Sheppey United will be back playing football next season.

The club, first registered with the Football Association 120 years ago back in 1890, will replace the disbanded AFC Sheppey in Division 1 East of the Vandanel Kent County League.

Three members of the former AFC – Aidan Christie, Dave Ingram Snr and Alan Jack – will join the Sheppey United Football Club board of directors.

Sheppey United chairman Peter Sharrock this week refused to confirm where they will play their matches this season. Last year AFC played at Co-op Sports Ground in Sheerness and before that they were based at Holm Place, Halfway.

Mr Sharrock said: "Sheppey United Football Club is a limited company with assets and shareholders and has never stopped existing.

"We were approached by AFC Sheppey about reforming the
playing side of Sheppey United in a bid to make the club a more sellable proposition for sponsors and backers."

Mr Christie added everybody would be working hard to make Sheppey United the "No.1 sports club on the Island again."

He added the priority was to get Sheppey United "up and running" playing football before the club looked at forming a reserve and youth teams in the future.

Sheppey United had planning applications turned down by Swale Council in the 1990s after their former Botany Road ground was sold for housing development.

They groundshared with, among other clubs, Faversham, Canterbury and Sittingbourne.

United last played in the Kent County League in the 2006-7 season and the new manager will be Stuart Davis, who last year was in charge of Sittingbourne Under-18s.