JUBILANT Gravesend & Northfleet chairman Brian Kilcullen insisted the club were back in the Nationwide Conference to stay after Saturday's 1-0 thriller at Bedford clinched the Ryman League, Premier Division title and ended their 21-year exile from the competition.

Kilcullen, who in two years has skilfully masterminded the Fleet's return to English semi-professional football's top flight, will waste no time in forward planning with manager Andy Ford this week.

The Fleet chairman, who devised a five-year plan to return the club to the summit of English semi-professional football when he took over last season, will draw up a fresh blue-print for the future with Ford this week that could involve the club going full-time.

With two clubs expected to be promoted from the Conference to the Nationwide League at the end of next season, the Fleet could even find themselves playing in the Football League this time next year as Kent's second club in the competition.

Neither Mr Kilcullen or Ford would be drawn on the prospect of full-time football at Stonebridge Road, but the chairman added: "No club has a divine right to be anywhere in semi-professional football. You have to work for it.

"All I will say is that Gravesend as a town, and the North Kent area in general, is big enough to support a Conference club. The gates should be big enough to sustain us.

"There are some clubs who couldn't cope with Conference football but we can. So long as the fans continue to support us then we'll have a bit more money to play with it and we'll stay in the Conference."

He added: "On and off the field, it's been a good year for the club what with our money from the cup run and big gate receipts from the Canvey home match.

"We don't look to make a profit, we look to break even. All profits will be ploughed back into the club."

Former Gillingham captain Ford, who had already hinted he would like to move into full-time management, said: "I've got a meeting planned with the chairman next week and we'll have lots to talk about. People think we don't work in the summer but my job starts again this coming week. I've got a few new players lined up but this result will make all the difference."

The manager, whose side suffered just five defeats in 42 league games, admitted that winning the title had removed a big weight from his shoulders.

"Having said that I felt all the pressure was on Canvey right the way through because of their financial back-up," he went on. "The chairman never applied any pressure and I never felt it.

"Had I been at Aldershot, Chesham or other clubs like that I would have felt the pressure. We have had a good season, enjoyed good cup runs and made a lot of money so there was no pressure."

Che Stadhart's 20th goal of the season clinched the title for Gravesend at Bedford and skipper Jimmy Jackson was presented with the championship trophy.