King's Lynn Town F.C.

King's Lynn Town

Full name	King's Lynn Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Linnets
Founded	2010
Ground	The Walks, King's Lynn
Capacity	8,200 (1,200 seated) [1]
Chairman	Stephen Cleeve
Manager	Adam Lakeland
League	National League North
2023–24	National League North, 18th of 24
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

King's Lynn Town Football Club is a football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. Nicknamed 'The Linnets', they are currently members of the National League North and play at the Walks. They were founded in 2010 as a phoenix club of King's Lynn F.C., which were wound up a year earlier.

History

For a statistical breakdown by season, see List of King's Lynn Town F.C. seasons.

The club was established in 2010 after King's Lynn F.C. were wound up in 2009. ^[2] They were admitted to the Premier Division of the United Counties League and were runners-up in their first season in the league, also reaching the semi-finals of the FA Vase, where they lost 6–2 on aggregate to Coalville Town. ^[3] After finishing as runners-up again in 2011–12 the club were promoted to Division One South of the Northern Premier League. They won Division One South at the first attempt, earning promotion to the Premier Division. ^[3] In 2015 the club were transferred to the Premier Division of the Southern League. In 2016–17 they won the Norfolk Senior Cup, beating Fakenham Town 2–0 in the final. ^[4] The club were runners-up in the Southern League Premier Division in 2017–18, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Weymouth 3–0 in the semi-finals, they lost 2–1 to Slough Town in the final. The club were placed in the Premier Division Central for the 2018–19 season, going on to finish as runners-up and qualifying for the play-offs. After defeating Stratford Town and Alvechurch, they were promoted to the National League North following a 3–2 win against Warrington Town in the super play-off final.

The 2019–20 season was abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic with the club second in the league, two points behind leaders York City with two games in hand. The National League later decided the final league table would be based on points-per-game, resulting in King's Lynn being declared champions, earning promotion to the National League. In 2020–21 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time after Notts County were forced to cede their fourth qualifying round tie due to a COVID outbreak in their squad; King's Lynn went on to defeat League Two club Port Vale 1–0 at Vale Park in the first round, ^[5] before losing 6–1 at Portsmouth in the second. ^[6]

Another FA Cup first round appearance in 2021–22 ended in a 1–0 home defeat by Walsall, while the league season ended with King's Lynn being relegated from the National League back to the National League North. In 2022–23 they reached the FA Cup first round again, winning 1–0 at Doncaster Rovers to progress to the second round where they lost 3–0 to Stevenage. They went on to finish as runners-up in the National League North, but lost 4–1 to Kidderminster Harriers in the play-off semi-finals.

Current squad

As of 15 October 2024 ^[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   ENG Paul Jones 2 MF   GIB Kian Ronan 3 DF   ENG Freddie Sass 4 DF   IRL Kyle Callan-McFadden 5 DF   ENG Greg Taylor 6 DF   ENG Josh Coulson (captain) 7 MF   ENG Josh Hmami 8 MF   ENG Tommy Hughes 9 FW   SUI Gold Omotayo 10 FW   ENG Jonny Margetts

No. Pos. Nation Player 11 MF   ENG Josh McCammon 14 MF   ENG Ross Crane 15 DF   ENG Tom Wilson 20 MF   ENG Finlay Barnes 21 GK   ENG Patrick Boyes 23 DF   ENG Dylan Crowe 28 MF   ENG Sam Walker 30 MF   ENG Cody Johnson (on loan from Stockport County) 31 GK   ENG Tyler Key 32 FW   ENG Theo Williams

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF   ENG Fin Whiteley(at Lowestoft Town) 22 MF   ENG Cameron Forde-Brown(at Felixstowe & Walton United)

Reserve team

The club's reserve team joined the Reserve Division Two of the United Counties League in 2010, going on to win the division in their first season and earn promotion to Reserve Division One. ^[2] After winning Reserve Division One the following season and the first team leaving the United Counties League, the reserves joined Division One of the Peterborough & District League in 2012. They secured a third successive title, earning promotion to the Premier Division. After winning the Premier Division the following season, the reserves joined Division One of the Eastern Counties League. ^[8] They won the Division One Cup in 2016–17, beating Wisbech St Mary 1–0 in the final. ^[9] The team was withdrawn from the Eastern Counties League at the end of the 2020–21 season. ^[10]

Ground

The Walks Stadium

The club took over the Walks ground from King's Lynn, who had played there since being formed in 1881. Canvas screens were erected around the ground in 1892 to prevent people watching matches without paying. ^[2] In 1893 a match was played against Wisbech Town under electric lights. ^[2] A stand was built in 1896, although it was demolished in 1905, replaced by a 500-seat wooden grandstand built at a cost of £250. ^[2] In the mid-1950s the Supporters Club installed terracing for 4,000 and 780 seats on the northern side of the pitch. In 1955 the wooden stand was sold to a company in Spalding and a new grandstand seating 1,400 with a terraced paddock holding 3,000 was built at a cost of £27,000 and opened by then FIFA President and FA Chairman Arthur Drewry on 18 August 1956. ^[2]

Floodlights were installed in 1963 and used for the first time in a Culey Festival Cup match against Cambridge City on 25 September. ^[2]

Honours

• National League
  • National League North champions 2019–20
• Northern Premier League
  • Division One South champions 2012–13
• Norfolk Senior Cup
  • Winners 2016–17

Records

• Best FA Cup performance: Second round, 2020–21, 2022–23 ^[3]
• Best FA Trophy performance: Third round, 2012–13 ^[3]
• Best FA Vase performance: Semi-finals, 2010–11 ^[3]
• Biggest victory: 10–1 vs Raunds Town, United Counties League Premier Division, 1 January 2011

See also

• King's Lynn Town F.C. players
• King's Lynn Town F.C. managers

References

1. King's Lynn Town Non-League Club Directory
2. History King's Lynn Town F.C.
3. King's Lynn Town at the Football Club History Database
4. Senior Cup Norfolk FA
5. Port Vale 0–1 King's Lynn Town BBC Sport, 7 November 2020
6. Portsmouth 6–1 King's Lynn Town BBC Sport, 28 November 2020
7. "KLTFC First Team". King's Lynn Town F.C.
8. King's Lynn Town Reserves at the Football Club History Database
9. 2016-2017 Division One KO Cup FA Full Time
10. King's Lynn Town withdraw all teams from Thurlow Nunn League for next season Lynn News, 10 June 2021

External links

• Official website

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