Braintree Town Vs Bristol Rovers, Amlin Stadium, Braintree, Vanarama Conference, Saturday 6th September 2014, Kick Off 3:00PM please log in to view this image Vs please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
This weekend we travel to Braintree so this thread is entirely dedicated to it, all the build up and news will appear on this thread. Remember don't forget to vote on the poll
A Look At Braintree Town Part 1 please log in to view this image Full name: Braintree Town Football Club Nickname: The Iron Founded: 1898; 116 years ago Ground: Cressing Road Stadium, Braintree, Essex CM7 3RDCressing Road, Braintree Capacity: 4,202 (553 seated) Pitch Size: 110 x 70 yards Year Ground Opened: 1923 Chairman: Lee Harding Manager: Alan Devonshire Kit Colours: Orange, Blue And White Website: http://www.braintreetownfc.org.uk/headline.html
I'm going for a hard fought 1-0 victory, Braintree are just above us and won't be a walk over and I say another goal from Cunnington
If we can master that terrible looking pitch we should be ok. But I agree that this will be no walkover...
A Look At Braintree Town Part 2 - Cressing Road Stadium Part 1 The stadium was built as a general sports ground by the Crittall Windows Company, the parent company of the club, then known as Crittall Athletic.[1] It was opened in 1923 by the fourth annual Crittall Sports and Show, which had previously taken place the club's old ground on Panfield Lane, with an attendance of 6,000. At the time the ground had a cinder track a quarter of a mile long. The first football match was played on 15 September 1923, with Crittall beating Great Leighs 4â0.[1] A 400-seat grandstand was opened in December 1924 and the ground became the regular venue for the Essex Junior Cup, with a record football crowd of 6,000 attending for the 1926 final between Rayleigh Athletic and Saffron Walden. This was equalled in the 1928 final between Leigh Ramblers and Wimpole Road Wesleyans and an Essex Senior Cup semi-final between Chelmsford and Colchester Town in 1931. A non-football record of 8,000 was set for the Crittall Sport and Show in 1926. A second grandstand was opened during the 1932â33 season. A record attendance for the home club was set on 8 May 1952 when they played Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly, with 4,000 watching Spurs win 8â1.[1] Floodlights were installed in 1967, the same year in which greyhound racing also began to be held at the ground. In the mid-1970s the ground had fallen into a state of disrepair and the club was forced to play at other venues for a time due to problems with the pitch.[1] These included Heybridge Swifts' Scraley Road (a single match on 26 April 1975 arranged at such short notice that many fans arrived at Cressing Road for the match and only 50 attended the game), Braintree Rugby Club's Tabor Avenue (at the start of the 1975â76 season) and the Courtaulds Sports Ground in Church Street in Bocking (a single match against Gorleston on 6 September 1975 with a crowd of 73).[1] However, after winning the Eastern Counties League in 1983â84 the club began to upgrade the ground, building a new 292-seat grandstand at the end of the 1980s. The ground currently consists of four stands: The Main Stand, a 553-seat covered stand with uncovered terrace on either side with a capacity of 735. The Clubhouse End, an 803-capacity uncovered terrace. The Quag End (Away End), with a 761-capacity terrace (of which 357 is covered) The Cressing Road side, a 1,296-capacity terrace (of which 862 is covered)
A Look At Braintree Town Part 2 - Cressing Road Stadium Part 2 Record & Average Attendance Record Attendance: 4,000 v Tottenham Hotspur 1952 Average Attendance:2013-2014: 994 (Conference Premier) 2012-2013: 674 (Conference Premier) 2011-2012: 896 (Conference Premier) Admission Prices The Club have introduced a category system (A, B & C) for Adult tickets (concession tickets are unaffected) whereby fans pay more to watch the more popular games. Category A prices are shown below with Category B & C prices shown in brackets: Main Stand Seating: Adults £18 (B £17) (C £16)OAP's & Under 16's £12 Terrace: Adults £17 (B £16) (C £15)OAP's £11Under 16's £6Under 11's £4 Their are no seats available for away fans apparently More Info Here: http://www.footballgroundguide.com/conference/braintree_town.htm
A Look At Braintree Town Part 2 - Cressing Road Stadium Part 3 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Segregation For Gasheads On Saturday Iron fans are advised to arrive a little earlier than usual For our Vanarama Conference fixture against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, 6th September, segregation WILL be in force. However, this game will NOT be all ticket and no tickets will be available for sale prior to the match. This match is a Category A fixture and admission prices for this match can be found by clicking the 'Tickets' link above. To gain entry to the ground, visiting spectators should use the two turnstiles to the right of the Main Stand and clubhouse, numbered 7 and 8. Home spectators should use the four turnstiles to the left on the clubhouse, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. Season ticket holders should use gates 5 and 6. Those wishing to stand should pay at the appropriate turnstile, on arrival, on the day. Anyone wishing to sit must purchase their seat ticket at the turnstile when they enter the ground as there will be no cash transactions within the ground for upgrades to seats. A full colour matchday programme will be on sale inside the ground adjacent to the turnstiles. The Club are mindful of the limited parking we have available at the ground. Following the advice received from Essex Police, the Club have decided to charge for entry into the car park - with a flat rate of £2 for all users. Essex Police have also suggested that the car park be closed prior to kick-off to ensure that there is no congestion between pedestrian spectators and vehicles. No vehicles will be allowed entry into the car park within thirty minutes prior to kick-off. Those travelling to the Cressing Road Stadium for the first time can find more information on how best to travel by clicking on the 'Find Us' link above. The Clubhouse at the Cressing Road Stadium can only be accessed from inside the designated home section of the ground. Those spectators wishing to use the segregated part of the ground reserved for visiting supporters may wish to visit The Orange Tree public house some 300 yards from the ground on Cressing Road between the ground and Galley's Corner roundabout prior to entering the ground. For further information, please contact the Club on 01376 345617.
