Exclusive by Alex Hoad

Maidstone United have broken the £1m barrier in their bid to raise cash for a new stadium in the County Town.

The club are seeking to raise £1.6m to develop a new ground complete with state-of-the-art artificial playing surface on land at Whatman Way which can be used by the the club's hundreds of youth players as well as the first team.

Directors Oliver Ash and Terry Casey (pictured) are ploughing significant sums of their own money into the scheme while supporters are also raising tens of thousands of pounds with a view to Bringing the Stones Home.

Further cash is set to come from the FA, who are expected to put in a six-figure sum from a Football Foundation grant, while local businessmen have also begun pledging their financial support for the scheme - which it is hoped would see the club return to a home in Maidstone for the start of the 2012/13 season.

Mr Casey said: "It is a significant milestone for us and a real glass ceiling to get through.

"The next aim is of course to get to £1.5m and we're very positive that things are moving in the right direction. We are gathering some real momentum."

What do you make of the Stones milestone? Have your say below.