THE Football League ambitions of Eastleigh Football Club have been put in sharper focus by their plans for a 10,000-capacity stadium on Stoneham Lane.

Promotion to League Two could be achieved in the next few months, but is it realistic to expect Eastleigh to establish itself as one of English football's top 92 clubs? And can Hampshire support another Football League club?

Assuming they are successful in getting planning permission, Eastleigh's plan is to build the stadium piecemeal over the next few years.

By the time it is finished they could even find themselves emulating the likes of Burton Albion, a non-league club as recently as 2009 and now in the upper echelons of League One.

As well as Burton, the likes of Fleetwood Town, Crawley Town and Stevenage have risen as high as English football's third tier following promotions from the National League/Conference in the past decade.

But the rise and fall of Rushden & Diamonds provides a cautionary tale.

Founded in 1992, the Northamptonshire club reached the dizzy heights of what is now League One in 2003, only to be dissolved in 2011 after sliding back into the Conference amid financial difficulties.

On the face of it, Eastleigh would have a tougher task than most.

Not since Queens Park Rangers was incorporated into English football's third division in 1920 has a Football League newcomer been closer to an established club than the 4.4 miles that separate the Silverlake Stadium from St Mary's. QPR's Loftus Road is 3.2 miles from Fulham's Craven Cottage and 3.8 miles from Chelsea's Stamford Bridge.

With no other League club within 20 miles, Stevenage and Crawley had a whole new fan base to tap into in 2010 and 2011.

Should Eastleigh go up, they and Saints would be the third-closest pair of clubs in the top four divisions outside the metropolises of London and Birmingham, after Nottingham Forest/Notts County (0.9 miles) and Liverpool/Everton (one mile).

Initially, they would probably develop a rivalry with Pompey, assuming Fratton Park is still a League Two stadium, but they have more in common with AFC Bournemouth.

Now in the Premier League with a 11,500-capacity stadium, the Cherries have shown what is possible with good planning and a wealthy owner.

"People said Bournemouth weren't capable of getting to the Premier League, but look at them now," says Eastleigh chief executive Mark Jewell. "Why can't we do a Bournemouth?"

He is unconcerned by the club's geographical proximity to St Mary's.

"We're not looking to take 10,000 fans from Southampton, there are lots of dormant football fans out there and we can rekindle their interest," he said.

Encouragingly, Eastleigh are averaging crowds of 1,843 this season. That is more than League Two clubs Accrington Stanley and Morecambe and three of the Conference's former Football League clubs; Torquay United, Macclesfield Town and Hampshire rivals Aldershot Town.

Promotion and a new stadium would doubtless attract many more.

"There are no concerns there whatsoever, there are enough people to go around," continued Jewell. "Right from the outset, when Stewart Donald first looked at getting involved properly, he did his homework.

"Eastleigh Borough on its own is a big enough area to support a Football League club and a lot of fans float between Bournemouth, Portsmouth and non-league football."

It was apposite that Eastleigh's stadium plans were revealed during a week in which Liverpool priced the top tickets in their new stand at £77.

Eastleigh's early-bird season tickets for 2016/17 cost just £120, which works out at less than £5 a game, possibly in the Football League.

The Spitfires are already the cheapest team to watch in English football's top five divisions. They see it as an investment in the club's future.

"Making football more affordable is our ethos, it's Stewart's passion which is why he already subsidises away travel," continued 45 year-old Jewell.

"A lot of fans my age have become disillusioned with Premier League and Championship football so while we're not filling the ground we'll continue to make watching football cheaper.

"It's about engaging with those who've become disenchanted or simply can't afford to take the family to watch football anymore.

"It's so important to have five to eight year-olds coming along and the stadium will make it a more pleasant and enjoyable experience for everyone.

"I remember first going to watch QPR and Stewart will tell you about going to Oxford United's Old Manor Ground as a boy.

"Before you know it, it's in your blood. That's your team."