BRAINTREE Town first-team coach Barry Bolton was quick to pay tribute to the hard-working members of the club whose graft and commitment behind the scenes paved the way for the Iron's success on the pitch this year.

Chairman Lee Harding admitted that it had been a financially testing season after the club's relegation last year, but Bolton thanked the work done to keep the team on track through the Vanarama National League South season and set up their play-off triumph at Hampton & Richmond Borough on Sunday.

Bolton said: “Chairmen and directors at football clubs are often seen as the nasty ones, but the people at our club put their hands deep in their own pockets to help this club.

“They have funded what we have done and you can’t achieve what we have this season without having someone exposing themselves financially, digging deep and taking a risk.

“They have done that and backed us and we have delivered, but we couldn’t have done it without them.

“Whatever happens going forward, I’m going to shake hands with Lee (Harding) to say thank you for everything that he and the board have done.

“It is something that has been done by everyone.

“We know we’ve had challenges this season.

“That’s been well-documented, but the reality is that it has made us stronger as a group.

“From the fans, through to the players and the board – everyone has pulled in the same direction.

“I’ll put it on record that there were some players who left for the pound note that they would get somewhere else and they felt they had more chance of being promoted elsewhere.

“But I’ll ask anyone in that boat how it worked out for them – it didn’t work out too well did it?

“We have done what we have done with not the highest budget in the league – certainly not the lowest, but we have punched above our weight in every department.

“You have to put into context how we had to rebuild the team from scratch when we came in as we didn’t have a single player from the season before.

“We also lost players after getting top at Christmas when other clubs came in and I think our biggest achievement in many ways was rebuilding midway through the season to get into the play-offs.

“The team spirit in our dressing room was amazing and they deserve the plaudits.

“All the players have been great.

“They have been loyal and worked hard so it has been brilliant."