26th January 2006. 12.00pm

Although the Stones are already confirmed as winners of the group in the league cup, Manager Lloyd Hume was still expecting nothing less than 100% from the players in our final game with Deal Town at the weekend.

"Motivating the players for Saturday shouldn't be a problem as we expect to win every game we play and this will be no exception. They will be left in no doubt before the game that I expect nothing less than a first class attitude and that they are being paid to do a job on the pitch and that is what we will expect from them. Although there is no pressure to win this game it is still an essential game for us as we build up to the final months and we will be fielding a strong side with Lynden Rowland and Ryan Royston returning to the squad. With the addition of Scott Lindsey to the squad, competition for places is hotting up which I see as essential as we push for promotion. I also expect Deal will be wanting to win the game as they are a competitive side and are certainly no pushovers when you look at their form in the league. So I hope supporters will come along to the game, the lads do need your support and we hope it will be another entertaining game."

Looking back at the VCD game Hume could still draw positives from the game despite the conditions;" There were some good performances from the players we brought into the squad and Scott Lindsey played well in the first half although faded in the second as it's a few weeks since he last played. But saying that our second half wasn't that good but in the end we got the result. VCD had a strong squad out so that made the result all the more pleasing, particularly as we were missing the spine of our team with the likes of Tydeman, Strouts Rowland and Royston all out."

In terms of team news for the match Lloyd will be able to strengthen the squad from Tuesday with both Rowland and Royston available on Saturday. However Strouts and Tydeman remain on the injury list although Hume was hopeful they would be fit for the following weekend.

23rd January 2006. 10.00pm

Manager Lloyd Hume was delighted to announce the signing of vastly experienced defender Scott Lindsey from Folkestone Invicta on Monday. 33 year old Lindsey was club captain at Cheriton Road until his departure from the club in December and was a crowd favourite, having made 156 appearances for the "other" Stones.

Scott has played at every level of football from the Football League (where he made 14 appearances for Gillingham), the Conference, the Premier Divisions of the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Leagues and also their respective First Divisions. He now makes his first foray into the Kent League with Maidstone United and resumes his footballing relationship with Lloyd Hume and Alan Walker whom he played with whilst at Sittingbourne.

Lloyd Hume said "I've been chasing Scott for a long time as he has the kind of experience that Alan and I are looking for. As soon as he left Folkestone I was in contact with him but he wanted to spend a little time with his young family. He said to give him about 6 weeks to rest from the game and as soon as that time was up I was straight back on the phone to him!"

Signing Scott gives us more competition for places and he'll bring a big voice to the pitch and the dressing room. He's like me on the pitch in so much as he is very verbal and is a natural organiser."

Hume hopes to give Lindsey his debut in Tuesday evening's PDC match against VCD Athletic at Harrow Meadow, the home of Greenwich Borough.

All three of our outstanding Kent League fixtures have now been re-arranged. The Deal Town League match is now scheduled for Wednesday 8th March at Bourne Park. Our two games with VCD Athletic sees the away fixture take place on Thursday the 23rd February, whilst the home game takes place on the Easter Bank Holday Monday (17th April) KO 3pm at Bourne Park.

23rd January 2006. 7.00pm

Despite Saturday being so one sided it did give me the chance to have a proper look at the reserves. The result was not at all important but I was able to look at how certain players conducted themselves and of course how they performed. It also gave a great chance for people like Lee Sperring who hasn't had a full game for ages to remind us what they can do. I was very impressed with Lee and he knows how much Alan and I rate him.

Andy Hart impressed me again and University commitments allowing, he'll play against VCD on Tuesday night. Now that the draw has been made we know exactly who'll be playing in the quarter finals If we win the group we'll be home to Beckenham which of course will be a tough game. If we come runners-up, we'll have (with the greatest respect) an easier game away to Lordswood.

I know that people might think that we'll try to 'engineer' results to suit us but that is not the way I play my football. I think that it sets a dangerous precedent to go out and try for anything but a win. So, although it may not be our full league XI starting at VCD on Tuesday, it will be a case of going out to win the game and if that happens, winning the group too. VCD will probably be wanting to win the group too, as a win for them against us will give them the double over us in the League Cup. I don't want that to happen but I know that Martin Ford's team will be buzzing after beating Broxbourne in the Vase on Saturday. It will be, as is always the case when VCD play Maidstone, a very competitive game.

I'm hoping to include a new signing in the side on Tuesday night too. He's a very experienced defender who will bring so much organisation to the side on the pitch. I can't name him until the formalities have been concluded but I'm confident that all of the necessary paperwork will be completed without any hitches today.

22nd January 2006. 9.00pm

With both the senior side and the reserve side having no fixture this weekend, managers Lloyd Hume and Matt Toms brought their respective sides together for a friendly at Cobdown Sports & Social Club in Ditton.

In fine spring like conditions, the 1st Team were soon into their stride when Lee Sperring opened the scoring in the 5th minute when he outpaced the defence before firing home. Before 10 minutes were up, Nick Hegley scuffed a close range effort home and it appeared that there were going to be plenty more goals in the game.

A penalty was then conceded by the reserves and Mo Takaloo brushed away the demands of manager Lloyd Hume to hand over penalty taking duties to comfortably send Pat Mullin (playing for the reserves) the wrong way. Simon Austin then diverted a Lee Speering shot into the net with the feintest of touches before Sperring rammed in the fifth goal from 10 yards.

Just before half-time the reserves had a rare attack and Ashley Dunkley finished finished well from about 6 yards out. The first half was very one sided and unfortunately the second half was even more so.

Goals came at regular intervals and it appeared that Hegley, Austin and Sperring were in a race to see who could notch their hat trick first. In the end it was Hegley who won this race (he eventually scored four times). Austin also scored three (and had a goal disallowed) but Sperring stayed marooned on two goals. He just had no luck in the second half, hitting the post at least three times. Lynden Rowland, who played the second half as a centre back, scored the 10th goal with a powerful header. A gathering of 112 spectators were treated to this free goal fest which was played on probably the best playing surface that the club has played on since Christmas.

19th January 2006. 2.00pm

Manager Lloyd Hume drew a lot of positives from last weeks performance against Hythe and felt that apart from lapses in concentration which saw us concede two goals, that was one of our better performances of the season; "I thought we played really well against a side we know to be tough. We managed to stop them playing and overall every player did what was asked of them on the field particularly with some good work off the ball. In the build up to the game we spent a lot of time telling the lads what we expect of them particularly when they are playing against poorer sides and cited the problems we had against Lordswood and we reminded them again at half-time and we got an excellent response which saw such a comprehensive win for us."

Looking forward to this weekend match with the Reserves Hume outlined what he expected; "As well as being a good run out for both teams it's an opportunity to see what the Reserves are really like. We have had some good reports from Matt Toms, but we want to see how they measure up against our full first team squad, so for players like Nick Blade it's a chance to show how they measure up against our first choice strikers. It is also an opportunity for supporters to get behind both teams particularly with it being played in Maidstone and free admission."

Hume hopes to play his full first team at least for the first half but both Jimmy Strouts and Sam Tydeman will be rested for the game. Neil Miller could though make a return after a couple of full games under his belt since returning from his injury.

Finally the Kent League have informed us of two changes to our fixtures. We now face Sevenoaks on 4th February at home which was a fixture cancelled from earlier on in the season. The scheduled match against Herne Bay now takes place on 4th March replacing our trip to VCD Athletic. Also a reminder that our League game against Deal Town on 28th January is now a Premier Division Cup match fixture.

16th January 2006. 1.00pm

With no fixture this weekend, Lloyd Hume has set up a match between the First Team and the Reserves this Saturday.

The match takes place and the Cobdown Sports ground, home of the Reserves kicking off at 1pm, and any supporters wishing to come along will be more than welcome. There is no admission charge and it will be an opportunity to see some of the up and coming players in the Maidstone Utd set up who will looking to impress Lloyd Hume and stake their claim for a place in the First Team.

13th January 2006. 1.00pm

Stones hope to remain in top spot this weekend when they take on Hythe Town on Saturday at Bourne Park and there will be one player that Stones will definitely have to keep their eye on if they are to get the three points.

"Richard Sinden was a superb player for us and a great servant to the club giving 100% every time and I'm sure he will be just as much a danger when he plays against us at the weekend." said Alan Walker in the build up to the game, " The players have been warned that once again they will have to be at their best as Hythe will be another teams who sees this game as their cup final. I've seen them play a few times against other teams and against us and they seem to be a completely different side when they play against us. But our players realise the pedigree of this club, still with a fantastic bunch of supporters and know that even though we're a Kent League side, opponents still see us as the Ex-League side, and their highlight of the season is taking points from us."

"But the boys are still high on confidence particularly after going top last week and they all want to stay there. Last weeks game was difficult, but I think we deserved the win in terms of the chances we made. I think all clubs go through difficult periods during a season and the last two games haven't entirely gone our way in front of goal, but the positives are that we are creating an abundance of chances and so long as we keep doing that we will continue to win games."

Team news for the weekend, and Lloyd Hume returns to the bench both as manager and squad player and Lee Sperring is also fit again to return to the squad after a few weeks out. Nick Blade from the reserves also gets another chance to link up with the squad as well. The report on Neil Miller is that he played his first full 90 minutes last weekend and held up well but still needs two or three more games before being fit enough to link back up with the first team squad again.

12th January 2006. 10.00pm

Stones qualified for the quarter-finals of the League Cup tonight after VCD drew with Tunbridge Wells.

The result means that with just one game left The Wells are unable to catch us on points. The draw for the quarter-finals is due to take place at the end of the month after all the group games have been completed.

11th January 2006. 9.00pm

Following an approach from Tunbridge Wells, the managemant team of Lloyd Hume and Alan Walker have allowed central defender Gary Hemens to move to the Culverden Stadium.

Coach Alan Walker said "Gary has expressed a desire to play regular first team football and at the present time Lloyd and myself cannot guarantee him that. Tunbridge Wells manager Martin Farnie was impressed with Gary in our recent League Cup game and to be honest, Gary played extremely well that evening."

"Gary is a very dedicated and honest player, so when we told him of the approach he was keen to make the move sooner rather than later. He has been a valuable member of our squad this season and has never let us down when we have called upon him. He even took up the physio duties a couple of times this season when Mal Watkins wasn't available (Gary is a trained physiotherapist) which shows you what kind of a guy he is. We genuinely wish him the best of luck with his new club."

Hemens had found himself behind the centre back pairing of Ryan Royston and Mario Celaire all season and added to that, Jason Barton's return to the club, the imminent return from injury of Neil Miller and the further option of player manager Lloyd Hume has given The Stones have quite a bit of depth in his preferred central defensive role. It goes without saying that everybody connected with Maidstone United wished Gary all the very best.

Gary's Stones record whilst in the Kent League reads as follows: Played 42 (plus 12 sub) and 3 goals scored.

Following the postponement of tonights League Cup Group match, the Kent League have informed us that the fixture will now take place next Wednesday 18th Janauary, kicking off at 7.45pm.

5th January 2006. 4.00pm

Stones will be looking to bounce back from their first league defeat of the season when they travel to Erith & Belvedere at the weekend, but coach Alan Walker is well aware this won't be and easy game; "Both Lloyd and myself felt that when they played us at Sittingbourne, apart from Beckenham they are one of the strongest sides in this league so it will be a tough game. Equally we know that areur players respond well against big sides and we're hoping this will be the case on Saturday."

Walker is also hoping some lessons were learnt last week; "We are having to stress to the players again that they need to be mentally stronger as their attitude in the first half probably cost us the game. They upped the tempo in the 2nd half and to be fair, created enough chances to win the game and you can't deny we were better than them, but that tempo should have been there from the start. They just can't afford to think that games like these will be easy and look to the example of teams like Chelsea who are having to adapt to teams playing defensively week in week out, but keep mentally strong and hence rarely play badly. But we saw the disappointment on the players faces in the dressing room after last weeks game, we saw the devastation, you can't deny they put the effort in, but they have to learn to use their brains and listen to what we tell them.""

New players coming into the squad were not ruled out by Walker particularly as we enter the latter stages of the season and push for promotion; "Lloyd and myself are always looking to improve and strengthen the squad to make sure we have the best players for Maidstone Utd and that may include bringing in new players to help with the final push for promotion, but equally it's our job to get the best from the players we have at the moment. I believe there are still many twists and turns left in the league this season and we need to stress that to the players. League titles are few are far between for players, no matter what league they are playing in, so when they are there for the taking they have to grasp those opportunities and we have that opportunity this season. "

Alan Walker and Chris "Scruffy" Hiscock once again deputise for Lloyd Hume who will return to the bench next Saturday after completing an important business trip which sadly clashed with Christmas football period, and they will have at their disposal the same squad as last weekend. Walker also confirmed that should we get a penalty, Mo Takaloo was still the clubs penalty taker; "Like I said, it's sometimes about mental strength. Mo knew he was the penalty taker and when Ryan asked to take the penalty he never argued. That's not to take anything away from Ryan, he felt confident he could do the job, but as far as myself and Lloyd are concerned Mo is our penalty taker and that will remain so until he tells us he's not up to the job."

On the injury front, both Neil Miller and Lee Sperring have been cleared to resume training and Neil Miller has been given permission to have a 90 minute run out with his local side to improve his match fitness.

Finally could we make another appeal to all fans yet to join the 400 Club to join the scheme which provides essential revenue for the club both on and off the pitch. There are some great cash prizes on offer with last months jackpot reaching £170 which costs from just £10 a month. Please CLICK HERE and join up today.

<<< 2006 index