Staplehurst Monarchs

Football began in Staplehurst in 1893 when Iden Rovers became founder members of the Maidstone and District Saturday League in which the Club competed with varying degrees of success for 108 years. The most successful being in 1993, their centenary, when both the First and Reserve teams completed their respective League and Cup doubles, a feat unprecedented in the League’s history.

Ambition saw them join the Kent County League in Division Three West in 2001 but having to play their home games on King Georges Field in Loose to meet ground criteria. Reorganisation took them into Division Two East which they duly won in 2006, forcing them to move yet again to the Old County Ground, West Malling to compete in Division One. They also achieved Charter Standard and Intermediate status at this time.

After 7 seasons on the road the Club finally returned to Staplehurst in 2009 with the completion of the funded Jubilee Field Pavilion which conforms to Step 4 criteria. The following year they are promoted to the Premier Division courtesy of restructuring. They also merge with the successful Junior section and become Staplehurst Monarchs United.

In the 2018/19 season they finally win the Kent County League Premier Division title but, despite an appeal they fail in their bid for Step 6 status in SCEFL. The following season they were 9 points clear in the defence of their crown when the season was declared null and void due to Covid. As the FA deemed there would be no promotion or relegation they were stuck yet again. Once again Covid contrived to halt football early on in the next campaign and the League eventually declared it would be null and void

again. However, this time the FA allowed restructuring down the pyramid and finally Staplehurst were accepted into Step 6 SCEFL with a Football Foundation grant awarded for necessary ground improvements.

As a result of this the Club now has Senior status and consequently are able to compete in both the FA Vase and the Kent Senior Cup.