Post by jonw on Feb 10, 2016 0:26:59 GMT
THE BIRTH OF BRAINTREE TOWN IN 1982
On our travels away match programmes repeat the misconception that we have been known as Braintree Town since 1983. In fact, the title dates back to 1982 although there was an unrelated club of that name playing in the Colchester & District League in the late 1950’s. They had been formed by an amalgamation between Braintree Old Boys and Clare Road with a view to forming a true town club, but without a suitable ground or fanbase the project was doomed to failure.
The 1980-81 season closed with Braintree & Crittall Athletic struggling near the foot of the Eastern Counties League. The ground was at that stage owned by the Council and the annual subsidy from the Crittall Athletic & Social Club had ended years earlier. The only link with the Crittall Company was the free use of the Social Club on Wednesday evenings for the Bingo sessions that kept the club alive.
Plans were under way for a local builder, Phillip Wicks, to provide a new clubhouse for the club and the time seemed right for the committee to discuss casting adrift the Crittall Athletic part of the title. There were two new names discussed; Braintree F.C. and Braintree Town F.C. The former won the vote and so the appropriate notification was sent to the Essex County F.A. and the Eastern Counties League and for the 1981-82 season the club became Braintree F.C.
The first game under the new title was played on 1st August 1981, a 1-2 defeat at home to Diss Town in The Sudbury Carpets Cup. Ivan Gooday scored the goal. The four page programme for that game had brief notes but referred to potential programme sponsors contacting Peter Cole or Roger Adams, both of whom will be supporting the team today. In the team line up were Dave Ward and Steve Garnham, who both regularly attend games too.
In February a drawing of the proposed new clubhouse was revealed to supporters, in the programme against Ely City. Building work began on Monday 29th March 1982. It had been decided that as the track around the ground would no longer be used the clubhouse would be erected behind the town end goal, rather than in the left hand corner which had been the site for an earlier abandoned project. At that time there had still been the possibility that the track would have been upgraded, and any buildings within the track area would have impeded spectators’ views.
A good end of season run of five wins and a draw from the last eight league games, lifted the club to 19th position, out of 22. In truth, the team had been carried by 21 year old Ivan Gooday who scored 31 of the club’s 58 goals in all matches. The final home game of the season, a 3-1 win over Gorleston on 6th May 1982, was also the last game at Cressing Road under the title of Braintree F.C. A rethink by the committee determined another change and so after just 12 months the club became Braintree Town F.C.
Our first match under the new title was a pre-season friendly defeat at home to Ford United (now Redbridge) on 3rd August 1982. The first competitive game was on 21st August 1982, at home to Wisbech Town in the Eastern Counties League. Dave Jarvis scored the lone goal in a 1-3 defeat. The team was: Bobby Hamilton, Leon Castell, Derek Richardson, Gus Jennings, Roger Martin, Paul Rodman, Jimmy Minter, Ricky Jewitt, Roger Turner, Dave Jarvis, Ivan Gooday, Sub. Tony Barr.
On our travels away match programmes repeat the misconception that we have been known as Braintree Town since 1983. In fact, the title dates back to 1982 although there was an unrelated club of that name playing in the Colchester & District League in the late 1950’s. They had been formed by an amalgamation between Braintree Old Boys and Clare Road with a view to forming a true town club, but without a suitable ground or fanbase the project was doomed to failure.
The 1980-81 season closed with Braintree & Crittall Athletic struggling near the foot of the Eastern Counties League. The ground was at that stage owned by the Council and the annual subsidy from the Crittall Athletic & Social Club had ended years earlier. The only link with the Crittall Company was the free use of the Social Club on Wednesday evenings for the Bingo sessions that kept the club alive.
Plans were under way for a local builder, Phillip Wicks, to provide a new clubhouse for the club and the time seemed right for the committee to discuss casting adrift the Crittall Athletic part of the title. There were two new names discussed; Braintree F.C. and Braintree Town F.C. The former won the vote and so the appropriate notification was sent to the Essex County F.A. and the Eastern Counties League and for the 1981-82 season the club became Braintree F.C.
The first game under the new title was played on 1st August 1981, a 1-2 defeat at home to Diss Town in The Sudbury Carpets Cup. Ivan Gooday scored the goal. The four page programme for that game had brief notes but referred to potential programme sponsors contacting Peter Cole or Roger Adams, both of whom will be supporting the team today. In the team line up were Dave Ward and Steve Garnham, who both regularly attend games too.
In February a drawing of the proposed new clubhouse was revealed to supporters, in the programme against Ely City. Building work began on Monday 29th March 1982. It had been decided that as the track around the ground would no longer be used the clubhouse would be erected behind the town end goal, rather than in the left hand corner which had been the site for an earlier abandoned project. At that time there had still been the possibility that the track would have been upgraded, and any buildings within the track area would have impeded spectators’ views.
A good end of season run of five wins and a draw from the last eight league games, lifted the club to 19th position, out of 22. In truth, the team had been carried by 21 year old Ivan Gooday who scored 31 of the club’s 58 goals in all matches. The final home game of the season, a 3-1 win over Gorleston on 6th May 1982, was also the last game at Cressing Road under the title of Braintree F.C. A rethink by the committee determined another change and so after just 12 months the club became Braintree Town F.C.
Our first match under the new title was a pre-season friendly defeat at home to Ford United (now Redbridge) on 3rd August 1982. The first competitive game was on 21st August 1982, at home to Wisbech Town in the Eastern Counties League. Dave Jarvis scored the lone goal in a 1-3 defeat. The team was: Bobby Hamilton, Leon Castell, Derek Richardson, Gus Jennings, Roger Martin, Paul Rodman, Jimmy Minter, Ricky Jewitt, Roger Turner, Dave Jarvis, Ivan Gooday, Sub. Tony Barr.
