Cray Wanderers vs Maidstone United – PSF – Saturday 2nd August, 3 pm
Cray Wanderers play the sixth and final pre-season friendly on Saturday as the Wands welcome National South Maidstone United to Flamingo Park for the first time. Kick off 3 pm.
The Wands will be looking to maintain what has been a steady pre-season with three wins and two draws but Saturday will provide clearly the toughest challenge to date against last season’s National South playoff finalists.
Tim O’Shea’s side last Saturday followed up the Sittingbourne win with a 3-2 come from behind victory against Ashford United. Trailing at the break, Cray stepped up the gears after the restart levelling through Frankie Morgan’s first goal of pre-season. The Wands then went 3-1 up with two sharply taken goals from Ashley Nzala, one a header making it four goals in five games. Tom Bonner, made a second half appearance, his first during pre-season
The squad has looked to be well stocked with a number of last season’s squad retained like, Bonner, Remi Sutton, Quade Taylor, Lateef Adaja, Josh Williams and Frankie Raymond and U23s players Michael Ihiedi, Tom Borders, Victor Damyanov, George Brooke, Bobby Parkes and Kevin Kardel registered as first team players. Additions to the club, goalkeeper Harry Seaden, full backs Prosper Keto and Frankie Morgan (pics), midfielders Luke Allen, Tom Jackson and attacking players, Ashley Nzala, Alex Hernandez, Tyrese Briscoe and Nods Bobomurodov (3rd pic) have all been quality additions and made their contributions during pre-season.
The Wands have a very Flamingo Park based August with four out of the five opening Isthmian Premier League fixtures being at home starting against Canvey Island on Saturday 9th August and will be hoping to continue what has been a very good home record in 2025 with only Dover Athletic picking up three points at the Wands new home after the turn of the year.
Maidstone United will provide very tough competition as George Elokobi’s side came within a whisker of being a National League side last season. After a 7th placed finish in the League the Stones’ drawn away in each round beat Worthing and Eastbourne Borough before losing narrowly at Boreham Wood after an incredibly close season where only three points separated Champions Truro to sixth place Dorking Wanderers.
The Stones’ like Cray look to building solidly with a number of new players joining the club and there will be a couple of familiar faces for Wands fans in Jephte Tanga and Jamie Yila now at the Gallagher Stadium.
Pre-season has seen a 2-2 draw at Ashford United, a 0-1 defeat at home to Chatham Town and then three successive home wins, 2-0 vs St Albans City, 4-0 vs Millwall U21s and last Saturday, 4-0 vs Colchester United U21s with goals from Deon Moore (2), David Agbonthoma and John Gilbert.
Maidstone, like Cray start their league season next Saturday away to Hemel Hempstead Town. The first home game will be the following Saturday vs Torquay United.
This will be the first meeting between the sides since the 2014-15 when the teams met in the Isthmian League Cup at Maidstone which the home side won 4-2. The current Maidstone United club was formed after the original club which briefly played in the Football League folded in 1992 as with remants of the youth set up. After a few years of working their way through the Kent County Leagues the club finally hit the Kent League in 2001-02 meeting Cray Wanderers for the first time and the Wands helped the Stones win the league after Ian Jenkins’ injury time equaliser denied VCD the win they needed in a league decided on goal difference. The following season Cray would win the league at the Stones’ expense on a points per game award. The teams would then meet in the Kent League in 2003-04 and then in the Isthmian League with Maidstone at this time not playing in Kent’s county town and played at Sittingbourne’s Central Park and Bourne Park grounds.
Maidstone were Isthmian Division One South Champions in 2006-07 and the sides met again in 2009-10 with Cray now in the Isthmian Premier. Maidstone were the first side Cray beat at home in the top division, 1-0 on 24th November, 2009 with a Colin Luckett goal. Cray beat Maidstone home and away in 2010-11 in a season where Maidstone were relegated. They would return in 2013-14 but now after a number of years of hard work behind the scenes Maidstone United were now playing at their own home ground after a spell of sharing at Ashford United and the Gallagher Stadium saw a groundbreaking development of having a 3G pitch laid which set a precedent for a large number of clubs to follow over the coming ten years including the Wands at Flamingo Park.
Mark Willy scores for Cray vs Maidstone, FA Trophy 30/10/2010
The last league meetings saw Maidstone win both games convincingly in 2013-14 and since then the clubs have moved in different directions with Maidstone earning promotion to the National South and also the National League and also reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup in 2023-24.
This will be a great occasion and with Maidstone expected to send their full first team squad a very good match and test for the Wands.
Admission £12 adults, £8 concessions, £4 U16-U13s, U12s free. Pay on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets, match Programme £2 available on the turnstile, merchandise shop open with books/programmes. Hot and cold food available and bars upstairs and ground level + large TV screen.
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Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team, U23s, Youth Team games, Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events. For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park.
By car
From Kent – Via M20 or A2
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles. After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles. Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3, exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles. At the Swanley interchange, take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
From London, North & West
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212, A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St. George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles. Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles. Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles. Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles. Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles. Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C. London/Lewisham for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles. Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park.
From Essex/East Anglia
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles. At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles. Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles. Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles. At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Then merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
From: Sussex/South
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25. After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles. At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 400 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend. There are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham from London Charing Cross. For returns there are also four trains back to London.
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles. Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground.
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley, Sidcup, Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground. From Chislehurst station the 162 bus which starts in Bromley stops on Slades Drive where you can access the public footpath opposite the bus stop and is around a ten minute walk to the ground. This bus also stops at New Eltham Station for your return journey.
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
738 Sidcup Road, Eltham, London
SE9 3NS
Sat Nav Directions:SE9 3TJ
Directions:
From South Circular Road, take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways, where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane.
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music. There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop. Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from.
