Braintree Town Football Club is a “success story for the town”, says Lee Harding.

Behind the club is a business, one which Harding, as Chairman, oversees and, with his board of directors, ensures is run the right way.

The club is debt-free, made a profit in the last full trading year and owns its own ground. All at a time when just being solvent is no mean feat.

Harding, who runs his own printing and publishing firm in Haverhill, has ambitious plans for the club and ones that, if realised, would put the town on the map, not just the football map.

He points out though that he would appreciate more support from the club’s local authority, something close rivals have enjoyed.

Speaking with Harding it seems he feels Braintree Council has, on occasions, given with one hand and taken with the other.

He highlights a time in 2007 when the club sold land, in front of its ground in Clockhouse Way, to raise cash for new facilities to allow it to play at its current level.

Although the land was sold for £1 million, the football club had to pass over £440,000 to Braintree Council for the release of their covenant on the land, Harding said.

“Many local authorities support their local football clubs,” he lamented.

He gives Blue Square South rivals Chelmsford City FC as an example of a club that has had major backing from its local council and Colchester United FC who used a £10 million loan from the town’s borough council in 2008, to finance their new Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Last year the Iron approached Braintree Council about a possible grant to help ensure further improvements could be made to their Cressing Road stadium.

If certain upgrades are not made to the club’s ground by March 31 next year, if they are promoted this year, they would be relegated, regardless of where they finish in the league.

“When we asked for a grant we did it because there could be a real need. We were aware that the council had made a £25,000 grant to another club in the town in February last year and we were hoping for a little of our £440,000 back,” said Harding.

He had a meeting with both Graham Butland, Council Leader and Allan Reid, Chief Executive, to explain the club’s situation. But when he heard back from Mr Butland in December the council refused to help.

Harding also explains how there are pros and cons about the council’s decision on February 15 to support, in its medium term core strategy, a proposed relocation of the football club.

“It’s great that they support our relocation hopes, but I’m not sure they have picked the right place for us to go to,” Harding said, referring to land off Panfield Lane where Braintree Council would like to see the club move to.

In January 2008 the club outlined its ideal location and it has a complete business case to expand and build a new stadium at land to the west of the town in Pods Brook Road.

It seems inevitable that the club will need to grow, be it at the end of this season or next, as they continue to push up the football ladder.

However, if the only option is to move to Panfield Lane, the club will probably stay where it is and look to improve the current stadium, Harding said.

Only time will tell where the club plays its football. There are a few certainties though; one is that Braintree Town isn’t just a one team club.

Harding speaks proudly of the reserve team, the youth team and the high flying ladies team - they play in the equivalent of League Two in the men’s Football League.

Promotion this season would certainly lead to bigger and better things.

“I like to think if you’re a typical adult male you’d know where the likes of Accrington, Bury or Darlington are on the map probably because of their football teams,” Harding said. “Progress by a football club helps a town.”

Last Saturday, Bromley brought probably 50-odd fans to Braintree for their fixture against the Iron. Next year that could be, say 400 Luton fans and the year after who knows how many people would come to Braintree on a Saturday if the Iron were playing the likes of Colchester or Southend United.

To find out more get the Braintree and Witham Times.