We will return back home to Maidstone, insists Bowden-Brown

Sunday 27th December 2009

MAIDSTONE UNITED chairman Paul Bowden-Brown has issued a rallying cry for all stay-away supporters to support the club in Ashford, writes Stephen McCartney.

Boxing Day games are normally lucrative affairs, but a low crowd of just 225 watched the side’s 1-0 home defeat to Kent rivals Margate yesterday.

The Stones have attracted a total number of 2,661 supporters from nine home Ryman Premier League games at Homelands Stadium, averaging 296.

And these statistics are concerning the chairman, who insisted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he will bring the club back home to the county town of Maidstone.

“If they haven’t got the money or find it an inconvenience, fair dues, but I think one of the biggest problems, not just the distance, I think an awful lot of fans have lost the faith that I’m going to bring them home,” said Mr Bowden-Brown.

“Like I said before, I’ve moved to Ashford as a temporary measure. We’ve been working very, very hard and we can’t keep broadcasting what we’re doing, who we’re meeting, what we’re seeing. We’ve just got to get on with it.

“I know a lot of people are saying ‘well, let someone else come on and take it forward’ so be it. Let them do it if they want, but myself and the executives are working hard and we’ll continue to work hard as long as we’ve got a breath in our body to ensure that there is only one aim what we want and that’s to play in Maidstone for our football. Nothing else!

“We don’t want to continue in Ashford for years and years. Everything that’s thrown in front of us we’ll knock it aside and we’ll keep going.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re human and it does hurt us sometimes and some off the comments I get hurt me but we just got to keep going.

“I think it’s two things that have hit as like I’ve said. The gates, because of an economic climate and the distance, and an awful lot of people with apathy feel we’re not going to come home.

“All I can say is they can believe or disbelieve it. We are coming home! We’re working very, very hard but it’s not the easiest time to raise funds at this present time but we are working on it and we’ll continue to work on it.

“I’d love the supporters to come out in their droves and just support the club and the players - they deserve it.”

Maidstone United will be groundsharing Ashford Town’s Homelands Stadium for three seasons and when asked the timescale for returning back to Maidstone, Mr Bowden-Brown replied, “We have not got a timescale. I’m at Ashford for three years and we’ve got to stop talking and get some action and that’s what we’re working very, very hard.

“We’re talking to parties to help but at this present time the finance is very tight. The other thing that we’ve got, investors are not going to invest in a football club because they want a return and football clubs do not give returns.

“The only way is to work as a unit together and work together. I’m talking to others, to interest parties to what we can do. How we can bring them home properly, whether it’s going to be a smaller not so grand stadium. So be it. As long as we can come home and start playing our football and bringing our supporters home.

“But as I’ve said, they’ve heard it all before from me since the planning application. Nothing’s happened. Our foundation was turned down. We’re looking at that again because we’ve been advised that certain parts of that could be changed but it’s one of those things.

“I’m not just sitting back looking at Ashford, watching the games not being played and pouring in he money into the club.

“We’ve got to have a club to bring home and there’s NO and I mean NO decision that we’re going to let ourselves be relegated so we can go down to a lower division. That would not help the situation at all!

“I want help from everyone and people are saying I won’t accept supporters’ help. If it’s organised and it’s going to be beneficial to this club, which bare in mind I may be the owner but this club belongs to everybody in Maidstone that’s associated with the club, supports it.

“If they can come forward with an idea that could work and will be beneficial with what we want to go forward so be it. Let them come.

“As I’ve said before, there’s too much talk and not enough action and that includes myself as well. We’ve been knuckling down since June and we’re working very hard.

“It’s a rallying cry. I support the supporters. I understand them totally. I’m no fool and I’ve been around a long time and I can see why people are losing faith.

“I haven’t lost faith. There’s nobody touching me on my shoulder saying ‘alright Paul, I’ll take over’, so I’ve got to keep going and I will keep going until I’ve got a breath in my body.”

So far, 107 supporters - and one corporate sponsor - have taken their seats in Maidstone United’s virtual stadium. To book your seat in the money raiser for the club’s real new stadium, please visit www.maidstoneunitedvirtualstadium.com.

This idea was the brainchild of supporters Jamie Barber and Steve Savage.

Visit Maidstone United’s websites and let’s play our part to BRING THE STONES HOME!