Chairman's praise for home-grown youngsters

MAIDSTONE UNITED chairman Paul Bowden-Brown has praised the club’s up and coming players that took part in Tuesday night’s Kent Senior Cup tie against Bromley.

Despite their 2-0 quarter-final home defeat, Mr Bowden-Brown also added his thanks to the reserve team management of Peter Nott and Tony Cornwell, who have been with the club for a number of years and been a major part of the club’s successful youth development structure.

“The management decided for many reasons to bring in a large number of fringe and reserve players,” Mr Bowden-Brown told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“All I can say about this match was how impressed I was by the commitment and quality of these young men. They never stopped chasing the ball and in the end we had a number of goal scoring opportunities that unfortunately we did not capitalise on - but that is football.

“These boys were just proud to be allowed to wear the Maidstone United shirt, represent the first team and go out there, play against a higher opposition and be able to come off the field with their heads held high.

“I believe Peter Nott and Tony Cornwell deserve a pat on the back for their dedication of putting together such a squad and I look forward to seeing more of these lads sitting on the bench as and when required because they proved beyond doubt that they are capable of being involved with football at this level and in time they can only get better with this added experience.”

Meanwhile, after seven years with The Stones, long-throw specialist Aaron Lacy left the club last weekend to join fellow Ryman Premier League side Margate.

“Aaron has been a great servant to The Stones and his throw ins definitely got us out of the Kent League and probably out of Ryman One as well,” joint-manager Alan Walker told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“He always gave one hundred percent and we wish him well at Margate.

“But I would like to be clear, we did not tell Aaron we wanted him to go. I found out Aaron was leaving on the Friday when we had already picked the team for Sutton and he was going to be in the starting line up.

“However, Aaron wants to be playing in a first team regularly and Margate can offer him that as well as substantially more money than he was getting with us.

“Having said that, with Aaron it is nothing to do with money, he just wants to play football and so it seems strange that with him in the starting line up for The Stones, he has decided to join Margate but we would like to thank him for what he has done for us and we wish him well.”

Meanwhile, former Stones defender Chris Smalling was selected by Fulham, where he is reserve team manager, for their game at Manchester United in midweek, although he didn’t come off the substitutes bench at Old Trafford.

And over a thousand people have signed the club’s petition to ask the council to fund the club’s new stadium at James Whatman Way. You can add your name to the petition by visiting the club’s website (below).

Article courtesy of www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

Maidstone United v Staines Town
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 21^st February 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Bourne Park, Central Park, Eurolink, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB