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Ebbsfleet United chairman Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi says promotion to the Vanarama Conference is just a matter of time

Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi Picture: Andy Payton
Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi Picture: Andy Payton

Ebbsfleet United resume their promotion push this weekend and the club’s Kuwaiti owner says it’s just a matter of time before they’re back in the Conference.

Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi has already funded the arrival of five new players at the PHB Stadium this month and manager Jamie Day is close to completing more transfers.

Fleet, who lost in the Conference South play-off final last May, have 18 games left this season. They’re 13 points behind leaders Boreham Wood but Dr Al-Humaidi has confidence in Day and his new-look squad.

"Promotion is just a matter of time," he said. "It will happen – but the question is when, whether it’ll be this year or next.

"We hope that with the new manager in charge, things will progress well. The goal hasn’t changed, we want promotion and, as a board, we’ll do whatever it takes to get promoted.

"It will be difficult to become champions this year but I think we’ll be thereabouts in the play-off positions. From then, it’s a lottery. We’ll see what happens. We’ll keep on supporting the manager with whatever he needs."

Ebbsfleet's Kuwaiti chairman at their game against Basingstoke on December 28 Picture: Andy Payton
Ebbsfleet's Kuwaiti chairman at their game against Basingstoke on December 28 Picture: Andy Payton

Dr Al-Humaidi is a hugely successful businessman but he admitted running a football club was a completely different proposition.

He said: "It’s results-driven and it’s no secret that it’s loss-making. We aim to have the club financially self-sustainable in the next three or four years but, in the first years, it’s loss-making.

"The thing I care about most is results, which aren’t very great. There was the disappointment of last year, the play-off final, and this year we’re doing okay – but this is not what we had hoped for.

"We are more determined, though. Our players are now professional, they work full-time and that wasn’t the case last year.

"We are always looking for better in terms of players and in terms of staff and hopefully in the near future that’ll get us promoted."

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