Hopefully Stuart King will do the business on the park for us, says Neil Cugley

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says he is pleased to welcome back striker Stuart King on a two-year contract, after signing him from promoted Maidstone United today.


King, 25, was sold by the club for an undisclosed transfer fee last November and signed a two-year contract for the Stones.

He made 25 appearances (19 starts, 6 as a substitute) and scored 11 goals for the Stones.

Maidstone United clinched promotion to the Ryman Premier League after beating Folkestone Invicta and Faversham Town in the play-offs after finishing runners-up to champions Dulwich Hamlet.

The £5,000 transfer deal that took the former Whitstable Town, Ramsgate and Herne Bay frontman to The Gallagher Stadium also included paying Folkestone Invicta a further £1,000 if the Stones were promoted.

“He went to Maidstone, I don’t think it quite worked out for him,” said Cugley.

“I know Jay Saunders well and he just kept me informed and said he was available and it went from there really.

“I think other clubs were interested in him.  He was always going to come back if he left them. We’re delighted to get him back.”

When asked whether Folkestone Invicta paid a transfer fee to bring King back to Cheriton Road, Cugley’s response was: “I don’t really know the ins and outs to be fair. I didn’t get involved in the last little bits of it. I don’t know.”

He added: “We’ve signed him on a two-year deal.  I’m pleased with that.  We’re glad to have him back.  He scored a goal a game, not many people do that.  I know he’s really enthusiastic and looking forward to coming back to us and hopefully he’ll do the business for us on the park.”

Cugley revealed he is on the look out to strengthen his squad after grabbing fifth-place in the Ryman League Division One South last term.

“We’ve got Richard Atkins who done really well and he’s going round the world in September and young Johan Ter Horst is still undecided. I’m still waiting to hear from him if he’s going to university or not.

“We had to get at least one forward. Once he (King) became available he was the one that we wanted.  To be fair to Kingy he’s not a money orientated lad at all. He just likes to play football. Wages doesn’t come into it. He’s just happy to come back. We’re really pleased.

With Jack Delo returning to home-town club Herne Bay, Cugley is looking for a new goalkeeper.

 “We’re talking to two or three at the moment, that will come about,” said Cugley.

“We’re talking to another forward, a couple of midfield players. We’re quite busy at the moment.

“We’ll have a big squad for pre-season and go from there. It’s unusual for us to do it that way around but that’s the way we’ll do it.

“We’ll have a bigger than usual squad. Last year it picked itself. I want competition for places in pre-season and look at people and see how people do and kick on some of our own lads who have done well for me but need to now move up a gear if we’re going to get into the play-offs again.  They need to keep their improvement going.”

“We’ve done well really, three of the last four years’ we’ve finished in the play-offs so I can’t moan about that. One of the years’ we’ve gone up and come back down.

“Everything’s getting more stable off the pitch. A year ago the club was in turmoil. That’s been so important really. We had no chairman, no secretary and the only thing we had was a tax-bill so it was a bit more hard work.

“Now hopefully we’re getting our rewards to be able to improve it and move the club on.”

Maidstone United's statement on  www.maidstoneunited.co.uk said: “King scored some crucial goals and contributed to the club’s promotion but manager Jay Saunders has opted for some changes to his squad ahead of the Ryman Premier Division campaign and has agreed to release the frontman.”

Stones boss Jay Saunders has been busy this summer as he prepares for the step up.

Attackers Tim and Ade Olorunda and Shaun Welford (who has signed for Hythe Town) have gone and Saunders has brought in Frannie Collin, 26, following his departure from Conference South side Tonbridge Angels.

Maidstone United will be playing Wealdstone in the Ryman Premier League next season – but Gordon Bartlett will be without stylish midfielder Alex Dyer, 22, who has signed for Conference Premier side Welling United.

The Wings sealed promotion back to the top flight of non-league football after clinching the Conference South title in April.

The Merseyside-born former Northampton Town and Montserrat international scored 32 goals in 117 appearances for the Ruislip based club.

Dyer made a total number of 43 appearances (scoring 3 goals) in the Football League for Northampton Town between 2007-2010.

Welling United boss Jamie Day said: “Alex Dyer is a box to box midfield player, who is very comfortable on the ball.

“I have watched him a lot last year and liked him every time!  He had league experience and still at a young age where we can develop him further and I know he is willing to listen and develop his game further.

“He has league experience and will fit in nicely with our squad and what we’re trying to achieve next season.”

Wealdstone manager Gordon Bartlett told www.wealdstone-fc.com: “Alex is an outstanding talent and it’s no surprise that he has looked to get back to playing at a higher level – something that he has always been very honest about with his ambition to get back to pro football.

“He has done a great job for us and we wish Alex all the very best.

“Whilst this is disappointing news it shows once again that players can successfully progress their playing career at Wealdstone and move on to higher levels of football and he joins a long list in recent seasons that have done so.”

Meanwhile, former Northampton Town midfielder, George Craddock, who finished last season at Welling United whilst on work-experience, has signed for Ryman Premier League side Margate.

Margate have also signed tough-tackling midfielder Scott Kinch, who picked up a championship winners medal with Welling United last month.

Kinch, who won promotion via the Ryman Premier League play-offs with Tonbridge Angels in May 2011, has previously played for Carshalton Athletic, Tooting & Mitcham United and Cray Wanderers.

Herne Bay have snapped up defender Joe Kane, 23, from Kent League Lordswood and have confirmed that winger Rhys Lawson has left the club.

Kane is a highly-rated defender that played over 50 times for Lordswood and scored 9 goals last season.

New boss Sam Denly told www.pitchero.com/clubs/hernebay: “I am delighted that Joe has signed for us. He is a really good player and was being chased by a number of clubs in the Ryman League.”

Chairman Trevor Kennett revealed that Lawson has decided to leave the club to look for a new challenge next season.

He said: “I am sorry Rhys has decided to leave the club as he is a very good player and has served the club very well over the years, but I understand and respect his decision and wish him well in the future.”

Ramsgate have confirmed that goalkeeper Daren Hawkes has signed a contract with the club after a successful long loan spell from Gillingham.