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Hayes Lane
(Bromley)
Address: Hayes Lane,
Bromley,
Greater London,
England,
BR2 9EF
Capacity: 5,000 (1,606 Seated)
Its modern South Stand does feel a little out of place when compared to the rest of the ground, but it means that this place can now accommodate to many different needs.
Opened in 1938, it has been the home of Bromley Football Club ever since.
The Ravens moved here from their previous home that was located elsewhere on the same road, and what started as a one-sided ground surrounded by banking has grown into the Hayes Lane that is in place today. It includes concrete terracing and a large all-seater stand at its southern end that was opened in July 2019.
Alongside Bromley, Hayes Lane is also currently home to Cray Wanderers Football Club, one of the oldest teams in the world having claimed to have been founded in 1860. The Crystal Palace Women’s Team also make use of Hayes Lane after forming a partnership with Bromley in 2014.
The ground was also one of several host venues used for the 2018 ConIFA World Football Club. ConIFA is the international football association for teams that are not affiliated to FIFA, such as Abkhazia, Cascadia, Tibet, Tamil Eelam and Székely Land.
Hayes Lane played host to five games in total, including a Quarter Final which saw Székely Land beat Western Armenia 4-0.
Location and Getting There
Hayes Lane is located on the edge of Norman Park, around 1.5 miles south of Bromley Town Centre. The Norman Park Athletics Track is roughly 0.2 miles away to the south, the Pickhurst Recreation Ground is 0.6 miles away to the west, and the Queensmead Recreation Ground is around 1.1 miles away to the northwest.
Though I would normally discourage people from coming to London-based grounds by car, Hayes Lane is one of the more reachable ones due to its location and smaller size.
There is a small car park outside the stadium that costs £2 per vehicle to park at.
Street parking a little to the west of the ground should be possible, but ensure that you are legally allowed to park where you find and do not block the drives of any residents.
The closest railway station to Hayes Lane is Bromley South, served by southeastern rail and Thameslink.
The station is located around a mile to the north of the football ground and walking from here takes between 15 and 20 minutes along a fairly simple route.
As an alternative to walking however, you can head onto the High Street next to the stadium and take either the 119 or 314 bus routes which has a Hayes Lane stop on the B265. It’s a short walk east to the ground from here.
Outside the Ground
Heading along Hayes Lane from off the B265 will first bring you to the stadium’s West Stand.
It is named after John Fiorini, a former player and then committee member who was associated with Bromley for more than 30 years. He passed away suddenly in February 2001.
The John Fiorini Stand’s exterior is split into sections, with the largest being in the middle. It consists of a brickwork base with green corrugated iron higher up and the Bromley Football Club name displayed along the top. The Main Entrance for Players and Officials is housed here, with a wooden building to the right holding the entrance to the Ravens Bar.
Turnstiles for the John Fiorini Stand itself are next to the Ravens Bar Entrance, near to the ground’s northwest corner.
The Matchday Ticket Collection Point is housed next to these turnstiles, with the Main Car Park out in front of it.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction brings you to the North Terrace.
Its exterior is very basic, consisting of corrugated iron with a grass bank right in front it and a gravel car park out beyond it.
Fans with tickets for this part of the ground use the turnstiles near the northwest corner that are also used by those in the John Fiorini Stand.
The East Stand at Hayes Lane is better known as the Cricket Club Side as the Bromley Town Cricket Club is located right outside of it.
This restricts how much of its basic exterior you can see and you are also not able to walk right alongside it.
Turnstiles for this part of the ground are housed in the northeast corner, next to the gravel car park.
The South Stand at Hayes Lane was officially opened in July 2019.
It is named after Glyn Beverly, who joined the club committee in 1981 and went on to become Vice Chairman, Chairman, and Club President of Bromley. He passed away in December 2017.
The Glyn Beverly Stand is the clear largest of the four, consisting of large blue panels and glass windows.
Entrance for supporters can be found on the western side of the ground, however.
Out beyond the Glyn Beverly Stand are 3G pitches of varying size.
Inside the Ground
The western side of Hayes Lane is split between standing and seating.
