Maidstone
United
Formed 1897. Wound up in 1992.
Promoted to the Fourth Division 1989. Resigned 1992.
Kit History
1902-1907 a h i
1921-1923 a h
1926-1927 h
1927-1946
1946-1947 j
1947-1948 h
1949-1950 h
1953-1956 h
1956-1958
1958-1959 h
1960-1962 a
1962-1963 h
1963-1965 d
1965-1966 h
Oct 1970-1972 h
1972-1973 a i h
1973-1975 h
1975-1978 a h
1978-1982 a e i
1982-1983 b f g i
1983-1984 b h
1984-1985 f
1985-1986 f h
1986-1987 b f
1987-1988 a f
1988-1989 c f
1989-1990 c f i
1990-1991 a c f i
1991-1992 c
Background
The Stones were formed at the end of the nineteenth century and played
in the amateur Kent League. It was not until 1951 that they stepped up
from county competition to join the Corinthian League and six years later
they became members of the Athenian League. In 1970 the club turned semi-professional
and transferred to the Southern League First 
Division: two years later
they were promoted to the SL Premier Division.
Throughout their history the Stones used the Maidstone coat of arms as their official crest, with "Maidstone United FC" replacing the original Latin motto. In keeping with the fashion of the time this was dropped in the mid-Sixties.
In October 1970 the team turned out in a brand-new white strip trimmed in amber and black for a Isthmian League match against Weadstone. The new outfit, which featured 
the club's initials embroidered on the shirt, was donated by Gerald Faull, a vice-president of the club. This cypher appeared in slightly different forms during the decade.
In 1975 a cartoon caveman (name of Winstone - boom-boom) featured on the right-hand side of player's shirts while "MUFC" appeared in script on the left. This 
nonsense was replaced in 1978 when the traditional crest was reinstated followed a few years later by the earler cypher.
From 1978 until the club closed down the emblem of the county of Kent, known as "Invicta," was worn on the left sleeve.
In 1979, United became founder members of the Alliance Premier League,
the forerunner of the Conference, winning the championship in 1984. Five
years later, United won the Conference title and with it, 
automatic promotion
to the Fourth Division of the Football League in 1989. Off the field,
however, the club was in serious difficulty. A year earlier chairman Jim Thompson sold their ground for retail development and the Stones were forced to play their home matches in Dartford.
In their first season in the League, the Stones reached the play-offs but the following two campaigns were mediocre. As their debts mounted, concern grew about their ability to pay their players and meet their obligations. At the start of the 1992-93 season, United postponed their first fixture in the new Nationwide Division Three at Scunthorpe. They were given 48 hours to provide guarantees that the club could fulfil their fixtures for the rest of the season. Unable to secure the backing needed, Maidstone resigned and went into liquidation. Since this debacle, the Football League has introduced financial viability criteria as well as stadium standards for clubs who qualify for promotion from the Conference.
A new club, Maidstone Invicta, was formed around United's youth squad and in 1993, they started at the very bottom of the pyramid by joining Division Four of the Kent County League. In 1996 the club adopted Maidstone United as their name and in 2001, they achieved senior status and transferred to the Kent League. At the time of writing (2024) the phoenix Maidstone team was playing in the National League South.
Sources
- (a) Maidstone United Official Website
- (b) Alliance to Conference (John Harman 2005)
- (c) David King
- (d) Steve Marketis
- (e) Alick Milne
- (f) Lee Capeling - Lee also provided details of the Invicta emblem
- (g) Ralph Pomeroy
- (h) Richard Ralph
- (i) Keith Ellis
- (j) John Bunyard