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Ebbsfleet United to train at Ditton, near Maidstone

10:00, 04 June 2014

Peter Varney Picture: Steve Crispe
Peter Varney Picture: Steve Crispe

Ebbsfleet United have announced their new training ground is at Ditton, just outside Maidstone.

Steve Brown's first-team squad will train there three mornings a week next season and the Fleet's academy players will also be based at the site.

When the club was taken over by KEH Sports last summer, they planned to train at Fleet Leisure in Northfleet but that move was first delayed and then cancelled because transforming the complex would have proved too costly.

Ebbsfleet then trained at the Beaverwood Club in Chislehurst but when the pitches there became waterlogged, they had to hold sessions on the pitch at Stonebridge Road.

And with the Fleet having decided to move towards full-time football by switching from evening to daytime training in 2014-15, this news is particularly significant.

Vice-chairman Peter Varney said: "This is a vital step in the development of this football club.

"It has been a hectic few weeks since the end of the season. We have made a number of important player acquisitions for next season, we have completed our intake for the new youth academy and confirmed our education partner, we are in the process of installing a new Football League standard floodlighting system and further pitch upgrading works using the latest laser technology are in full swing.

"It was important that we established a training ground base and that will be at Ditton. The pitches are excellent and we will have quality changing and medical facilities, classroom facilities, a state-of-the-art gym, office accommodation and modern IT systems for the first team management, a suite for breakfast and lunch to be served to both first team and academy players and a dedicated physiotherapy area.

"I hope all our supporters are as excited as we all are at the club at the progress made and once again, we must thank Dr Al-Humaidi for his financial support in making our plans a reality on this, the first anniversary of KEH's ownership".

Meanwhile, the club's freeze on season-ticket prices ends at 5pm on Monday, June 9.

Fleet season tickets are currently on sale at £190 (adults), £150 (concessions) and £75 (juniors) but those prices will go up on Tuesday.

Season tickets include FA Cup and FA Trophy games at Stonebridge Road.

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