BROWN: WE’RE STUCK IN A JAM
Boss in fear of Tiptree exodus
WAYNE Brown fears Maldon & Tiptree’s record-breaking stars will be poached by other clubs ahead of football’s eventual return.
The Jammers reached the FA Cup second round for the first time in the club’s history – famously beating Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road and only succumbing to a 90th minute winner to Newport County – and found themselves 14 points clear at the BetVictor Isthmian North summit before the coronavirus crisis led to the season being declared null and void.
Charlee Hughes, Jorome Slew and Danny Parish scored a whopping 89 goals between them in all competitions.
And Brown, whose side had just a handful of players on their books when returning for pre-season last summer, believes being denied promotion to Step 3 could see players depart.
“There is every chance we will lose players because we have got a good team,” said Brown, who took charge at Park Drive in 2018.
“We would have had a hell of a chance of keeping our players having been promoted, but that’s not the case now and we will be in the same division next term.
“A few players may look to leave and that’s the nature of the beast. They have been outstanding and we can’t deny them the opportunity to progress by playing at a higher level if that’s what they want.
“However, it will be interesting to see how the finances work whenever we can return to the football pitch. The coronavirus pandemic will have affected clubs and some may not be able to pay the money to bring in players when they could in the past.
“I’m hoping we will be able to keep as many players as possible, but it’s difficult when you don’t know the budget.”
Brown – who won promotion with Ipswich Town, Colchester United, Hull City and Leicester City during his playing days – has agonisingly missed out on promotion in both of his campaigns at the Maldon helm.
The Jammers suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat to neighbours Heybridge Swifts in last term’s play-off final, while the FA’s decision to ratify the current campaign being null and void has cost Brown’s side an almost certain title win.
Bitter pill
Brown is unsure whether Maldon chairman Ed Garty is looking to take legal action, like many Non-League sides up and down the country, but he has criticised the timing of the decision to expunge results.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow because we did so well and scored over 150 goals this season,” added Brown.
“I understand it was not an easy decision for the FA to make because, whatever they did, it is impossible to please everyone.
“They have followed the rulebook because a team’s results are expunged if they drop out of the division before completing the campaign.
“This is a unique situation and football is irrelevant when people are dying from coronavirus.
“But I don’t understand the decision to expunge results, particularly so close to the end of the season, and I feel they rushed into the decision.”