FANS have pledged to stick with the Terras and vowed the team will soon be back in the top tier of non-league football.

And local community leaders and business people said they would do all they could to help the Terras through the tough times ahead.

After Friday night’s 2-1 defeat to York City, Weymouth were condemned to relegation from the Blue Square Premier League. Next season they will line up alongside Dorchester Town who managed to avoid a drop after beating Bromley in their last game of the season.

The Terras also lost their last game yesterday 2-1 at Wrexham, ending the season second from bottom of the league.

After a troubled season at boardroom level, most of the first team squad left the club in February as a result of unpaid wages, triggering an alarming slide down the table towards the relegation zone.

A new board was appointed in March, with sports journalist Ian Ridley reinstated as chairman.

Former Wales boss Bobby Gould came in as manager earlier this month but he was unable to steer the club to safety.

Fan Nigel Martin, of Westham, said: “It’s been such a mix of emotions this season. We looked like we had a chance of getting into the Football League at the start of the season. But it all went horribly wrong and it was heartbreaking to go down. But we will re-group and be back where we belong before too long.”

Life-long fan Nigel Biddlecombe said: “Since January it has been very disappointing and all we can do now is do everything we can to try and re-assemble.

“We need to try and build it up again and people are going to have to get behind it and support it. I will certainly be there doing what I can.”

Terras programme editor Ian White said stability was now the main priority.

He said: “All we want is a stable club where we can go and watch the football without constant upheavals in the background.

“This season it seems it has been all about what has been happening off the field than on it and I just want it all to settle down.”

And another loyal supporter, Mervyn Sharpe, echoed the calls for stability.

He said: “All things being even, if we had retained the same squad that we had at the beginning of the season I think we could have been in with a shout up there in the play-offs.

“However, nothing seems to run smoothly at Weymouth Football Club for various reasons but I am not one of those who is going to put the blame on anybody.”