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Local footballer dies after match

Posted by admin on Apr 13, 2005 - 08:37 PM
Filed under: Articles, News

LOCAL FOOTBALLER DIES AFTER MATCH

A footballer playing for Folkestone Invicta died after collapsing during a match.

Paul Sykes, 28, was playing for the Folkestone team in the Kent senior cup semi-final against Margate when he collapsed 30 minutes into the game on Tuesday night (12 April).

He was rushed to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where he later died.

A statement posted on the Folkestone Invicta website on Tuesday said: "Everybody is in shock here.

"Paul was well known to both sets of players having previously been a Margate player.

"He is going to be sadly missed."

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Paul Sykes joined the club in November 2004 from Dartford.

He made his name at then Conference club Welling United and joined Margate during the 1995/96 season establishing himself as the clubâ€™s leading goal scorer. He was a member of the side which won promotion from the Dr Martens League Southern Division and then won the Premier Division in 2000-01.

After recovering from some serious injuries, he joined Dartford during the 2002-03 season and then played for Dover Athletic before returning to Dartford.

Paul was born in November 1976.