MAIDSTONE United FC officials appear to have secured a small strip of land that is vital to their plan to build a new stadium close to the town centre. Kent County Council has given the provisional go-ahead to the sale of the land off James Whatman Way.

Without the land, the proposed site would have been too narrow for the club's proposed 6,000 seat stadium.

The good news was given to business leaders at a lunch at Chart Hills Golf Club, near Biddenden. John Bayer, of Bayer sports and leisure consultants,who has been advising club officials about the ground issue, said KCC had told him the council was prepared to sell the land, subject to agreement by a consulting engineer.

The mound was critical to the width of the stadium. He said: "I'm delighted to say that ...all obstacles have substantially been removed." He continued: "This really is a fantastic opportunity for the club and the people of Maidstone. Opportunities like this don't come along all that often."

Mr Bayer said the MoD had agreed to let the club have the land on a long-term lease. If Maidstone council granted planning permission, work could start at the end of the year and the ground could be ready for the start of the 2003 season. Maidstone United would continue to play at Sittingbourne until then.

In its initial phase the new ground, costing between £500,000 and £2 million, would have a floodlit pitch, a 325-seat covered stand and terracing for more than 1,000.

Club chairman Paul Bowden Brown said: "I hope that after today, people will go out and say what Maidstone United was, is and what it wants to do for the community. We are coming home."