Howell Looks To Take The Maidstone Blueprint To Eastbourne

Think plastic pitch, think Maidstone. When co-owners Oliver Ash and Terry Casey took over the club they arrived with a plan, forming a sustainable business model around an artificial pitch after moving into their new Gallagher Stadium home in 2012.

Since then they’ve been promoted three times to reach the National League and have formed an academy, with the football club becoming a central part of the local community. Their success has no doubt paved the way for more clubs to install the plastic turf.

National League South Eastbourne turned to 3G last summer and following the departure of long-standing manager Tommy Widdrington to Coventry in April, Howell was appointed after winning promotion through the Ryman Premier play-offs with Bognor Regis.

The 40-year-old spent 20 years at Bognor, enjoying an FA Trophy semi-final two seasons ago and made over 420 appearances for the club as a player.

But now with promotion achieved, Howell is ready for a new test at Eastbourne, aiming to end Borough’s six-year absence from the National League.

“I’d been at Bognor a long time, I loved it there and I just felt maybe I needed another challenge, a change of scenery and when Eastbourne came up it was something that really appealed to me,” he told the National League.

“I’m excited, it’s a new chapter. The pitch was one of the factors to my decision. Bognor’s pitch has traditionally been very, very good and suits the style of play I like.

“Eastbourne have played at the highest level in Non-League and I think the infrastructure is here that if we can get back there, then we can sustain it.”

And it’s Maidstone’s successful 3G pitch precedent that Howell feels Eastbourne should attempt to replicate.

“Maidstone would be an excellent blueprint for us to follow. Jay (Saunders, manager) has done a great job there. They spent a couple of seasons in the Ryman leagues but they didn’t panic and knew where they wanted to go and how to do it.

“They did well in the National League last season and it seems a very well run, successful club. If we can try to emulate them, which will be very difficult, then they are the club to aspire to.”