The Kent Invicta League is a step too early for us, admits Otford United boss Dennis Leigh

OTFORD UNITED manager Dennis Leigh has explained why the club didn’t apply to become one of the sixteen founder members of the new Kent Invicta League, writes Stephen McCartney.


The village outfit play their games at Otford Recreation Ground, which is situated in the High Street and have the use of floodlights at the ground, but will be one of fifteen sides that will play in the countywide Haart of Kent County League first division - two levels below the Kent Invicta League.

The division will comprise of AFC Sevenoaks, Belvedere, Chipstead, Coney Hall, Fleetdown United, Forest Hill Park, Hildenborough Athletic, Kennington, Metrogas, Milton & New Romney, Otford United, Saga Sports & Social, Sheppey United and University of Kent.

Leigh said: “The club discussed it.  We’ve maybe got restrictions that are upon us – I don’t want to be provocative – with the Parish Council in terms of what we can do and what we can’t do with the ground,  and because we’ve started to rebuild again this season, having lost a lot of players, I think they decided to be cautious.  Excuse the pun, it’s a step too early for us.

“We’ve got everything at the ground to actually play at that level but if you’re going to play at that level you’ve got to be able to compete week in week out, home and away and we’re trying to build a squad and I think it was probably the right choice to stay at County One and rebuild and get ready to push on, which I’m sure we will do.”

Leigh, who was proud of his side’s performance during Sevenoaks Town’s flattering 3-1 derby day win at Greatness Park last night, was then asked what the coming season will bring.

“Less travelling,” he said.  “A lot more visits to south London, which is a little bit easier, less travelling, but with the sides that have come in, it’s going to be a fairly open division and I can’t wait for it to start.”

The Kent Invicta League has five clubs that have floodlighting, Ashford United, Bly Spartans, Erith & Dartford Town, Lewisham Borough and Woodstock Park.

The new step Six league will kick-off on Friday, 19^th August, when Erith & Dartford Town welcome neighbours Phoenix Sports to Oakwood, VCD Athletic’s ground at Old Road, Crayford, which should attract a bumper crowd.