Folkestone Invicta sell striker Stuart King to Maidstone United

FOLKESTONE INVICTA striker Stuart King – whose 15 goals make him leading goalscorer in Ryman League Division One South – has moved to ambitious promotion chasers Maidstone United.

King, 25, who joined Invicta from Herne Bay 18 months ago, will be in the Stones squad on Saturday, when – ironically – the Bay are visitors to Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium.

Folkestone Invicta chairman Mark Jenner issued the following statement on the club’s website www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

“We have agreed terms with Maidstone United for the transfer of Stuart King to them with immediate effect.

“We are very sad to see Stuart move on but we will receive a transfer fee now whereas his current contract would have expired at the end of the season leaving him a free agent.

“We wish him all the best at Maidstone where he will have the opportunity to show his genuine talent for scoring goals in front of 1800 supporters at their new ground.

“There is no doubt he will succeed with a team most likely to win the league and Folkestone Invicta will also benefit from a share of any sell on fees in respect of any subsequent transfer.

“Manager Neil Cugley is confident that the considerable gap left by Stuart leaving will be covered as we continue to develop our younger players coming through the youth team structure.”

Given Invicta’s CVA, which is due to end in just over two years’ time, and a recent agreement with the Taxman over a £12,000 VAT bill, any reasonable sized cash injection must be a major factor in easing their financial position.

Invicta boss Neil Cugley is understandably upset at losing arguably the hottest goalscorer in the Ryman League, but realises it would have been futile to stand in the way of a player who could be set for his second Ryman One ‘Golden Boot’ in as many years – if he gets enough game-time in the Stones’ sizeable playing squad, of course!!

Cugley said: “Of course it’s disappointing – it’s been a pleasure to have worked with a player who scores goals like Kingy does.

“We’ve always said that we’d not let players go to a club playing at the same level as us, but since they’ve moved back to the town, it’s all really taken off for Maidstone, and with the kind of support they are getting, they’ve now got to be regarded as a big club around here.

“We naturally wish Stuart well – but hopefully not too well if he plays against us!”

Cugley is realist enough to know that King was not a long-term fixture at Cheriton Road and the player himself has been quoted as saying that his aim for this season was a second Golden Boot before leaving to try his luck elsewhere.

He also knows that - whatever the undisclosed fee is - it will be considerably more at this stage that it would have been at the end of the season.

And the Folkestone boss says he’s “comfy” with the situation and more than happy to work with the increasingly young squad he now has available.

As arguably one of the most experienced managers in non-league football, Cugley has often been in his kind of position before.

Teenage striker Johan Ter Horst has impressed in training and also looked extremely lively in a recent substitute appearance, but sadly, the 17-year-old is unavailable this weekend, when 12th placed Folkestone Invicta welcome sixth-placed Burgess Hill Town to Cheriton Road.

Cugley said: “Johan has been outstanding in our youth teams for several years. I really like the look of him, and would have put him straight him against Burgess Hill on Saturday if I could have.”

“Even at this early stage, I’ll say that he’ll be involved against Tooting a week on Saturday.”

And Cugley is excited that youngsters like Ryan Philpott, Phil Stevenson and Joe Lester (recalled from a spell at Lydd Town) will now get further chances to impress.