Maidstone United chairman Paul Bowden-Brown is urging stay-away fans to forget their dislike of Bourne Park and boost falling home gates to help the club sustain their Ryman League Premier Division play-off ambitions.

More than 500 travelled to Dover last week, and around 450 followed them to Hastings earlier in the season, but only 331 turned up for the last home game against Ramsgate, the week before Christmas, with the Thanet club’s following between 50 and 100 supporters.

Writing in the programme for the return fixture against the Sussex club on Saturday, Mr Bowden-Brown says he finds it hard to believe why “so-called supporters can line the pockets of other clubs....rather than join the true hardcore at Sittingbourne and support the club.”

He says: “They may not like Bourne Park, and I am truthfully fed up with this excuse.

"Moving was an integral part of our success on our rise through the pyramid to date.

"If this missing home contingent travel the miles the records show, they can surely travel the 10 miles and let their club benefit from the gate money.”

And with the club desperate to return to the County Town he warns: “The failure of these supporters to attend matches at Bourne Park could be the downfall of this fine club, and delay even further the Stones returning home.

“There was a fantastic atmosphere at the Crabble, something which Maidstone could benefit from every other week or more.

"With our proximity to the shopping centre, the additional footfall to shops, pubs and restaurants would surely boost the local economy.”

Mr Bowden-Brown recently put the club up for sale and is talking to prospective buyers.