A near-capacity crowd is expected on Tuesday when National League football returns to Stonebridge Road after a four-year wait.

Ebbsfleet and Maidstone will clash for the first time since the 2016 play-off final when Stones won on penalties in front of almost 4,000.

The visitors have sold out their allocation of 800 tickets while Fleet fans can turn up and pay on the night.

Vice-chairman Peter Varney said: "I think it’ll be close to capacity on Tuesday.

"Our gates at the end of last season and the Spurs friendly (2,130) were encouraging.

"The fact we’ve doubled the season tickets and just the sheer interest around the game, the numbers of people coming down asking for tickets, there’s definitely a buzz.

"You get a feel for it on a number of factors, the number of shirts we're selling and one of the things people say when they come into the office is about the quality of the football being played. It's not industrial, it's very good on the eye.

"You can't con the public. They know what they see and I think, win, lose or draw, they know we're going to play an attacking, attractive style of football."

Fleet’s last home game in the division – against Tamworth on April 16, 2013 – was watched by just 488.

The club were relegated and almost folded before KEH Sports rescued them with a last-minute takeover led by Mr Varney and funded by Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi.

"The fans are so grateful," Mr Varney said. "They’ve seen it was on the brink and this is a bit of a dream for some of them.

"They left here a few years ago thinking their club was dead but on Tuesday, they’re going to see it not just back in the National League but with a team playing entertaining football with a quality squad.

"I think Ebbsfleet fans are just happy with the way their club is."

Kick-off on Tuesday is 7.45pm with tickets priced £14 for adults, £11 concessions (over-60s and students), £6 juniors and free for under-12s.