Kent Tonight Special: The 'Kent' Derby Preview

KentOnline / KMTV

As Gillingham take on Bromley for the first time in the Football League, we speak to fans on both sides of the pitch, and ask if the A2 Derby can really count as a Kent rivalry…

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome along to this Kentonite special.

00:29I'm Bartholomew Hall and in exactly two hours on this Wednesday the 4th of December, a first

00:34for Kent football will be kicking off.

00:36Today the Invicta Sport team have taken over and we're looking ahead to a highly anticipated

00:40League Two fixture as Gillingham travel to Bromley for the first time in the Football

00:45League.

00:46Whilst it's not technically classed as a Kent derby, something we'll be exploring today,

00:50with just 30 miles between the two clubs and 515 away tickets quickly snapped up, it promises

00:56to be one to enjoy.

00:59But we begin by looking back at how both sides' seasons have been progressing, with Gillingham's

01:03long-fought quest to return to League One hitting something of a struggle in recent

01:07weeks.

01:08Meanwhile, in their first Football League season, it's been a great time to be a Bromley

01:12fan as of recent.

01:13As well as holding their own in League Two, Andy Woodman's side have even managed to sprinkle

01:17in some cup magic too.

01:19Let's see how things are shaping up going into tonight's fixture.

01:22Gillingham's season started like a dream.

01:24New manager, new additions to the squad and a great run of results.

01:28Top of the table for much of the first few months, it seemed the prospect of finally

01:32being promoted from League Two was on the cards.

01:35But following a home loss over Grimsby, Mark Bonner's men just haven't been able to pick

01:39up the pace, beginning a run which would see the Gills pick up just one win in 10 games

01:44across all competitions.

01:46With mounting issues such as player injuries and fans beginning to boo the team off the

01:50pitch, it seems the Gills need something of a boost.

01:54Now set to take on Bromley for the first time, Mark Bonner hopes the prospect of a local

01:59derby could be what his players need on their route back to positive results.

02:03I think the location of the game always adds an edge to the game, which is really good.

02:09And having been there before to see games, knowing what the atmosphere will be like,

02:13how tight it will be, I think it will be a real lively atmosphere which will be brilliant.

02:19So hopefully we can have those that are there make a right noise and get right behind the

02:23team and the team can give a performance that gives a real chance of winning the game.

02:28As for Bromley, it's their first season in the Football League, having beaten Solihill

02:31Moores at the National League play-offs to claim the final League Two space.

02:35Since then, despite struggling for wins, Andy Rudman's side have been hard to beat, drawing

02:40half of their 16 games.

02:42More recently, success has continued to flow for Bromley, having reached the FA Cup third

02:46round for the first time, and having been drawn to play Newcastle away, a huge tie for

02:51the lower league club.

02:53But for an ex-non-league team, playing local rivals is something they're used to.

02:58We're used to playing your Dartfords, your Dovers, your Maidstones, Tunbridge, etc. over

03:03the last 10 years or so.

03:05This feels different, but in a different level now because Gillingham are the Manchester United

03:13of Kent.

03:14Let's have it right.

03:15So in terms of their scope as a club, Bromley feel like the noisy neighbours now.

03:22There's a lot of Bromley fans who consider that historically we are a Kent club, but

03:27we just happen to be the London borough of Bromley.

03:29So I definitely see this as a Kent derby.

03:33515 tickets were allocated for Gillingham fans, which were all quickly snapped up.

03:38So with the anticipation building, just what will come of this rivalry in seasons to come?

03:43Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.

03:46Well, we're just 30 miles between these two clubs.

03:49There is one thing for certain, it truly is derby day.

03:52But with the debate over Bromley's status as in or out of Kent still raging on almost

03:5760 years since the forming of the London borough of Bromley, can we really call it a Kent derby?

04:02Well, I thought we'd go out and settle it once and for all.

04:05So later today, hundreds of Gillingham fans will be making the trip down to Bromley for

04:09the match.

