Maidstone United F.C.
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Maidstone United Football Club are an English football team from Maidstone, Kent. Former members of the Football League between 1989 and 1992, they were forced out of the league by financial problems but were almost immediately reformed. The 'Stones' were elected to the Kent County League Fourth Division in 1993 and have since progressed well through the reaches of their local league. they won the Kent league this season and are expected to play in the Isthmian League First Division in the 2006-2007 season.
The first Maidstone United
The original Maidstone United club was formed in 1897 and played in various local leagues before joining the Southern League, the major semi-professional league in southern England, in 1970. They were founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference) in 1979, and won the league title twice, in 1984 and 1989.
At the time of their first championship, Maidstone failed to gain promotion to the Football League because they lost out in the elections. But by the time they won the Conference again in 1989, automatic promotion had been introduced and Maidstone were now members of the Football League Fourth Division. Co-incidentally, Kent's only existing League club, Gillingham, had been relegated to Division Four in the same season, thereby setting up the League's first ever Kent derby. In 1987 the Stones had left their ground in Maidstone and switched to Dartford for their home matches, so Gillingham fans dubbed them "The Squatters".
In their first season in the Fourth Division (1989-90) they reached the promotion playoffs but lost to eventual winners Cambridge United in the semi finals. Their form in the next two seasons (1990-91 and 1991-92) was less impressive and they finished in the bottom half of the division on both occasions. More concerningly, Maidstone United owed debts of hundreds of thousands of pounds to creditors and had their first game of the new Division Three cancelled at the start of 1992-93. They were given 48 hours to guarantee that they would be able to complete the season's fixtures. Unable to come up with the necessary backing, Maidstone became only the third club to resign from the Football League mid-season and went into liquidation.
Rising from the ashes
A new club, Maidstone Invicta, was formed within days, and joined the Fourth Division of the Kent County League for the 1993-94 season. In 1996 the original Maidstone United name was re-introduced, and in 2001 Maidstone won promotion to the Kent County Premier League. The club's long term target is to return to the Football League. They may be a step closer, having won the Kent League in 2005-06 and gaining promotion to the Isthmian League.
Honours Since Reforming
- Kent County League Div 4 - 1993/94
- West Kent Challenge Shield - 1993/94, 1998/99
- Tunbridge Wells Charity Cup - 1993/94
- Kent County League Div 2 - 1994/95
- Kent Junior Cup - 1994/95
- Kent County League Div 1 - 1998/99
- Weald of Kent Charity Cup - 1999/2000, 2000/01
- Kent League Premier Division - 2001/02, 2005/06
- Kent League Premier Division Cup - 2001/02, 2005/06
- Kent League Charity Shield - 2002, 2003
- Kent Senior Trophy - 2002/03
FA Vase Best Run - 3rd Round - 2001/02
Records Since Reforming
Attendances:
- Kent County League - 16/04/01 - 320 - Snodland
- Friendly - 12/03/02 - 1589 - Gillingham
- FA Cup - 29/09/02 - 937 - Boreham Wood
- FA Vase - 19/11/05 - 423 - Andover
- Kent League - 25/03/06 - 573 - Beckenham Town
- Victory - 26/03/94 - 12-1 - Aylesford - Kent County League Div 4
- Defeat - 24/02/96 - 2-8 - Scott Sports - Kent County League Div 1
Current Squad
- GK - Pat Mullin
- GK - Richard Mannerings
- DF - Nathan Paul
- DF - Craig Roser
- DF - Mario McNinch
- DF - Errison Ahwan
- DF - Tony Sinclair
- DF - Lloyd Hume
- MF - Aaron Lacy
- MF - Jimmy Strouts (C)
- MF - Sam Tydeman
- MF - Nick Hegley
- MF - Jason Barton
- MF - Andy Hart
- FW - Mo Takaloo
- FW - Lyndon Rowland
- FW - Simon Austin
- FW - Lee Sperring
- FW - Leroy Huggins
- Manager - Lloyd Hume
- Manager - Alan Walker
- Coach - Jimmy Strouts
- Scout - Chris 'Scruffy' Hiscock
- Physio - Mal Watkins
Close Season In's and Out's
- Ins
Tony Sinclair - Signed from Beckenham Town. A right back and cover for Nathan Paul while he recovers from his stabbing.
- Outs
Scott Lindsey - Retired.
Famous former players
- Warren Barton - pacey full-back who in 1990 was sold to top-flight Wimbledon F.C. for a club record £300,000. In 1995, following a call up to the England national team, he was sold to Newcastle United for £4,000,000.
- Mark Beeney - goalkeeper who represented Gillingham F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and Leeds United.
- Roy Hodgson - manager of Bristol City F.C., Blackburn Rovers F.C., Malmö FF, Sampdoria, the Finland and Switzerland national teams.
- Glen Coupland - centre-forward who also represented Charlton Athletic F.C., Dartford F.C. and Dover F.C.. In a famous 1975 F.A.Cup 1st round replay, Maidstone United defeated Colchester United F.C. 4-1, with two goals from Glen Coupland.
- Peter Taylor - former Southend United F.C., Crystal Palace F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Leyton Orient F.C., Oldham Athletic A.F.C. and England winger who has managed several clubs, including Hull City A.F.C..
- Gary Breen- played for Coventry City F.C., West Ham United F.C., currently plays for Sunderland A.F.C.. International for the Republic of Ireland, scored in the 2002 World Cup against Saudi Arabia in a 3-0 win.
- Chris Kinnear - Former Margate F.C. manager who successfully got them promoted up to Conference level before financial trouble saw them face successive relegation, eventually leading to his suspension.
Stadium
Maidstone current play their home games in Sittingbourne, but in November 2004 were granted planning permission to build a new stadium on Whatman Way in Maidstone town centre, on the banks of the River Medway. After numerous delays due to legal wranglings, the ground is expected to be completed in time for the 2007/2008 season, which will mark the first time that the club have played a home game at a ground they own within the town since selling their London Road ground in 1988.
External links
- [Maidstone United Official Website]
- [Show Me The Way To Go Home - an unofficial Maidstone United fanzine]
- [Maidstone United Blogger]
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