Andy Woodman has broken his silence on his dismissal as Bromley manager, stating he felt "pretty misled" by the club. The 55-year-old was sacked on 22 October, just ten games into Bromley's debut League One campaign, following a 4-0 defeat to Leicester City. The club's league position has since worsened to 24th, with just 9 points from 13 games, comprising two wins, three draws, and eight defeats.
Woodman, who spent five-and-a-half years at Hayes Lane, guided the club from the National League to the third tier, winning the FA Trophy and securing back-to-back promotions. His departure came with Bromley 23rd in the table and having conceded a league-high 25 goals, a defensive frailty that has persisted as the side now sits 24th with 9 points from 13 games. Their goal difference has plummeted to minus 20, having scored 13 and conceded 33 this season.
Woodman described the meeting where his departure was confirmed as brief and impersonal. "I feel pretty misled," Woodman said. "I just felt that I gave five and a half years of my life to the club and was told in no longer than three or four minutes." He added that the manner of the conversation left him "pretty disappointed and pretty upset," but insisted his desire to manage has only grown stronger.
His tenure transformed the club's status. When he arrived, Bromley had never operated above the fifth division. He inherited a solid base from predecessor Neil Smith, kept key striker Michael Cheek, and led the team to 11th in their first Football League season before winning the League Two title. Despite working with limited resources, including training on a single artificial pitch, he delivered three major trophies and two historic promotions.
The club's difficult transition to League One continues. Since Woodman's exit, results have remained poor, with a recent 3-2 loss to Wigan and a 4-1 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons. Their form over the last five matches reads zero wins, one draw, and four defeats, a run that includes losses to Stockport County and Mansfield Town and a draw with Peterborough. They have scored 13 goals but conceded 33, leaving them with a -20 goal difference and 19 points adrift of leaders Huddersfield Town. The search for a new manager is underway, with former England international Ashley Cole previously linked to the vacancy. The team's next opportunity to try and turn things around comes at home to 17th-placed Notts County on Saturday 14 November.
Woodman, meanwhile, is already looking forward. "I think there's loads of ways of speaking to people and trying to sort of toe the line, but I think you've just got to speak honestly," he stated.
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