Bromlians FC - The John Cooper Ground

Bromlians FC

The John Cooper Ground 

Scrubs Farm
Lower Gravel Road

Bromley 

BR2 8LL

Official Website

FA Full Time

Twitter

Ground Number: 1542

Saturday 11th April 2026
Bromelians 0-2 Otford United

Kent County D1 West

BROMELIANS FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1922 by former pupils of Bromley County School under the name of Bromley County School Old Boys. They switched to Old Bromelians five years later, taking its name from the school magazine, The Bromleian. Early successes include a run in the Old Boys League, winning Division 2, Division 1 and then the Premier Division in 3 consecutive seasons, between 1928 and 1931.  The war years brought a halt to football, and the next honours was in 1954 when they finished as runners-up to Lensbury & Britannic House to win promotion to the Southern Amateur League Division 1. They were long-time members here, winning Division 3 and Division 2 on three occasions each. Their best finish here came in 1982 when they finished 5th in Division 1.

Kent County Premier Division Final Table 2018/19

After playing at various venues, they moved to their current ground in Lower Gravel Road. They financed the ground by taking out various loans and also selling rhubarb crowns, which were grown on their land. In 1965, Bromley Council placed a compulsory purchase order on the ground, but this was successfully fought against by fixture secretary John Cooper. As a result, the ground was named in his honour.  A new clubhouse was opened in 1992, and in 2002, the club made the decision to switch to the Kent County League. The name was changed to Bromelians Sports as a result, and they won the Division 2 West in their debut season. They struggled in Division 1 West, a notable exception was in 2007 when they finished 3rd, just missing out on promotion. They left the league in 2009, returning to amateur football for a few years. In 2012, they rejoined the Kent County D2 West under the name Old Bromelians. Despite finishing second-bottom in 2016, they won the league the following year, followed by Division 1 West in 2018. The same year, they changed their name to Bromelians and in 2019 enjoyed their best ever finish of 4th in the Kent County Premier. They were subsequently relegated back to Division 1 West in 2023 but are currently battling relegation.

Local cup honours include nine AFA Surrey Senior Cups and three SAL Old Boys Cups. The town of Bromley has a population of around 72,000 and has had plenty of famous residents who have called the town home. These include music legend David Bowie, children's author Enid Blyton, pop star Billy Idol, comedian Frankie Boyle and footballer Jason Roberts. Also, the late author and Bromley FC fanatic Dave Roberts, who wrote three books on the club, one of which, The Bromley Boys, inspired a film.

MY VISIT

I didn't want to travel too far on this Saturday, and so my options were limited. The furthest I had considered was Magna 73 in Leicester, but the coach times didn't work out. The next to be discounted was Reigate Priory, albeit their reserves. They played at a lovely sports ground, but cricket took precedence, and so the game was moved to a crappy school pitch. Keens Park Rangers had also been moved from Pyrford Cricket Club to Guildford City. Another one that was probably off the list was Camden & Islington, as it was in the unreliable Middlesex County League, and the site showed the fixture as unconfirmed. The Football Traveller came late on Wednesday, but after looking at it on Thursday afternoon, I narrowed it down to a few options. If Colin was coming, it would be Canterbury City; he wanted me to save it for him, and I could take advantage of his railcard. If not, I'd be dipping down to the lower levels - either Bromelians v Otford United in the Kent Division 1 West or Horsley v Burpham in the Guildford & Woking Alliance. After final investigations on Friday, I opted for Bromelians if on my own, but was still waiting for a final answer from Colin.

It was a nice, easy drive back from Orwell, with me getting back at 9.10 after dropping Colin off. I even managed to get my blog up before bed. Thursday was a tiring day, and I was asleep around 7. It was a dull Friday with no football or booze, but I had plenty of both last weekend. I went to bed at 10.30 and woke well before my 6.50 alarm. Despite this, I was running late and was going to drive to the station. However, I changed my mind and got the 8.15 bus, 35 minutes later than intended. I could have limited my drinking, but it would have restricted any post-match pubs I might find. Typically, after being dry and warm all week, the weather was back to its default of grey skies, a slight chill and drizzle. I walked straight off of the bus onto a Chiltern train and then had a perfect change onto the Metropolitan at Harrow on the Hill. Then a Met line to Farringdon and the Thameslink to Streatham. Wetherspoons 500 was 8 minutes walk away.

 

The Holland Tringham was named after Holland Tringham, a Victorian artist who moved to Streatham at the height of his fame in the late 19th century. He is best known, locally, for his six sketches of the old village of Streatham, copies of which are on the walls of this pub, which bears his name. No bag in box ciders, but breakfast muffin, black pudding, energy drink and Stowford Press were £5.93 in a nice pub. An annoying crying baby prompted me to leave for the bus stop, which was a bit chaotic, but eventually, I got the 50 to Croydon. After a walk, I was 20 minutes behind schedule. The Moon Under Water in Norbury was bland, but £2.55 for a Strongbow was good. A bus to the equally grim and bizarre Croydon, where I got the 75 to Penge for my final pre-match stop. The Moon & Stars was another bland Spoons with great service. Shawarma Wrap, chips and Aspalls was £9.12. The last bus to Orpington was delayed, but there were some Jersey Bulls fans on the bus, en route to Beckenham. One ground that would be great to visit, but is a complete pain in the arse to get to, Jersey that is. From Bromley bus station, it was ten minutes walk to the ground. A decent setup, sadly, the hosts had abandoned the light and dark blue quarters, perhaps why their results had gone south.

