In the heart of England, amongst the green hills of Kent, many people are convinced they have “made history” – first and foremost the players of the Maidstone United who are living an incredible fairy tale – but it’s no fairy tale. It’s pure reality. The ‘Stones’, a club that plays in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football, have secured a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the the oldest and most magical official football competition in the world. Amateur players – lads who don’t make a living solely from football – have managed to knock out teams from leagues far above their own, most recently the highly fancied Ipswich Town, who are currently in the upper echelons of the Championship. At the final whistle, the incredible jubilation of the 4,500 supporters who had travelled with Maidstone United to Portman Road for this historic away fixture was joined by the heartfelt applause of the Ipswich fans. It was a scene that warms the heart and does football a world of good.

At the end of the match, the Stones’ manager, George Elokobi said: “I am ”I’m proud of what my lads have achieved. What happened today will bind us together for life. That’s the magic of the FA Cup, and we’ve made history.".

A story of true passion

The history of Maidstone United stretches back a long way, to 1897, before coming to a halt and restarting in 1992. It is the story of thousands of clubs that thrive on a passion and love for the game of football. A passion so strong that it stopped at nothing, not even having to play their home matches on various pitches shared with other clubs for years on end. That was until 2012, when a real gem was opened: the ‘Gallagher Stadium’, with two stands, 5,000 seats and the whole complex nestled amongst the maple and cypress trees of the Kent countryside. No matter how tough their working day has been, the lads at Maidstone carry within them the joy, passion and pride of wearing the amber and black shirt and giving their all on the pitch, dreaming of achieving something special. In some cases, that dream becomes reality, an exhilarating reality to share with the people you meet in the pub or along the banks of the Medway – as perhaps Chris Smalling did on occasion, having played for Maidstone for three years before taking flight to the Premier League and pulling on the shirt of another United: Manchester United.  

A thrilling ride

The magic of the FA Cup is unique – a magic that the players and supporters of Maidstone United have come to know this year, right from the first round of the competition when the Kent-based club beat Chesham United 2–0, before narrowly defeating Barrow, a team playing two divisions above them. Never before had the belief that they could achieve something unexpected grown so steadily, ‘one step at a time’. In this sense, the match played on 6 January against Stevenage FC, a club competing in Football League One, was a true Epiphany for the Stones, who, by winning 1–0 at the ‘Gallagher Stadium’, earned the right to play the fourth round away at Ipswich Town, then second in the Championship. The latest feat, at Portman Road, was down to Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne, who scored the winning goals, and the Brazilian goalkeeper Covolan, who was instrumental in withstanding the hosts’ final onslaught. Celebrations erupted in the Kent capital; the joy was incredible, as Maidstone became the first sixth-tier side in 46 years to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The dream continues

Never before has this been more true than on this occasion “Become Your Own Hero” perfectly captures the essence of Maidstone United. Passion, commitment, sacrifice, a shared purpose and teamwork to achieve a goal. Believing in it wholeheartedly and fighting hard, whilst respecting one’s opponents, but fighting to win. The Stones have done just that and are riding an incredible dream that now takes them to the Coventry Building Society Arena. On Monday 26 February, the fifth round of the FA Cup will take place against Coventry City, a club currently sixth in the Championship and, on paper, light years away from “little” Maidstone United. However, the players in their amber and black shirts have amply demonstrated their ‘giant-killer’ instinct, and the Macron Hero logo that stands out on those shirts is a further incentive to pull off the feat and become legends – the sort of beautiful stories that English football is so good at telling.