Saturday 11th November 2023
Cray Valley PM vs Erith & Belvedere
Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division
Kick-off 3.00pm
The Artic Stadium, Badgers Sports, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, SE9 5HP

We make the short trip over to Eltham to face Cray Valley PM who have the small matter of a televised FA Cup replay at home to Charlton Athletic on the Tuesday after.

Here is everything you need to know about tomorrow's game.

Admission Prices
£10 - Adults
£6 - Concessions (65+ and Students with valid ID)
£2 - Children 11-17
Free - Under 11's

Family Ticket - 2 full paying Adults and up to 3 children £20 - League only

Isthmian League matches Only: Special club offer for limited period:
Concession rate £6 available on production of a season ticket for any Premier, Football League or National League Side for this season or your "Greenwich One Card"

Match Officials
Referee: Harrison Blair
Assistant Referees: Peter Georgiou & Mark Baxter

Getting to the Game
By Road
(From A20 Kent)
Sidcup bypass to ‘Big Yellow Storage’ roundabout. Take last exit (back on yourself), then 1st left onto Eltham Palace Rd. 1st left onto Middle Park avenue. Badgers Sports on left.

(From A2 Kent)
To A205 exit, left onto Westhorne Avenue, to ‘Yorkshire Grey’ MacDonalds roundabout. 2nd exit onto Middle Park avenue. Badgers Sports on right.

By Public Transport
Closest National Rail Stations are Kidbrooke (Bexleyheath Line) or Lee (Sidcup Line)

From Kidbrooke - It is about a 25 minute walk to the ground through the Kidbrooke Village and Sutcliffe Park or you can get the B16 bus and get off at Yorkshire Grey McDonalds

From Lee - Take the 160 bus getting off at the Yorkshire Grey McDonalds

You can also get the B16 bus from the Acclaim Handling Community Stadium getting off at the Yorkshire Grey McDonalds.

The Opposition
Club Name: Cray Valley Paper Mills
Ground: The Artic Stadium, Badgers Sports, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, SE9 5HP
Distance from Park View Road (Round Trip): 12 miles
Colours: Green
Manager: Steve McKimm
Last Season: 6th

History
Records held by Kent FA show that Cray Valley Paper Mills FC (CVPM) was founded in 1919 - the team originally playing in green and white, matching the livery of the paper mills vehicles and company banner - and was supported by the Nash family who owned the paper mills until its closure in 1981

Playing in the newly formed Sidcup and Kent League Division 2, the Club’s first match was a 1-0 victory against Hamilton House FC on September 20th 1919, followed by a 7-0 victory in our first away match at Sidcup Invicta. CVPM went on to win the division in their first season - gaining promotion to the Bromley & District League Division 1. The following season they were again champions - also winning the Kent County Junior Cup, defeating Sittingbourne Paper Mills 3-0 in the Final. Their next success came as members of the Kent Amateur League Western Section in 1932/33 - winning the Divisional title that season before finishing runners-up in 1936/37.

Records between the late-fifties and the early-seventies are scarce, until 1975 when CVPM joined the South London Alliance League, winning Division 1 in 1979/80 and the Premier Division in 1980/81 - their final season playing at the sports ground of the mills at St Pauls Cray in Kent.
Following a “nomadic existence” CVPM arrived at their present home at Badgers Sports Ground in Middle Park Avenue, Eltham for the season 1998/99, when “Paper Mills” was abbreviated to “(PM)” in the Club’s name.
The Club continued to enjoy success in the South London Alliance - winning Division 1 in 1983/84 and finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 1988/89 - before joining the Spartan League, gaining promotion to Division 1 in 1990/91 by finishing as runners up, only missing out on the title on goal difference. They moved to the re-structured Spartan Midland League in 1997/98, - finishing as runners up in their first season – and became founder members of the London Intermediate League – reaching the Final of the League Cup in 1998/99 – before, under the management of Mark Edwards, being elected to Division One of the Kent County League in 2001/02.

During Edwards’ reign, CVPM enjoyed regular success – winning Division 1 West in 2002/03 before winning the Premier Division by 11 points in 2004/05. They were also victorious in the London Intermediate Cup in 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2011.
Willie O’Sullivan became manager in season 2009/10, before leaving in January of the following season 2011/12, at the end of which the Club effectively gained two “promotions”– moving from the “Step 7” Kent County League to the “Step 5” Kent League.
With Steve Chapman then taking over at the helm, their first season at that level saw them finish in a highly creditable 11th position while the following two seasons saw further progress, with 8th and 7th placed finishes, while reaching the semi-final of the London Senior Cup - narrowly losing to eventual winners AFC Wimbledon.

