New Season New Opponents: Bromley

For the first time in the club's history, Bromley will play in the third tier of English football, just two years after reaching the EFL for the first time.

They certainly won't be there to make up the numbers either, with plenty of quality players and a strong manager ensuring they'll be a tough opponent for any League One side.

Bromley made a slow start to the 2025-26 League Two campaign, as they sat as low as 14th after 10 matches had been played.

However, by the midway point, the Ravens had ascended all the way to the summit of the division, where they would remain for the rest of the season.

A stunning run of form, which saw them lose just five of 35 league matches and win 21, was enough to bring the League Two title to Hayes Lane.

They would clinch the title on the final day of the season, thanks to a 3-1 victory over Walsall—ending the season with 87 points after winning 24 games, drawing nine, and losing just seven.

The Ravens also produced one of the shocks of the EFL Cup first round, ousting eventual Championship runners-up Ipswich Town on penalties, before Wycombe knocked them out in round two.

Unsurprisingly, long-serving striker Michael Cheek ended the season as the club's top scorer once again, netting 16 goals in 35 league outings.

The 34-year-old has been plying his trade at Bromley since 2019, where he's scored 134 goals in 306 appearances across all competitions as the Ravens rose through the English football pyramid.

Bromley's rise to League One is truly a miraculous story, and their smart recruitment, coupled with the special culture instilled by head coach Andy Woodman, has proved to be the catalyst for the club's success—sounds familiar, right?

Former Northampton Town, Brentford and Oxford United goalkeeper Woodman has been at the helm of the then-National League club since March 2021—and it's fair to say their gamble in appointing the Arsenal head of goalkeeping massively paid dividends.

After less than two months at the club, he would lead them to the National League play-offs, where they fell to defeat at the hands of Hartlepool United in the quarter-finals.

Woodman's first full season at Bromley would yield some silverware, as his side defeated Wrexham in the 2022 FA Trophy final under the Wembley arch, with Wycombe loanee Ali Al-Hamadi representing the Ravens that day.

Whilst 2022-23 ended in play-off heartache again, this time in the semi-finals, Woodman and Bromley would finally get the job done the following year, beating Solihull Moors on penalties to reach the EFL for the first time in their history.

Many tipped the Greater London club to drop straight back into non-league, but the Ravens defied the odds, finishing an excellent 11th in their first-ever season in the EFL.

Whilst Bromley impressed in their maiden EFL campaign, nobody expected them to be title challengers heading into 2025-26, but once again, they ripped up the script, winning the League Two title.

Woodman is now tasked with taking his club into uncharted territory, which, based on the evidence shown previously, won't faze the 54-year-old in the slightest.

Woodman has taken charge of 275 matches at Hayes Lane, winning 120 of them and establishing himself as one of the most successful managers in the club's history.

It's no surprise that other clubs have come calling for his services over the years, but his loyalty has yet to be broken, and he remains under contract with Bromley until 2028.

Despite the lack of meetings between the two clubs, plenty of players have represented both Bromley and Wycombe over the years, with Wanderers cult hero Garath McCleary the most notable example.

The Jamaican winger represented the Ravens all the way back in 2007, scoring 11 goals for the club, catching the eye of Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood, who offered him a trial and eventually a contract the following year.

Chairboys academy graduate Roger Johnson also played for both clubs over his illustrious career, starting his journey with the Blues and seeing out his final two years as a player at Hayes Lane between 2017 and 2019.

One of Wanderers' finest goalscorers of their EFL era, Sean Devine, spent two years at Bromley between 1992 and 1994, ahead of a £200,000 move to Adams Park five years later.

As mentioned, Iraqi international striker Ali Al-Hamadi has also played for both sides, as he spent time on loan at Bromley in 2022 before returning to Wycombe to make his league debut the season after.

No member of either of Wycombe's or Bromley's current senior squads has played for both clubs, with Antiguan winger Myles Weston a more recent example, representing the Chairboys between 2016 and 2017 before playing for the Ravens between 2023 and 2025.

Other players to play for both Wycombe and Bromley include Connor Parsons, Sam Wood, Brandon Hanlan, Charlie Fox, and Matt Carmichael.

Next season will signal the first time that both Bromley and Wycombe will face off in a professional league fixture, having played each other just once before.

That sole meeting came last season, as the Ravens were rewarded with a home tie in the EFL Cup second round after beating Ipswich on penalties.

Unfortunately for the then-League Two side, they were the ones on the end of penalty heartache that night, as Wanderers won 4-5 in the shootout after the contest ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.

The prospect of going to Hayes Lane next season will be an exciting one for Wycombe fans, especially those who didn't make it to the EFL Cup fixture last term, as it will represent a brand new ground to tick off for many.

Whilst many may dismiss Bromley's chances in League One, they've repeatedly shown they can exceed expectations, meaning a trip to South East London could prove a difficult assignment for even the strongest sides in the division.