Faversham Town vs Cray Wanderers – Pre-Season Friendly – 1/8/26 – 1pm
Pics: Natalie Stribbling and Jon Hilliger
Cray Wanderers bring the pre-season schedule to an end on Saturday 1st August as Tim O’Shea’s side visit Isthmian South-East Faversham Town. Please note the kick off time of 1 pm at the Aquatherm Stadium for this match.
The Wands will be looking to complete pre-season on a high after a run of three straight wins including two with clean sheets after wins against Folkestone Invicta, Tonbridge Angels and Cray Valley PM. Last Saturday was a free day as the scheduled game with a Crystal Palace XI was cancelled but an entertaining U18s game took its place and included players like Billy Wall and Tade Kpotie who have made pre-season appearances during the five matches.
The last run out against Cray Valley saw a 2-0 win with goals from Alex Hernandez and an own goal and the team looked to be ticking over nicely ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season next Saturday at Wingate & Finchley.
The Wands will be well tested for the final game against a Faversham Town side who will be among the favourites for promotion from the Isthmian South-East this season. Steve Watt was confirmed as manager during the summer and last season the Lilywhites finished seventh as Cray did in the Premier a position this season that will guarantee a playoff place.
Faversham have added some quality signings since the end of the 2025-26 season with goalkeeper Tom Hadler, defenders Jack Steventon, Josh Hare and Harry Hudson who had a spell on loan with Cray during the 2019-20 season. In midfield Jack Evans brings experience signing from Billericay Town along with Kayne Haysom and Lex Allan and up front Ibrahim Olutade one of a handful of signings from Margate.
Pre-season has gone well results wise starting with a 2-1 win vs Faversham Strike Force in the Rob Beazleigh Trophy on 30th June. A 1-1 draw at Fisher on 4th July was followed by three straight wins vs Snodland Town (3-1, 7/7), 5-0 at Hollands & Blair (11/7) and 5-2 at home to Kennington on 21st July. Their only defeat came at home to Dartford (0-2) last Saturday and on Tuesday night drew 1-1 at Isthmian Premier Ramsgate with Hudson netting for Faversham.
Faversham Town begin their domestic season next Saturday (8th August) with an intriguing FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie at home to Corinthian Casuals. Their first league game is at Sevenoaks Town on 15th August with the first home match vs Deal Town on 18th August. In the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round, Faversham have been drawn away to Southern League Division One South Flackwell Heath on 29th August and will be away to Herne Bay in the Kent Senior Cup 1st Round.
The Wands and Faversham Town met over many years throughout the leagues from the 1960’s in the Aetolian League, Greater London League and in FA Amateur Cup ties and in the 70’s in the Metropolitan London League. Upon Cray Wanderers returning to the Kent League from 1980-81 the teams met every season until 2002-03 when Faversham resigned from the league.
We met up again with Faversham during the 2010’s with Cray by now in the Isthmian League Premier and Faversham achieved promotion from the Kent League in 2009-10 to Division One South. The sides met in the Isthmian South and South-East between, 2016-17 – 2018-19 with Cray winning three times and three draws. The last meeting in the 2018-19 season saw Cray winning 7-2 at Hayes Lane in October 2018 with Freddie Parker scoring a hat-trick, Junior Dadson netting twice and Barney Williams and Ben Mundele on the score-sheet with Michael Jenner and Ashley Miller for Faversham. The teams drew 1-1 at Faversham on 26th January 2019 with Mitchell Nelson cancelling out a Danny Walder penalty. Faversham did beat Cray twice in the FA Cup in 2013-14 and 2016-17 with Cray winning in the FA Trophy at Hayes Lane in 2014-15 season. So there has been a lot of history on the playing side between the clubs going back over sixty years.
This is one of the great away days for any supporter so to end pre-season with this fixture is something of a coup especially for those that appreciate sampling evidence of the brewing industry.
