Braintree Town F.C.
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| Full name | Braintree Town Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Iron | |||
| Founded | 1898 (as Manor Works) | |||
| Ground | Cressing Road Braintree (Capacity: 4,145 (550 seats)) |
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| Chairman |  Lee Harding |
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| Manager | Robbie Garvey |
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| League | Conference South | |||
| 2008-09 | Conference South, 14th | |||
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Braintree Town F.C. is a football club based in Braintree, Essex, England. The club is currently in the Conference South. Club history was made in 2005 upon reaching the First Round proper of the FA Cup for the first time, and later that same season the club won the Isthmian League Premier Division, gaining promotion to the Conference South for the 2006-07 season.
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[edit] History
The club was formed in 1898 and accepted into the North Essex League as Manor Works FC, the works team of the Crittall Window Company - suppliers to the Titanic and once the leading window makers in England. The club's nickname "The Iron" also comes from this source, reflecting the company's iron window frames. The club's crest reflects its origins and shows the factory of the old Crittall Garage which overlooked the club's Cressing Road ground before being demolished in 2005. In 1921 the club changed its name to Crittall Athletic FC and soon afterwards moved to a new stadium (which has been their home since). Around 1968 the club changed name once again, this time to Braintree & Crittall Athletic FC, but when links with Crittalls ended in 1981 they became Braintree Town FC.
In 1935 the club became founder members of the Eastern Counties League, where they were champions in the 1936-37 season. After this they joined the Essex County League, where they were runners-up in their first season, but then rejoined the Eastern Counties League. After World War II the club appears to have been inactive until 1952 when they rejoined the Eastern Counties League. In 1955 they left this league and it is unclear where they played for the next decade.
In 1964 Crittall joined the Greater London League, before moving to the Metropolitan League in 1966. In 1970 they rejoined the Eastern Counties League, where they were to play for the next twenty years.. Their most successful decade was the 1980s, when they were league champions twice (1983-84 and 1984-85) and runners-up on four other occasions. After the last of these second-place finished in 1990-91 they stepped up to the Southern League Southern Division. In 1996 they switched to the Isthmian League Division Three, but three promotions in five years brought them to the Premier Division by 2002. in 2005-06 they were Isthmian League champions and gained promotion to the Conference South. In the 2006–07 season they lost 1-0 to Salisbury City in the Conference South play-off final, and reached the play-offs again at the end of the 2007-08 season.
Robbie Garvey was appointed as the club's new manager on March 31st 2009. He made former Billericay Town manager, Jason Broom his assistant on April 9th 2009.
[edit] Ground
They play their home games at their Cressing Road Stadium, which has a capacity of 4,145. Of those approximately 1,400 are under cover with a further 550 seated under cover in an extended Main Stand. The club has recently completed many improvements to their stadium, including Football League floodlighting, new dressing rooms and turnstiles. All these improvements were needed to meet Conference National standards. This was inspected and approved by the Conference on 27 March 2007. The largest attendance in recent history was 1,539 for the Conference South playoff semi-final second leg against Havant & Waterlooville on 5 May 2007, while over 1,900 saw Braintree Town's goal-less draw with AFC WImbledon in 2006. Braintree Town Football Club is planning to relocate to a new stadium development off the A120 bypass giving the local community a wide range of new community facilities, including:
- A 6,000-capacity stadium with three football pitches – one of which would be available to residents, schools and other community groups on a book, pay and play basis.
- Conference and banqueting facilities for weddings, parties, celebrations and community group events.
- A new tennis club for racquet sports enthusiasts.
[edit] Squad
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[edit] First Team staff
- Robbie Garvey (Manager)
- Jason Broom (Assistant Manager)
- Steve Gracie (Physio)
- Dave Clarke (Goalkeeper Coach)
[edit] Honours
- Isthmian League
- Premier Division champions 2005-06
- Eastern Counties League
- Champions 1936-37, 1983-84, 1984-85
- Essex Senior Cup
- Winners 1996
[edit] Other teams
[edit] Reserve Team
- Mark Samson (Reserve Team Manager)
- Danny Shipton (Reserve Team Assistant Manager)
- Mike Rierdon (Reserve Team Coach)
Following a 5th place finish in the Eastern Counties Reserve League South Division in 2008/09 the decision was made by the Board of Directors and manager Robbie Garvey that in order to better integrate the Reserve Team with the First Team that Braintree Town Reserves will play in the Capital Football League for season 2009/10.
[edit] U18's
- Tom Marshall (Youth Team Manager)
- Jon Crow (Youth Team Assistant Manager)
The the decision to move the Reserve Team into the Capital Football League, and the desire to have the U18's playing at the highest possible standard, Braintree Town U18's will play in the Eastern Counties Reserve League South Division for season 2009/10.
[edit] Ladies Team
- David Streetley (Ladies Team Manager)
- Dave Clarke (Ladies Team Assistant Manager)
After a fourth league title in a row and promotion from the Eastern Region Women's Football League Division 1, Braintree Town Ladies will play in the Eastern Region Women's Football League Premier Division for season 2009/10.
[edit] Supporters Team
- Danny Macklin/ Phil Poulter (Joint Supporters Team Manager)
Following an eventful first season of Sunday football the Braintree Town Supporters will play in the Braintree & North Essex Sunday League Division 3 again for season 2009/10.
[edit] Sources
- Braintree Town at the Football Club History Database
- Braintree at the Football Club History Database
- Braintree & Crittall Athletic at the Football Club History Database
- Crittall Athletic at the Football Club History Database
