Maidenhead United

Maidenhead United are a professional football club based in Maidenhead, Berkshire. They currently play their football in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Nicknamed the Magpies, which comes from their back and white kit, Maidenhead also have two magpies in the centre of their club badge. This came about following the merging of Maidenhead FC and Maidenhead Norfolkians to form the current club, where they took on their black and white kit, following Notts County with whom they share their nickname. They were originally founded almost half a decade before that name change, in 1870. The Magpies were promoted to the fifth tier in 2017 after winning the National League South, competing at this level for eight campaigns now. This season has been one of struggle, though, as they occupy 22^nd spot, inside the relegation zone.

Maidenhead United Updates

Last term, Maidenhead achieved their highest finish in the National League since their maiden campaign in the fifth tier. But they are having a very disappointing campaign this time around, losing five of their last six games. As a result, they have dropped to the bottom four in the table, two points from safety.

Cup competitions have hardly proved a welcome break either. In the FA Cup, a replay was needed to see off Taunton before suffering a heartbreaking loss against Crawley in extra time. The Magpies looked to be pulling off a shock until the League One side scored a 95th-minute equaliser, then they netted four minutes from the end of extra time to win the tie. The FA Trophy saw them lose at the first hurdle to local rivals Slough Town, while the controversial newly-introduced National League Cup also ended in the same way, missing out on the knockouts on goal difference.

To keep up to date with news about Maidenhead United throughout the season, check out The Real Efl page.

Maidenhead United Transfer News and Rumours

The National League sees very high player turnover, due to the nature of not being a professional league. This means that they either rely on loan signings, or one-year deals tend to get handed out due to the precarious financial situations of fifth-tier clubs. Looking at their summer business, Maidenhead made twelve signings, attempting to strengthen across all areas of the pitch.

They made four from Championship clubs, three of which were permanent deals. Unsurprisingly, given their local nature, Oxford were the side that they signed two players from, with Bristol City also being another outfit. Tyrese Dyce was also signed from local rivals Slough, adding to their options at left-back.

The main portion of their departures left for clubs lower down the pyramid, with Harry Parsons and Charlee Adams leaving for the National League South. David Omilabu joined Biggleswade, while Sam Beckwith and Ashley Nathaniel-George remained in the fifth tier, joining Rochdale and York, respectively. Zico Asare was the big loss, leaving for Harrogate, where he has played twenty League Two games this term. There were no permanent outings in the January window.

Maidenhead United Signings

Maidenhead added four new players in the winter window, with half of them being permanent deals. Ricky Korboa and Noah Stewart boosted the forward line, arriving from Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively. One-month loans were agreed upon for the other two players. There was actually a fifth signing, too, with Owen Cochrane making his move to Berkshire permanent after an initial loan. Loan restrictions don’t apply in the same way at this level, with clubs able to acquire loan players and send players out for most of the campaign.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Joseph Ajose	22	English	Queens Park Rangers EFL Championship	Free	Undisclosed
Nathan Ferguson	28	Guyanese	Wealdstone English National League	Free	Undisclosed
Ruben Carvalho	23	English	Wingate & Finchley English Isthmian Premier Division	Free	Undisclosed
Tyrese Dyche	23	English	Slough Town English National League South	Free	Undisclosed
Zac Bell	21	English	Bristol City EFL Championship	Free	Undisclosed
Harvey Collins	21	English	Reading EFL League One	Free	Undisclosed
Tariq Uwakwe	24	English	Swindon Town EFL League Two	Loan	1 month
Miles Welch-Hayes	27	English	Livingston Scottish Championship	Loan	Season long
James Golding	20	Irish	Oxford United EFL Championship	Loan	2 months
Owen Cochrane	19	English	Stevenage EFL League One	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Joshua Johnson	19	English	Oxford United EFL Championship	Loan	Season long
Thierry Latty-Fairweather	21	English	Oxford City EFL National League	Loan	Season long
Ricky Korboa	28	English	Livingston Scottish Championship	Free	Undisclosed
Noah Stewart	20	English	Ballymena United Northern Irish Premiership	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Emmanuel Onariase	28	English	Hartlepool English National League	Loan	1 month
Aidan Coyne	20	Australian	Watford English Championship	Loan	1 month

Maidenhead United Key Matches of the Season

Maidenhead have had a very difficult campaign as they look to avoid relegation back to the National League South. A point against Braintree keeps their deficit to survival at just two points, but it’s the games earlier in the campaign that are the reason they are in the bottom four of the division.

