29th December 2008. 4.00pm

Speaking in this weekend's matchday programme, Bowden-Brown said:

"I am still at a total loss how some so-called supporters of this fine club can line the pockets of other clubs within our league, so those clubs that we visit can pay better wages to get and keep players due to our travelling away support, rather than join the true hardcore supporter base that week after week go to Bourne Park and support the club.

"They may not like Bourne Park and I am truthfully fed up with this excuse. Moving to Bourne Park was an integral part of our success on our rise through the pyramid to date. If this missing home contingent travel the miles the records show, they can surely travel the 10 miles to Bourne Park and let their club benefit from the gate money."

The Stones chairman has a stark warning for the stay-away fans. He said:

"The failure of these supporters to attend home matches at Bourne Park could be the downfall of this fine club, and delay even further the Stones returning home. I hope that somehow this large away contingent try and visit Bourne Park regularly for the remainder of the season, as many of them have done in the past."

Saturday's match at Dover, watched by more than 2,500 people, was further proof of what the homecoming means. Bowden-Brown added:

"There was a fantastic atmosphere at the Crabble - something which the town of Maidstone could benefit from every other week or more. With our proximity to the shopping centre, the additional footfall to shops, pubs and restaurants would surely boost the local economy."

Maidstone United host Hastings United at Bourne Park, Sittingbourne, this Saturday in the Ryman Premier Division. Kick off is at 3pm.

29th December 2008. 6.00am

Walker said: We had a central defensive pairing of James Peacock and Ben Lewis against Dover because Ian Cox has just started a new job and because he is the new lad and it was Christmas he could not get people to swap shifts with him. I think that is the last that we will see of that situation and Ian is devastated that he has missed the last couple of games because he loves it at Maidstone."

24th December 2008. 4.00pm

A Christmas message from Maidstone United chairman Paul Bowden-Brown.

“May I take the opportunity to wish everyone connected with the club a very Merry Christmas. I do hope you enjoy this time with your family and friends.

“I would like to thank the supporters for their backing over the past 12 months. It is appreciated, particularly at this time, and I hope you will continue to show your support in numbers at Bourne Park.

“To my voluntary backroom staff, the engine room of the club – I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could not do it without you. To have 31 teams, community programmes and much more takes a lot of effort and I’m grateful to all those who put in the hours to make this happen.

“The board and executive committee have done so much this year and I thank them for supporting me and helping to lead this fine club.

"To our main sponsors and others who back the club, my thanks to you for helping us.

“Finally to my management team and players. It has been a difficult few weeks but I’m humbled by what you’ve done for me. Lloyd and Alan, you’ve put together a fantastic squad and despite the recent setback, the commitment of yourselves and the players is first class.

“Season’s greetings one and all. I hope to see many of you at Dover on Saturday but for those who cannot make it, may I wish you a happy and prosperous new year.”

19th December 2008. 10.00pm

Ian Selley became the third player from Maidstone United to leave Bourne Park for Croydon Athletic this month when he agreed to cancel his contract with Maidstone United by mutual consent prior to signing for The Rams on a non-contract basis.

Selley follows Neil Smith who is assistant manager to new Rams boss Tim O’Shea and Meshach Nugent who has signed up initially on a month’s loan at Croydon Athletic.

Selley was philosophical about leaving The Stones. “When the recent budget cuts were announced, the club made it clear to me that they were prepared to let me leave. I never asked to leave or refused a pay cut as some supporters seem to believe.”

“In fact I’ve really enjoyed my time at Maidstone and have rediscovered my enjoyment for the game. Unfortunately, having been in the game as long as I have, I fully understand that sometimes players have to move on even if it is not what they personally want. That’s just how football is sometimes.”

Another player leaving the club today was Jim Bodle, the twin brother of Ant Bodle. Jim had recently forced his way close to the first team squad with involvement in the Kent Senior Cup and the Isthmian League Cup.

Reserve team manager Peter Nott said “Jim has got to the age now where he really needs to push on with his own career and playing Kent League Reserve football was not going to allow him to do that.”

Bodle will be joining up with Ryman League Division 1 North side Chatham Town. He adds to the list of reserve team players who have moved on this term and follows Marc Morrison and Shannon Donovan who both moved to Whitstable Town earlier in the season.

18th December 2008. 4.00pm

Bowden-Brown and Folb have been speaking over the past couple of weeks since the shareholders put the club up for sale.

David Folb said: “It is with regret that I am unable to pursue my interest in purchasing Maidstone United. Unfortunately I was unable to agree on a deal and have reluctantly had to accept I cannot take over the club at this moment in time.

“I have supported Maidstone United for three decades and I would also like to place on record my thanks to Paul Bowden Brown, who acted as a gentleman throughout the negotiations and who I feel conducted himself with the utmost professionalism.

“The economic climate means this is a very difficult time to be running a football club and I have every sympathy for Paul. As he said, buying a football club is not like buying a car.

“It is a very complicated process but I very much hope that another solution can be found to help the club through these difficult times.”

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown said: “I, like many connected with the club, will be disappointed by this news. It would have been good to have had something in place before Christmas but I can reassure everyone that this wasn’t our only iron in the fire and that as one door closes, another opens.

“I would like to thank David for his interest and words of encouragement and support.

“Until such time as a buyer or consortium comes forward, the shareholders will continue to run the club on our revised budgets and the board and executive committee will carry on with the day-to-day tasks, alongside the plans for the new stadium and major fundraising initiatives for this.”

The club have announced plans for an open meeting on Wednesday 7 January, at 7.30pm, at the Orchard Spot in Bearsted to discuss fundraising ideas for the new stadium at James Whatman Way and take general questions about the club.

