Facing the Hamlet tonight will be one of the oldest and most venerable names in Non-league Football, and we are not talking about that deadly fox in the box, Leigh Bremner. A past wearer of the Pink and Blue, Bremner bagged yet another goal for the Wands at the weekend as he chalked up a third century of matches in the Amber motley. However that strike was but a dim beacon in a sea of troubles as the Wands were cruelly mugged by the pitiless Urchins of AFC Hornchurch, a final score of 1-6 at the club’s adopted Hayes Lane home the second heavy defeat of what has been an unhappy opening to the current campaign. An opening day 4-1 reverse made for an even longer trip back from Leiston. Though a narrow win over pointless Canvey Island last Tuesday, Bremner once more on the score sheet, restored hope, Saturday’s tonking by well-fancied AFC Hornchurch must have awakened doom-laden thoughts amongst the more pessimistic of supporters who saw the club cling on to its Premier Division status by the skin of the teeth last term.

It was not until the dying days of last season that Cray Wanderers confirmed their position in the Ryman Premier League. A battling 2-2 draw away to similarly threatened Lewes on the Tuesday night before final round of Saturday matches saw the Wands move out of the bottom four leaving the club with an anxious wait to the Thursday if in out if they would survive another season pending the outcome of games involving other struggling clubs. Fortune smiled as a 1-0 defeat for Hastings United against East Thurrock condemned the Arrows to the drop with either Carshalton Athletic or Lewes in a dogfight to escape the final relegation berth.

Having gained promotion to the Ryman Premier League at the start of the 2009/2010 season, things have not always been easy and after a tough campaign both on and off the field, the club must have been mightily relieved to survive at the pinnacle of their league achievements for another year. Whilst the football team grappled with the relegation menace hopes of finding a home of their own hit the buffers as Bromley Council’s planning pen pushers thrashed out their ambitious plans to return to their spiritual home in the Crays with relocation to a state-of-the-art footballing complex based at Sandy Lane in St Paul's Cray.

With the ground-sharing arrangement at Bromley’s Hayes Lane set to expire next year, the future of Cray Wanderers was called into serious doubt. However, Wands chairperson Gary Hillman is not a man to let himself be beaten by the bureaucrats and there are many diehards in the ranks who expect a prompt resurrection of the relocation plans. Knowing that the 153 year-old Cray Wanderers club faces a barren future unless it can make a return to the Crays, Hillman has been hard at work lobbying local MPs and the bigwigs at Bromley Council to explore if, and how one of football original pioneers can be spared from the very real threat of extinction.

However, that major setback to their off-field ambitions rocked the Wands on the Wands on it as, after a promising start, the club began to see results decline, as a number of key players upped sticks for pastures new. Yet perversely it was at “home” that Cray proved most vulnerable with long serving boss Ian Jenkins, 20 years in the hot seat, found himself at a loss to fathom out how his squad could performed so well on the road, bagging an impressive seven victories away from Hayes Lane yet struggle with a home form was just dismal with a meagre three wins to their tally.

The month of February proved especially calamitous as the Wands were put to the sword with successive crushing defeats of 5-1 and 9-3 versus Enfield Town and Kingstonian respectively.

However as the spectre of relegation loomed during the latter stages of the campaign Jenkins and his men kept their nerve to escape the drop at the very last.

Summer saw Jenkins confirm the return of Tommy Whitnell following a season at fellow Premier Division Margate, where the striker bagged 11 goals in 41 appearances for Hartsdown Park club. The club have also confirmed that they have re-signed goalkeeper Andy Walker, defender and club captain Mark Willy, the versatile Aaron Day, midfielder Alex Stavrinou along with the aforementioned Bremner whose 24 goals last term proved invaluable in the club’s struggle for survival. In addition ageless midfielder Jamie Kempster has made a return to the club after a spell out of the game.

This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45 pm at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD.

Before the game why not enjoy a drink or snack in our cosy clubhouse with live sport on the big screens, conveniently situated just a short walk from the turnstiles?

ADMISSION PRICES

£10 for Adults
£4 for Concessions (Seniors - 60+, Under 18s, Unemployed (UB40, Full Time Students and Members of the Armed Forces and Blue Light Services. PLEASE present valid ID)
Under 12s FREE accompanied by a paying adult.

Correct change would be appreciated in order to speed admission. Many thanks!

Programmes: £1.50