 

Bromelians were having a tough season, sitting second-bottom and looking likely to be relegated. They had won three, drawn four and lost sixteen so far. They'd not won in six, losing 9-0 at AMG Ballerz last week. Otford United were in 4th and had won fourteen, drawn one and lost five.  They were on mixed form, but won 3-2 at AMG Ballerz last time out. When the two sides met in August, Otford United narrowly won 1-0. Bromleians were the first to have a chance, shooting narrowly wide in the first minute. After 8 minutes, Otford had a similar chance but also dragged wide. The hosts were the better side at this point, but it was a very open game. It was all rather predictable when Otford took the lead around ten minutes in, #8 netting from a simple cross. On 16 minutes, #9 was given all the time in the world to slot past the keeper. At half-time, Bromleians should have been at least level on the balance of play, but lacked conviction at both ends. The Otford players seemed content to blame each other for errors. In the second half, the hosts had the better of the first 20, but then Otford started to carve out chances. Right at the end, the Otford keeper pulled off a great save to deny the home #9, but it appeared it just wasn't going to be their day.

 

THE GROUND

THE JOHN COOPER GROUND is a decent setup, but some parts of it have seen better days. There is no furniture around the pitch, although the clubhouse offers a bit of cover and a couple of steps. Inside the clubhouse is lots of club merchandise and sports TV, but quite a limited range of drinks, just Rekorderlig Strawberry and lime for cider drinkers. There's not much around the ground, but it's good for transport links with lots of parking and Bromley bus garage, ten minutes walk away. 

Orwell - Eternit Sports & Social Club

Orwell FC

Eternit Sports & Social Club

Whaddon Road

Meldreth

Royston 

SG8 5RL

FA Full Time

Village History site

Orwell FC Twitter

Ground Number: 1541

Wednesday 8th April 2026

Orwell 1-3 Over Sports

Cambridgeshire County Premier

ORWELL FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1920, although it had played friendlies before and after the First World War. They joined the Foxton & District League and won the title four times before they joined the Cambridgeshire League in 1929. They won the Division 3 title in 1931 before they were placed in the top-tier League 1 for the following season. Their next league honour was winning the Cambridgeshire League Division 1 in 1958, losing just three times all season. By now, this was the second tier but Orwell would last for four seasons in the top division before relegation in 1962. They even dropped down to the third tier in 1965, but bounced back as runners-up the following season. The 1970s saw the club's fortunes fade, and they remained in the lower divisions for many years. In 2007, they went down to Division 4A, which was at the sixth tier of the Cambridgeshire County League, step 12 of non-league or the sixteenth tier of English Football overall. They finished 9th twice, then 5th before winning the title in 2011. This kick-started a revival, and a third-place finish in 2012 was good enough for promotion from Division 3A. In 2013, Orwell finished as runners-up to Ashdon Villa in Division 2A for another promotion. The club made it four promotions in a row as they finished as Division 1A runners-up to Barrington in 2014. The following season saw a 3rd place finish in the Senior B division, but in 2016, they finished bottom of the other regional league at that level, Senior A. Despite this, they remained in the division. They stabilised at the level, with a series of decent finishes before they won the title in 2025. This earned them promotion to the top tier for the first time in 63 years, where they are currently fighting relegation.

Mr H G Peters was President of the club from its formation in 1920 to when he died in 1966. He provided the original pitch on which to play – and allowed the club to build dressing rooms and toilets, until the venue was replaced by the Recreation Ground. Sid Miller was one of the original founders of the club and was also the first club captain; he remained a Life Vice President until he died. The Recreation Ground was their home for many years, but after promotion to the Senior Division, they had to move to the Meldreth Recreation Ground (around four miles from Orwell) as the pitch at their home venue was too small. Following their promotion to the Premier Division, they moved again to the Eternit Sports & Social Club, again in Meldreth, to satisfy ground grading regulations. In terms of local cups, the club has won six Foster Cups, the Gransden Cup and the Royston Hospital Cup in 1929, the Cambridgeshire Junior Cup in 1938, the Willingham Cup in 1947, the Milton Cup in 1958, and the Bambridge Cup in 1966.

Orwell is a rural village outside Cambridge. It has a population of around 1,000. The Prime Meridian passes the eastern edge of Orwell. The village of Orwell grew around the well that gave it its name, and the Roman road that runs to Cambridge runs alongside the village. Listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ordeuuella. The village's name means "spring by a pointed hill". The oldest surviving houses in the village date from the 16th century, although the village church dates back to around 1150. The parish's main commercial activity has always been agriculture, though a coprolite mine opened for a brief period at the end of the 19th century, and a brewery. There were two pubs listed in the village in 1756, rising to seven by 1882. By 1936, there were still six, but by 1970, only The Chequers remained. It remains the village's only pub.

