Cheltenham Town chairman Paul Baker has told BBC Radio 5 Live that he wants Gary Johnson to stay as manager even though the club were relegated to the Conference on Saturday.

The Robins lost their Football League status of 16 years after losing 1-0 to Shrewsbury Town, but Baker is keen to sign Johnson onto a permanent contract.

The 59-year-old joined Cheltenham last month on a short-term deal ending at the end of the season and faced an uphill battle from the start with the club being two points from safety with seven games to play,3 which he failed to overturn.

"There's a lot of support out there for Gary," Baker told BBC Radio 5 live's Non-League Football Show.

"We've got on very well with him, we've been impressed with him and he's my, and the board's, first choice."

The former Bristol City boss became Town's fourth manager of the season after the departures of Mark Yeates, Paul Buckle and Russell Milton but Baker is hoping that the future of the manager's job is sorted as soon as possible.

"Gary and I have had a brief conversation," Baker added.

"He came in just at the end of the season to try to keep us up and we said we'll sit down afterwards to talk about the future.

"He came in on a hiding to nothing, unable to do anything in the transfer market and having to work with what he had.

"Frankly, I want to get the managerial situation sorted sooner rather than later so that the fans who we hope will buy season tickets know who the manager of the football club will be - because that's the most important decision.

"He's got to consider whether he wants to manage in the Conference."

The Robins dropping to the Conference means two consecutive relegation's for Johnson as he was at the helm at former club Yeovil Town last season when they were relegated to League One.

Cheltenham play their final game of the season on May 2 when they make the trip to AFC Wimbledon.