Stones promote Nott and Cornwell from within

Tony Cornwell has been appointed as assistant manager. Both positions will be reviewed in April with a view to offering a further two-year agreement.

Club captain Jay Saunders has been offered the role of player-coach and has promised to give the new management a decision in a couple of days.

Nott and Cornwell, who step up from leading Stones’ very successful reserve development squad for the past eight years, issued a joint-statement to www.maidstoneunited.co.uk saying, “There was certainly a little bit of a tingle in both our stomachs when the chairman offered us the post, as it is something we had always hoped we would be offered one day.”

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown added: “We are all grown men, but I have to admit that the past 48 hours have been very traumatic for me, having to say goodbye to Alan and Lloyd and then ask two loyal servants of the club to steady this ship, drive it forward and make sure we are playing Ryman Premier Division football again next season.”

Hume and Walker stepped down, after five years in charge, yesterday, announcing they felt they had taken the club as far as they could.

They took the Stones to back-to-back championships, winning the Kent League in 2005 on the last day of the season with a comfortable win at Sevenoaks Town, and they then clinched the Ryman League Division One South title twelve months later with a nervy 2-1 win at Walton Casuals, again, on the final day.

The new management team will be straight into action tonight when the Stones welcome Hendon to Homelands Stadium.

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

Maidstone United  v  Hendon

Ryman Premier League

Tuesday 9th February 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