The club currently plays in the village of Meldreth, which has a population of around 1,800. A large Bronze Age hoard was found near Meldreth railway station in the nineteenth century, which is now in the collections of the British Museum. The village, once famous for its fruit production, is now home to many commuters who work in Cambridge and London. Orchards still exist in Meldreth, and locally grown fruits and vegetables are sold in the village, most notably the Meldreth greengage. The village retains its own railway station, which opened in 1851. In 2001, local celebrations marked the 150th anniversary of Meldreth railway station, which serves the residents of Meldreth and the neighbouring village of Melbourn. Trains from the station run to Cambridge and London King's Cross. The prime meridian runs through the village. A stone marker was erected near the western end of Fenny Lane and unveiled in December 1999 by the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees.

MY VISIT

It was that part of the season where clubs without floodlights played games in midweek. This was usually a week or so after the clocks went forward, but there had already been a fair few games, especially in the Craven League, which had started the day after the time change. I'd have to wait a while longer, though, and was initially planning to go to New Romney v Hawkinge on Thursday. However, when I checked, it was a fair distance, and I'd found a far closer option in Orwell v Over Sports. It all depended on whether fellow Hopper Colin could make it through, so I didn't decide either way until Tuesday night. Colin was on board with us going to Orwell, which was a far nicer journey. It would also save me money. An excellent history site aided research into the club, especially the early years. The FA Full Time site was actually decent for once, going all the way back to 2006 and retaining the results from the two pandemic seasons. I was reminded that this game would make the 25th anniversary of Wycombe playing Liverpool at Villa Park in the FA Cup semi-final. What a day, but quite a contrast between venues a quarter of a century apart. I doubt I'd have contemplated visiting a ground this basic five years ago, let alone 25 years ago. But now, I embrace the madness and probably enjoy step 7 as much as anything these days.

After my long weekend, I got over seven hours of sleep on Monday night, a decent amount for me. It took me a couple of hours to get up and ready, but I did my usual walk to Wycombe & back, over ten miles in all. It was probably undone by having a Wispa, a Belgian Bun, and a can of Irn Bru, though. I did at least have a fairly healthy lunch of chicken & salad wrap. In the evening, I made my 42nd visit to Holmer Green to see them beat Staines & Lammas 2-0, creating a club record nine wins in a row in the process. Wednesday was an early start for work, and I was glad to finish at 11 and top up with petrol for tonight. Lunchtime brought the news that Hillingdon Borough had decided to call it a day, after thirty-six years. The vague statement gave people just three days' notice for people to visit and pay their tributes. After a few hours at home, researching the club history, I left at 3.15., I picked Colin up 15 minutes later. It was the hottest day of the year, and having had a busy day, Colin slept for the entire journey. We were in Royston at 5, and it was a nice town, with free parking after 3 pm. From there, we walked the five minutes to Wetherspoons 499, The Manor House. It was pizza Wednesday, so I went for spicy chicken pizza with a passion fruit cooler for just over £7, a bargain. With it being busy due to the weather, service was not the quickest. In fact, 15 minutes for drinks, 30 minutes for food, so I was glad I allowed lots of time. Colin, as usual, avoided the deal nights, paying full price for his chicken and having garlic bread on the side. He took an age to eat it, so we only had ten minutes before kickoff after a ten-minute drive.

 

Orwell were in 13th place and had won eight, drawn one and lost thirteen so far. They had one win in seven, which came a couple of games ago when they won 2-0 at Comberton. In their last game, they lost 7-0 at Newmarket Town Reserves. Over Sports were in 6th and had won thirteen, drawn six and lost six. They hadn't won in three, but gained a respectable 1-1 draw against West Wratting last time out. The visitors were by far the better side, taking the lead after four minutes, a well-worked move leading to a low shot from fifteen yards into the bottom right-hand corner. After wasting several chances, they went 2-0 up after 15 minutes, another low shot this time from a long throw. Orwell started to have some chances around the half hour, coming close a couple of times. On 35 minutes, it was 3-0, the keeper could only palm the ball out for the Over Sports man to finish from close range. A header from a corner five minutes later was disallowed as the one-way traffic continued. The second half was more muted. Over Sports hit the woodwork twice, and Orwell fashioned a couple of half-chances. They had their keeper to thank for some excellent saves, which kept the score respectable. They got their reward on 88 minutes, drilling low into the bottom left to make it 3-1. It had been a pleasant evening in warm sunshine, hopefully more to come.

THE GROUND

ETERNIT SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB is part of a huge complex with lots of parking. The main feature is a decent bar, which sometimes does food. There are dugouts on the other pitches, but not on the one that was used on my visit. It is also linked by buses, albeit with a bit of a walk. Though it is basic at the moment, there is a lot os space and potential to improve.