Bringing The Stones Back Home

(PIC: Maidstone United)

On the 11^th October, Oliver Ash and lifelong fan Terry Casey finally completed their takeover of Maidstone United following a protracted saga that has mirrored the team’s 22 year absence from the county town. After a tough year financially for the club, the takeover should provide the boost that the Stones need for their league campaign and the impetus for a return to Maidstone.

Ash had been on the club’s board since February 2008 when his company Richmond Developments, a French-based real estate company, secured 25% of the club. Lashings, who run an all-star cricket team and a restaurant in Maidstone, were also in the running, but Ash and Casey were seen as the ideal candidates for the takeover, especially with Ash’s background in construction. The deal sees an end to the tenure of Paul Bowden-Powell, who has worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of the reformed football club since its inception and the long-term ambition of bringing football back to Maidstone.

Maidstone United have not played in their hometown since 1988 when they sold their London Road ground and have played in Dartford, Sittingbourne and most recently Ashford. The current incarnation of the club was born in 1992 following the bankruptcy of Maidstone United’s previous iteration. After a steady rise through the non-league pyramid, The Stones were finally promoted to the Ryman Premier Division on 2007 and have remained there since. Recently however, the club’s fortunes have been on the wane. Financial problems were exacerbated by last year’s cold weather which resulted in just one home game played in six weeks meaning the players were not paid. The arrival of Ash and Casey should bring the club onto a more sound financial footing, but the question remains; when will the Stones come home?

Paul Bowden-Powell made it his mission to return football to Maidstone and in 2004 and a plan to open a new ground at James Whatman Way was unanimously approved by councillors. The initial plan was to open the stadium in 2006, but a series of setbacks has ensured that the ground has not progressed significantly beyond the planning process. In March 2006, the land needed to build the stadium was secured on a 99 year lease from the Ministry of Defence with a view to opening in time for the 2007/2008 season. The plans included a main stand with two covered terraces, a club house and parking. The club had leased the land with a ten year loan from the Borough Council but financial problems remained. Despite Ash’s investment in 2008, the club had applied for a £1.2m grant from the Football Association and the Football Foundation, but this was rejected. Bowden-Powell earmarked 2010 as the new date for a return to Maidstone, despite the latest setback. While Bowden-Powell acknowledged the role that the Borough Council played in the advances made, he lamented the lack of support for sport in the area. This does hold some truth, especially when Maidstone has not hosted league football for twenty years and county cricket for four years.

Ash’s takeover should speed up the return to Maidstone and he is formalising a new business plan to present to investors. The new stadium is necessary for the club to avoid the fate that the original team suffered as a new ground would increase revenue and would reignite support in the team. Glenn Aitken, a former Stones player who was working with the Lashings bid to take over the club, believed that the level of support for Maidstone was the same as that of AFC Wimbledon, but it was more passive because the team did not play in the town.

While the first home game at James Whatman Way may not happen in the near future, the takeover is a step in the right direction for The Stones to finally end their exile.

For more information, go to: http://www.bringthestoneshome.co.uk/