Given Maidenhead’s ranking in the table, games against the sides around them, commonly known as ‘six-pointers’, will be crucial. The remaining March encounters against Aldershot and Dagenham & Redbridge will also play a huge role in where the club finishes. In the final three games of the season, the Magpies face the other three sides in the bottom four with them, with games against the only two sides below them in the table coming in their final two outings.

To find out all of Maidenhead United’s fixtures, click on the link below:

https://www.scoreaxis.com/team/maidenhead-united/CSZTjf

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Maidenhead United Key Achievements

Maidenhead most recently won the National League South eight years ago, while they have also won a further eight league titles, across four different divisions. In 2016/17 they completed a cup double, also winning the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup. They are the second most successful side in that competition, trailing only Wycombe by six titles. They have also been runners-up a further fourteen times.

Below, we will guide you through Maidenhead United’s major achievements.

• National League South Champions in 2016/17
• Corinthian League Champions x3 – 1957/58, 1960/61 & 1961/62
• Corinthian League Memorial Sheild Winners x2 – 1956/57 & 1961/62
• Isthmian League Full Members Cup Winners in 1996/97
• Spartan League Champions x3 – 1926/27, 1931/32, 1933/34
• Great Western Suburban League Champions in 1919/20
• West Berkshire League Champions in 1902/03
• Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Winners x22 including 2016/17

Maidenhead United Current Squad

As previously mentioned, National League clubs have plenty of squad changes each campaign, along with scope for changing their team throughout the season. They need players to step up to the task, though, in the final part of the season to remain a National League side and avoid relegation to the sixth tier.

Maidenhead United Attackers

Goalscoring hasn’t been a huge issue this term for the Magpies, scoring as many goals as ninth-place Rochdale. There has been a fair reliance on two forwards, though, with Shawn McCoulsky and Tristan Abrahams both hitting double figures. They have contributed almost half their goals, playing over 30 times each.

Maidenhead United Midfielders

From midfield, Reece Smith has added a further six goals from his 31 starts in the National League this term. Casey Pettit is the only outfield ever-present in terms of appearances this campaign with 35, while Nathan Ferguson and Miles Welch-Hayes have also played a fair amount. The trio of Ajose, Carvalho and Keetch have made over ten substitute games each.

Maidenhead United Defenders

Unsurprisingly, the defence has been a part of the pitch that has regularly been shuffled. No defender appears in the top six players in terms of games this season, with Will De Havilland the first on the list with two goals in 29 appearances. Owen Cochrane, Kevin Lokko and Thierry Latty-Fairweather have also been regulars in the backline this campaign.

Maidenhead United Goalkeepers

Starting keeper Craig Ross has played every league outing for Maidenhead this campaign, although it has been a difficult one in terms of goals conceded. He has though managed to keep five clean sheets this term, with Harvey Collins as the backup keeper for the club.

Maidenhead United Managing and Coaching Staff

The current manager of Maidenhead United is Alan Devonshire.

He was a West Ham legend during his playing career, which ended over three decades ago and saw him gain eight caps for England. After being released by Crystal Palace’s academy, he moved into Non-League with Southall before spending fourteen years with the Hammers for a paltry fee of £5000.

After almost 450 appearances, and a brief stint at Watford, he moved into management with Brentford Women’s side and Osterley. His first big job came with his first spell at Maidenhead, taking charge of over 300 games across seven years, winning promotion and five trophies, including the Isthmian League Full Members Cup.

