"We're staying up... and we're staying put!" says a relieved Stones Chairman

The Chairman discharged himself from hospital on the afternoon of the game to see his club secure the three points that they needed to secure their Ryman Premier League status courtesy of Adrian Stone’s stunning drive early in the second half. 

After congratulating caretaker manager Peter Nott, Mr Bowden-Brown spoke with www.kentishfootball.co.uk, and admitted that, “It’s been the longest season that I’ve known in all my years associated with the club. It’s been tough but seeing these boys tonight show that they care as much about this club as I do, I feel that I’ve gained six or seven new members of my family tonight.”

Mr Bowden-Brown then confirmed that he shouldn’t have even been at the game. “I was in hospital until today,” he said but there was no way that I was going to miss tonight in the same way that I wont now miss the final game of the season against Kingstonian on Saturday. 

“I’ve done a few things this season that I know now that I shouldn’t have, but next season rest assured this is one Chairman who will cut his cloth accordingly and not go any further than that. 

“There will be some people who wont like that, but I can’t help that – I’m here for this club and the people,” gesturing around the Bar area that was full of very happy Stones fans, “like these. There are people who put themselves out for this club. There are those that are ready to jump in and do things for this club if they need to when we need extra turnstile operators, when we need extra bodies on the ground, and those are the people that deserve this club. 

“And they are the people along with those who turn up week in week out deserve that we have a club that we can take back to Maidstone. 

“It’s vital that we do and to that end and with next season in mind, I’ve an important meeting coming up with my investor concerning next year but once again I re iterate what I said earlier, next season I as chairman will cut my cloth accordingly and no more!”

The chairman than confirmed that he had been in contact with the Ryman League over the clubs proposed move to share the Maidstone Road Sports Ground with Chatham Town next season. 

“Yes there have been talks between ourselves and Chatham – that has been made clear in the local press over the past few weeks. 

“But I’ve spoken to the League this afternoon and they have advised me that the club will have to honour our three year agreement to share Homelands with Ashford Town, and so we will do just that. 

“I will meet with Don Crosbie (the Ashford chairman) as soon as I can to ratify the position, but as of this moment we will be staying here next season. Now it is up to me to go out and try and help our supporters to come to watch us at Ashford and if that means bussing them here then so be it. 

“So in the coming weeks if needs be I will be looking for a local bus company or coach firm to come on board to run services from Maidstone as I want to see young people coming through our turnstiles as we’re in danger of missing out on a generation of Maidstone United supporters.”

We then asked the Chairman about the position of caretaker boss Peter Nott and his back room staff – appointed by Mr Bowden-Brown with the task of keeping the Stones in the Ryman Premier. 

“The chairman added: “I’ve nothing but respect for the job that Peter has done – I appointed him and I back him. Now he’s achieved what we asked him to we must take the club forward and if he wishes to be apart of that, we’ll talk to him at board level and see if we can come to some kind of agreement. But that can wait for now – tonight is about what this club has achieved at the end of a very long hard season. Some would say we haven’t achieved much, but after the season that we’ve endured.”

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

Kingstonian v Maidstone United 
Ryman League Premier Division 
Saturday 24th April 2010 
Kick Off 3:00pm 
At Kingsmeadow Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 3PB