Braintree Town Parts Ways with Manager Angelo Harrop

Braintree Town has terminated the contract of manager Angelo Harrop. The team currently occupies the 20th position in the National League. Harrop previously served as joint manager at AFC Sudbury before his move to Braintree. Harrop’s appointment occurred in May 2022. He led the Iron to promotion in May, securing a 4-3 victory against Worthing in the National League South play-off final. This season, the team has recorded only five wins in 20 matches, including a 3-1 home defeat to Maidenhead United on Tuesday evening. Furthermore, they exited the FA Cup in the first round following a penalty shoot-out loss to Brackley Town. Chairman Lee Harding stated, “We have been talking with Angelo since the start of the season, and the Board have decided it is time for a change to safeguard the club’s future.” Harding added, “We would like to thank Angelo for his efforts over the past two and a half years at the club. We have achieved much together on and off the field.” Justin Moseley, previously the first-team coach, has assumed the role of interim boss, succeeding Harrop. After the loss to Maidenhead, a team managed by former Braintree boss Alan Devonshire, Harrop issued an apology to supporters regarding the team’s display. Following the club’s announcement of his exit, Harrop commented to BBC Essex: “Hopefully I’ve left the club in a much better place than when I first came in. “The club want to go in a different direction, which is understandable. I have no negativity towards the club, or the chairman, or the board. I actually believe it’s the right decision. “I believe I’ve probably taken the club as far as I can take it, which is a real shame, but that is my honest assessment of it. It’s time for me to refresh now and go again.”” Braintree’s upcoming match is scheduled for Saturday at home against Gateshead. According to Victoria Polley, BBC Essex sports editor, Braintree Town has a history of appointing promising young managers, a trend Angelo Harrop exemplified. During his tenure of just over two seasons, he achieved promotion and secured the BBC Essex Senior Cup, managing within Braintree’s known budgetary constraints. Polley suggests that without new financial investment, especially following the first-round FA Cup exit, the club will need a comparable strategic success to ensure National League survival this season.