At Hampton & Richmond, Devonshire took the club into the Isthmian Premier Division through a restructuring of the leagues. They won promotion to the Conference South, finishing in the Play-Offs in their first season at that level. After four years at Braintree, he returned to Maidenhead. Devonshire is approaching ten years with the Magpies, where he has won promotion to the National League after winning the sixth tier.

Maidenhead United Former Managers & Key Coaches

Alan Devonshire, when he eventually leaves Maidenhead, will go down as one of the finest managers in the club's history and across the Non-League pyramid. He has led over 800 games, winning two promotions and keeping the club in the fifth tier when it appeared impossible. There have though also been some other great managers to have led the club to its current heights, listed below:

Len Townsend 1954 – 1958 & 1964 – 1969

• Inducted into Maidenhead’s Hall of Fame in 2005.
• In his first spell, Townsend won two Berks & Buck trophies, a divisional cup before winning the title in his final season.
• After a tough spell at Slough, he returned six years later, winning another cup before retiring with a total of 473 matches managed.

Geoff Anthony (Unknown - Between 1979 and 1980)

• Joined the club initially as a player, after being a Welsh amateur international and a top player in the upper echelons of Non-League.
• Close to achieving promotion twice with two third-place finishes in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
• Also worked as a schoolmaster during his stint at Slough, featuring in the 1973 Amateur Cup final.

John Dreyer 2003 – 2004

• Played almost 600 games across just under two decades in the game as a player, spending six years at Luton.
• Only managed Maidenhead for one full season, leading the club to the FA Trophy Quarter-Finals.
• Won promotion into the new Conference South before leaving the Magpies in November that year.

Johnson Hippolyte 2006 – 2015

• Managed 445 games across a nine-year period where he achieved a then-best finish in Maidenhead’s history of 6^th place in the National League South.
• Won promotion to that level thanks to a run of twelve wins in fourteen games, going on to win the Play-Offs.
• Progressed into the FA Cup 1^st Round Proper for the first time in a quarter of a century.

Maidenhead United Legends

Unsurprisingly, most of the players who can be considered legends at Maidenhead have played for the club in the past decade or so. They had an extremely tight core of players, who under Alan Devonshire managed to win promotion to the National League and maintain themselves at this level.

George Copas 1924 – 1936

Copas is Maidenhead’s all-time record goalscorer, netting a superb 270 times in just 299 appearances. Spent twelve years at the club, winning the league title three times and three more cups. Regarded as their greatest-ever player, Copas never intended to go professional, to the relief of everyone in the area.

Jack Palethorpe 1929 – 1930

Holds the club's goalscoring record in a season with a sensational 65 in only 39 games. Managed seven goals in a single game against Wood Green Town, Maidenhead’s post WW1 record. Went on to score 106 Football League goals in 177 appearances, netting in the 1935 FA Cup Final for Sheffield Wednesday.

Brian Pitts 1960 – 1971

The centre-half played 550 games for the club, making him Maidenhead’s record appearance holder. Honorary life vice-president won eight trophies during his eleven years at the club. Moved to the area at the age of six, becoming ‘virtually ever-present’ during his long stint with the Magpies.

Alan Massey 2015 – Present  

Modern-day legend of Maidenhead, after joining on what proved to be a massively successful free transfer from Braintree. The centre half helped the club win promotion to the highest level of the National League, playing 42 games in the title-winning campaign. Has played almost 300 National League games and is now club captain.

Remy Clerima 2016 – Present

He has made 230 appearances since joining the club nine years ago, though he has only played three times this season. Scored seventeen times and provided eight assists in that time. Played in a variety of positions across defence and even in midfield, but is predominantly a right-back.

Ryan Upward 2014 – 2023

He was the longest-serving player until leaving for Farnborough two years ago. Played over 300 times across his spell with Maidenhead. Scored eleven goals in his first two years at National League level at the Magpies.

Sam Barratt 2014 – 2018, 2020, 2023 & 2023 – Present

Returned to Maidenhead for a third time after an initial loan spell in November 2023. Scored twelve in his first spell with the club, including five in his debut campaign in the National League. After leaving for Southend, he returned in 2020, scoring fifteen in 29 in his first year back.

