Cray Wanderers vs Ashford United  – PSF – Saturday 26th July, 3 pm

Pics: Steve Cullum

Cray Wanderers play the fifth of six pre-season fixtures on Saturday as the Wands welcome Ashford United to Flamingo Park for the first time.  Kick off, 3 pm.

Tim O’Shea’s side have made a solid start to pre-season, unbeaten after four games and played well on Tuesday night to beat a well fancied Sittinbourne side 3-1 at Flamingo Park.

Cray were 2-0 up at the break through goals from summer signings Ashley Nzala from the penalty spot and Nodirbek Bobomurodov and both players have linked up well so far and looking sharp.

Sittingbourne threatened a comeback in the second half and pulled a goal back but the Wands restored the two goal advantage courtesy of a fine strike from Josh Williams for his second goal in pre-season.

Overall it was a very good team performance from the back to the front and the side look to be gelling well.

The Wands welcome Ashford United to Flamingo Park and the Nuts and Bolts begin their 2025-26 campaign next Saturday in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round with a visit to Haywards Heath Town. Lloyd Hume’s side begin the Isthmian South-East season on 9th August at Sheppey United with the first home game vs Sevenoaks Town on 12th August.

Ashford will be looking to improve on last season’s 11th place finish but do possess the goalscoring prowess of ex-Wand Gary Lockyer who netted 34 goals last season and was also the FA Cup 2024-25 leading scorer with 10 as Ashford reached the 3rd Qualifying Round and beat all other competition to receive his award at Wembley.

Ashford look to have added solid experience to the team with defenders Joe Ellul and Barry Fuller, midfielders Sam Hasler and Bruno Tavares and forward Lorenzo Lewis added to the team.

The Wands have had some good battles against Ashford United during the Isthmian League years most notably during the 2018-19 Isthmian South-East season where Cray won the title after beating Ashford at Hayes Lane, 3-1 and always a competitive game against a well supported club.

The Wands have one more friendly to come before the start of the season on 9th August vs Maidstone United next Saturday (2nd August).

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.


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.