Gallagher Stadium: Maidstone United
From Maidstone United
It is fair to say that Maidstone United’s journey to playing football at Gallagher Stadium was far from straightforward. The original Maidstone United sold their stadium in 1988 in order to move into Dartford’s ground, but that eventually led to the club going out of business. The phoenix club that was formed in 1992 spent many years in different grounds, eventually arrive to Gallagher Stadium in 2012. That was thanks to a change in club ownership two years earlier leading to renewed interesting in getting a new ground based in the club’s old location of Maidstone, with the stadium costing around £2.8 million to build.
The journey of Maidstone United is no less fascinating than that of the stadium in which the team plays its games. The club was a member of the Football League from 1989 until 1992, which was the point at which it went bankrupt and essentially ceased to exist. A new club called Maidstone Invicta was formed around the youth team. The side began making its way up through football’s lower divisions, having started off life in the Kent County League Fourth Division, eventually re-naming itself as Maidstone United in 1995. The club has enjoyed numerous ups and down in the years that followed, including make it to the National League.
Stats
| Gallagher Stadium Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2012 |
| Capacity | 4200 |
| Average Attendance | 1972 |
| Record Attendance | 4175 (Maidstone United v Hampton & Richmond Borough (07/05/2022)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 64 (6400) |
| Former Name | James Whatman Way |
| Owner | Maidstone United Ground Ltd. |
| Sponsor | Gallagher Group |
| Clubs Hosted | Maidstone United |
| First Fixture | Maidstone United v Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Maidstone United FC Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 |
| Nickname | The Stones |
| Rivals | Ebbsfleet United |
| Previous Stadiums | London Road, Central Park, Bourne Park, The Homelands |
| Kit | Gold & Black (Home) / Sky Blue & White (Away) |
| Training Ground | Maidstone United Academy |
| Shirt Sponsor | Manchett |
| Team Owner | Oliver Ash & Terry Casey |
| Record Appearances | Tom Mills (341) |
Gallagher Stadium Photos
By Darth Scrote
Gallagher Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Gallagher Stadium is like most grounds in the UK, offering four distinct areas based around the edges of the pitch. The Main Stand is found on the east and features 750 seats, a media room and press area and a two executive lounges. The North Stand offers a covered terrace with room for just shy of 1,800 people, whilst the South Stand is also a covered terrace with room for about 500 people. The west side of the stadium is currently undeveloped and offers nothing more than a hard standing area.
Maidstone United FC Ticket Prices
Here is a look at the price of Maidstone United tickets for the 2023-2024 season, with the main thing differentiating the cost being your age and personal circumstances:
- Adult: £17
- Concession: £13
- 11-16-year-olds: £7
- Under-11s: Free
Anyone hoping to get a concession ticket will either have to be over 65 or a student with a valid identification showing as much.
How To Get Maidstone United FC Tickets
Lower league teams invest well in their websites, knowing that having a good one is a sure-fire way to attracting younger supporters to get involved with the team. Maidstone United are no exception, so if you’re looking for a ticket to one of their games then that is the best place to start. You can also buy tickets at the box office on the day of games.
Where to Buy
Getting To Gallagher Stadium
Train – If you’re looking to head to Maidstone on the train from London then you’re going to be heading towards Maidstone East, whilst those coming in from elsewhere will probably end up at Maidstone Barracks. Both stations are within walking distance of the ground.
Bus – The Mall Bus Station is the best place to go if you want to get a bus to Maidstone’s home ground. The 101 or 155 both stop outside the Kent Library and History Centre, promising relatively easy access to the ground.
Car – A plan to drive will depend largely on where you’re coming from, but you’ll want to get onto the M20 and leave on Junction 6, taking the M2 unto Junction 3. At this point you’ll get on the A229 and follow signs for Maidstone.
By Air – Southend Airport is about 22.4 miles from Maidstone, but you can get there pretty easily from the likes of London City Airport and London Gatwick. London Heathrow and London Stanstead are a little further away but still convenient enough.
Taxi – The proximity of the ground to the stations means that you’ll be looking to pay around £5 for a taxi to the stadium, depending on how heavy the traffic is.
Parking Near Gallagher Stadium
Parking at the stadium is limited to those that have been assigned a space, so only those with pre-reserved parking spaces should head there. There are pay and display car parks not far away, so you might want to head to one of them if you want to avoid the possibility of getting a ticket for parking in the wrong place.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Pubs and Bars Near Gallagher Stadium
The Ashes
Lashings Bar & Grill
Century Club Sports & Social Bar
About Maidstone United FC
When Maidstone United went bust in 1992, there was desire from the supporters of the club as well as those involved in it to set up something of a phoenix club. This happened using the youth squad as the basis for the new team, which was given the moniker of Maidstone Invicta. The setup up to adult football came later on, when it was Elected to the Kent County League Fourth Division. The new club began making its way through the non-league system, choosing to change its name back to Maidstone United in 1995 in order to re-claim the history that many felt it had always had a claim to, albeit not in an official capacity.
The club underwent numerous ups and downs in the years that followed its creation as it looked to get back up the leagues. Having been effectively relegated seven divisions in the wake of the Football League side folding, Maidstone United need to climb back up and it was a slow and laborious process. Known as The Stones, the side eventually made it up to the Isthmian League before a promotion into the Conference South for the 2015-2016 campaign. Another promotion into the National League followed, but the side struggled to establish itself at that level and spent time bouncing around the lower levels.
Gallagher Stadium History
Gallagher Stadium’s construction began in September of 2011, with preliminary work having taking place the month before. At the start of 2012 the floodlights were erected, with February bringing news that funding had been secured from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund. Terracing was put in place in April, then at the end of the month a 3G pitch was installed. The stadium was considered to be fully completed in the July of 2012. In the months and years that followed, the club continued to work at expanding the ground’s capacity, including the expansion of the Main Stand in 2015 to welcome around 750 people.
The 3G pitch was re-laid in 2016 after the club had been promoted to the top-tier of non-league football in England. The first game at the stadium was against Brighton & Hove Albion, with the Seagulls winning the friendly match 5-0. The first competitive match was the Isthmian League Division One South game versus Walton & Hersham, which the away team won 5-4. Situated on a former drilling site of the Royal Engineers, the stadium’s construction was delayed on account of the lease with the Ministry of Defence needing to be signed. The club will only be able to play in the Football League if it installs a grass pitch at the ground.