AFC Fylde are finally in action in 2025 as they make the trip down to Berkshire on Saturday afternoon for our televised fixture with Maidenhead United.
The fixture will be live on Dazn, the second outing that the Coasters have seen televised so far this campaign after facing Altrincham in front of the Dazn cameras back in October.
It’s a big clash for the Coasters against a side who’re also down at the wrong end of the National League table.
Maidenhead have one win in their last five league outings which came in a 3-1 win over Wealdstone on Boxing Day.
The host’s were also in action on Wednesday night when they fell to a 4-0 defeat away at Altrincham.
Opposition Dugout: Alan Devonshire
Alan Devonshire’s latest stint at Maidenhead began in May 2015 and in his first term he guided the club to promotion as champions of the Vanarama National League South.
Born in Park Royal, London, Devonshire signed for West Ham for a fee of £5,000 from Southall in 1976.
He would go onto spend the next 14-years at Upton Park, becoming a fan favourite in Claret and Blue colours.
The Irons competed in the first and second divisions during his time in the capital’s East End, with Devonshire making 448 appearances in all competitions – winning the FA Cup in 1980 and Second Division title in their promotion-winning 1980/81 campaign.
After representing West Ham for over a decade, Devonshire departed in May 1990 as he made the move to Second Division side Watford on a free-transfer, where he played the final two-years of his career at Vicarage Road, featuring 25 times for the Hornets.
Devonshire’s West Ham form also saw him capped on eight occasions by England between 1980-1983.
Having managed Osterley and Brentford Women, Devonshire’s association with Maidenhead began in the summer of 1996, and would be in the dugout for a further seven-years, managing 388 league games in total and winning four Berks and Bucks Senior Cups.
Devonshire was then appointed as Hampton and Richmond boss in July 2003, guiding the club from the Isthmian Division One South play-offs in his first season in charge, due to the restructure of the non-league pyramid, they gained promotion to the Isthmian Division One Premier Division.
After near play-off misses and defeats, Devonshire would lead the Beavers to another promotion in 2006/07, this time up to the Conference South, and in their debut season, they finished third.
In May 2011, Devonshire became boss of Braintree Town in the Conference National, spending four-years at the Essex outfit before he returned to Maidenhead in 2015 and led them to the Vanarama National League South as divisional champions in 2016/17. He has managed over 1,350 games in his career.
One to Watch: Reece Smith
A player who could cause problems for the Coasters on Saturday evening is Maidenhead winger Reece Smith.
The attacker has eight goal contributions to his name so far this campaign including two goals since the beginning of December.
After working his way through the youth ranks at Maidenhead, Smith is now a regular for Alan Devonshires’ side, playing 38 times in the league last season. He is able to play in central midfield or out wide and is a fan favourite due to his progression from the club’s youth system.
Despite only being 22, the winger has picked up plenty of experience at the level and has caused a threat to many a side in the division.
Tickets and Travel:
Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased online here and are priced at:
Adults: £20
Concession (Over 65 / Student/ Disabled): £15
17-22 Year Old: £10
Under 17: £5 (Please note Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
Tickets will also be available to purchase on the day with no price increase and both cash and card accepted.
Maidenhead United produce a free digital programme for all supporters to download on matchday. They however continue to offer an option for a printed version to be sent directly to supporters home addresses. The deadline to order this service will be midnight on Thursday 16th January via https://ethicalticketing.org/maidenhead-united-fc/event/862929712
Please note that the bringing of drums and other musical instruments into York Road is strictly forbidden.
Travel:
Saturday 18th January 2025 – MaidenheadUnited
The coach will leave Mill Farm at 11am (for a 5:30 kick off).
Adult (member) – £30
Adult (non-member) – £40
Under – 16 (member, accompanied by an adult) – Free
Under – 16 (non-member, accompanied by an adult) – £5
Payment can be made in cash on the coach or by bank transfer.
Supporters Group Note
A list of coach bookings will be shown on the Coasters Information Facebook page. If you are on the list but then find you are unable to travel, please let the Supporters Group know so that there is availability for others to travel.
The Supporters Group reserves the right to cancel away travel if numbers mean it is not feasible and will provide as much notice of this as is reasonably possible.
Travel on a coach is subject to the Supporters Group Terms and Conditions.
All supporters travelling on a coach to away games must park on the North Stand Car Park.
Strip:
AFC Fylde will be wearing their all white home strip for the trip to York Road.
Match coverage
If you are not attending the game on Saturday afternoon against Maidenhead United, then Coasters Live has you covered!
Coasters Live will be on air from 5:20pm for the 5:30pm kick-off. It is the only place where you can listen to full-match commentary of every AFC Fylde fixture.
To listen to Coasters Live commentaries on Mixlr, please CLICK HERE
You can follow the Maidenhead United game through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.
X: @AFCFylde
Facebook: @AFCFyldeOfficial
Instagram: @afc_fylde
The post Match Preview: Maidenhead United (A) appeared first on AFC Fylde.
