Four Post-16 players sign for Folkestone Invicta

Four players from Charlton Athletic Community Trust’s (CACT) Kent Post-16 Football and Education programme took the next steps in their footballing journeys when they signed first-team deals with Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone Invicta in September 2025.

Non-league outfit Invicta entered into a new partnership with Charlton ahead of the 2025/26 season. The three-year agreement sees CACT, in partnership with SCL Education, manage and operate Folkestone Invicta’s full-time football and education academy, based at the Alcaline Stadium in Kent.

CACT Post-16 players Louis Brooks-Read and Harry Linford both made their Folkestone debuts during the club’s Kent Senior Cup first round clash against VCD Athletic, which ended 1-1, before Jay Saunders’ side were edged out in a penalty shootout. Harris Dove was an unused substitute in the game, while Harry Uttley was the fourth and final player to sign first-team terms ahead of the cup tie.

Although Invicta were unable to come away with a win, the match provided several of CACT’s Post-16 players with a valuable experience of first-team and senior football, highlighting the pathway available in CACT’s Kent Post-16 academy.

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Richard Styles, CACT’s Kent Post-16 Football and Education Academy Manager, explained: “Our vision is to give local players the chance to learn, develop and challenge themselves within the football environment - both as players and as young people. Folkestone Invicta have given us a platform to do this and have welcomed the set-up with open arms, alongside having a professional environment and excellent facilities themselves.

“This partnership has already created a number of opportunities for our academy students, while also supporting the club day-to-day. To see four players gain first-team experience and be around that level of senior football is fantastic - and hopefully it’s just the start, with many more to come.”

Brooks-Read, who played the full 90 minutes for Invicta in the Senior Cup tie, reflected on his debut and the role the Post-16 academy has played in his development: “The partnership between Charlton and Folkestone has had a big impact on my football and has helped my development. It has even led to first-team appearances for a few of us.

“Making my first-team debut was a great experience. It was definitely nerve-wracking, but very enjoyable. The pace and physicality were on another level to what I’m used to, although I felt prepared to take on the challenge.

“Being part of the Post-16 academy has massively helped open doors to first-team football by providing regular, high-level training and giving me a good idea of what it’s like to train and work in a professional environment.

“The best part of the academy is the balance between playing football at a professional level and earning a valuable education alongside it. You’re also supported both on and off the pitch, which gives us players a real boost.”