bbc report with Chris Kinnears comments.

[hartgeman]

Margate Football Club coming home

 

The Hartsdown Park site has stood empty for three years

Margate Football Club has announced it will be returning to play at Hartsdown Park at the start of next season.

An agreement has been reached with developers to reinstate the ground to Football Conference South status, it said on Tuesday in a statement to fans.

 

It said the agreement solves the club's immediate need to return to Hartsdown.

 

It added that it allows the club time to come to an agreement with Thanet Council over plans to develop the stadium to full Conference standard.

 

'Always believed'

 

Manager Chris Kinnear said it would make a massive difference to the club.

 

"I have always believed but there have been quite a few doubters," he said.

 

"Everyone within the club - the supporters and players - has played a great part in keeping us going.

 

 

Margate's fans have contributed to the club's "amazing" spirit

"The spirit within the club has been amazing."

 

He said that the agreement with the club's joint venture partners, London and Margate Development, meant it could resume normal trading and sign new players.

 

Persistent problems with the club's planning application meant it looked as if it might go out of business.

 

Last month it was given one final chance by Thanet Council to submit new proposals.

 

Hartsdown Park had been Margate's home since 1929.

 

It was closed and demolished in 2002, with plans for rebuilding on the same site, but work stopped after a disagreement about ownership of the land if the club went bust.

 

Margate initially played home games at Dover Athletic's ground, then transferred to Ashford's Homelands ground.

 

As a result they were demoted from the Conference because ground-sharing was not allowed at that level.

 

In October, the council offered the club a 10-year lease on the land with a view to allowing building work to start.