Josh Kelly 2017 – 2022

Progressed through the club's academy, playing 129 times and scoring 27. In his final season at the club, he netted fifteen goals in 39 appearances. Now playing for AFC Wimbledon in League Two, where he has made 30 appearances this term.

Maidenhead United Team Metrics and Performance

Maidenhead are currently in its eighth campaign at this level since winning the National League South in 2016/17. They are on course, though, for their lowest finish at this level, as they battle against the drop from the fifth tier.

Last season, the Magpies finished in 14^th spot, their second-highest finish in the club's history. After winning fifteen games, they finish the campaign with a points tally of 58, only six shy of their debut season at this level in 2017/18.

Back in 2022/23, the National League had plenty of attention for the performances at the top of the table, where Wrexham and Notts County both broke the points record. But the relegation battle was just as enticing, with Maidenhead finishing just two points above the drop zone in 20^th.

Their margin to safety, though, was much slimmer in 2019/20, when the season was decided on PPG. Somehow, Maidenhead survived by the slimmest of margins, moving up a place to stay up by 0.002 of a point, at Ebbsfleet’s expense. In the two campaigns that followed, they achieved 13^th and 17^th place finishes, but neither year had 24 clubs in the league.

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Maidenhead United Pitch and Amenities

Maidenhead United play its home games at York Street, a ground they have played at since 1871. That makes it the oldest ground that has continually been used to play football in the world, acknowledged by the FA and FIFA and is commemorated by a blue plaque.

As recently as the summer, the club were able to add 528 new seats at opposite ends of the ground. Proposals were blocked the year before for a new ground, meaning they stepped up the plans for the redevelopment, having had plans first approved in February 2019. The improvements also included an area & toilets for disabled people, a changing block and improved floodlights.

York Road has four stands, named:

• Bell Street End (Covered Standing)
• Railway Stand (Seating)
• Canal End (Covered Standing)
• The Shelf (Uncovered Standing)

The current capacity of the ground is 4500, with just over 1000 now estimated to be seated after recent upgrades. While the highest Maidenhead attendance is listed below, the ground itself actually has a slightly higher record crowd. 8277 were in attendance when Slough Town faced Wycombe Wanderers in the 1947 Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Final, on Easter Monday, helping raise the attendance.

Maidenhead United Fan Base and Support

Across the seventeen home league games that Maidenhead have played this campaign, the Magpies have averaged 1189 fans. They have only won five of these games, showing that improved home support can be pivotal in keeping the club in the division. Last season, more than 200 extra fans were in attendance, on average, while their crowds the year prior were also higher.

Since promotion to the National League, figures have remained around 1300, although this current campaign has seen their lowest crowds since moving into the fifth tier. Obviously, league position has played a part in that. But with some crucial games towards the end of the season, and a game over the Easter weekend, their average may slightly rise again.

In terms of historical figures, they set their highest-ever attendance in the Quarter-Final of the FA Amateur Cup. 7989 packed into York Road for the meeting with Southall, with another couple of thousand estimated to have been watching outside. They were successful, progressing to face Ilford infront of over a remarkable 18000 spectators at West Ham’s ground, losing 4-1.

Maidenhead United Rivalries and Notable Matches

Slough are considered Maidenhead’s fiercest rivals, though Hayes & Yeading are also local rivals. On a much bigger stage, Reading are also in the same county, with the clubs meeting in a friendly three years ago when the Royals eased to a 4-0 victory. But that is the only meeting that can be found in recent times, and given the huge gap in club size, these two clubs are not considered rivals.

It’s been over twenty years since Slough and Maidenhead met in a league game, with both games ending 1-0 that campaign. Slough knocked their local rivals out of the FA Trophy in the most recent encounter, nicknamed ‘SLClassico’ back in December, winning 2-1. The majority of their other meeting have come in the Berks and Buck Cups.