DIRECTIONS TO FAVERSHAM TOWN FC
Aquatherm Stadium, Salters Lane, Faversham KENT ME13 8ND
Admission Prices
Adults: £5
Concessions: £2
U18s: £2 U16s: – Free
From junction 6 of the M2 (A251) follow the signs for Faversham. At the junction with the A2 turn right and the ground is on the right after approximately half a mile. The entrance is in Salters Lane, opposite Mill House Residential Home. If using SAT NAV please when turning off at Junction 6 at the top please turn left not right as it tells you to.
If you are coming by train then exit the station and follow the road around to the left on Forbes Road. This will become “The Mall” and when this road reaches London Road, turn left and the ground is 300 yards on your right hand side.
There are three trains an hour which leave from Bromley South at 27 and 57 past the hour. Anyone travelling from Mottingham, New Eltham or Eltham you can catch a train to Gravesend and change for Faversham with trains at 14 past the hour. For returns trains leave Faversham at 32 and 00 past the hour. If you want to hang around after the game (pubs are quite close to the station) please check www.nationalrail.co.uk
If you want a drink in Faversham, well it probably is the brewing capital of the country with the Shepherd Neame Brewery founded in 1698 believed to be the oldest family run brewery in the UK. This is in Court Street and about a mile from the ground.
Here are a selection of pubs you can choose from. London Road leads you to the ground (cross over and you will find the footpath to the ground) and you will find the Gunpowder Mill (Marstons, ME13 8XE, opens 11 am) which is highly rated and does good food.
The Cow Shed at the Ship Inn – 12 Ospringe Street, ME13 8TL – 10 am opening
The Elephant – 31 The Mall, Faversham ME13 – 12 pm opening
The Railway Hotel – Preston Street, ME13 8PE (close to the Railway Station, 12 pm)
The Limes – 59 Preston Street ME13 8PG (also close to the station, 12 pm)
The Creekers Tap – 37 Preston Street ME13 8PE, 12 pm
The Leading Light – JD Wetherspoon 20-22 Preston Street ME13 8NZ, 8 am
Furlongs Ale House – 6a Preston Street ME13 8NS, 12 pm
Going a bit further away from the ground
The Market Inn – 42 East Street, ME13 8AT, 12 pm
The Bank – 44-45 Court Street ME13 7AP, 12 pm
The Bear Inn – Market Place ME13 7AG, 10.30 am
The Sun Inn – 10 West Street ME13 7JE, 11 am
The Phoenix Tavern – 98-99 Abbey Street ME13 7BH, 12 pm
Going a bit even more out of the way of the ground
The Three Tuns – Tanners Street, ME13 7JP, 12 pm
The Bull Inn – 1 Tanners Street, ME13 7JL, 12 pm
The market town area has an array of pubs (probably around 20) which will probably mean you must be very hard to please to not find something for your tastes. Remember the kick-off is at 1 pm so this will give plenty of time for you to explore after the game with many pubs not opening until midday.
Faversham lies next to the Swale River and was a major seaport and lays claim to have been the capital of Saxon England. There was an Abbey in the town but was practically destroyed in 1538 and there are historical links to nearby Canterbury.
Gunpowder was made there from the late 16th century but the factories were closed in 1934 and never re-opened. Since then the town has been renowned for its hops and brewing and its market believed to be the oldest in Kent still in existence.
Every year Faversham hosts a famous Hop Festival which this year takes place on 5th and 6th September which showcases the links and pride the Market Town takes in its brewing history. Tourists and visitors flock from far and wide and there are stalls, live music and various events for all the family. It is quite an experience and takes place on FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round weekend (just in case we get drawn against Faversham Town).
Faversham Town Football Club also are the only club side either professional, semi-pro or amateur to have Three Lions on their badge putting them alongside the Men and Women’s national team.
Faversham is one of the great away days and there is also a very good bar at the ground if you prefer to head straight there before exploring options later on.