The seating area is the John Fiorini Stand itself, a single tier of around 300 black seats which is often for executive use rather than regular spectators. The tunnel is housed in the centre, with an executive lounge up behind the back row. You can also find the matchday camera on this side of the ground as well.
The view from inside the John Fiorini Stand is perfectly clear, though there is minimal protection from the sides.
Other parts of the western side of Hayes Lane are used for standing.
Supporters normally base themselves along the perimeter fence that surrounds the pitch, and there are several toilet and refreshment facilities available including the Ravens Nest. A small Bromley Club Shop is housed to your right immediately after coming through the turnstiles.
The standing area on this side of the stadium is uncovered however and offers no protection at all from above.
The North Terrace is a single tier of standing terrace, with a roof that only provides cover to the very back rows. There is a row of white metal bars along the front for supporters to lean on, and part of the stand is sectioned off by a silver metal fence as this is in use for the away section.
Your view from under the roof is likely to be restricted somewhat as there are supporting pillars coming down regularly along the front of it. Your view will be clear though if you are stood in front of it.
Windshields are in place at either end of the covered terracing section.
The Cricket Club Side is a single tier of entirely uncovered terrace.
There are two rows of white metal bars running along that supporters can lean on, and the ground’s dugouts are located right down at the front beside the pitch. This means that substitutes and staff have to cross over the pitch to get from the tunnel to the dugouts. Two vertical metal fences are in place behind one of these dugouts, and these are used to section off part of this stand for away fans.
Views are clear from inside this stand, but with no roof overhead, you will feel all the cold and all the rain if it is present.
There are toilet and refreshment facilities in place by the stand’s northeast turnstiles.
The Glyn Beverly Stand consists of a single tier of black seating.
Down at the front at either end of the seating area are fenced-off flat platforms for disabled supporters to use. The whole seating area looks quite small when compared to the rest of the stand, and that is because the space behind and beside it is taken up by Club Offices.
Your view from anywhere inside the Glyn Beverly Stand is perfectly clear as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.
The end of the stand near to the southwest corner is fully protected by a large blue wall. The opposite end of the stand however has just a small wall in place to offer protection from the wind and the rain.
Away Fans
Away section are essentially housed in what is the northeast side of the stadium.
They are given a small section of the North Terrace behind the goal, and a larger section of the Cricket Club Side to the east. Tall metal fences are used to segregate this away section from the home supporters based elsewhere in either stand.
The Cricket Club Side has no roof overhead, whilst the North Terrace is mostly uncovered but has does have a roof in place for the very back rows. You can likely find your view restricted here however as there are supporting pillars coming down regularly along the front of it.
For the majority in this away section, overhead protection is minimal and so my advice is to wrap up warm and prepare yourself for the worst conditions during the game.
Turnstiles for the away section can be found next to a gravel car park in the ground’s northeast corner.
There are toilet and refreshment facilities in place next to these once you head inside.
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include*:
-The Ravens Bar at Hayes Lane itself (Away Supporters Welcome, though not when Segregation is in use)
-The Bitter End Bar (139 Masons Hill, BR2 9HW) (Home and Away Supporters)
-The Bricklayers Arms (143 Masons Hill, BR2 9HW) (Home and Away Supporters)
-The Greyhound (205 High Street, BR1 1NY) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located in more central Bromley)
-The Partridge (194 High Street, BR1 1HE) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located in more central Bromley)
-The Richmal Crompton (Unit 23, Westmoreland Place, BR1 1DS) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located very close to Bromley South Station)
*The location of Hayes Lane itself means that there aren't really any pubs within close range of it. The recommendation is to find a drink in more central Bromley if you are unable to use the Ravens Bar.
Overview
Hayes Lane in its current form looks like a mix between what is considered a typical football league ground and a typical non-league ground. Its South Stand is impressive in layout but does seem rather out of place when compared to the largely uncovered terracing on two other sides of the pitch.
What that does though is offer a bit of something for everyone. Whether your preference is to be out on the terraces or under the cover of a modern stand, Hayes Lane can accommodate to your needs.
Worth coming to check this place out.
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