04:10But does it really count as a Kent derby?

04:12Is Bromley in Kent?

04:14Well, we're here in the high street to ask exactly that today.

04:26We're just asking if you think Bromley is in Kent or not.

04:37Hello there, we're asking do you think Bromley is in Kent or not in Kent?

04:44We're just asking if you think Bromley is in Kent or not in Kent?

04:47I know it's in Kent.

04:49It's definitely in Kent, what do you think?

04:51That's good.

04:52Not in Kent.

04:53So we got one for and one against, thank you very much.

04:55It's a very, very divided opinion here in Bromley today, thank you very much.

05:04We're just asking if you think Bromley is in Kent or not in Kent, what do you think?

05:09It is in Kent.

05:10It is in Kent.

05:12I don't think it's in Kent.

05:13I don't think it's in Kent.

05:16Bromley's in Kent, but it's a longer bath.

05:20If you think it's in Kent, we're saying Kent.

05:24So let's take a look at the results now.

05:25What started off with not Kent being firmly in the lead has changed dramatically.

05:29In fact, most people that we've spoken to have told us that Bromley is in fact in Kent.

05:35So maybe we really can call it the Kent derby.

05:38And with the countdown on till tonight's kick-off and the heat rising for Mark Bonner,

05:42just what do the Gilles fans make of the season so far?

05:45Well, David Garth and Paul Jocelyn joins me in the Fan Zone,

05:48as well as Chris Dillow from the View from the Medway podcast to discuss all that and plenty more.

05:53So guys, thank you for being here.

05:54Welcome to the Fan Zone.

05:55Really good to have you on the programme.

05:57Let's start with Bromley.

05:58Mark Bonner has called it a real derby.

06:00Of course, when you have an away game that is in such close proximity to the home stadium,

06:06it always does give a bit more excitement.

06:08It's not necessarily a big rivalry.

06:10I think it's been a very long time since the two sides have played against each other.

06:14Do you think this is something that could maybe be a rivalry in the future?

06:17We'll start with yourself, David.

06:18I guess it could be.

06:20I mean, given the proximity of the two grounds, it's not that far to get to either of them.

06:25And this could grow over the years.

06:27Obviously, it depends if both sides stay in the same division.

06:30And I'm hoping that we won't.

06:31We'll go up.

06:32So that's how I feel about it anyway.

06:34That's true.

06:35And Bromley have definitely made a name for themselves this season, getting into the Football League,

06:39having great results so far.

06:41Of course, as early as this week, getting into the third round of the FA Cup.

06:44Paul, what do you think?

06:45Do you think Bromley-Gillingham is something that we could be looking at for years to come?

06:49No, not really.

06:50I think Bromley used to be in Kent, historically.

06:53And in the old days, when we used to play them, of course,

06:56I think it was 18-something when we played them in the league last.

06:59It's exciting.

07:01It's a bit like going to Wrexham, isn't it?

07:03It's a new ground to go to.

07:05And a lot of people go around to different grounds.

07:08I don't know.

07:09I'm not sure.

07:10But there's been such a demand for this game tonight.

07:15And I just find it amazing.

07:17I'll be watching it on Sky, by the way.

07:20Yeah, I think a lot of fans will be.

07:21Chris, we'll come to you now.

07:22Those tickets did snap up very quickly.

07:25Do you think this is a fixture that lots of fans will be looking forward to?

07:29Yeah, yeah.

07:30I mean, I got tickets last minute via a friend

07:34because they were unfortunately able to go tonight.

07:36So, yeah, I will be there.

07:39I will be supporting the boys.

07:41And we only got a certain allocation,

07:43so we couldn't really tell as much as I think we probably could have done.

07:50Right, let's talk about how the season's gone so far

07:53because things did start so positively this year.

07:56Very optimistic start to the season for Mark Bonner.

07:59But, safe to say, it's been a bit of a drop-off in the past few fixtures.

08:03How do you think the season's gone as a whole?

