BRAINTREE TOWN boss Alan Devonshire has revealed he is hoping to stay with the club for several more seasons.
The 57-year-old signed a contract to keep him at the club for a third season before the 1-0 win over Barrow on Saturday which secured a ninth-place finish in the Blue Square Bet Premier for the Iron.
Devonshire took over after the club's promotion in 2011, and has led them to top-half finishes in their first two seasons in the top flight of non-league football.
The former West Ham midfielder has penned a new one-year deal, but he is hoping to keep on going at the helm.
"It's the same as this year," he told the Chronicle. "I'm happy there. I had eight years at Maidenhead and eight years at Hampton so it'd be nice to have eight years at Braintree.
"I think the new ground is being done but we've just got to take one year at a time. The main aim next year is to get them 50 points again."
Braintree endured a punishing schedule in the closing months of the campaign, but they kept on fighting and Devonshire was thrilled with how the campaign finished up for his men.
"It was a good end to the season and where we finished was fantastic," he added. "I've got to give a lot of credit to the boys.
"It's our second season in the league and we just wanted to make sure we weren't in the bottom four.
"That was the aim, to get the 50 points, so to finish where we have is a fantastic tribute to everyone at the football club."
Having played twice in every midweek except last week since the middle of March, Devonshire might have been forgiven for wanting a night in front of the TV – perhaps to watch Bayern Munich dismantle Barcelona – on Tuesday, but he was instead out watching a game as he begins to shape his squad for next season.
He added: "I'll be watching games as much as I can now. The lads might be finished but I'm still working away.
"I've been looking for next year for the last couple of months. I've got a few targets so we'll see if we get them or not. I've sat down with most of the current squad. I think we're going to lose two or three but most of them are going to be there for next season.
"It's a good foundation, we'll go again with the nucleus of the side and try and replace the ones that we end up losing."
One player who will be at the club next season is Dean Wells, who has signed a one-year deal.
Braintree's season has been one full of highs, and Devonshire admitted it has been a season with plenty of good memories.
"There's plenty of high points," he said. "Looking back, doing the double over Luton, whoever would have dreamed of Braintree doing the double over Luton?
"Beating Grimsby at home when they were flying, beating Mansfield at home when they were flying and Forest Green. There's been some good ones, getting the cameras down against Tranmere, there's loads.
"It's been a hell of a season with some good memories. And some bad ones, a few bad days at the office but you just enjoy it while it lasts."
