By Jack Foulger
Tuesday night saw Maidstone United make it five wins in a row for the first time in 19 months, following a narrow 1-0 victory away to rivals Tonbridge Angels. This weekend, they make the 74-mile journey through the Dartford Tunnel as they face newly-relegated Braintree Town.
HISTORY
The story of the Iron began almost 13 decades ago, when a group of employees from the Crittall Window Company decided to form Manor Works, before subsequently going on to participate in local county leagues for much of their early existence.
Moving forward, the following century would see the Essex outfit experience various changes both on and off the pitch, with the club going through four different name changes before adopting its current alias in 1982. Alongside this, Braintree would hop around numerous regional divisions in that period, spending time in the London, Eastern Counties and Southern Leagues amongst others, before opting to settle in Isthmian League setup in the mid 1990s.
The post-millenium era would see the Iron experience arguably their most successful chapter so far, as promotion to the Conference South in 2007 was followed up with a title win in 2011, with Braintree rising to Step 1 for the first time in their history. Despite initially stabilising in non-league’s premier division (even finishing as high as third at one point), the 2016/17 season would mark the beginning of a “yo-yo” period for the Essex side. A combined total of five relegations and promotions in ten seasons would ensue, with the Iron most recently having dropped out of the National League at the end of last season following a 23rd-place finish with just 36 points.
THE SQUAD
Much like the Stones, Braintree come into this campaign with a noticeably young squad, with an average player age of just over 22 years old. Recruitment has been disrupted for the most part with the Essex side being subject to a transfer embargo up until three days prior to the season starting, restricting them from registering any more than 16 players up until then.
Staying loyal to the Iron following last season’s misfortunes is midfielder and club captain Elliot Thorpe, who remains at CM7 following his move from Solihull Moors just over a year ago. The former Spurs Academy star notably featured numerous times in the Welsh national team youth setup, having made a confirmed total of 12 appearances from Under-17s through to the Under-21s.
Rejoining the club for a second spell this campaign is forward Alfie Matthews following his departure from Dover Athletic. The 24-year-old first starred for Braintree in the 2022/23 season where he helped propel his side to a play-off place with eight goals in 40 appearances.
Also swapping the White Cliffs to join the Iron is central defender Jacob Mensah, who makes the move across the Thames having played over 100 times for Jake Leberl’s side. The former Crystal Palace man briefly featured for Maidstone back in 2022, making eight National League appearances under Hakan Hayrettin.
THE GAFFER
Four years on since first joining the club as assistant to Angelo Harrop, current boss Steve Pitt remains in the dugout, tasked with helping Braintree bounce back from last season’s relegation. After briefly leaving the club at the end of 2023, the 65-year-old rejoined the Iron to take the hotseat a year later in December 2024 with his side sat one point above the National League dropzone.
After initially keeping Braintree up with a four-point cushion, Pitt wasn’t able to replicate his success the following season, with a difficult campaign seeing them unable to escape relegation with just eight wins and 12 draws ultimately consigning them to the NL South.
FORM
Having only played six games so far, the Iron currently sit 20th in the league table with two wins, a draw and three defeats in the opening month.
Prior to their 2-1 NL Cup victory over Fulham U21s in midweek, Braintree’s most recent league outing saw them travel to Berkshire, where they were able to take three points over winless Slough Town. A late winner from Anisius Lewis ensured Steve Pitt’s side picked up their second victory of the season after a winless streak of three games.
Jack Barham celebrates scoring at Braintree in 2022, when Maidstone won 2-1. Picture by Steve Terrell.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
First meeting in the National League back in 2016, the Stones and the Iron have played out 11 clashes across non-league’s top two tiers. Fortunately for Maidstone, their record trumps that of their opponents, having won six games against the Essex side compared to just two vice versa (alongside a trio of draws).
Most recently, the two sides met at ME14 just four days before George Elokobi’s side took on Ipswich Town in the FA Cup. That night saw both sides come away with a point a piece as a first half opener from Muhammadu Faal was cancelled out shortly after half time by a header from Braintree defender Joe Grimwood.
THE STADIUM
Opened in 1923, Braintree Town play their home games at Cressing Road, which holds an overall capacity of 4,222 spectators (including 553 seated in the Main Stand). The ground primarily consists of open-air terracing which accounts for over half of the total capacity, with modest covered provisions available on the Eastern and Western lengths of the pitch should weather conditions be unfavourable.
An unlikely focal point within the stadium is the Iron’s highly regarded club shop, which features a treasure trove of football memorabilia both related to Braintree and beyond. This includes souvenirs such as club pin badges, replica shirts and old programmes from throughout the pyramid.
