From the great England prop David Flatman, to the not quite as great at rugby, but pretty good actor and TV hard-man, Ross Kemp.

Maidstone rugby club has produced some fantastically talented players and characters over the years.

Some of which even have even had hair.

That’s just a bit of 'rugby banter', before messrs Kemp and Flatman decide to head down to KentOnline’s offices to refresh their mauling and spear tackling skills – and they can rest assured this reporter has already had their fair share of knocks on a rugby pitch.

Interestingly, considering this is a ‘memories' feature, one particular memory of Maidstone rugby club involves being completely relieved of my memory for about half an hour one Saturday afternoon, after mistiming a tackle and taking a knee to the head.

I’d played at The Mote in my early teens, but hadn’t played for years when I misguidedly decided to test if a long term shoulder injury had healed enough to let me return to the pitch.

I quickly found out the answer was no, as I was reduced to tackling on one shoulder, which was a shame as tackling was the only thing I’d ever been any good at, and before long my left sided approach led to the aforementioned head injury.

Staring hard at the famous clubhouse, I remember being completely unable to remember where I was, until about five minutes from the end of the match when the fog lifted and - "ah yes, this is Maidstone".

Well I probably wasn’t the first and may not be the last to experience something similar, although these days head injury protocols would probably mean I’d have been taken off the pitch for assessment rather than being allowed to stumble around aimlessly, one step behind the action for half an hour.

Or perhaps there simply wasn’t much difference between my playing style whether fully awake or concussed, so it went unnoticed by the ref.

If that was the case it wasn’t unnoticed by my opposite number who was kind enough to offer a “sorry about your head”, as we sloped off to the clubhouse after the match to cure the injuries with a pint.

Some players with a sharper style to have graced the Mote's pitches over the years include Piers Francis, who went on to represent New Zealand club The Blues, Northampton and England, and currently plays at Bath.

And of course David Flatman, who began playing for Maidstone aged eight, went onto represent Saracens, Bath and England, and has since forged a career as a TV rugby pundit.

Other top players of recent years include Daniel Caprice, who went onto represent a range of top clubs, and Harvey Beaton, who currently plays prop for Saracens.

Of course it’s not all about individuals, and the real value of a rugby club is its place as a focal point for the community – something which Maidstone rugby club has cemented over the course of 143 years.

One of the oldest rugby clubs in the country, Maidstone was formed in 1880, and was originally based near the centre of the town, after one Dr. Monckton allowed the club to use his grounds.

But being a focal point of the community didn't always mean making friends with everyone in town.

Coverage of the first school match against Maidstone in 1880 might bring to mind the Competitive Dad, from TV's The Fast Show.

"...against Maidstone we were beaten by two goals and two tries to nothing;" recalls the school report on the match, as printed in Maidstone Rugby Club's Centenary Book.

"But then we (the school) played against great odds. Full grown heavy men that are accustomed to play together, will as a rule be able to put to rout the same number of boys.

"Almost all the work that was to be done on our side was done by the forwards, our backs scarcely once getting possession of the ball, but our strenuous efforts were useless; owing to the weight of our opponents we were, for the first time, 'run in' in this match."

From thrashing a school side, the club soon moved onto heftier opponents, and the early history of Maidstone saw the club play top teams like Middlesex Wanderers, Harlequin FC, Richmond, Eton House, London Scottish and Old Merchant Taylors' FC.

The players first wore dark blue jerseys with a Lion on the chest – a symbol of the Borough Arms pub, where most of the members were based.

Red and white shirts came in 1887, before the red white and black colours known today were adopted in 1928, but the shirts have always kept the lion.

After 70 years near the town centre, the early 1950s saw the club moved to the Mote, where it's stayed ever since, and in 2021 a new lease was signed to keep the club there for at least another 15 years.

The 50s also saw the arrival of two members still celebrated to this day; Harry Green and Bernard Hinks, who are remembered as "true gentlemen and club men, ensuring all felt welcome."

In 1959 Bernard and Harry led the club tour to Lille, and in preparation for a TV interview following the main match, were primed with the questions that would be asked in advance.

One club historian recalls: "Some coaching in the French language ensued, given by the same scholar who, on arrival at the team's hotel on the first evening, ordered himself a rare steak and found that he had ordered 25 pieces of blood-red horse meat for the entire touring party!

"The French coaching was of equally limited use, because the television programme was shortened at the last minute due to some local news event.

"The result was that the interviewer asked fewer questions, in a different order, and Bernie and Harry's well-rehearsed answers became incomprehensible."

Bernard sadly lost his life due to a head injury sustained in a match in 1969, and the club presents the Bernard Hinks Award to this day, for players that go above and beyond for the club and the game.

The 1970s and 80s, saw Maidstone become one of the top clubs in Kent, reaching the the finals of the county cup for seven years running between 1974 and 1980, winning twice and once again in 1987.

The club also reached the finals of the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham three times in four years during the 1970s, and in 1980 were the only junior club to be invited to play in the London Senior Clubs Rugby Festival at Twickenham.

In 1971 the Maidstone-based Royal Engineers excavated the land adjacent to the Mote Park entrance provide two additional pitches, but much to their horror discovered the reputedly "small ragstones" beneath the ground were not small at all.

Some measured over four feet across and a couple of feet high. Without much access to machinery, some of the rocks were blasted, whilst others were tied and pulled by several men to remove them.

Moving those rocks no doubt provided some decent training for the Mighty Stones, and maybe they should have kept hold of them.

A new league system saw the 'Mighty Stones' put into National League Three in 1987, but a slump in form in the 90s saw the side relegated four seasons in a row.

Better news came in 2000, when the side reached the Kent Cup final, narrowly losing to National League side Westcombe Park; and after relegation in 2003 Maidstone celebrated 125 years with the London South East 3 title, having gone the whole season unbeaten.

2015 saw Maidstone win London and South East League 2 unbeaten, lift the divisional title and Intermediate National title at Twickenham, and the side went on to win the Kent Plate and finish mid-table in London 1 the following year.

"The club has been part of the fabric of the changing Maidstone town and has survived plagues, wars, pandemics and the weather over the past 143 years," said a spokesman, reflecting on the club's history.

"From humble beginnings from a small public house, to playing at Twickenham in the Middlesex Sevens and triumphant in the Intermediate National Cup, Maidstone FC marches on.

"It welcomes everyone through their doors, for social, competitive rugby or even just a pint or several!

"Many people have dedicated themselves into making the club live on and it stands to this day in tribute to all those people's efforts and passion for over a century."