Sheppey United’s incoming boss was the personal choice of late manager Ernie Batten.

The Ites announced on Sunday that Kevin Watson would take charge at Holm Park this summer.

They said in a statement it was of “utmost importance” that the new manager was someone Batten would have approved of.

And caretaker boss Geoff Record, who will retire at the end of the season, revealed Watson was the man Batten had identified as his successor in the final weeks of his life.

“Ernie told me about six weeks ago that’s who he wanted to take over,” said Record, 65.

“I was going to retire anyway at the end of the season and I told Ernie that a good couple of months ago.

“The family were aware of Ernie’s wishes and they took action around that.

“Kev’s an experienced man, he’s built up that experience over a number of years and had a few pretty good jobs himself, at Herne Bay, Cray Valley, Chatham and Ashford. They’re all big football clubs to manage.”

Watson’s finest achievement came at Cray Valley, leading the Millers to the Southern Counties East Premier Division title and FA Vase final at Wembley.

While Record and Ira Jackson will remain in charge for the last six games of the Isthmian South East season, the Ites say the new manager is “already now actively working in the background on player retention, recruitment and pre-season planning”.

Record, who takes Sheppey to Broadbridge Heath this Saturday (3pm), is ready to call time on a long career.

He played Southern League football for Sheppey and Dover before dropping into the Kent League with Whitstable and Herne Bay.

He succeeded Tommy Sampson as Bay boss and also managed Sheppey, making Batten his assistant, before a role reversal in later years saw him serve as Batten’s No.2 across two spells.

“It’s time to call it a day,” said Record. “I’ve had a brilliant career. How can I complain?

“I’ve done everything at Sheppey. I was talking to George, Ernie’s son, at the weekend, and I was saying I’ve been a player, a manager and an assistant manager at Sheppey over such a long period of time.

“It’s been unbelievable. Perhaps I’ll be a mascot before I finish!”

The people of Sheppey turned out to pay their respects to Batten on Saturday.

A big crowd of 718 were at Holm Park as the Ites remembered their late manager before kick-off against Deal.

A wreath was laid in the centre circle while players, wearing black armbands, carried flowers on to the pitch.

There was a minute’s applause in memory of Ites legend Batten, whose achievements as the most successful boss in the club’s history include a unique quadruple and a place in the FA Cup first round.

Record, Batten’s great friend and assistant, said: “It was an emotional day. It was very well attended. The community came out and showed their respects to Ernie. It was great.

“There was a considerable amount who stuck around after the game, too.”

Dan Bradshaw, a prolific striker under Batten, looked to the heavens after giving Sheppey a second-minute lead.

Deal hit back with four goals before half-time - Ben Chapman (2), Josh Vincent and Rory Smith the scorers - with Bradshaw replying in the second half.

“We started off brilliantly,” said Record. “We went 1-0 up after two minutes and then they equalised quite quickly and by the time we got to half-time we’d pretty much folded.

“Every time we gave away a free-kick and they delivered a ball into the box or if we gave away a corner, they stuck their chances in.

“But, having said that, the second half was much-improved in terms of our performance but the game was lost at 4-1 down at half-time.

“Some of the players have known Ernie for quite a while, over a number of seasons, and some haven’t.

“It was always going to be an emotional day but I don’t think that was the reason we let the goals in.

“That was purely down to not defending our penalty area well enough and the goals we conceded were particularly poor.”

The 4-2 loss extended Sheppey’s winless run to nine games, including eight defeats.

They’re ninth in Isthmian South East going into the Broadbridge Heath game.

Record, who has keeper Aiden Prall available after a one-match ban, said: “We just want to try and salvage something from the season.

“There’s no disguising the fact we’re on a poor run, that even started when Ernie was still at the games, and it’s gone on longer than I thought it would, but all we can do is keep shuffling the pack we’ve got.

“We haven’t got a great big squad and we’ll have to do the best we can for the last six games and try and win a game.”

Striker Dan Carr is back in training after a long injury-lay off and could feature before the end of the season.