A cross-channel phone call today will shape the future of Maidstone United.

Chairman Paul Bowden-Brown (pictured) and directors will convene in Maidstone for a conference call with Paris-based businessman Oliver Ash, who invested £100,000 in the Stones in February 2008.

The money was earmarked to boost the club’s long-time plan to return to a ground in James Whatman Way in the County Town – a move which appeared a step closer this week with news the site will be levelled this month.

It is understood Mr Ash may be keen to have his cash returned but Mr Bowden-Brown said nothing about the phone call was pre-determined.

He said: "Oliver Ash was the only person who took the time, effort and the due diligence to get involved.

"In February 2008 he gave us £100,000 on the understanding that we would put in the ground bid for funding to start development at James Whatman Way.

"He invested in a dream that Paul Bowden-Brown had – the dream hasn’t turned out as we had hoped. We had a clause in the agreement that he could ask for his money back if he did not feel satisfied that his money was safe.

"He’ll only ask for his money back if he feels things are not going in the right direction."

Mr Bowden-Brown added he did not know what the result of the meeting would be but all would be revealed next week with his own future also to be clarified.

The James Whatman Way site is adjacent to the new £12million Kent History Centre and Library and contractors Warings are understood to have agreed to level the Stones site once the same has been done to the initial site as part of their ‘social commitment’ programme.