‘A country mile’ - Bromley make Newcastle United atmosphere claim 24 hours before kick-off

A former Toon goalkeeping coach, the 53-year-old served under Alan Pardew for four years, a spell that saw the club earn Europa League football. Woodman - whose son Freddie also played for Newcastle - is now set to return to Tyneside as Bromley manager in the FA Cup.

Taking the reins as the main man for the first time, Woodman was appointed Ravens coach in 2021, leaving a cushy role as Arsenal’s head of goalkeeping. His maiden leap into management has resulted in Bromley sealing promotion to League Two and an FA Trophy triumph.

Woodman is now buzzing ahead of a dream Tyneside reunion, a place that holds fond memories. The ex-United goalie coach paid tribute to Newcastle’s world-renowned atmosphere.

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“I said to everybody, ‘we’ll draw Newcastle!’,” he told Miles Starforth on his personal site. “Plain and simple, I wanted Newcastle. I want my team and my staff, and everyone at the club, to experience what I was fortunate enough to experience for five brilliant years at probably the best stadium and atmosphere in the Premier League by a country mile.

“From a football perspective, the season we got into Europe was a phenomenal season. That was really a brilliant season when you think about Papiss Cisse scoring at Chelsea, some of the goals Demba (Ba) got, some of the results. Tim Krul’s performance at Tottenham away, the Arsenal 4-4. They were amazing days.”

Woodman opened up about how the city positively affected his two children, with Freddie making his Premier League debut in Newcastle colours before being sold to Preston North End. But while looking forward to the game, the Bromley boss is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

“The whole place is really close to my heart. It was brilliant for me to bring up a family there,” he added. “I had a young daughter of 12 and a son of 14. They were really important years for my children. They became adults at Newcastle. Their love for the city is as great as mine.

“I’ll be really proud to be walking out as a manager at a fantastic club that I worked at. I’m really looking forward to seeing loads of friends there who were so great to me when I was there.

“We want to come and be competitive. We’d love to come and win, but we’re realistic. The challenge is a tough one, but we’re looking forward to it as well. I’m looking forward to my players being around some of the best players in the world.”