The kudos of seeing their team finish as the third best non-league side in the country may still feel like a dream for Braintree Town fans, but there are also huge financial ramifications for the club.

Iron chairman Lee Harding admits this season has been a tough one in terms of cash in the bank for them after wet weather left their pitch unplayable for several weeks in December and January.

The loss of revenue made things tight and the club then invested in a pitch covering system to alleviate the problem.

So there is plenty of relief around the Avanti Stadium to add to the pride of the team’s achievements on the pitch at the extra funds that their finish in the Vanarama National League play-offs could bring.

“Being in the play-offs will help us,” said Harding.

“It’s obviously another payday for the club (in the semi-final second leg against Grimsby) today and there is potentially more thereafter.”

No-one is counting any chickens yet, let alone pound signs, as Harding and everyone at the club know they have to get through the two play-off semi-finals and a final at Wembley before dreams of a place in the Football League can be realised.

But the Iron chairman knows how lucrative that could potentially be and he feels it would be a move that Braintree would be more than capable of making.

He added: “When you talk about the prize of the play-offs and what it is worth financially, it all pails into insignificance when compared to central funding available to clubs in League Two.

“It’s millions.

“There’d be a funding uplift in the first year and even if we came straight back down, we’d get a four-year parachute payment.

“With Danny and Nicky involved, though, would we be struggling in the Football League?

“I’m not sure we would.

“We’ve seen clubs who have done well in the National League go up and do well again.

“There aren’t too many clubs in League Two who you think we’d be afraid of.

“The next big challenge is getting to Wembley and we say to the people of Braintree: how many of you want to take up the challenge with us?”