New ground boosts football crowds A week in the
ATTENDANCES at Maidstone United’s home games have in- creased by more than 300% since the club returned to its own stadium this summer. The average attendance at the
new £2.6million Gallagher Sta- dium in James Whatman Way has been 1,573, making the Stones the best-supported non- league club in Kent and the 15th best-supported club in non-league football. The attendance is a massive increase since last season, when the Stones, currently in Ryman League Division One South, ground-shared with Sit- tingbourne FC at Central Park Stadium and averaged just 377. As Downs Mail went to press,
the club’s highest league atten- dance so far this season was 1,983, against Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday, October 13. Maidstone’s ground is in use
seven days a week with the Maidstone United Football Academy, run in partnership with MidKent College, using it from Monday to Friday, and various teams hiring it during evenings and weekends. Club secretary Ian Tucker
said figures had not yet been published to show how much additional income is generated by hiring out the stadium, but
AMONG the new supporters lured to the Gallagher Stadium since the Stones returned to the county town are the Col- well family, who live in Bearsted. Derren Colwell (40) used to
take Macauley (12) and Bethanie (10) to see Arsenal games at the Emirates Stadium in north London, but has de- cided to go local this season. He heads off to James Whatman Way on Saturday afternoons with his children and nephew Hayden (four), who lives in Downswood. They are pictured. Derren’s wife Sarah said:
Homes takeover MAIDSTONE housebuilder Hillreed Homes has been taken over by the UK’s largest house- builder, in a deal worth £35.7m. Hillreed Homes, based in Col-
lege Road, was founded in 1975 by property developers Tony Hillier and Colin Creed and has built up a reputation for build- ing high quality family homes. With both businessmen now approaching retirement, the company has been sold to Per- simmon, which has a similar property portfolio. With the exception of the two former directors, the manage- ment and staff will remain in post and continue to work as before, according to a company spokesman.
16 Malling
life of stadium MONDAY
Maidstone United under 8s training Six-a-side league
TUESDAY After-school club
First team/Ryman youth team match
WEDNESDAY Academy matches Player development centre
Maidstone United player Ian Draycott celebrates with the crowd
added: “There has been a lot of interest in our set-up from other clubs locally and further afield.” But it is not just football fans benefiting from the stadium. Bill Moss, Maidstone town
centre manager, said: “The sta- dium’s proximity to the town centre has encouraged a num- ber of people to pop into pubs, restaurants and shops before or after home games. That has been a welcome boost to the local economy and I know a number of proprietors are grate- ful for that.”
“They really enjoy the atmos- phere and it is great to support your local team. It is cheaper than watching a bigger team and is a safe family-friendly environment, ideal to intro- duce the next generation to live football.” Derren is also one of a grow-
Businesses compete for county awards Macauley, Hayden and
ing number lucky enough to have played at a venue that holds 2,226 people, as a mem- ber of Lashing’s Veterans. Sarah added: “He has played before at Ashford and Chatham and thinks the pitch and facilities are far better than he has played at before.”
Bethanie Colwell at the stadium
MAIDSTONE entrepreneurs were ahead of the field in the inaugural Kent Independent Trader Awards announced at a ceremony inMaidstone’s Royal Star Arcade. A packed audience of rising stars in business,
as well as established traders, packed Bar 10 to hear which of the dozens of entrants had been se- lected as award winners. Entrepreneur of the year – chosen from the 11 category winners –was Julie Anderson from RAP Office Contracts, based on the Orchard Industrial Estate, ParkWood. Of the other 10 winners, six came from the Maidstone area, while four others were runners- up and finalists in other categories. Kent Independent Traders was the brainchild of
Kent Ideas Ltd, supported by the local business community, chambers of commerce and the media. Tradesperson of the year: Autospray Solutions, Maidstone.
Two or three fixtures – youth/ladies Six-a-side league
Innovative: Racing Party Bus,Maidstone. Service: Angel Training, Maidstone; Retail: Country Brides, Faversham. (Maid- stone’s Dirti Gerties was runner up and Kilburn Jewellers, Royal Star Arcade, was a finalist). Restaurant: Deesons, Canterbury. Maidstone’s Mughal Dynasty was a finalist. Bar: The Foundry Brew, Canterbury. (The White Horse, London Road,Maidstone,was a finalist). Start-up: Maidstone Virtual Assistant. Home-based: SimplyNo Gluten, Holland Road, Maidstone. Creative: WOW Magazine, Maidstone and Medway. Health and beauty: Insightful Minds, Sutton Valence. Winners were chosen from more than 50 en-
trants by Russell Burton of Principal Chambers, Sevenoaks, Lee Bennett from Aylesford Priory and SharonWilding of The Purple Edge.
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Bill Williams, Maidstone United chief executive, added: “Attendances at the Gallagher Stadium have surpassed all our expectations and it is pleasing that there has been a knock-on benefit to the town centre. It's a two-way relationship, with a number of businesses showing their support to us through ad- vertising or sponsorship. You could say it's a win-win situa- tion.” The Gallagher Stadium has a
2,226 capacity and has a third- generation (3G) surface–amix- ture of grass and Astro Turf.
Encouraging another generation of fans
Maidstone United under 11s training
Maidstone United under 14s training
Maidstone United under 18s training Six-a-side league
THURSDAY
Maidstone United under 11s training
Maidstone United under 12s training
Maidstone United under 15s training
Maidstone United reserve team training
Maidstone United first team training
FRIDAY Player development club Corporate bookings
SATURDAY
Maidstone United Pebbles Club (coaching for four/five year olds)
Maidstone United Raiders (disability teams)
Maidstone United first/ reserve team fixtures
SUNDAY
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