THE future of Margate Football Club and the multi-million pound redevelopment project for its Hartsdown stadium will be decided later this week.

Thursday night’s crucial cabinet meeting of Thanet council will discuss whether the club board has met all the deadlines that were set by the local authority last Autumn.

It will bring an end to months of speculation and football fans hope that Margate will return to its home ground after almost two seasons playing its Conference fixtures at Dover’s home ground.

The club is appealing against fines imposed by the league for its continual use of Dover’s facilities, and Margate chairman Jim Parmenter revealed last summer that the club was losing hundreds of thousands of pounds in gate revenue and sponsorship.

Margate, its latest financial backers and the council met last week. Council leader Sandy Ezekiel confirmed this week: “In principal, there is an agreement between the club, its backers and the council.

“However, the council has yet to receive a final letter that constitutes a formal offer of funding and until that issue is resolved, no leases will be signed.

“The club has got to be back in a stadium that meets league requirements in time for next season or face being thrown out of the league.”

He said residents and supporters had been kept up to date with developments. “It is now up to the club to get its act together,” he added.

Bulldozers moved into the ground last summer, the pitch was dug up, with terracing and stands demolished. The club plan a new stadium and pitch plus leisure and banqueting facilities and a NHS medical centre.

A club spokesman described last week’s meeting as “constructive” and added: “The club continues to meet the requirements of its local authority and proposed funders in time for the council’s cabinet meeting. The ability of the project team to deliver the stadium in time for registration will not be confirmed until after that meeting and will be subject to the club meeting all revised criteria set out by the council and the proposed funders.”

Margate shareholder and former club chairman Roy Ovenden called for an open public meeting last year for all the facts to be laid before fans so that could fin out the destiny of their club.

Council Labour group leader Cllr Richard Nicholson supported that call and said this week: “Whatever the outcome at cabinet, there should be a meeting to clear the air so that everyone knows where the club is heading, how the project stands and what the council’s involvement is in the scheme.

"If support for the club is withdrawn by the council, we will need to discuss what options are available for the land.”