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| Terry Casey with Ellis Green |
I was so delighted that Jay had persuaded Ellis Green to commit to Maidstone United that I felt compelled to meet with the player and speak to him about the plans and ambitions that we have at the football club.
I had thought that because of Ellis’s performances we would be unlikely to be able to keep him especially as a number of the clubs he had played against immediately made offers to him. Most of the approaches were better in financial terms than our offer but because of his high regard for Jay Saunders and his immediate affinity with the supporters he wanted to stay with the club as he felt he could enjoy his football with Maidstone. I personally feel that Ellis is one of the most promising and exciting talents in non-league football so his signature on a contract is a very significant signing for the club.
Next season will throw up different challenges for the players and management of Maidstone United Football club as there is now an expectancy that we will win promotion at the first attempt and the promotion will coincide with our return to Maidstone. I share that expectancy and there should be no excuses for any failure to achieve this ambition.
To meet the wage roll of the players and pay the bills for the 2011/2012 season will require about £160,000. To enable the club to meet this target until the end of next season we need the help of the supporters. Please join the lottery and try to get your friends to join as our target is a thousand players each week which will give the club £4,000 a month and mean that we can go some way to making the club financially solvent. Alternatively you can make direct donations to the club which will also help pay for the day to day running of the club.
The offices that we use cost the club nothing, the club doesn’t have any administration charges and doesn’t pay anyone salaries. All the work that is done comes at no cost and is done by an army of people who are utterly dedicated to the football club. Any money that you donate either directly or through the lottery will be used trying to achieve success on the pitch or survival off the pitch.
All of these activities are separate from the work that we are doing in raising the money to build the stadium. We are having meetings with Maidstone Borough Council who are helping to guide us through the numerous alterations to the original planning permission that was originally granted. I am sure you are keen to know that there have been a number of slow worms found on the site and they have been escorted successfully to a nature reserve.
The building of the sub-station will begin in August and we are looking at fencing part of the site as our next job. We are having meetings with local businesses as we are looking for a main shirt sponsor for the next two seasons.
