Kentish Football 
Work begins on Maidstone United's new stadium
Wednesday 28th September 2011
Work on Maidstone United Football Club’s new stadium started on Monday.To mark the special occasion, club co-owner Terry Casey and chief executive Bill Williams were joined by Gallagher chairman Pat Gallagher to officially kick off the homecoming. The Aylesford-based construction company has been chosen as one of the contractors for the project.
Over the next ten months the former army sports field, next to the River Medway, will be transformed into a 3,000 capacity ground, complete with an all-seater main stand, a clubhouse, floodlights, changing rooms and parking.
Mr Casey told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk: “As a supporter of Maidstone United for many years, it gives me great pleasure to finally announce that football is coming home. There will be many people pinching themselves at this news but over the next 10 months they will see the work happening and the dream becoming a reality.”
Co-owner Oliver Ash added: “It is almost 12 months since Terry and I, alongside Bill Williams, took over Maidstone United and what better way to mark that first anniversary than seeing work start at Whatman Way. This is a really historic moment for the club and the town and in these current times will provide a major boost to the local community.”
The £1.6million project, which is being managed by Prime Building Consultants Limited of Maidstone, is expected to be completed by summer 2012, in time for a showpiece match during the first weekend in August.
The new ground is ideally located on the outskirts of Maidstone town centre, just minutes from the M20 and M2, two mainline train stations and numerous bus routes. It will be one of a number of cultural and leisure attractions in the area, alongside the 18-acre Whatman Park and the new Kent Library and History Centre, which is due to open next spring.
Club supporters and residents can be part of the historic homecoming. A supporter-led fundraising campaign is well underway. People can show their support by donating a seat for the main stand or buying a brick which will feature in a “Wall of Fame” at the ground.
www.bringthestoneshome.co.uk/getinvolved/fundraisinginitiatives/brickseat.htm
So far £3,290 has been raised through this method.
On Saturday, 1 October, the gates at Whatman Way will be open between 10am and noon for people to celebrate The Stones homecoming, have a look around the site and speak to club staff about the project.
Anyone passing the site in James Whatman Way over the next few weeks will notice a lot of changes. By the end of the October the site will have been cleared and the foundations for the main stand and club house will have been dug.
Article courtesy of www.maidstoneunited.co.uk
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