It's sad to see powerful K Sports go from Cobdown, says former manager/chairman Paul Atkins and play-off finalist with Staplehurst Monarchs

STAPLEHURST MONARCHS manager Paul Atkins says he is sad to see the demise of one of his former clubs.

 

K Sports have decided to change their name to Sheppey Sports and play their home games at Sheppey United’s Holm Park as from next season.

The side have basically been a second string of the Isthmian League South East Division outfit, - managed by George and Ian Batten - the sons of Ites’ manager Ernie, for the last couple of seasons.

Staplehurst Monarchs, meanwhile, finished their Southern Counties East Football League First Division campaign with a 1-1 draw at Cobdown on 27 April.

Atkins has guided Staplehurst Monarchs to their highest ever finish of third-place in the tenth-tier, having picked up 60 points (18 wins, six draws and six defeats) from their 30 games.

The Headcorn Road outfit beat Rochester United 1-0 in the Play-Off Semi-Finals last Wednesday, but a 61^st minute own goal from centre-half Grant McIheron ensured Larkfield & New Hythe will be playing Premier Division football for the first time, as Danny Lye’s side won an awful Play-Off Final in front of 828 in a record crowd at New Hythe Lane yesterday.

“It would’ve broken my heart if K Sports had not stayed up. It’s disappointing to see how the club has ended up,” said Atkins.

“When I was manager you could see the decay, you could see it was slowly rotting from inside.

“I played there since the APM days, as a kid, as an adult. I’ve been chairman, I’ve been director of football, I’ve been everything.  It meant a lot to me, so I’m glad they’ve survived and they’re going over to Sheppey.

“The Batten’s are going to take them over and the Batten’s are great lads.  They love football, their dad is so invested in Sheppey.

“It’s sad to see the club go from Cobdown but hopefully they’ll carry it on and succeed because non-league football, it’s important for us all.”

K Sports’ traditional name was Aylesford Paper Mills, founded in 1919, before adding sponsors' names such as APM Mears, APM Contrast to their title in recent years.

The Aylesford based outfit were always going to struggle to attract a fan base when it changed its name controversially to K Sports in 2016 and played in a cage with modest facilities.

“I was the one that called it, so something to do about the most powerful letter in the alphabet, we called it the K, so that was it,” revealed Atkins.

“I got slated on social media because there’s a hundred years of APM but we thought it was the best thing for the club at the time.

“It was hard, you’re pushing against the door that’s closed at the club. We rented off them (K Sports), we always rented, they never gave anything back as a club.

“Look, the chapters done, I wish them all the best as a new club. It’s so sad to see it go.”

K Sports finished their last Cobdown campaign in thirteenth-place (28 points) and Meridian VP (25), Forest Hill Park (24) and Greenways (15) finished beneath them in the league table.