2012/13 saw their debut in the FA Vase, followed by a first appearance in the FA Cup the following season - beating Lancing away in a replay, before losing to Redhill in the Preliminary round.
After Paul Gross took over from Chapman for the 2014/15 season, The Millers finished 7th in the newly named Southern Counties East Football League (SCEFL) - a late season slump resulting in a disappointing 10th place finish the following season.
Under James Collins, the 2016/17 campaign saw the Club finish in a very creditable 4th place in the league, and reach the Final of the Kent Senior Trophy - losing 2-1 to League Champions Ashford Town. They also became the lowest ranked team ever to win the London Senior Cup when, on a memorable night at Dulwich Hamlet, The Millers beat Ryman Premier Division opponents Metropolitan Police 2-1. It was also a successful season for the Club’s youngsters - the Reserves winning the Suburban League South Division before losing to Metropolitan Police Reserves in the League Cup Final.

Kevin Watson was appointed as manager early in the 2017/18 campaign, guiding The Millers to 6th place, while again reaching the final of the London Senior Cup – on this occasion being beaten by Balham.
The centenary season 2018/19 saw the Club again scale new heights – winning the SCEFL title by a single point, accruing 91 points from 38 matches while scoring 108 goals with a goal difference of +72, and securing promotion to the Isthmian League. The Club also made their first appearance at Wembley – Combined Counties League side Chertsey Town beating Valley 3-1 after extra time in the FA Vase Final in front of a crowd of 42,962.
Their first season in the Isthmian League South East Division (Step 4) came to a premature end due to the Covid-19 outbreak, as they were in 3rd position off the back of a run of eight consecutive victories and looking set to challenge for further promotion.
While the 2020/21 season was also curtailed in December 2020 due to Covid-19, there was still time for The Millers to embark on a record breaking run in the FA Cup. Progress to the First Round Proper will live long in the memory – in particular a famous 3-2 victory at National League side Maidenhead United in the Fourth Round Qualifying.

Season 2021/22 finally saw The Millers complete a full season at step 4, achieving their highest ever finish in 5th place to secure a play off spot - a 1-0 defeat in the semi-final at Ashford United ending any promotion hopes. Following Kevin Watson's departure in November 2022, his assistant Tommy Osborne took over the reigns and continued to gain plaudits for a pleasing on the eye passing game but narrowly missed out on a play off spot, finishing in 6th place. A new era now beckons with a complete managerial change in preparation for the coming 2023/24 season with the appointment of Steve McKimm and Barry Moore.
The club continues to operate a thriving youth section which saw both its Isthmian Youth U18's and Kent Youth league U16's crowned champions of their respective divisions for season 2022/23 under their managers Graham Knight and Steve Axam.

Head to Head
Deres: 7
Draw: 2
Cray Valley: 6
Deres Goals: 36
Cray Valley Goals: 30

Last Meeting
19/08/2017 - FA Cup Preliminary Round
Deres 1
Cray Valley PM 4

Elsewhere in the League
All Kick Offs are 3.00pm unless stated

Friday
Pitching In Isthmian League North Division/b]
Grays Athletic v Basildon United - 7.45pm

[b]Saturday
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Bognor Regis Town v Haringey Borough
Chatham Town v Whitehawk
Cheshunt v Hornchurch
Concord Rangers v Potters Bar Town
Cray Wanderers v Carshalton Athletic
Dulwich Hamlet v Margate
Enfield Town v Canvey Island
Folkestone Invicta v Billericay Town
Hastings United v Kingstonian
Horsham v Hashtag United
Lewes v Wingate & Finchley

Pitching In Isthmian League South Central Division
Ascot United v Southall
Ashford Town (Middx) v Sutton Common Rovers
Badshot Lea v Marlow
Binfield v Thatcham Town
Chipstead v Northwood
Guernsey v Corinthian-Casuals - 2.00pm
Hanworth Villa v Westfield
Hartley Wintney v South Park (Reigate)
Met Police v Leatherhead
Raynes Park Vale v Uxbridge

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division
Bowers & Pitsea v Maldon & Tiptree
Bury Town v Witham Town
Enfield v Brentwood Town
Gorleston v Ipswich Wanderers
Heybridge Swifts v Felixstowe & Walton United
New Salamis v Brightlingsea Regent
Redbridge v Walthamstow
Wroxham v Lowerstoft Town

Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division
Burgess Hill Town v Chichester City
Herne Bay v Three Bridges
Horndean v Hythe Town
Lancing v Broadbridge Heath
Littlehampton Town v East Grinstead Town
Merstham v Phoenix Sports
Ramsgate v Beckenham Town
Sevenoaks Town v Sheppey United
Sittingbourne v Ashford United