As a Bromley man through and through, no one is more aware than manager Neil Smith of what it means for his hometown club to be in the Buildbase FA Trophy final at Wembley.
His lifelong association with the club began as a child, attending the school across the road from Hayes Lane, and he went on to run the academy after joining the coaching staff in 2011.
The former Gillingham, Fulham and Reading midfielder, who also had a brief stint as a player at Bromley, eventually became assistant manager before being given the top job in 2016.
He has since guided the Ravens to their best finish in the Vanarama National League, achieving a club record of 70 points this season as they narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
Yet that has been overshadowed by the club’s date with Brackley Town in the FA Trophy final as the Lillywhites return to Wembley for the first time in almost seven decades.
“It’s without a doubt the biggest game in the club’s history, for the town, for the people, the directors, the chairman, this is going to be huge,” said Smith.
“I went to school across the road and I played all my finals at Bromley, so to be the manager of my local club and leading them out in the final at Wembley is a massive honour.
“I’m very privileged and proud that I get to do it, knowing that I live in Bromley, I shop in Bromley and I’ve got friends who have played for Bromley and supported the club.
“People are coming up in the street and shaking you by the hand and thanking you, so it’s going to be a very emotional day, but one I’m really looking forward to.”
Smith admits the stars seem to have aligned for the club in their 125th year and he has been amazed by the galvanising effect the cup run has had on the local community.
“The fans have been brilliant and are coming out in their numbers for Wembley,” he said. “I think we’ve sold over 15,000 and we’re looking to get as close to 20,000 as we can.
“But it’s not just them, even the local clubs like Millwall have lent us their training facility, so we could train on grass leading up to Wembley, while Beckenham Town have also helped out.
“So the support we’re getting from everybody has been really humbling and we just have to do them proud and make sure they get something to cheer about at Wembley.”
Bromley’s route to Wembley has not been straightforward, with multiple away trips, a delayed replay and a thrilling two-legged victory against Gateshead to reach Non-League Finals Day.
But Smith believes it has only strengthened the bond between his players as they prepare for the biggest game of their careers against Kevin Wilkin’s Brackley side.
“It was a slog to get here as every game we were playing was away – we definitely clocked up a few miles – but what those coach rides did is bring the players closer,” he added.
“We went to Wembley on Tuesday and took all the players there so they could see it and feel what it’s going to be like on the day, have that excitement and take their pictures.
“When we go there on Sunday we can just concentrate as it’s going to be a tough game, Brackley are very good and Kevin has had a fantastic season with them.
“I’ve just told the players to grab the moment and don’t let the moment grab you. Go and enjoy playing at Wembley in a cup final in front of 20,000 home fans.”
Did you know? This is the first time Bromley have reached Wembley since playing under the famous old twin towers in the FA Amateur Cup final of 1949.
Route to the final: Bromley beat Hartley Wintney (2-0 away); Blyth Spartans (4-1 away); Workington (7-1 at home after a 1-1 draw); Spennymoor Town (2-1 away after a 0-0 draw at Hayes Lane) and Gateshead (1-1 away in the second leg after winning 3-2 at home)
The prize: The winning team at Wembley on Sunday will be awarded £60,000 prize money while the runners-up will receive £30,000.