08:07Because we see this with clubs up and down the Football League.

08:10You have a good run of form.

08:11You maybe dip into a bit of a drop-off period.

08:14Do you think things can come back, David?

08:16Yeah, definitely.

08:17I mean, yeah, results-wise it was a fantastic start.

08:20I think it exceeded all expectations.

08:22And the drop-off was alarming, to be honest.

08:26The good thing was that we then seemed to come out of it

08:28with the Port Vale result, which was a well-deserved performance.

08:31But, of course, the last result against Harrogate

08:34left an awful lot of people very disappointed.

08:38But I think that when you look at the sides that we've got there to play tonight,

08:44I'm sure that we can do well.

08:45Yeah, and Chris, there's obviously been lots of different things

08:48that Mark Bonner has had to deal with this season,

08:50injuries being one of them.

08:51Do you think there's been a particular moment

08:53where things have kind of turned sour?

08:57I think it was probably after the Barrow game.

09:00I think a few comments that Mark made

09:03weren't necessarily praising of the players.

09:07And then that was our last game in September.

09:10And then you look at October, we lost pretty much all games

09:13apart from the last one against Swindon, which was a draw.

09:16But, again, that felt like a defeat in itself.

09:20There's quite a few things that could be mitigating circumstances, I guess.

09:26So, a mixture of injuries and not enough competition in key areas of the pitch.

09:32And yourself, Paul, do you think things could turn around from here?

09:35Oh, of course they will.

09:36We've got some good players.

09:37They just need to find the goal a bit more.

09:40That's what fans want.

09:41We want to cheer.

09:42When we actually score, the cheering is fantastic.

09:45You can hear it all over Kent.

09:47But Mark is very well tuned, isn't he, David?

09:50Yeah, I think the issue here, of course, is that he's got to come back now

09:54having had such a bad run.

09:55And I think this is going to be the making of the man.

09:58Yeah, it's a test.

09:59I think he needs the backing of the players.

10:02I'd like to think that he's got that.

10:04There's been a lot of people saying that maybe he hasn't.

10:07But I do feel that he has got the backing in the right areas.

10:10And I think that if he comes through this test,

10:13then he's going to be all the better for it.

10:15I think he deserves a few more games at least, I would say.

10:19But then, you know, Rome wasn't built in a day.

10:22I think sometimes as Gilles fans, we do expect a level instantly.

10:27I mean, if you look at Bromley's manager, Andy Woodman,

10:29he's been with the club for quite a while now.

10:31And he's actually had time to implement his ideas and to actually grow a culture.

10:35So I think we should give him some time.

10:38I appreciate that the fan base is impatient because of recent results.

10:42But he should get some time, yeah.

10:44All right, let's talk about this match then.

10:46It's the so-called Kent derby, if you want to look at it that way.

10:48Maybe the derby of the A2.

10:50Let's get some predictions in.

10:52We'll start with yourself, Paul.

10:533-1 to us.

10:55Slightly more cautious, but I feel that we can nick this 2-1.

11:00Brilliant. And yourself, Chris.

11:02I'm going to go for a draw.

11:05I'd like to see a win because tonight's going to be cold.

11:08It's going to be cold sat there.

11:11So I'd like to say a win, but I'm going to go for a draw.

11:14So 1-1.

11:161-1, OK.

11:17And it might be cold as well on Boxing Day as well when they come to Priestfield as well.

11:22Thank you all for joining us today.

11:23Thank you very much.

11:24Nice to see you.

11:25No worries. Thank you very much.

11:27Well, whichever side of the pitch you're on, we wish your team the best of luck this evening.

11:32And Kent Online will have all the updates throughout this evening.

11:34If you want more from us here at KMTV, you can head over to our website, kmtv.co.uk,

11:38where all of our special shows are available to watch back on demand.

11:42And don't forget to follow us on social media, too.

11:44KMTV, Kent, for all the latest from us here at KMTV.

11:47But for now, good night.

12:08KMTV.

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