Some notable matches between these two teams include:

• October 10^th, 1900 – FA Cup: Slough Town 2-2 Maidenhead Town
• December 25^th, 1925 – Spartan League Division One: Maidenhead United 6-2 Slough Town
• December 26^th, 1966 – Athenian League Premier Division: Slough Town 4-5 Maidenhead United
• April 16^th, 2001 – Isthmian Premier Division: Slough Town 1-0 Maidenhead United

Maidenhead United Facts

Maidenhead United History

After being founded in 1870, Maidenhead have a unique history with the FA Cup. In the world’s oldest cup competition, they competed in the inaugural version in 1871/72, winning their first game. In the next three campaigns, they reached the Quarter-Final stage. Away from that, two clubs merged with Maidenhead in 1891, them being Maidenhead Temperance and Boyne Hill.

At the end of the 19^th century, they were a founding member of the Southern League, spending eight years in that structure before moving to the Berkshire leagues. Following the end of WW1, another merge with Maidenhead Norfolkians followed. The next decade saw continued movement between leagues, which again continued following WW2.

By the 1960’s, their current league, the Corinthian League, merged into the Athenian League, again changing a decade later. This was where they finally settled, in the Isthmian League, remaining at this level for over 30 years until winning promotion to the Conference South. Eight years ago, they reached the fifth tier, where they have remained up until the current day.

Maidenhead United Social Media Links

To see any regular updates on Maidenhead United, the club's social media pages, particularly X, are the best possible way. The club have just under 20k followers on that particular platform, where you can find all the latest news.

Below are the links for the clubs' Twitter, and the website:

https://x.com/MUFCYorkRoad
https://www.maidenheadunitedfc.org/

Maidenhead United Outlook and Forecast

Given the club's size, it is of no surprise that Maidenhead are struggling in the National League. They have frequently been a lower mid-table side in the fifth tier since promotion to this level, but are facing their first proper test at survival. While they survived by the skin of their teeth in the shortened 19/20 campaign, that was decided on PPG; therefore, this is the first full campaign in which they are in the midst of a true relegation battle.

Despite their current form, their saving grace is that they remain in touch with safety, and haven’t been cut adrift in the way that some of their relegation rivals have. Additionally, they have several huge games against sides located around them in the table, including their final three outings. Win some of these, and their position in the National League will be safe for another season.

Frequently Asked Questions on Maidenhead United Football Club

How much would it cost to buy Maidenhead United Football Club?

Figures on how much it would cost to buy the club remain sketchy at best, as this information isn’t typically available for clubs in the fifth tier of English football. Last July, they received a significant windfall when Max Kilman transferred from Wolverhampton Wanderers to West Ham United. The defender was sold to Wolves in 2018, with a large sell-on fee inserted into the deal, which was estimated to have been worth around £4m as a result of his move back to London. Other financial information about the club includes their York Street home, and a potential move in 2022. The lease of land was agreed for land at Braywick Park for £460k by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, but it collapsed the following year due to worries about the loss of space. These concerns came from the Liberal Democrats and independent councillors in the borough.

Who owns Maidenhead United FC?

Peter Griffin is the top shareholder of Maidenhead, while also being the club’s managing director and secretary. Unfortunately, it was stated that late in 2024, he may need to sell the club in the coming years if no progress is made on the stadium front. This is despite the £1m fee they will receive for the next four years, as a result of the Kilman sale.

Is Maidenhead United FC a big club?

Traditionally, Maidenhead are not a big club. They are yet to play EFL football, meaning their current level of the fifth tier is the highest level they have ever played at. They are though established in the division, and they can be considered a decently sized outfit in the Non-League pyramid. In terms of the Berkshire area, they are perhaps one of the top clubs, potentially second behind established EFL side and former top-flight club Reading.

Where to watch Maidenhead United FC?

To watch the club live, you would have to attend a home game at York Road. Alternatively, you could watch one of their 23 league games away from home. DAZN have taken on the broadcasting rights for the National League this campaign, recently adding a new highlights package to their deal, which is now available to watch via their website. Their midweek encounter against Braintree early in March was available to watch, again via the website.