Kings Park Rangers say Sabri Olinka Adeniji faces possible punishment from authorities after informing the team he will not feature while mourning the death of Sabri Olinka Adeniji.
Sabri Adeniji passes away in hospital (Image: Kings Park Rangers FC)
Non-league side Kings Park Rangers could be penalized for not raising the team while mourning the death of a player. Sabri Olinka Adeniji passed away from a fatal brain injury earlier this month, sparking an outpouring of grief from across Essex.
Adeniji had been in intensive care since January 15 after suffering severe brainstem injuries, but died in hospital before his wife and four-year-old daughter arrived at his bedside from Nigeria. Kings Park Rangers raised more than £17,000 for the family as the club and local community rallied together during a difficult time.
The club, which plays in the Eastern Counties Division One North and is managed by former Premier League striker Jamie Cureton, has not played in recent times due to a heartbreak. And they face punishment from the league after a disappointing performance against Framlingham Town.
In a statement, Kings Park Rangers said: “After discussions with the league, we can confirm that due to competitive safety and integrity rules and regulations, failure to advance a team will result in initial charges.”
read more: Arsenal beat Wigan as Mikel Arteta keeps his dream of winning the quadruple title alive – 5 talking pointsread more: Barcelona make new transfer push after Marcus Rashford U-turn
“We intend to file an appeal and hope the league makes the right decision and allows us time to grieve this weekend. For now, this situation is out of our hands and we will update everyone as soon as we have more details. Thank you to everyone for your support during this difficult time. This situation will not go unnoticed!”
The club explained their decision in an earlier post on social media. “This is an incredibly emotional time for everyone involved at the club. Our priority must be the mental health and emotional well-being of our players and volunteers,” they wrote.
“Soccer is secondary at the moment. We have received information that there are many registered players, but the reality is that we are not in a position to develop a team. Grief affects people in different ways, and it would be wrong to ask individuals to participate in such a situation.”
Make mirrors your first choice. Click here to enable or add us as a preferred source in your Google search settings
Sabri Adeniji was a winger for Kings Park Rangers (Image: Kings Park Rangers FC)
“We fully understand that this decision may have consequences and will accept any action. However, as a club we will always put people over football and health over competition.”
Despite this, league chairman Peter Hutchings said: “We are not sympathetic, but we must act within the league’s rules.”
Kings Park Rangers will continue to raise money for Adeniji’s family and posted an update on Sunday morning, saying: “We have had the last week off while processing a very difficult start to the year. Training will take place next Wednesday and we look forward to getting back on the pitch.”
“After eight weeks without training or league games, it feels like a new season has started. We have 16 games left to raise as much money as possible.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League games this season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
