In just under seven days’ time, the English Football League will be welcoming either Bromley or Solihull Moors as debutants.
The pair clash at Wembley Stadium next Sunday to join Chesterfield as the promoted clubs from the National League after dispatching Altrincham and Barnet in the semi-finals.
The Moors were in cruise control at The Hive dispatching the Bees 4-0 whilst the Ravens came from behind at Hayes Lane to see off the Robins 3-1 but there is a good possibility goals will be harder to come by in the final.
The two sides have met twice in the last six weeks on consecutive weekends. Moors came out on top in the FA Trophy tie with a 2-1 victory whilst Bromley triumphed 3-0 in the league encounter the following Saturday as Hayes Lane hosted both games.
These two sides will know each other’s game plan inside out and it will be the team who can find that extra gear and chink in the armour who gets the result to earn promotion to League Two for the first time ever.
The Ravens know that if they are successful, their 3G astroturf pitch will have hosted its last game, with the surfaces banned from EFL action. There would be some question marks as to how Bromley will fair playing on grass every week. The plastic surfaces undoubtedly give home sides some advantage despite the fact many clubs do train at times on those pitches during the week.
However, it would be hoped that the return to a natural surface would not hinder their progress and in some aspects will open up other avenues again within the transfer market for those players who struggle on artificial pitches.
The Moors have no such concerns here and their turnaround under Andy Whing is quite remarkable. They weren’t considered by many to be a threat to the top seven but a fast start that saw them remain unbeaten until early October set the foundation and has culminated in a double Wembley trip for the Midlands outfit.
Only Southend United had a better defensive record than Bromley across the season as Andy Woodman’s side don’t lose games often. In fact, Bromley have tasted defeat on just 20 occasions in the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, Solihull conceded less than champions Chesterfield which shows that both these two teams are built on solid defensive platforms which allow the remainder of the team to attack.
With neither side having any league pedigree to judge, it’s difficult to know which team will fair better than the other should they win the coveted spot. Both would expect to emulate those before them and avoid relegation. Being something of an unknown quantity to most, there is every chance of springing a surprise.
Each club is well backed by their respective board members and financing a Football League side for the first time will see neither scoff at the opportunity.
With Bromley, they are always fancied to be in with any shout. A striker by the name of Michael Cheek only needs one chance to make his opponents pay. Moors, though, are very workman-like, with Jamey Osborne pulling the strings as he did throughout their semi-final.
Of course, whichever side gets promoted will strengthen over the summer. Both will probably feel they only need a tweak here and there but there can’t be too much caution operating under a transfer window, the likes of which neither side has dealt with before.
The infrastructure at Hayes Lane is almost all in place to support a Football League side. They were close last year to making the final after running Chesterfield so close. Moors will be hard done by no doubt if they don’t go up, but it might be a year too early.
A renowned non-league blogger and Barnet FC fan, Trevor covers National League divisions with expertise and passion.
