BRAINTREE Town boss Ryan Maxwell is optimistic the club will be able to attract some talented players in readiness for their next National League South campaign.

The Iron are already making plans for the 2021-22 season, after the previous campaign was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Next season will be Maxwell's first campaign in charge, following his appointment as George Borg's successor at Cressing Road, last November.

Maxwell has revealed he now has a new good contact person operating as a kind of recruitment assistant, who has excellent knowledge of the non-league scene.

And the former Raith Rovers player is positive that will help them bring in some skilful additions to help their cause, in the next campaign.

He said: “It’s beginning to work out well and I am hopeful we’ll have some really good players coming to the club to compete and possibly complete the first team squad.”

“Whatever happens in the coming few weeks we’ll be getting ready properly and be up and running in time for the new season so we hit the ground running.”

Maxwell admitted however he will need a short closed season break as he revealed he and his partner are expecting their first child.

Braintree discovered earlier this month that their season will not be extended after the Football Association’s Alliance Committee rejected a proposal from some of the teams in National South and North to continue playing.

The idea of a mini-league formed between clubs in the two divisions at step two - one down from the National League - and any alternative has been turned down “in the interest of the integrity of the National League System.”

Proposals from National League South and North Division clubs wanting to see the current season completed centred around a plan to stage four mini leagues – two for clubs in the North and two in the South – in the style of the European club championships.

It would have seen a total of eight clubs each from both the North and South clubs competing in the mini division playing each other twice.

Up until January all National League clubs, including Braintree, were given cash grants to carry on as an elite sport during the lockdowns, meaning no spectators allowed to watch games or having any other income for the clubs to survive and carry on playing.