16th December 2008. 10.00pm

There will also be a free Christmas raffle for all spectators, with a first prize of a family season ticket (two adults, two children) for the 2009/10 season.

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown said: “I know the last Saturday before Christmas is traditionally a shopping day but I hope families will take time out to come along to Bourne Park. The club needs your support at this time – on and off the pitch.”

11th December 2008. 1.30pm

While we would like to add that this interest is purely preliminary, we are nonetheless very encouraged that a long-standing supporter of the club like David has been in touch and hope to meet with him in the very near future.

Paul Bowden Brown, Maidstone United’s chairman and major shareholder, said: “I’ve known David for a very long time and I am delighted he has been in touch. However, we do not want to raise expectations unduly. The sale of a football club can be a complicated, protracted business. Both parties need to be in possession of all relevant information before making any further comment.

"I would like to thank supporters for their patience in this matter."

David Folb added: “I can confirm my interest in the club is genuine, but as Paul has pointed out, buying a football club is not like buying a car. This isn’t something we’re going to be able to put together in five minutes, so I hope everyone will understand I can’t say any more about the subject at this moment in time.”

10th December 2008. 8.30pm

Maidstone United Football Club have announced plans for an open meeting on Wednesday 7 January, at 7.30pm, at the Orchard Spot in Bearsted.

High on the agenda will be fundraising ideas for the new stadium in Maidstone and there will be an opportunity for any general questions.

Stones chairman Paul Bowden-Brown said: “I promised to arrange a get-together with supporters and anyone else interested in our homecoming. This will be an opportunity to outline the club’s plans, discuss fundraising ideas put forward by individuals and announce a way forward.”

•  Anyone with a fundraising idea is asked to email maidstoneunited@live.co.uk in advance of the meeting, so that a list can be put together.

It is a week since the board of directors announced that the club were up for sale.

Bowden-Brown has received interest but urged patience. He said: “Anyone who’s bought a house will know it’s not an overnight process. Yes, I’ve had interest and yes I will meet up with anyone who is serious about the club and its future in the county town.

“However, at this time, I will reiterate, the shareholders have agreed to fund the ongoing operations of the club based on revised budgets and the board also intends to continue working on plans to build the new stadium and progress its major fundraising initiatives.”

8th December 2008. 11.00pm

Two of Maidstone United’s youth teams are spreading the message of a local charity, which supports children growing up in a remote region of southern Ethiopia.

The charity – Children of Yirgaalem – is on the shirts of the club’s under-14 and 15 teams. The appeal trust raises money to provide education and respite housing to young people in the area, which is 260km from the country’s largest city Addis Ababa. It has a population of about 43,000.

The trust has built, and continues to fund, a school in the town that offers education, food and clothing to the poorest children in this desperately poor region. Despite chronic poverty, the school has its own football team and their love and commitment to the game is no different to that shown by the players of Maidstone United’s youth teams.

Terry Casey, whose company is sponsoring the shirts in the name of the charity of which he’s also a trustee, said:

“Whether it’s the children of Yirgaalem or the young people playing for the Stones, football is a universal sport that unites and builds friendship and team spirit.

“By supporting two of Maidstone United’s youth teams, it will increase the exposure of the charity locally and raise awareness that there are children and young people around the world that need our support in order to break generational poverty and under-achievement.”

For more information about The Yirgaalem Appeal Trust, log on to www.yirgaalem.org and to find out about Maidstone United’s youth teams, visit www.stonescommunity.co.uk

Photo: Terry Casey with Maidstone United under 14 captain Joel Attwood. Photo by Steve Terrell.

6th December 2008. 8.00pm

The Player of the Month awards for October and November were presented before today's game.

You voted on www.maidstoneunited.co.uk for your favourite. The October winner was Ian Cox and November's player was Andy Walker.

October: Ian Cox	November: Andy Walker

3rd December 2008. 6.50pm

The club said farewell to veteran Neil Smith as the former Tottenham, Reading, Fulham and Gillingham professional took the opportunity to move back into football management.

Smith had only recently joined The Stones and in his short stay he made 10 first team appearances. Having joined Maidstone United from Grays Athletic where he was on the Conference National side’s coaching staff, Neil now moves to Ryman League Division 1 South side Croydon Athletic as number two to the new manager at Mayfield Road, Tim O’Shea.

Smith and O’Shea were team mates during their days at Priestfield with Gillingham. Neil Smith said upon his departure “I’d like to thank everybody at Maidstone for making me feel so at home. Although I wasn’t at the club for too long I did love every moment of my time there.”

3rd December 2008. 6.00pm

Maidstone United up for sale

Maidstone United Football Club's Board of Directors met on Tuesday 2 December. Key items on the agenda were the funding of the new stadium, along with club budgets to the end of the season.

The present credit crunch has meant that some new funding options have not materialised and this has led the club to review the current position and consider the best way to go forward.

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown bought the club 16 years ago and has spent a huge amount of personal time, effort and money in rebuilding the business to its present position. As it is widely known the chairman is not in the best of health.

At the meeting he expressed the view that it would be in the best interests of the club and its supporters, himself and his family to pass on ownership to the next generation in order to allow the club to achieve its ambitions.

The shareholders have therefore taken the decision to make 100% of the shares available for sale to serious interested parties,along with other enquiries that are also being considered.

It must be stressed that certain criteria will be attached to any sale of the club and that would involve a commitment to the building of the stadium, the continuing support of the semi professional team and the reserves. It would also include a commitment to the membership of the club, the community programme and the youth, ladies and disabled sections.

In the meantime the shareholders have agreed to fund the ongoing operations of the club based on revised budgets. The board also intends to continue working on plans to build the new stadium and progress its major fund raising initiatives.