A look at King’s Lynn

Warrington Town are one game away from promotion to National League North, and standing in their way are King’s Lynn Town.

King’s Lynn Town finished second in the Southern League Central Premier Division, winning 23 of their 42 games, finishing 14 points behind champions Kettering Town.

Drama involving their play-off semi-final opponents Stratford Town, who were being investigated for fielding an ineligible player, meant the game was delayed until Saturday, with King’s Lynn eventually coming from behind to win 3-1.

They then eased past Alvechurch in front of 1,617 fans 3-0 on Bank Holiday Monday.

Current Lynn Manager Ian Culverhouse started the season as manager of Grantham Town, who beat Warrington in last year’s play-offs.

A poor start to the season saw him part company with the Gingerbreads in October, before returning to King’s Lynn who he had left in the summer after defeat in their play-off final.

Striker Michael Gash was once sold for £55k from Ebbsfleet to York City, and he has also played in the Football League for Barnet and Accrington, as well as spells at Kidderminster and Cambridge.

The Lynn squad contains several former Norwich City youth players, including midfielders Ryan Jarvis and Chris Henderson and defenders Jake Kerins and Rory McAuley.

About the town

King’s Lynn is a seaport and market town in Norfolk, some 165 miles from Warrington. Its population is 42,800, according to the 2007 census.

It was known as Bishop’s Lynn until Henry VIII wrestled control of the town from the bishop in 1537.

The town receives regular royal visits as the railway station is close to Sandringham. It also boasts a number of other country houses and historic churches.

Famous sporting sons include F1 driver and commentator Martin Brundle, rugby union internationals George North and Ali Price, and cricketer Martin Saggers.

The average house valuation price in King’s Lynn is £250,079, greater than Warrington at £218,032.

About the club

King’s Lynn Town are a so-called phoenix club, formed in 2010 after King’s Lynn were wound up in December 2009.

The former club was founded in 1879, symbolised in the club’s current logo, and won the Northern Premier League Presidents Cup in 1982/83.

That was during a three-year stint in the Northern Premier League, before they returned to the Southern League, and they were promoted to Conference North in 2007/08 before being demoted a year later due to ground grading issues.

They were back in the Northern Premier League in the year they folded.

Like Warrington, they set a record attendance playing against Exeter in the first round of the FA Cup, losing 3-1 in front of 12,937 fans back in the 1951/52 season.

Lynn made history in the 2006/07 season when they reached the FA Cup second round, playing at home to Oldham live on Sky Sports.

But that wasn’t their greatest achievement in the FA Cup, they reached the third round back in 1962 playing Everton in front of a 44,916 crowd at Goodison Park.

During the 1950s and early 1960s, King’s Lynn applied for Football League membership on a number of occasions, but were never elected.

They have endured a number of turbulent periods, being wound-up and put in to administration on a number of occasions over the years.

After re-forming, they joined the United Counties League and earned promotion to the NPL Division One South in 2011/12, winning it at the first attempt.

That put them in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Warrington’s current league, though they were transferred to the Southern League in 2015, before being placed in the newly formed Premier Division Central for 2018/19.

King’s Lynn Town play at The Walks, a 8,200 capacity ground with 1,200 seats.