A CRISIS meeting about Margate Football Club between Nationwide Conference chief executive John Moules and the district council has revealed that the demolition of the Hartsdown Park stadium was unnecessary for Conference football to continue at the ground.

Margate has played the majority of its home games at Dover’s ground for the last two seasons in readiness for a £5 million redevelopment scheme.

Bulldozers dug up the pitch and tore down the wooden stand and covered terracing in preparation for the scheme to bring the stadium up to Conference standard, according to the club.

However, a council spokeswoman said: “It came as a surprise for the council to learn that the Conference had originally only required some remedial work to be carried out on a corner of the pitch to meet the Conference standard and continue playing at Hartsdown.

“According to the Conference, Margate could have developed the facilities incrementally.

“John Moules confirmed that they had met with the club's directors a number of times to discuss their business plans, but like Thanet Council, had to extend their deadlines for the club to come up with an achievable business plan.

“Following a professional assessment of the club's development proposals, the Conference league had little confidence that the plan or funding was achievable.”

The Conference will meet with all its clubs chairmen on Thursday, February 12, to explain to Margate Football Club the deadlines it now has to meet, that they should have a full pitch and stadium by May 31.

However, in the interests of keeping football alive in Margate, the Conference would be prepared to allow them to play next season if they can show physical progress for a stadium and a fully costed, funded business plan.

For the club to continue, the Conference requires Margate FC to have a playable pitch and stands for both home and away supporters at the start of the new football season in August.

The club has until May 31 to make physical progress on the ground and supply a fully costed project plan for the pitch and stadium to achieve the standards by mid August.

Cllr Sandy Ezekiel, council leader, is now arranging to meet the chairman of Margate FC Supporters' Club and the club's directors.

Commenting on last Thursday’s meeting, he said: "It was helpful and there is a future for the club.

“One option, which the Conference would support, is for the Supporters' Club to form a trust, which could then access funding via Supporters Direct, a national body, which could assist them to create a new pitch, should the club fail to meet any future deadlines. They could also ground share with Ashford if they became part of Conference South."