An English lesson Jim failed to learn
In early May 1992, shortly after the end of the season, the club lodged an appeal against the Woodcut Farm decision. On the same day, it was announced that Jim Thompson had sold his majority shareholding to Mark English, a man who, like Spencer Trethewy, was supposedly in the “property” business. He had an office in Harley Street, a “plush” home in Essex and an executive suite at White Hart Lane. At 27, he was eight years older than Aldershot’s false messiah and he was supposedly the majority shareholder at Kettering Town, all of which at least made him sound slightly more plausible. One idea, which wasn’t made public until the Kent Messenger unearthed it months later, was to create a new club called Maidstone & Dartford United. Dartford would withdraw from the Southern League, their ground would be sold and the new “super” club would share Priestfield with Gillingham. This was every bit as mad as it sounded, although there was a precedent. Just over the River Thames, a host of clubs in the east of London had gone through a succession of mergers to eventually form Dagenham & Redbridge, selling their grounds along the way. A fascinating new book charting Maidstone’s 24 years in exile – from 1988 to 2012 – is out this week. Written by former Kent Messenger sports editor Fred Atkins, EXODUS is a tale that will have Stones fans gripped. The book includes:
The demise of the old London Road ground
The Conference championship in 1989 and three seasons in the Football League
Woodcut Farm stadium saga, when the club were refused permission to build a The reason something similar didn’t happen in Kent was because English’s story had unravelled within a week. It was initially reported that he’d “injected” £ 800,000 into the club but he was in fact withdrawing money from its accounts. The cheques he gave staff to cover unpaid wages bounced and after a confrontation with Thompson he resigned, claiming he “hadn’t known how serious the club’s debts were.” It’s easy to forget, in the light of the news blackout that followed, that at the time Maidstone’s plight was considered newsworthy by national media organisations. Bill Bradshaw, of the Sunday People, wrote an expose of English on July 5th 1992 that was splashed across two pages and his story included the new ground at Hollingbourne
Abortive Mark English takeover and the absurd plan to move the team to Newcastle
Painfully slow rebirth as Maidstone Invicta in the Kent County League
Resurrection under Jason Lillis and the Kent League triumphs under Jim Ward, Alan Walker and Lloyd Hume
Near-collapse in 2010 that led to the Ash/Casey takeover
Return to the Gallagher in 2012 Atkins said: “Maidstone United barely believable fact that Thompson had actually given English £7,500 of what was left of Maidstone’s money. He owed Tottenham £ 20,000, having failed to pay for his experienced more intrigue in those 24 years than many clubs do in their entire history. You’ve got all the elements needed for a thriller. “On one side, there’s treachery, incompetence, media manipulation and poisonous local politics. On the other, it’s about faith, redemption and ultimately an unexpectedly happy ending.” In this extract, Maidstone are in their final months before going bust and chairman Jim Thompson believes he’s found a saviour in young businessman Mark English - but all is not as it seems... executive suite and was facing eviction from Kettering over £12,500 of unpaid rent. The little details in Bradshaw’s story add to the air of tragicomedy, such as English’s trip to Wembley, where he had a Chinese meal. He paid for it with a cheque from the club’s account, which inevitably bounced. Bradshaw began his article by saying he believed English should be banned from working in football. English threatened to sue him but the threat was worth about as much as his cheques. And of all the eye-popping elements of this story, one of the least credible is the fact that after this systematic demolition of English’s credibility, Bradshaw’s warning was ignored. English stayed on at Kettering, where the financial situation grew increasingly but predictably, dire. Before the year was out, he would be arrested in the car park at Rockingham Road, where the Kettering Supporters Trust had uncovered debts of £ 250,000. Kettering survived, just, and avoided relegation thanks to their new management team of Graham Carr and Clive Walker. The obvious reason why so many clubs go to the brink before being rescued is that by waiting until the “eleventh hour” arrives, the rescuer can get the lowest possible price for the remaining assets. When the club doesn’t actually have any assets, the prospect of a rescue package becomes significantly less likely. In June 1992, Jim Thompson announced Maidstone United was going into voluntary liquidation. Yet when the eleventh hour arrived, Thompson turned up to a creditors’ meeting looking suspiciously pleased with himself, because, it was reported, a “Mr X” was stepping in to save the club. Once again fans were given a brief window of hope. Once again it was an illusion and this time it shattered what was left of Thompson’s credibility.
EXODUS is on sale in the club shop at the Gallagher Stadium and online at maidstoneunited.co.uk, priced £10. Proceeds go to the Stand up for the Stones appeal, which is raising funds for the new north terrace.