RECORD attendances and Margate FC’s best ever showing in any league confirms that the club is “a sleeping giant,” says chairman Keith Piper. Anticipating a gate of more than 2,000 for Saturday’s home clash with former Football League club Doncaster, Mr Piper said: “The team has performed extraordinarily well in its first season in the Conference, but we have been overwhelmed by the level of support.”

Mr Piper said the backing of fans from Thanet and surrounding areas “encourages us to step up our efforts in securing modern facilities our existing and future supporters deserve.”

For the recent home match against Barnet at Hartsdown Park, 1,753 fans clicked through the turnstiles to record the second highest attendance for the season in the league, with traditionally well supported teams like Dagenham and Redbridge and Stevenage Borough failing to match that number.

Although Margate lost that fixture, the level of home support encouraged manager Chris Kinnear. He said: “It is marvellous to attract such support, even more so when our fans are so knowledgeable about the challenges in competing with full-time sides such as Barnet. Not once did they show impatience with the players’ efforts. We simply cannot ask for more from our supporters.”

Margate’s average home gate is around 1,200 after just six matches and puts the side in the top half of the league’s attendance table. Mr Piper stressed: "No-one in or outside the league could have anticipated such attendances taking off from such a low base in previous seasons.

“The attraction of the club competing so well in the highly professional Nationwide Conference is now clear for all to see.”

Marketing officer Peter Leberl said: “Our supporters understand our determination not to be financially overstretched as we strive for the ultimate goal. As a result, the low-cost ‘member get member’ campaign to encourage supports to invite one colleague or family member to home matches appears to be well received.

“In marketing terms we have a great football product at Margate, with both management and players. No-one need feel embarrassed to invite a friend to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of football and team performance.

“It is well documented that attending four or five entertaining matches generates a new supporter for the whole season. These are the customers and their children that we want to see at Hartsdown Park. Everything is being done to ensure they are not disappointed with the entertainment on show.”

Margate went into second place with a 3-0 away win at Chester on Saturday.