As promised, and on behalf of Staplehurst Monarchs FC CIC, I want to address our supporters, our players, and our community following the damaging, misleading, and potentially libellous comments made on Facebook by the previous Chairman of the Parish Council, Mr. Paddy Riordan, on Saturday 13/09/25.

Before I go into detail, let me remind everyone who we are as a Club. Staplehurst Monarchs is not just a football team — it is a community. We proudly run 4 senior sides, including our First Team competing in the SCEFL League, the U23s, and our Women’s team, alongside 21 junior and youth teams with just over 350 players. Every single week, hundreds of people come together at this Club, and everything we do is driven by the values of fairness, respect, and opportunity for all. That is what makes it so painful when false and damaging accusations are made against us.

To be clear: the statement made by Mr. Riordan is wholly untrue.

On behalf of the Club, I have taken legal advice. It was suggested that we first report the incident to the administrators of the Facebook page, which we have done, and I have warned them of our concerns and intended actions. Secondly, as the comments were made by a sitting councillor, I have today written to the Clerk of the Parish Council to raise a formal complaint. Should their reply not be satisfactory, I will take this further to the Monitoring Officer at Maidstone Borough Council.

I am prepared to let this process run its course, but if it becomes bogged down in bureaucracy, I will have no hesitation in pursuing direct legal action against Mr. Riordan personally, on the grounds of the libellous and untrue statements he has made about this Club in a public forum.

I also want to set the record straight. The only monies this Club has ever received from the Parish Council was a £1,000 refund to the Junior Section, approved by the full Council, for cancelled matches due to bad weather when we had already paid for pitch hire and had to source alternatives. We were appreciative of this support. The Senior Section has never received any funds from the Parish Council. The only transaction that takes place is our payment of a monthly rental invoice for Jubilee Fields.

So you can understand our anger when a totally false and misleading statement is made, especially by someone who has previously made harassing comments about members of this Club. For now, my attention is solely on this latest post, unless advised otherwise in due course.

At the same time, I want to stress that I maintain open and clear communication with both the Clerk and the current Chair of the Parish Council. We have a strong working relationship with them as our landlords, and while we may not always agree, we continue to work together to ensure that both the seniors and the youth of Staplehurst have the facilities they need to play football and enjoy their sport at Jubilee Fields.

What matters most is that we do not let untruths distract us from what this Club stands for: our community, our players, and our football.

Finally, I want to get back to running a football club. I wish Ian Docker, his management team, and the squad the very best for our first FA Vase match of the season this Saturday against Shoreham. I encourage all of you to come along, support the team, and experience what this Club is really about — honesty, togetherness, and a true matchday spirit.

Kind regards,
Paul Bowden-Brown