Rangers hoping to keep Matt Elliott

Stafford Rangers have already expressed an interest in keeping Matt Elliott as manager at Marston Road despite their relegation from the Blue Square North.

The club were today preparing for life in the Evo-Stik Premier League next season after their three-year stay in non-league's second tier ended on Saturday.

But Elliott is hoping to stay on and lead Rangers' charge for promotion, although the Express & Star understands that the manager will quit if the club cut the playing budget any further.

During the four months the 42-year-old former Leicester and Scotland defender has been in charge, the playing budget has already been nearly halved, from £2250 to £1350, after gates dramatically dropped to just under 500.

Reducing the players outlay any further would leave them with resources not even comparable with the top teams in the league below, which include Rangers' local rivals Hednesford, where Elliott was assistant boss in 2008-09.

However, should that not come to pass the Rangers boss is happy to stay at the club.

He said: "I have had a bit of time to reflect and I am sure a few things will be discussed by the chairman and board of the directors of the club, I will be speaking to them about it after they have had a bit of time to get their own thoughts together.

"We will be meeting up soon to have a chat regarding next season, which is getting this back into the level of football that it should and needs to be.

"I spoke with the chairman, very briefly, after the game on Saturday and he suggested that they wanted me to stay on next year.

"I am keen to do that but we need to iron a few things out, see what the club are thinking and what the way forward is."