'Hurt' Devonshire Says He Is Staying At Maidenhead United

After eight seasons, the Magpies will return to the National League next season after their relegation was confirmed on Monday.

A 3-0 win over Boston United wasn’t enough and there was to be no late-season surge to safety this time.

Devonshire, 69, says his first ever relegation stings but he says that assurances have already been given that he will be taking the team next season.

Chairman Peter Griffin says the West Ham United legend is the only person he wants to guide the club in the division they won together in 2017.

“It hurts,” Devonshire told the Maidenhead Advertiser. “It hurts, but the league doesn’t lie.

“I love the club, and my aim now is to try and get it back to where it belongs which is in the National League.

“I’ve got a year left and Peter wants me to stay for another year so that’s the plan.

“The fans have been brilliant. I was at West Ham for years and the fans there were brilliant. I fell in love with them, and I’ve fallen in love with the fans here. They are absolutely brilliant.

We’ve been relegated but there’s 3,000 here for our final game. I can’t have asked them to give any more. We’ve got to go again.”