EASTLEIGH will not just break their record attendance when they host Macclesfield Town in tomorrow’s (12.45pm) BT Sport-televised showdown – they will smash it to smithereens.

As of yesterday, a whopping 4,500-plus tickets had been sold for the sixth-versus-third Vanarama Conference clash at the Silverlake Arena which marks the official opening of the club’s new 2,300-seater Mackoys Community Stand.

Add in the supporters who roll up on the day and the Spitfires could be nudging close to the new ground capacity which was confirmed this week as 5,100.

“It’s incredible to think we’ve sold just over 4,500 tickets and we could be looking at a crowd of 5,000,” said Eastleigh’s general manager Kenny Amor.

“It’s been a really busy week at the club. We’ve brought in 26 portaloos and put up a big marquee on one side of the new stand and a smaller one on the other side – one the main bar, the other a tuck shop – plus a further burger van to cope with the demand.

“We’ve got thousands of blue and white balloons and, just prior to kick-off, fans will hold up banner cards to create blue and white stripes across the stand.”

Eastleigh’s previous best league attendance was the 2,621 that witnessed the 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers on September 30 last year.

But the stadium’s biggest ever gate was for the July 2006 pre-season friendly against Saints when 3,260 flocked in to watch Claus Lundekvam, Nathan Dyer, Bradley Wright-Phillips & Co. humbled 2-1 by the then Conference South side.

Back in those days, it was inconceivable to think that Eastleigh’s average league attendance would have rocketed to 1,537 as it has this season – a 126 per cent increase on last term’s 680. It has established the Spitfires as the 13th best supported club in the Vanarama Conference and the 16th best in the entire non-League pyramid. Tomorrow’s gate has been boosted by the generosity of new community sponsor Compass Vehicle Leasing who have purchased 2,000 tickets and given them out to local junior football teams.

Car parking details are available on the club website (www.eastleighfc.com) and there will be a pedestrian walkway open through the adjacent Mott Macdonald business park between 10.30am and 4pm.

“The walkway will be stewarded and we ask supporters to recognise that this is not our property and to treat it with respect as this is a great gesture on Mott Macdonald’s part to avoid supporters having to walk in the Stoneham Lane roadway,” said Amor.