Football Season Guide

National League
England
National League
2016/2017
Braintree
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Braintree

In


Rohdell Gordon (mid), Stevenage), Jack Midson (att), Eastleigh), Zach Fagan (def), Welling), Lee Barnard (att), Crawley), Barney Williams (def), Welling), Jerome Okimo (def), Stevenage), Harry Lee (mid), Welling), Jon Ashton (r)(def), Crawley), Craig Braham-Barrett (def), Dover), Jamie Butler (gk), Hemel Hempstead), Quade Taylor (def), Bolton)

Out


Sean Marks (sp)(att), Maidenhead), Dan Sparkes (r)(mid), Torquay), Taylor Miles (sp)(mid), Lincoln), Kenny Davis (k)(mid), Boreham Wood), Alex Woodyard (r)(mid), Lincoln), Mark Phillips (r)(def), Ebbsfleet), Mitch Brundle (sp)(def), Gateshead), Matt Paine (r)(mid), Boreham Wood), Matt Fry (r)(def), York City), Sam Habergham (r)(def), Lincoln), Tom King (r)(gk), Millwall - end of loan)

Braintree enjoyed a quite brilliant last season where they lived the dream and nearly did the unthinkable. They went very close to knocking eventual play-off winners Grimsby in the semi-final and with a bit more luck could have been a Football League side. Yet they do not have a place in these rarefied nights as the Essex club have a small and ramshackle ground, very little fanbase and hardly success in their history. But Danny Cowley ignored all that and inspired the team to memorable run to the third place in the standings at the end, something that seemed utterly impossible as the new young coach was taking over from the very respected Alan Devonshire back at the start. But Cowley is nowhere around now as he took up the offer from Lincoln and went to a bigger club. While the Iron will be bitterly disappointed not to see him build on his excellent work, the club moved on quickly and made a vetoer good appointment in Jamie Day. The former Welling manager earned plaudits for the way he got another modest side into this division and should suit Braintree and their underdog mentality nicely. His stock has fallen in the past year and a half but he remains an astute coach and someone who knows the non-league environment. The great success from last season brought intense interest to the key players in the squad and indeed the core of the team has been taken out. Mark Phillips, Matt Paine and Matt Fry have all left for other clubs and it can already be claimed that the defensive solidity from last year will be hard to replicate. Alex Woodyard, Kenny Davis, Sean Marks and Dan Sparkes are all vitally important players too and it is hard to make a prediction for what this new-look Braintree side will look like. Zach Fagan, Barney Williams and Harry Lee were lured from Day’s former club Welling while there is also going to be lots of experience as Jack Midson, Lee Barnard and Jon Ashton have all been brought in as well. Therefore, the squad still looks pretty decent in terms of names. Yet how they will mould as a side is still a big question mark.

Target


Braintree are very unlikely to mount a challenge as the one from last season but their new-look squad still looks good and they should be looking for a spot in the top ten