Board Update

Latest on Manager, the money the Club is owed and new Club investment

The following is included in this evening's match day programme.

Good evening everyone and welcome back to The Cressing Road Stadium for tonight's Enterprise League South fixture against visitors Dagenham & Redbridge. As ever, we trust all from East London will enjoy their time with us.

Our guests will hopefully understand that our attention here at Braintree tonight is a little 'in-house' after our horror show at Farnham Town last Saturday. Our recent results have not been great, but I don't think anyone foresaw THAT display coming. I'm sure our lads will have been embarrassed by their efforts and will be keen to put things right tonight - and WE will all be watching!

Prior to Saturday, Steve and I had a long chat and - being the straight-talking man I've come to know so well - he said to me that he would be giving himself four matches to turn our season around. I commend Steve for his honesty in our current situation and we saw more of that pragmatism after the game on Saturday.

I believe Steve deserves better for his efforts. I liaised closely with him when we had to replace his predecessor in late 2024, and he worked tirelessly to rescue our season and secure our status in 2025.

The financial promises made by his predecessor also fell to Steve and the Club to deal with last season and Steve, along with Vice Chairman Vic Dixon and I again gave everything to keep the Club financially stable while trying to retain our status. But, sadly, and with the benefit of hindsight, too many of our boys were 'already on the beach' planning their futures.

Disappointed though we all were at last season's relegation; for me Steve's determined attitude and approach earned him the right to pull together his own squad this season. But his preparation has often been hindered by situations beyond his and even the Club's control.

Our Club are still owed money - lots of it, hundreds of thousands of pounds - by The FA, UEFA and FIFA. Over two years ago we were promised payment by The FA for player's salaries paid by our club when they were away playing international football in UEFA competitions.

As well as that, we are still to receive hundreds of thousands of pounds from transfer sell on fees and FIFA's club benefits programme for Tommy Smith's involvement in last Summer's World Cup - money that was promised to us in July - but we may now not see until the new year.

You may be thinking it's just more excuses, but if you don't believe me speak with our Secretary Adrian Marston, who has been battling away just to get coherent answers, let alone money, out of associations that are supposed to be: 'for clubs and the game'.

Back to our current poor run, and a few of our supporters have apportioned blame where they see fit. It's just a shame that the four promotions to put our 'Pub team from Essex' in the topflight of non-league football for ten of the last fifteen years and in the play-offs for promotion to the Football League in 2016 seem to have been forgotten by some. Perhaps we were lucky - or maybe we just worked hard?

Yes, things are a little tougher these days; the six-man board that took us to the play-off games with Grimsby are now just two: Vic Dixon and me. But our personal positions have remained consistent for a number of years, and we remain prepared to step down when we believe we have better people for us to pass the Club on to - when the time is right.

So, about that future. Vic and I have spoken with several interested parties. As well as us, we're also looking after the interests of good Club people who have supported the Club financially for decades: like Barry Shepherd and Alan Stuckey, together with the family and estate of our former director Kim Cowell.

Vic and I are determined to protect the football club we've all been so proud to represent for a quarter of a century, while ensuring that nobody will be making a profit out of the Club - just safeguarding the position of those involved and the Club itself.

But a final observation. While our time running the Club may be coming to a close, many of the interested parties that Vic and I have spoken with seem to be entirely focused on the assets (primarily the land) owned by the company that runs the Club, while only displaying a passing interest in the football.

The adage of 'be careful what you wish for, lest it come true' comes to mind, but I hope the next 25 years can mirror the progress of the previous, eh?

Lee Harding, Chairman