Manager Gary Mills wants to stay at York City and lead the fightback following a disastrous second consecutive relegation.
He also insists that everybody must remain proud of their football club despite it now being consigned to regional non-league football for next season.
It follows a 2-2 draw with promotion-hopefuls Forest Green Rovers in their final league game at Bootham Crescent – a result that left the Minstermen just a solitary point away from safety.
“It’s tough for everybody but the fact of the matter is it’s happened,” Mills told BBC Radio York. “There’s always reasons for things happening.
“All I can say personally is sorry I couldn’t do it for the fans because they’ve been incredible. But they need to know that I couldn’t get anymore out of my players – I really couldn’t.
“They’ve been incredible for me and you’ve seen again today. To go behind twice, come back again and then the keeper’s pulled off two real good saves to stop us maybe going in the lead.
“And then we’re probably one minute away because of the other side of it. Others having to draw or win. We were one minute away, so that’s how close football can be at times – and that’s the difference.
“I’m just sorry for everybody at the moment because it hurts,” he continued. “It’s going to hurt for a while but we’ve got to face the reality of that’s where we are.
“This is a special club, it’s a fantastic football club. I’m sorry for everybody because the support home and away has been incredible. I’m sorry we’ve found ourselves in this situation. But we have to be big and strong. We have to take it on the chin – it’s still our football club and we’ve got to stay proud.”
However, Mills warned that the club are now dropping down into a very difficult league, one he’s already well familiar with having already previously won it during his second spell at former club Tamworth.
He certainly wants to still be in charge for that forthcoming challenge, ideally with as many of his current squad as possible.
“The league that we’ve just found ourselves going into is a very, very, very tough league,” he added. “And to get out of it you have to have good players and the right type of players.
“I personally want to be here and also want the majority of those players that have been with me since January to be here. And I’ll be working so hard to make sure that happens. Those players know that this is a fantastic football club and that it has fallen on this hard time.
“But you have to bounce back and not be weak. What you don’t have to do is make decisions based on emotions. There’ll be a lot of people angry but through that anger we have to make the right decisions and still be proud as punch of this football club.
“All I know is I want to be here and get us back to this league as quickly as possible. I need the players to do that, you can’t bring in inferior players. We need that type of player that’s been out there today to help us do that.”
Video Link: Minstermen Player HD
Audio Link: BBC Radio York
Share this article
Related Articles
