 3 October 2014 Cray Wanderers signed a conditional contract to purchase Flamingo Park Sports Centre in St Paul’s Cray on the A20 Sidcup bypass. The club has an 18-month period to obtain planning consent from Bromley Council for a new sporting community hub, featuring a new multi-sport stadium with a spectator capacity of 2,200.

Current squad

confirmed squad on official website[7] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK England ENG Lewis Moore
— GK Montserrat MSR Nick Taylor
— DF England ENG Frank Griffin
— DF England ENG Steve Springett
— DF England ENG Nick Humphrey
— DF Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VIN Carlos Talbot
— DF England ENG Fraser Stevens
— DF England ENG CJ Williams
— MF Republic of Ireland IRL Ian Daly
— MF England ENG James Pass
— MF Greece GRE Cesc Fakinos
— MF England ENG Max Fitzgerald
— MF England ENG Rory Hill
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Isa Hussein
— MF England ENG Kerry Kedze
— MF Portugal POR Andre Marques
— MF England ENG Warren Whitely
— MF England ENG Chris Piper
— MF England ENG Lee Browning
— FW England ENG Adrian Stone
— FW France FRA Laurent Hamici
— FW England ENG Moses Ashikodi
— FW England ENG Elyon Marshall-Katung

Club staff

According to website[8]

First team

Name Role
Tommy Warrilow Manager
Alex O'Brien Assistant manager

Academy

The Cray Wanderers Academy, based at Coopers Technology College, Chislehurst, was established in January 2009 by representatives of the club (Gary Hillman and Darren Anslow) and school (Oliver Hobbs and Shirley Puxty).

It provides the opportunity of full-time training and the prospect of a future sporting career, whilst also offering an educational route.

The Academy is for 16–18 year olds and competed in the Isthmian Youth League from the 2009–10 season, finishing second.

In its first season it already showed signs of success, with youngster George Porter breaking into the senior first team in the Academy's first season, impressing to the extent that he was signed by professional club Leyton Orient at the end of the season. Several other players have made first team appearances during the first season.

Honours

Records

Player records

  • Most appearances: John Dorey, 500 (1961–72)
  • Most goals: Ken Collishaw, 274 (1954–65)

Managerial history

League Only. Information taken from club stats book.[10]
Dates Name P W D L Win %
1935–1936 Bill Inglis
1958–1960 Peter Long 54 26 6 22 48.15
1960-1961 Charlie Prior 24 14 3 7 58.33
1961–1966 Arthur Baron 131 81 23 27 61.83
1967–1969 Norman Golding 77 34 17 26 44.16
1969–1971 Jack Payne 68 34 9 25 50.00
1972 Jim Paris 8 1 0 7 12.50
1972–1975 Johnny Biddle 90 62 11 17 68.89
1975–1978 Jimmy Wakeling 90 55 17 18 61.11
1978 Bobby Sustins 8 1 1 6 12.50
1978–1979 Albert Dorey 18 5 6 7 27.78
1979 Alan Williams 8 3 2 3 50.00
1979–1981 Harry Richardson 64 44 14 6 68.75
1981–1986 Alan Payne 150 61 34 55 40.67
1986 Trevor Willis 8 4 3 1 50.00
1986–1991 Peter Gaydon 186 81 44 61 43.55
1991–1994 Eddie Davies 132 30 26 76 22.73
1994–1996 Alan Whitehead 66 21 17 28 31.82
1996–1997 Glen Cooper 40 11 6 23 27.50
1997–1998 John Roseman 42 20 11 11 47.62
1998–1999 Ian Jenkins 36 8 8 19 22.22
1999 Fabio Rossi 7 1 0 6 14.29
1999–2013 Ian Jenkins 546 245 117 184 44.87
2013–2014 Keith Bird 45 8 5 32 17.78
2014 Michael Paye and Gary Abbott 15 1 7 7 6.67
2015 Tommy Warrilow 
as at January 5th 2015

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.

References

  1. ^ Official website
  2. ^ "Match Report: Cray Wanderers 0 Ebbsfleet United 4" (PDF). Official Website. Retrieved 20 September 2008. [dead link]
  3. ^ Kentishfootball.co.uk
  4. ^ "Chairman has grounds for optimism ahead of play-off's". Kentishfootball. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Jenkins faces Cup Final selection dilemma". Kentishfootball. 13 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  6. ^ "Cray Stop Wandering After 40 Years!". Official Website. 18 February 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009. [dead link]
  7. ^ "Club Squad". Official Website. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Behind The Scenes". Official Website. Retrieved 19 September 2008. [dead link]
  9. ^ Cray Wanderers at the Football Club History Database
  10. ^ "Cray Wanderers - A Complete Statistical Record". Cray 150 Publications. 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
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