Hollands & Blair Football Club chairman Paul Piggott believes they can grow from strength to strength after agreeing a new deal at their home ground.

The club have signed a 10-year lease agreement with the owners of the Star Meadow complex, Invictus Sports Group, to become a “principal partner” at the Gillingham venue, which is currently undergoing a major renovation to install a 3G pitch.

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Blair - whose senior team play in the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East Football League - will hope to return to their ground in the early weeks of 2023, with ISG saying that building works are on schedule.

Work started in October after a delay in getting the project under way and Blair's first team have been sharing with league rivals Lordswood.

Mr Piggott said: “Since the new ownership ISG have partnered up, they have consistently said the club’s future is at this ground. They have now backed that up with a new 10 year contract. The committee and myself are over the moon.

“It not only allows us as a committee to now focus all our efforts on the football side of things, it allows all of the club’s youth teams to either play or train on the same pitch as its first team.

“We look to grow from strength to strength as a football club and this partnership will only help. I’d like to thank (ISG’s directors) Wayne (Peirce), Richard (Radbourne) and Lee (Spiller) for their efforts and hard work in getting the ground to a standard not only fitting for good football but somewhere supporters will love to come and watch a game.”

ISG’s Rich Radbourne - co-owner and chief executive of Soccer Elite football academy - said: “Our aim has always been to secure the future of Hollands & Blair Football Club; nevertheless Blair’s status at the new facility has been a talking point in local football with many incorrect rumours attached along the way. This long-term agreement with the club puts these whispers to bed.

“ISG’s relationship with the club’s hierarchy is extremely strong and we have developed a plan together for on and off the pitch.

"Our vision is clear: to use our fantastic new facility to support Hollands & Blair and Soccer Elite FA in creating leading youth development programmes, developing footballers and people that Medway and the surrounding areas can be proud of.”