BraintreeTown were originally a works team of the Crittall Window Company, which during the First World War was used as a munitions factory. A football club, Manor Works, was formed in 1898 and joined the North Essex League and the club were champions 3 times; in 1906, 1911 and 1912.
In 1921, the club were renamed Crittall Athletic and won the Essex And Suffolk Border League, Division 2A West title twice and were promoted to the Senior Division in 1925, but three years later the club joined the Spartan League. In 1935, the club joined the Eastern Counties League, becoming champions in 1937.
The Eastern Counties League folded and after the war, they joined the Eastern Division, London League. In their first season, they finished as runners up and were promoted to the Premier Division. In 1952, they rejoined the, by now reborn, Eastern Counties League. Two years later, the club turned professional but because of financial difficulties, the club had to revert to amateur status and they dropped back into the Essex And Suffolk Border League in 1955.
The club won the league and cup double in 1960 and then moved on to the Greater London League (in 1964) and then the Metropolitan League (in 1966). In 1968, the club was renamed Braintree & Crittall Athletic. In 1970 they returned, once again, to the Eastern Counties League and in 1981, the club became Braintree FC. Two years later, they changed their name to Braintree Town FC and were Eastern Counties league champions in 1984 and 1985.
In 1991, Braintree joined the Southern Division of the Southern League finishing in 4th place in their first season. Braintree competed well in this new higher league but due to problems with travel, the club moved to the Isthmian League Division 3 in 1996, a drop of two divisions. In their first season, the club were runners up and promoted to Division Two and, the following season, they were promoted again after finishing runners up in Division Two. The club finished 4th in their first season in Division One.
In 2001, the club were promoted to the Premier Division after finishing 3rd and in 2006, Braintree won the Premier Division and were promoted to Conference North. In their first to seasons in Conference North, Braintree reached the play-offs, losing to Salisbury and Eastbourne Borough respectively, but in 2011, they were promoted to Conference National as champions. In their first season, Braintree finished 12th and last season the Irons finished a very creditable 9th.
Barnet and Braintree have met just once before in a competitive match. In 1990, the Bees won 2-0 at Braintree’s Cressing Road Ground, in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. Both Barnet goals came from Harry Willis.
Braintree are managed by former West Ham star, Alan Devonshire.