BROMLEY captain Byron Webster ended his final game for the club by helping the Ravens win the League Two title with their 3-1 victory against Walsall at Hayes Lane.
Bromley had already been promoted to the third tier for the first time in their history and signed off the season in stye by winning the league by a point after Milton Keynes could only draw 1-1 at Fleetwood Town.
Ben Thompson opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Mitch Pinnock made it 2-0 on the hour.
Jid Okeke pulled a goal back two minutes later but in the 67th minute Omar Sowunmi restored the two-goal lead when he headed in at the back post from Pinnock’s corner.
Webster, 39, a League One play-off winner with Yeovil Town and Millwall, scored the winning penalty against Solihull Moors in the 2024 National League play-off final. Webster also won the FA Trophy with Andy Woodman’s side in 2022.
Leeds-born Webster joined Bromley under Neil Smith in 2020 after spells with Scunthorpe United and Carlisle United following his departure from the Lions in 2019.
Webster is a a UEFA A Licence holder as he aims to build another career after playing.
“When I joined in 2020 and listened to the chairman about his plans and visions, I believed and was fully committed to achieve this,” Webster said ahead of the game.
“To see that come to fruition is unbelievable.
“There are so many people to thank but I’ll keep it short. Thank you to Bromley Football Club, the big bosses – Mr Chairman (Robin Stanton-Gleaves) and Mr CEO (Mark Hammond).
“Also, the managers, coaches, backroom staff, office staff, team-mates and supporters.”
Bromley went through the season unbeaten at home in the league.
“Fair play to the guys, they kept believing, they kept pushing, they had a lot of adversity that people probably don’t realise,” Woodman said. “And look, we had a little bit of luck as well. Fleetwood getting a draw has helped us and that’s the beauty of the last day of the season – and Bromley Football Club are League Two champions.”
Woodman was asked what it means to him.
He said: “I don’t want to kill the conversation but it doesn’t mean anything to me, it means more that these boys have got the accolades they deserve. These young men deserve all the credit, not me. I’m just proud for them – that’s what it means to me.
“A trophy and a medal is lovely, but the memory of these boys achieving what I said they could achieve and carrying it out is my proudest moment.
“The shackles were off a little bit, there were no nerves. We haven’t really suffered from nerves. We’ve suffered from injuries, we’ve suffered from players being sold and all the stuff that comes. But these boys haven’t shown any nerves, as much as one or two people on the outside have said we have.
“They’ve kept going and kept going, they’ve been relentless.”
Bromley still have a number of the players that won promotion from the National League.
“That’s the DNA of us and the culture of everything we’ve created,” Woodman said. “These boys are the ones that are paying it forward to the next group. You can’t just rip up a team…we certainly can’t. And you want to reward these boys by getting them back out there and pitting them against the next league and the next opposition.
“There’s a real core here who have been with me from day one. They’e been the catalyst for everything that’s happened this football club.”
When Woodman took over in 2021, Stanton-Gleaves said the plan was to reach League One. Woodman was asked what’s next.
“I’ll take a bit of time just to reflect a little bit because I’m not really good at doing that,” Woodman said. “I’ll just take a moment, really. I have got something in my head, but it might be a bit early for me to say that.
“We’re just going to enjoy it.”
