Andy Woodman reflects on surpassing 100 matches in charge of Bromley
BY JACK BURGESS
Andy Woodman is looking to add more positive memories at Bromley before the end of the season, with the 51-year-old South Londoner taking charge of his 100th game in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Barnet.
Woodman arrived at the Ravens from Arsenal, where he was head of goalkeeping, in March 2021. He has also held the role of goalkeeping coach at Charlton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle United.
He has won 42 of the 101 games since succeeding Neil Smith at the National League club, drawing 32 and losing 27. The Ravens have averaged 1.56 points per game in his time at the club.
Woodman guided Bromley to the play-off places at the end of the 2020-21 season, recording seven wins, four draws and one defeat in the last 13 games. They lost 3-2 to Hartlepool in the play-off quarter-finals.
Woodman’s first full season in charge saw the club finish 10th and seven points off the last play-off place. The highlight of the 2021-22 season came in the FA Trophy, beating big spenders Wrexham 1-0 at Wembley in the final.
The Ravens are eighth this season, one place and two points off Eastleigh, who are in the final play-off position.
“There’s been so many highlights so far,” said Woodman. “Obviously guiding the club to the play-off was a highlight. Winning a trophy at Wembley was another, against such a good side in Wrexham.
“I want to get the club back into the play-off’s first and foremost this season and who knows after that? I’ve enjoyed my time here and we’ve just got to keep pushing forward.”
Woodman has also spoken of his pride in using young players to achieve results and push towards the play-offs in the company of some of the league’s biggest spenders.
“It’s the way that we have to do things,” he said. “We have to cut our cloth accordingly. We’ve got some good young players coming through and we want to play them. That’s what balances the books.
“It does make me very proud to see these young boys come through and to be playing at the level that they are playing at. We’re really not in a bad place at all in terms of the size of the squad with the size of the budget that we’ve had.”