Southend United and Bromley Football Club were once leagues apart. As early as the 2006/07 season, Southend were applying their trade in the Championship, meanwhile, Bromley at the same stage had just clinched promotion to the Conference South via a play-off final win over Billericay Town. Fast-forward 16 years and both sides are battling it out for a play-off place come the end of the 2022-23 Vanarama National League season.
Both clubs may be playing in the fifth tier of English football, however, off the pitch at both clubs there are contrasting financial differences that have occurred over a period of time.
The Shrimpers Fall From Grace
Since being relegated from the Championship in 2007 Southend United have been toying with League One and League Two. Back-to-back relegations saw the Essex club relegated to the National League, and in the process lost their Football League status. The quick decline has led fans to protest over the vision, future, and ownership in recent years.
On February 28, Southend United paid a £1.4m tax bill owed to HM Revenue & Customs, in time before a potential winding-up at the High Court on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Had this debt not been paid, 116 years of history would have been at risk of all being lost. Following the payment, a winding-up petition was dismissed, and this is not the first time The Shrimpers have faced a winding-up petition, the previous one being dismissed in January 2020.
Progress Halted
The club has been based at Roots Hall for 68 years, and 25 years on from current owner Ron Martin buying the club for £4m, the owner now has plans to turn Roots Hall into 502 new homes once the football club has relocated to a new stadium at Fossetts Farm. It is believed that this plan has been in place for a while but is yet to come to fruition.
Southend United Main Entrance
South Stand
Roots Hall remains to have a very ‘old school’ look to it, with its low terracing and pillars for support, the ground’s last development came all the way back in 1995 when the west stand was extended to meet the north and south stands, whilst seating was also installed in the north-west corner of the ground.
With fans hopeful of a new stadium in the near future, and relief that the HMRC payment was made meaning The Shrimpers live on, focus now turns to the pitch where the team look to maintain their play-off position and try to put the off-field issues behind them.
The Ravens Rise
Promotion to the Conference South and a title-winning 2014-15 campaign have led Bromley FC to have a comfortable National League status since the start of the 2015-16 season. In the last decade, significant revenue has come into the club through two visits to Wembley, both FA Trophy finals with one occasion victorious. Alongside prize money, there has been the investment that owner and chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves has brought and put into the club.
It is quite the contrast from the ‘yo-yo’ nature that has seen Southend United bounce from league to league to the rise that has seen Bromley FC travel up the non-league divisions. The Ravens are currently playing in their eighth season in the National League and have welcomed the likes of Leyton Orient, Stockport County, Wrexham, and Notts County to the Hayes Lane stadium, all ex-football league clubs. There is no doubt that these visiting teams have attracted more fans, which has led to a certain increase in home attendance, support, and ticket sales.
Redevelopment
In 2019 Stanton-Gleaves became the owner of Bromley, and in the same calendar year witnessed the opening of the new Glyn Beverly all-seater stand, which honours the former club chairman, Glyn Beverly who passed away in 2017. This development saw the benches and pillars of the old south stand replaced with seats that now provide an excellent view of the pitch.
Glyn Beverly Stand
Adding to this development, in April 2022, Broomfield’s opened. A 500-capacity bar and kitchen which is situated within the Glyn Beverly stand, is not just open for fans to enjoy their pre/post-match pint but also open seven days a week for the public. A new gym facility and classrooms for academy players have also been installed within the new stand.
Broomfield’s Bar & Kitchen Bromley FC Main Entrance
It is clear to see for Bromley supporters there are increased means of revenue around the club; from benches and tea-huts to seats and Broomfield’s, Bromley Football Club have certainly improved the ground’s appearance over time.
With the uncertain future at Southend United and the continual growth at Bromley, it is hard to know where both clubs will be in five years’ time. One thing we do know is that they’re competing in the same league; away from the field though it seems they are worlds apart.