PAUL Thompson has confirmed he will quit Devizes Town at the end of the season.

The boss will step down after the final Toolstation League fixture at Nursteed Road against Bristol Manor Farm on Saturday, May 5.

Thompson felt he was facing an uphill struggle trying to get players to focus on their commitments for the club, and handed his notice in to chairman Phil Rossiter.

"I would not question their efforts but I have to question certain individuals' passion to play football," he said.

"Last Friday I only had ten players and was struggling to find people to play. If they weren't going to put in the effort then maybe I was flogging a dead horse.

"If they had given me a little bit more commitment then I would have thought I could stick it out and carry on.

"The last few weeks have made it look like it has been a bad season but I think I have done a reasonable job."

Thompson, who will take charge for the game against Odd Down on Saturday, now fears a player exodus following his decision to walk away.

"I would say all the players that have come to the club will go - I know Nick Stanley will be going, possibly to Mangotsfield," he said. "All the students will go because the link I had with Hartpury College won't be there."

Thompson reserved praise for the club's board but claims a move to Green Lane is paramount to progress.

He said: "There is so much more that can be done to make it a better place. The club has ambition but how much, I don't know.

"They need to move and until that point, probably for the next three or four seasons, they will stand still."

Chairman Rossiter, who is also leaving his position in the summer, would have liked Thompson to continue next season.

"It is a shame because I know all the committee wanted him to stay and things on the field have been the best in four years," he said. "He is a club man and has brought a lot to Devizes."