GRAVESEND chairman Brian Kilcullen has thrown open the doors of Stonebridge Road to new investors in an attempt to increase the club’s capital base.

The Fleet chief said the club would welcome a single investor, or a group, but denied the appeal was a distress signal following the summer decision to move from part-time to full-time football.

He said: "This club cannot afford to stand still because in the last five years we have moved significantly forward and now we have reasonable expectations of promotion to the Football League.

"We are putting in place plans to move to a new stadium, have gone full-time and acquired a training and leisure facility.

"What we, as a board, are doing now is attempting to find out who is out there, both within the local community and further afield. It may be one person or a group but we’re willing to listen to anyone who can strengthen our capital base.

"This is certainly not a cry for help but the next stage in our development."

He added: "Most directors have faith in their club’s potential, and rightly so. However, we believe we are different from most football clubs in that we have a unique opportunity based on our location that enables us to both build and sustain a top club.

"We are in an area of great growth and development with an increasing population, substantial grant availability and strong support for the building a new stadium from local, county and central government.

"The club is financially sound and near enough debt free. Most football clubs have a limit of how far they can go. We have the potential and the fan base to go much further. The foundations are in place, now we need more partners to work with us on pushing further ahead from here."