Your new home for in-the-know Bromley FC coverage

Written by fans for fans, those fanzines were the beating heart of Hayes Lane’s crumbling terraces, capturing a unique time and place in the history of Bromley Football Club.

How had we allowed it to fade away?

My role as a press reporter for Bromley FC put me in and around the breaking stories and big characters at Hayes Lane, so I figured who better to pick up the flag and run with it.

What started as a simple Substack page has grown into a multi-media online presence that captures the news and views that matter to fans and players alike (yes, the players subscribe too).

I ask difficult questions at times, but everyone around the club understands the value of independent journalism in bridging the gap between the club and its fans. 

Article submissions and the Substack comments section gave a voice to fans old and new, shining a light on the discerning community at Hayes Lane who want more than the club’s official channels can provide. But I realised that if FBWL was going to serve that community properly, I had to get serious about its development. 

Today, almost three years after I typed my first article, it’s time to take a leap of faith, but it’s a leap that will allow me to increase the quality of independent Bromley FC coverage.

From Bromley With Love has partnered with CounterPress, a bold new online platform for local sports reporting, to bring the coverage under one roof.

That means articles, videos, and reactions, all served up in one smart package for less per month than the price of a Hayes Lane burger. But there’s more.

I get that FBWL was free in the past, so you might be wondering why I’m suddenly asking you to pay for the same stuff. But that’s just it, it’s not the same stuff. The switch to a paid platform allows me to step back from my work commitments and devote more time to the thing I love. 

That means more in-depth articles, more videos, and a faster reaction to breaking news at Hayes Lane. Bag a subscription and try it out. I guarantee you’ll very quickly see what I mean.

This isn’t just an independent news portal, it’s a community that you can play as much a part in as you like. Whether you sit on the sidelines or wade into the fray, you’ll be among the most informed fans at the club, which seems worth the subscription fee alone.

My journey with Bromley Football Club started nearly three decades ago when the club was so crap it almost dropped into the Kent League. If you’d told me back then that I was watching a Football League club in waiting, I would’ve questioned your sanity.

Three trips to Wembley? Call an ambulance!

But here we are, and now I have the privilege of inviting you along for the next leg of the adventure. 

If you haven’t already, treat yourself to a subscription. You won’t just get he inside track, you’ll be investing in an independent voice for the club you love, and joining a discerning community of fans.

See you there,

Machel

Article edited by Peter Etherington