Stones players ponder reduced deals

Thursday 06th May 2010

MAIDSTONE UNITED boss Peter Nott has today revealed that he has lost three players due to budget cuts - but the club confirmed some good news about their new stadium at James Whatman Way, writes Stephen McCartney.

The contractor working on Kent's new archive centre is making history by helping the Ryman Premier League club start work on their new stadium.

Club chairman Paul Bowden-Brown and Derek Nicholson of the Prime Group have been negotiating with Warings, part of the international construction group Bouygues, who are building the Kent History and Library Centre on James Whatman Way - next to the location of The Stones ground.

The company has offered to level the site - the first phase and significant part of the construction programme.

It is all part of Warings' commitment to building relationships with the local community while they are working in the town.

In a statement issued to www.maidstoneunited.co.uk, Mr Bowden-Brown said: "I would like to thank Warings for their commitment to assist the club start work on Whatman Way and especially their offer to level the site of our new ground.

“It is a vital piece of work and I hope it will be the catalyst for further development on this much-needed facility for the county town of Kent.

“With the help of Derek Nicholson, the club can now produce a revised plan to show what work is required together with the required timescale and finance.

"It cannot be underestimated what the stadium will bring to Maidstone. It will bring the community together and put the town on the map. It will also reward the club's loyal supporters and volunteers who have fought alongside me for the last 20 year to give the town a team and community set-up to be proud of. It has not always been easy but, as they say, maybe the light is on the horizon."

Warings contracts manager Nigel Hardy added: "As a company we are keen to support the local area in any way we can. It is good to know something will be happening on the site of Maidstone United's new stadium."

As well as developing the Kent Library and History Centre on the junction of James Whatman Way and Royal Engineers Way, Warings are also building apartments on the behalf of Housing 21 and West Kent Housing Association. For more information about the company, visit www.waringsgroup.com.

Maidstone United's stadium will initially have a 3,000 capacity, including seating for 500 people. It will incorporate a clubhouse, car parking and other facilities. As well as the home of Maidstone United and its many teams, it will also be available for use by the local community.

Nott, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk at lunchtime today, didn’t want to reveal which players were staying or leaving the Ashford-based club.

“I’ve spoken to all the players at this stage and really it’s been very positive about coming back,” said Nott.

“I had to release a few but I think at this stage it probably wouldn’t be wise for me to say who they are as we’ve got to tie up a few loose ends.

“It’s a bit of a difficult one to comment on at this stage. I think I’ll need a couple more days before talking to you in more details.”

Nott added: “I’ve spoken to two of them and they have definitely left the club. I’ve told them they won’t be needed next year and another one who will potentially leave and we’ve probably got three who are not committed as yet and the rest are in the process of signing forms, which we will have all tied up within the next few days.”

Nott told his chairman that he wants players tied down to contracts next season, especially after losing Jamie Turner, Nick Barnes, Jay Saunders and James Pinnock to Margate when both Kent clubs were embroiled in fights against relegation.

“We definitely will have players on contract,” explained Nott. “We can’t have the same situation as we had last year!

“Not everybody will be on contract but I have asked players to sign contracts this year and some are very happy to and some have asked for a couple of days to consider that aspect of it.

“We need the security of contracts, the players need the security of contracts some of them and we need that as well. As you know last year we lost a lot of players at very short notice - there will be a half-and-half of players on contracts.

“It was the club policy last year not to put people on contract, but the chairman’s happy to support me in my wish to change that.”

Nott revealed that his playing budget has been cut for next season - as the club continue their bid to end their lengthy exile from the County town.

“Where we are, the budget has been cut,” said Nott. “I expected it to be cut, obviously the club’s aim is to get back to Maidstone and we’ve got to work within a budget that fits that because that’s the biggest thing that we’re all aiming for.

“I’m expecting a reduction in budget, that’s what’s made it difficult this year because there are players who we wish to retain but we have to arrange new deals with them and a couple have asked for a couple of days to consider that.

“Some have had to have a pay cut for them to continue to stay with us. We haven’t been able to roll out the same deals as we were last year.

“We had to release a couple of players, not anything to do with their playing abilities, there’s no way of keeping them in our budget next year.”

When asked the number of players that will be in his squad next season, Nott replied, “I think realistically it will be a very small squad. We’ll be looking at a squad between 16 and 18 players and the promising reserve players to come in and cover for injuries and suspensions, but they will be given their chance if they come in. They’re not coming in as a stop-gap. If they do well, they will stay in.”

As is what’s always the case at this time of the year, Nott declined to reveal any names.

“We’ve also got at this stage six tralisists who have asked to come down,” said Nott. “We won’t make a decision on them until we’ve seen them. They’re players who have approached us rather than us approach them.

“We’re in discussions with four or five new faces, who we have highlighted and targeted during our short reign last season. We’ve opened up negotiations with those players and they in negotiations with their current clubs and we know a little bit more about some of those by the weekend.

“We need fresh faces but the people that come in have to come in to the reduced budget.

“At least three will be moving out and there are some, another two or three, who at the moment haven’t committed to us either way but those players have been told we need answers in the next week as we’ve ring fenced their money that we offered them and I can’t leave that open for another week.

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk