31st July 2007. 11.20pm

Two Maidstone United favourites return to the club later this week.

Former boss John Still, who guided the Stones to the Football League in 1989, brings his Conference-winning Dagenham & Redbridge team to Bourne Park for a pre-season friendly on Thursday, 2 August.

The match will also see the comeback of joint-manager Alan Walker following a freak accident in Belfast two months ago. Walker returned to Kent last weekend following treatment at Ireland's renowned Musgrave Park Hospital.

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown said: "I'm looking forward to welcoming John Still who is well known by those supporters that were around some 18 years ago in the good old days when John was our manager. I congratulate him on replicating that success with Dagenham & Redbridge and thank him for bringing his team down to play our club.

"When I spoke with Alan Walker this week, he said that he wanted to be at the match and he'll be guaranteed a warm welcome. Everyone at the club looks forward to seeing him at more games while he continues his recuperation."

Kick off at Bourne Park, Sittingbourne is 7:45pm.

28th July 2007. 6.00pm

Thousands of people descended on Kent's county town this weekend for the 28th Maidstone River Festival.

The club had a stall there and volunteers Helen, Pat and Grace talked to visitors (including the Mayor of Maidstone Richard Ash and former player Mark Beeney) and handed out information on the new stadium and a fixture list for the 2007/08 season.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for the club, which is very encouraging for the future. We intend to be at other local events later in the year to spread the word about the Stones and our homecoming.

28th July 2007. 10.30am

Following the success of the Easter, Fun Factor Football sessions, established by Maidstone United player, James Bodle, the scheme is set to return for the summer.

Fun Factor Football is a soccer school aimed at educating youngsters (5-13 years) in all areas of the game from ball skills to competing. More importantly the experience is about having fun during the holidays and Saturday mornings, making friends and playing games. Participants will also have the chance to win prizes from competitions like best joke and best picture which were hit previously and much more.

Eastborough Primary School will host the sessions from 30th July – 3rd August.

The cost is £50 for the week, Monday to Friday 10am- 3pm, however there is a £5 discount for every other family member. There will be three Maidstone Reserve players coaching, Anthony Bodle, James Bodle and Rob Lyle, along with other experienced personnel depending on the numbers. James and his team are all FA qualified football coaches and are very enthusiastic about bringing football fun to children of the Maidstone area.

Fun Factor Football has one main aim, which is to have fun whilst learning the beautiful game.

For more information visit www.funfactorfootball.co.uk

27th July 2007. 8.00pm

After 8 weeks of hospitalisation in Belfast, Alan Walker has at long last begun the journey back to his home in Gillingham this afternoon. www.maidstoneunited.co.uk spoke to Alan at 4pm this afternoon whilst he was in the departure lounge at Belfast Airport.

“It’s a massive milestone for me to be going home and to be honest I can’t wait to get back. I should arrive back home around about 9ish tonight. No doubt, the journey will take a bit out of me. Mobility wise, I’ll be in a wheelchair for quite a while yet and when I walk, I still look like a Thunderbird puppet!”

“I’ve made a lot of good friends amongst patients and staff at the hospital and I have to place on record my thanks for their marvellous efforts in rehabilitating me.”

Stones’ fixture at Champion Hill against Fisher Athletic tomorrow will be a journey too far for Alan but he has set his sights on being at Thursday’s prestige home friendly with Dagenham & Redbridge.

As far as Alan is concerned, the Fisher game is about nothing more than fitness. “It doesn’t bother me what the result is in this game, we can lose 10-0 for all that it matters. It’s just about getting another 90 minutes under our belts.”

“Wayne Burnett is now in charge there and the Fisher squad is a little disjointed compared to last season. However, they are a Conference South side, so they will give us a tough workout.”

“We haven’t had a chance to work properly on our game for the new season yet due to one thing and another and that probably won’t change until after the Dagenham game. I’ve got to sit down with lads together with Lloyd and Jimmy once I’ve adjusted to being back at home.”

Team news for tomorrow’s game sees a doubt over the fitness of Aaron Lacy following the midweek draw at Lordswood. Lacy picked up a swollen ankle in a 50-50 challenge that saw him leave that game after just 30 minutes. Errison Ahwan will also be absent tomorrow as he is currently away. Therefore, youngsters Chris Smalling and Jim Bodle have been drafted into the squad from the reserves to gain some valuable first team experience.

24th July 2007. 8.00pm

With the season fast approaching the odds for this season's Ryman Premier League title have been released with the Stones at 20/1 for the title. Favourites for this season are AFC Wimbledon at 4/1 and Chelmsford at 6/1. Ramsgate lead the Kent contingent at 12/1, Tonbridge 16/1, Margate at 20/1 and Folkestone 33/1. Last season's Ryman North champions AFC Hornchurch are placed at 14/1 whilst Hastings, who made it up through the play-offs are 25/1.

This season also sees Stones fans aable to place match bets on all our league games through BET365 including correct score for the first time and if you click on the BET365 logo below and sign up for a new account the Stones benefit from a small commission too.

24th July 2007. 12.30pm

One of last season's younger squad players, Andy Hart has signed for Sussex County League side Ringmer for this season. Hart, whose family reside in Leybourne, is currently studying at University in Eastbourne and is in the final year of a 3 year course.

Last season, Hart found the combination of travelling from Eastbourne to games back in the mid-Kent area a strain, both financially and practically (especially in midweek). Alan Walker and Lloyd Hume both felt that Andy would benefit from playing at a higher level than the level that our reserves compete at and so, the club set about finding a conveniently located club for him to join.

The club sent a circular to all Sussex based clubs at Step 4 and Step 5 and within days, 8 clubs had made positive enquiries for Andy. After turning out for Ringmer last weekend in a pre-season friendly, a game in which he played at right back, Andy has decided to commit himself there for the season.

Andy said through his father Neil, I'd just like to thank Lloyd Hume and Alan Walker and the club for the way that they have helped Andy find another club so quickly and effectively. It would have been easy for them to let Andy just go and sort it out himself but they went the extra yard to make sure that he found exactly the right sort of club to play at.

Hopefully, Andy will return to Maidstone next season, fitter, stronger and wiser as a player for the whole experience.

23rd July 2007. 10.00pm

Stones joint manager Alan Walker has been making good progress in hospital in Belfast and he has provided the following update...

"This last week has been absolutely fantastic in terms of my recovery and I am doing really well. I am hoping that I will be coming home this weekend where I will continue to have physiotherapy with a personal trainer at Medway hospital.

"Apparently it takes six weeks for the swelling to go down after an accident like mine and its seven weeks today since I had the accident. After lying in bed for four weeks I had muscular atrophy so it took two weeks to build me back up again and then in the last week I have made massive strides and I am able to walk like a thunderbird puppet now! I still have a collar on though and I am spending 99% time in a wheelchair as I do need assistance when I walk.

"This evening I have been wheeled to the pub and I having been enjoying a pint and a rib eye steak. After seven weeks of hospital food I can’t tell you how nice that steak tasted!

"So things are looking a lot more positive now, even compared to what the outlook was ten days ago. I will have to see how I get on when I get back home but I am hoping that I might be able to make it to the Dagenham & Redbridge friendly if everything continues to go well. "

22nd July 2007. 10.00pm

Les Apps and the Maidstone Vets team took part in a sponsored bike ride today.

The Vets cycled from Armstrong Road in Maidstone to Camber Sands to raise money for the Peggy Wood Foundation. They successfully completed 40 mile journey and hope to have raised a decent sum for the popular charity.

The Vets prepare to leave Armstrong Road

Starting out along Loose Road

18th July 2007. 8.00pm

The Isthmian League Board of Directors has asked Alan Boon to be the League’s representative on the Council of The Football Association. The appointment follows the restructuring of The FA, allowing the League to have a representative on their Council for the first time.

Alan, who has been a member of the League’s Board of Directors since 1992, is Chairman of Premier Division Staines Town Football Club.

Alan Turvey, Ryman Football League Chairman and a current member of The Football Association, said, “I am very pleased that the Board have supported Alan Boon’s nomination. Alan has a vast experience of our level of football, both with his Club and the League, and I know he will prove to be an excellent representative of the League at Soho Square.”

Alan Boon added, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to represent the League, and after 35 years at grass roots football, and coming from a football club background, I hope I can contribute something at The FA. I want to be a spokesman for both the Ryman Football League and non-league football.

16th July 2007. 1.00pm

Stones go into their opening friendly of the new season at Thurrock with a full first team squad available, as Lloyd Hume looks to assess the hard work the players have being putting in over the closed season.

He said: "We have all our squad available for selection and what we'll be aiming to do over the first two friendlies is to give everyone at least 45 minutes to show us what kind of form they're in. We had a really good training session on Saturday and it has been apparent from the sessions we've had so far that the players have been working out really hard in preparation for the new season in the Ryman Premier League and they all look to be in exceptional condition. We'll also have an opportunity to look at both Craig Wilkins and Ben Lewis together with Andy Martin who will be completing the paperwork for his signing on Tuesday after the game."

Lloyd also gave the club an update on Andy Martin after he turned out for Welling on Saturday; "Basically he was on his UEFA 'B' training course so was unable to join us for training in the morning, but he was available to play 45 minutes for Welling in the afternoon which I agreed to as he had been unable to train. He has been training with the squad and will be available Tuesday where we can then complete his paperwork and get him signed for the club." Striker, Andy Martin joins us having played at Tonbridge Angels last season and having also made first team appearances with Crystal Palace, Whyteleafe and Croydon. He has also represented Wales at U21 level.

As for the match itself, Lloyd commented; "Whilst a victory will be good, the important factor is that we are able to assess both performance and fitness of the players. At this stage of the season it is important that we are doing the right things and ensure that bad habits don't creep in as well as looking to play positive football."

12th July 2007. 9.00am

The Ryman League has today announced the fixtures for the 2007/08 season.

The Stones will be at home to Horsham on the opening day of the season - Saturday 18 August. Horsham were promoted in 2006 and had an impressive debut season in the Ryman Premier. On Tuesday 21 August, it's a repeat of the opening fixture last season when the Stones visit Hastings United.

There will be some exciting local derbies during the season against Folkestone Invicta, Margate, Ramsgate and Tonbridge Angels. Two of those derbies take place in September.

The eagerly awaited meeting between the Stones and AFC Wimbledon will take place away on Saturday 6 October, with the home fixture the first of 2008 on Saturday 5 January.

Boxing Day sees the club at home to East Thurrock United.

The last fixture of the season will be a Kent derby - away to Folkestone Invicta.

There's still time to get a season ticket for 2007/08, which will save you money compared to the standard matchday admission fee,

•  See the full list of fixtures.
  

8th July 2007. 6.45pm

The Tour De France came to Kent's county town today and passed the site of the Stones new stadium.

There was a number of Maidstone United shirts among the thousands who turned out for this historic occasion. Stones photographer Steve Terrell captured the following moments.

The leading riders approach the White Rabbit roundabout

The leaders pass the site of Maidstone United's new stadium

A splash of amber at the White Rabbit roundabout

7th July 2007. 6.00pm

Maidstone United Reserves have announced their pre-season fixtures.

They start their campaign on 31 July against Greenwich Borough Reserves and have a series of matches before the start of the 2007/08 Kent League Division One season in mid-August.

•  Reserves pre-season fixtures

6th July 2007. 2.30pm

Lloyd Hume and Tim Warden took charge of the opening pre-season training session in Mote Park on Thursday evening. In conditions ideally suited to football (ie wet and cool), the squad was put through its’ paces in a session that lasted just over one and a half hours.

A bigger than expected turnout of players was on show as 24 players were pushed through a punishing schedule by physio Tim Warden. All of last season’s first team were present, with the exception of four players who had work commitments. Also there were seven of last season’s exciting reserve team, two new signings (Craig Wilkins and Ben Lewis), Mr Motivator (aka Jimmy Strouts), Roberto Corbishley (who has finished his spell at University) and one quality triallist who is keen to sign for The Stones.

The only sight of a football that the squad had was as a bag of footballs spilled onto the turf. This session was about hard work and it seemed apparent that the fitness levels of the squad is very high for this stage of the season.

With Tim Warden’s exhausting circuit session over and the players looking forward to a well deserved shower, it was left to the returning Jimmy Strouts to lead the entire squad on an exhausting 20 minute run around Mote Park. First man home was Rob Lyall who narrowly beat Jason Barton in a sprint finish to the line!

Lloyd Hume was pleased with the condition of the players in general. “Some of the lads have obviously worked hard throughout the summer break and you can see the benefit that they have got from that dedication and effort tonight.”

“Some of the players have seen that we’ve got some new signings and that their own place in the side might not be certain. It appears that those players have really put some decent training work in during their time off which is pleasing.”

Both new signings, Craig Wilkins and Ben Lewis, looked fit and eager in their first session with the club but special mention must go to Nathan Paul and Alex Tiesse. Both players looked extremely sharp and in magnificent condition and appeared as if they could have continued training for another hour at least!

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4th July 2007. 11.50am

The 400 Club winners for June were announced today.

Congratulations to the winners and don't forget you can join the Stones lottery and be in the next draw.

3rd July 2007. 9.00pm

The Ryman League has been given the go ahead by its Clubs to sign Heads of Agreement for its Broadband and Internet Protocol Television rights for the next three seasons.

This will mean the start of "Ryman TV" and from the start of next season there will be a "Match of the Week" every week during the playing season of some 40 minutes in length which registered users will be able to access within 48 hours of the final whistle of that game. Footage supplied by Member Clubs will also be incorporated.

Throughout the season two live games each month will be broadcast on a pay per view basis at a cost of £3.95.

Additionally Ryman League matches will be broadcast to pubs and clubs on a Saturday to fill the "gap" between the lunchtime and teatime live matches.

At their recent AGM Clubs were given a presentation setting out the principal objects of the Agreement and some details of the requirements of the Clubs so that the company filming matches will not be given a worse vantage point than the clubs own filming team and clubs not taking their film crew to away matches. For the first time Club Managers will be required to be available for post-match interviews.

The income from this agreement is quite substantial with an average of £100,000 per season being paid to the League over the three seasons.

Additional income will be available to the Clubs individually for those featured on the live matches and for those wanting DVDs of matches for retail sale.

Commenting, Chairman Alan Turvey said "This is ground breaking area for the League. In the 50's matches from this League were shown on television but now we have a chance to elevate the profile of the League so that enthusiasts worldwide can watch our level of football through the Internet".

2nd July 2007. 9.30pm

Stones joint manager Alan Walker moved to a specialist unit in Belfast today. Speaking from there, he outlined his progress and reacted to the FA Cup and Trophy draws...

"I'm in Musgrave Park Hospital now - a specialist rehab unit and I'm expecting to be here for the next few weeks. I start physio at 10am tomorrow and am hopeful that I will complete my treatment here in Belfast.

"I got some great news today, which has given me a lot of hope. They told me that they are astounded with the progress I've made so far and that they've never seen anyone recover to this stage so quickly.

"My wife is back in England now - my mum is coming to see me and friends are over all the time.

"So it's Ashford Town or Erith and Belvedere in the FA Cup. Knowing Clive as I do I'm sure he'll be determined to come through that tie but if Erith and Belvedere win they will be no push-over.

"Bury or Redbridge in the Trophy will be an interesting tie -we've met both before and beat them. As I say time and time again - if we perform to our potential we have nothing to fear - it's all about us.

"Me and Lloyd are in contact daily. We did the majority of pre-season work before the accident. We got a couple of new players in and signed up those from last season's squad. There are one or two other players we are interested in but it's all about quality rather than making up the numbers. We want to have the best at Maidstone United.

"I'm a million per cent determined to be back before the nitty gritty of the season starts and very confident I'll do it. I want to come back as strong as I can and have a hands-on role."

2nd July 2007. 10.25am

The draws for the three FA Competitions was made this morning.

FA Cup in association with E.On
We do not enter the FA Cup until the 1st Qualifying Round and so will have to wait for the Extra Preliminary and Preliminary rounds to be completed. The Stones will play either Erith and Belvedere or Ashford Town in the 1st Qualifying Round on Saturday 15 September.


FA Trophy sponsored by Carlsberg
1st Qualifying Round
Bury Town/Redbridge vs Maidstone United - Saturday 20 October

Both of our prospective opponents play in the Ryman League Division 1 North. Last season we met Bury Town in the same round of the competition at Bourne Park, winning 2-0.
We played Redbridge in the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round at Bourne Park three seasons ago. Redbridge were then in Conference South and we were in the Kent League, we won 2-1 courtesy of two goals from Simon Austin.

FA Youth Cup in association with E.On
Preliminary Round
Faversham Town vs Maidstone United - Date to be confirmed.

1st Qualifying Round
Bromley vs Faversham Town/Maidstone United - Date to be confirmed.

Our youth team will be looking forward to possibly two Kent Derby fixtures in this season's competition. An interesting fixture awaits in the opening round at Salters Lane against a rejuvenated Faversham Town, whilst both sides will be looking forward to a tough encounter at Hayes Lane against Conference South side Bromley's youth team.