by Alex Hoad

Maidstone United shareholder Oliver Ash says he believes it is inevitable that he will become unpopular with fans and will never get his money back from the club.

Mr Ash (pictured) and fellow investors Terry Casey and Bill Williams were hailed in many quarters for taking control from former chairman Paul Bowden-Brown and shoring up the club’s finances, while also moving swiftly to draw up plans for the club’s return to the town.

However, Mr Ash told the club’s official website: "It’s funny, whether it’s football over here or rugby (in France), some people are always convinced that we’re in it for the money.

"They say ‘They’re sensible businessmen, they must know what they’re doing’, or ‘They don’t care about our club the way we do’.

"The truth is that people invest in football or rugby for loads of different emotional reasons and often simply because by doing so they can make a difference to something they believe is important."

He added: "In life, the only certainty is death and taxes. In football club ownership, it’s losing money and becoming unpopular."