Pic: Andy Nunn
BRAINTREE TOWN chairman Lee Harding says the club’s relegation from the National League is “financially disastrous” and could cost them £150,000.
The Iron’s six-season stay in Non-League‘s top flight came to an end on Saturday as the defeat at promotion chasing Aldershot condemned them to the drop.
Braintree had finished third last season but saw manager Danny Cowley and a large chunk of the playing squad move on in the summer.
The Essex club struggled throughout this season and despite replacing boss Jamie Day with Hakan Hayrettin in late September, the ex-Waltham Forest, Thurrock and Grays manager was unable to save the Iron.
Braintree will now gear up for life back at Step 2 and chief Harding says dropping down from Non-League’s top tier will hit the club hard.
“It was sad and disappointing to see it slip away at Aldershot, but my experience tells me that you don’t win leagues or get relegated by the last day of the season,” he told the Braintree & Witham Times.
“It’s a marathon and there have been times when points have been dropped when we didn’t deserve to, but the truth of it is that we have not been consistent enough and have lost too many at home.
“One more win and it may have been different, but it is character building and I’m the type of person who will take it on the chest.
“But financially it is disastrous. It is a real blow to us and to our ambitions. My mantra has always been for us to be playing at the highest sustainable level and this year we have not been able to achieve that at National League level.
“It sets us back and we now need to take stock and review to learn the lessons. We need to review our procedures of financial management as that’s one thing that has caused us a problem.
“It is no-one’s fault, but we have had a big hole in our income as crowds have dropped this year. There are changes ahead for us as a club as we need to be realistic and know that relegation will hurt us.
“It will cost us about £150,000 and we have to be sensible.”