From the photos there's hardly anyone there and can you spot how many people are actually watching the game?
Aint that the truth ! How the mighty (in the Boardrooms mind), have been allowed to fall. On ground matters (not UWE, Nr Higgs will be pleased to learn) makes Weston super Mare's Woodspring Park look a tidy set up when compared with this ground. Bloody hell travelling Gasheads you will even have a choice of 2, yes 2 turnstiles to use. Dont get lost as your Club needs you and your support to vercome the mighty Braintree Town ! Its so sad that Rovers are relegated to this level of Football and surroundings. Almost makes the now defunct Scottish League 3 Champions League standard by contrast. WTF are we doing here ?
Would a club with this sort of ground be allowed into the Football League? If not, then why are they even here?
A Look At Braintree Town Part 3 - History The club was formed in 1898 as Manor Works, the works team of the Crittall Window Company, from which they gained their nickname IRON. The new club took over the fixtures of the recently defunct Braintree F.C. in the North Essex League, and also took on most of the former club's players. They left the league in 1900, but returned in 1901. They won the title in 1905–06, 1910–11 and 1911–12. In 1911 they also joined Division 2A of the Essex & Suffolk Border League, remaining in the league until 1928. In 1921 they were renamed Crittall Athletic to be more closely identified with their parent company.After winning Division 2A West twice, they were promoted to the Senior Division of the Border League in 1925. In 1928 they joined the Spartan League, and in 1935 were founder members of the Eastern Counties League. They won the league in its second season, but then left to join the newly established Essex County League. The new league folded after a single season (in which Crittall were runners-up) and the club returned to the ECL. After World War II the ECL did not resume in 1945, so Crittall joined the Eastern Division London League instead. After finishing second in their first season, they were promoted to the Premier Division. They were invited to rejoin the ECL in 1947, but turned the offer down and remained in the London League, where they won the League Cup twice before returning to the ECL in 1952. In 1954 they turned professional, but financial problems forced them to revert to amateur status and drop back down into the Border League at the end of the 1954–55 season. In 1959–60 they won the league and League Cup double. They switched to the Greater London League in 1964, and then to the Metropolitan League in 1966. They were renamed Braintree & Crittall Athletic in 1968,[3] and in 1970 returned to the ECL again. In 1981 all links with Crittall were severed and the club was renamed Braintree F.C.,before adopting their current name in 1983. They won their second ECL title in 1983–84 and retained it the following season. In 1986–87 they won the Essex Senior Trophy and the following season they won the League Cup. In 1991 the club stepped up to the Southern Division of the Southern League. In 1996 the club asked the FA to switch leagues to reduce their travelling. After initially being refused, they were allowed to move to Division Three of the Isthmian League, although it was an effective drop of two divisions. They were promoted as runners-up in their first season, and repeated the feat the following season. After three seasons in Division One they were promoted to the Premier Division with a third-place finish in 2000–01. They won the Premier Division in 2005–06 to earn promotion to the Conference South. They reached the play-offs in their first season in the Conference South, but lost 1–0 to Salisbury City in the final. They also reached the play-offs the following season, but lost to Eastbourne Borough in the semi-finals. In 2010–11 they finished as Conference South champions, earning promotion to the Conference Premier.
A Look At Braintree Town Part 4 - Results So Far Macclesfield Town (A) - L 1-0 - Att 1309 DOVER ATHLETIC (H) - W 3-0 - Att 786 CHESTER (H) - L 3-1 - Att 819 Lincoln City (A) - L 2-3 - Att 2231 NUNEATON TOWN (H) - W 2-0 - Att 658 Alfreton Town (A) - W 2-0 - Att 442 [video=youtube;xZFEQHyTPSg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZFEQHyTPSg[/video]
Whilst checking Braintree's results I noticed they know how to find the back of the net so I'm now going for a hard fought 2-1 victory Cunnington and Mansell to score.
Nice to see two sides trying to play decent football. Not a lot of hoofball in that clip. Finishing before the two subs came on was appalling though. IMO opinion if we had played with a bit more approach work like that last season, wouldn't be in this division.
