A sports ground has closed suddenly as new owners are set to take over.

Cobdown Sports Ground in Ditton has been sold and closed its sports and entertainment offering through K Sports Management.

The move has come as a shock to Larkfield Football Club chairman, Russell Jeffery, who says it came “totally out of the blue”.

The club, which has been using the ground for around five to six years, is now without winter training facilities.

Russell said: “We are as shocked as anyone – we will be seeking training facilities for the winter for every team.

“As for the club, it’s really devastated our winter training, because we don’t have the facilities to train during the week and we may not gain any more players locally.

“It’s going to be hard but we can get through it - there will be a lot of hard work by lots of people on this and we need everyone’s support.”

Since finding out via email on Monday, Russell has contacted several places with a 3G pitch to try to secure training facilities.

However, so far the response has been there is not enough space for the 23 teams that train under the club.

In an email from K Sports, seen by KentOnline, it says the business will cease trading and the closure is effective from 10am on Monday, June 17.

The email, titled K Sports Closure, says: “This is to announce to you that Cobdown Sports Ground is officially being sold and so K Sports Management Ltd is ceasing trading.

“Unfortunately, due to the nature of the sale, closure will be effective from Monday 17th June 2024 at 10am, when K Sports will permanently close to allow the new owners time to move in.

“We appreciate that this is all happening incredibly quickly, but we thank you for your custom and support over the years and wish you all the best for the future.”

The 28-acre site includes floodlit artificial grass football, rugby and hockey pitches, plus four grass pitches.

It also includes a gym, squash courts and clubhouse which offers a restaurant, sports bar and function room.

In the email announcing the notice, K Sports says it is working with its membership provider to refund people who have paid for usage beyond June 17.

The chairman of Larkfield Football Club, says the news has strengthened the need to get the plans for a proposed sports hub for the club underway.

Russell said: “We really need this pushed through as soon as possible.

“If we can’t get winter training sorted out within the next two years, the club - which has been around since 1964 - is going to struggle big time.

“We have been seriously affected.”

K Sports Management has been contacted by KentOnline for a comment.