BRAINTREE Town are ready to step up their preparations for life back in the top flight.

As boss Brad Quinton continues making plans for the Iron's return to the Vanarama National League, the club will be hosting a barbecue at Cressing Road on Saturday when members of the management team and players will be kick-starting their pre-season training schedule.

Chairman Lee Harding said fans could head along to the barbecue and watch as Quinton held his first training session of the summer as well as taking in World Cup action that would be shown on television in the bar.

It is part of the club stepping up preparations following the success of last season when Braintree earned promotion via the National League South play-offs.

Harding explained that the late conclusion of the previous campaign meant they had some catching up to do, but was confident that good progress was being made.

He said: "Given that last season finished a good two weeks later for us than for pretty much everyone else and the subsequent elation over our promotion, I think it's fair to say that we are a bit behind where we'd ideally be.

"People work hard at Braintree and it's right that there have been holidays taken and batteries recharged, but we are ready to go again now.

"We're doing OK, the pitch is looking the best that I have ever seen it at this time of the year and we've been pleased with the uptake of season tickets.

"Brad has been talking to lots of players and everyone from last season has been invited back.

"So he has been busy, but we still have a bit of catching up to do and that's what we are doing.

"Braintree are in the shop window now after our promotion to the top flight of non-league football and for every player that we have, there are two more who want to come and play for us.

"There are one or two clubs who I've heard who will be going full-time, but we are staying part-time as it worked for us before and I believe players can make a very good living combining their football with day jobs."

Harding said work was ongoing to find new sponsorship partners after deals with IronmongeryDirect finished at the end of last season, but he said the playing budget had been agreed and added that it was one that he felt would allow the club to be competitive in the National League.

"We are making good progress with a shirt sponsor and hope to be able to announce something soon and progress is also being made with regards to a stadium sponsor," said the Iron chairman.

"It's another example of where we are slightly behind where we'd ideally like to be because of our late finish to last season, but we're in good shape and have been working with getting things like matchday sponsors and sponsors for boards around the ground sorted.

"We have agreed a budget with Brad and if any windfall comes along then it will mean more money for him to work with, but what he has at the moment is an uplift of 30 per cent from last season.

"That is sensible and affordable, but if a blue chip company comes along wanting to invest in the dream that is Braintree Town then that would go into the playing budget.

"We have enough to be competitive, though.

"It's comparable to what (former manager) Alan Devonshire had to work with (when he was in charge in the National League), but it's nothing out of the ordinary.

"We won't compete financially with what you hear one or two clubs in our league are spending, but we can't match what clubs like Chesterfield, Barnet and Leyton Orient have.

"They are full-time clubs with bigger fan bases, but we have been in this situation before and we know money doesn't necessarily buy you success.

"What we have is a lot of hard-working people and experience and that has helped us in the past.

"For every person who comes in and volunteers to help with their time and effort, that's potentially a job that we don't have to pay someone to do and money can go to the playing budget instead."