Former Millwall defensive rock sets sights on another promotion…this time to the Football League with Bromley

BY EDMUND BRACK
edmund@slpmedia.co.uk

Experienced defender Byron Webster has set his sights on promotion to the Football League with Bromley this season.

The 36-year-old captain is a mainstay in the side and has registered more than 100 appearances for the Ravens since joining following his release from then League Two side Carlisle United in 2020.

Webster has helped Bromley achieve two play-off finishes and also skippered the side which beat Wrexham at Wembley in May 2022 to win the FA Trophy.

Andy Woodman’s Bromley are unbeaten in their six most recent National League outings and emphatically beat Maidenhead 4-1 at home on Saturday afternoon.

They are ninth in the table and only outside the top seven on goal difference.

“To get promoted is what I want to achieve,” Webster told the South London Press when asked about the goal for the 2023-24 campaign. “If we don’t get promotion then we’re going to be in the play-offs – I always aim high.

“I can’t go into a game thinking about getting a point, I go into every game wanting to win.

“You go down in a club’s history whenever you’re successful – you’re forever welcomed back.

“When I look back at my career, the teams that you have been successful with hold a special place in your heart – Yeovil, Millwall and now Bromley.

“I have enjoyed my time here. I don’t see this as my last season, I feel myself going on for another one or two. I feel good and the club is going in the right direction.

“Every year I set my own little targets. It used to be making sure I played in the Championship or scored a certain number of goals, but it’s changed as the years have gone on.”

Webster played the full 90 minutes in Saturday’s win against the Magpies as striker Michael Cheek took his goal tally to four for the season with a first-half brace.

“It doesn’t matter what team you’re playing against, as long as your strikers are scoring goals, it makes everyone’s jobs easier,” said Webster.

“We have a goalscorer who has scored nearly 20-plus goals for I don’t know how many years. He must be up there with the leading goalscorers in Conference history, if not already there.

“He’s a fantastic player and fantastic goalscorer. When he is in the mood, like he is at the minute, scoring goals and having that edge and nastiness – he is unplayable.”

Webster, who made 137 appearances during his time at Millwall, has started the past seven games alongside 19-year-old Lions loanee Chin Okoli.

Ex-Millwall youngster Besart Topalloj, 22, has also been involved in every National League game so far this season under Woodman.

Webster said: “Throughout my whole career, I have tried to help the young kids, but it’s not that my opinion is gospel and that they should listen to me.

“Football is full of opinions. The lads do come up to speak to me and ask for my opinion, which I like.

“It shows that they respect my opinion. But the young lads are doing that themselves with the way they train, graft and the extra work they put in.

“The good thing about the lads at our place is that they want to learn – they’re like sponges and want to progress their careers.

“The majority of them, if they’re honest, they don’t want to stay at Bromley forever – they want to kick on and get back into the league.

“But, with Bes and Chin, for example, if they do well as individuals that helps Bromley as a football club.

“When I did well at Yeovil or Millwall, it did well for Byron Webster, but we won as a club.  If you do well for yourself, then the club benefits as well.”

Bromley suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening games against Halifax Town and Barnet but are climbing their way back up the National League table as they head to Oldham tomorrow.

“There aren’t many ‘non-league teams’ in this division,” said Webster. “Most of the teams have been in the Football League.

“The majority of teams are full time and the standard is going up year after year.

“Anyone can beat anyone this year and it will be a lot closer come the end of the season.

“You can go on a run of six games winning, but you could easily go on a winless run because teams are a lot more equally matched.”