Season 1945-46 Season 1946-47
Many local clubs had closed down during the hostilities and, by the end of the war, their grounds were not ready for a return of football. This was not the case at Lynn, however, who had managed to keep going throughout the early 1940s with 190 games being played on The Walks. It meant that once the war was over Lynn were back in action before the likes of Yarmouth and Gorleston and it would be another season before the Eastern Counties League was reformed.
So Lynn played the 1945-46 season in the Norfolk Senior League (Western Division). An August edition of the Eastern Daily Press lists some nine teams that comprised this league – the vast majority being RAF sides. There doesn’t appear to be a league table published for the Norfolk Senior League, in fact it is not clear how many teams actually finished the season.
By May 1946 it is noted that Lynn played ten league games, winning seven and drawing one. Much of the season was spent playing friendly matches with forces sides providing most of the opposition.
At the beginning of the 1945-46 season it was said that the Lynn team was probably just one sixth as good as that which competed in the Eastern Counties and East Midland Leagues before the war. The strength of the Lynn team fluctuated in the months after the war as some former players returned to the area after being demobbed whilst other players, playing for Lynn because they were stationed nearby, left as they too were demobbed and returned home.
One former player to make a return was centre-forward Norman Grantham who made his post war debut on 24 February 1946 in a victory over RAF Massingham by 11-1, showing that a spell as a prisoner-of-war had not effected his ability to score goals – he scored four.
It was not a classic season for Lynn. The FA Cup offered little cheer as Lynn, comprised of local players, went to Cambridge Town, who only had two local players, and lost 4-1. There was some revenge for Lynn in the Amateur Cup as Cambridge visited The Walks and were defeated by the same scoreline. Hitchin Town ended Lynn’s Amateur Cup run but here too there was a small degree of revenge as Hitchin visited The Walks at the end of the season to compete for the Lynn Hospital Cup, Lynn winning 3-1.
Mr B G Culey of Wootton Road donated the Culey Victory Cup and Lynn competed for it against Norwich City Reserves, winning 6-3 in front of a crowd of 2,554
All was not well at King’s Lynn Football Club as many supporters were frustrated at the club’s lack of progress. Just along the A47 Wisbech Town, who had turned semi-professional before the war, and were playing in the United Counties League and this was a sore point with many Lynn supporters and calls for the club to drop its amateur status, demands which had been present before the war, grew louder.
With the 1945-46 season drawing to a close and football beginning to re-organise itself Lynn had to decide which league they would play in the following season. They had received an invitation to join the reformed Eastern Counties League but this was rejected as there were no other Norfolk clubs and only three from Suffolk. Lynn applied to join the United Counties League.
Towards the end of the season there were moves to create a King's Lynn Supporters' Club with one of the aims being the installation of a loud speaker system.
The 1945-46 season saw Lynn play 34 matches winning 23 and drawing 2. The scorers chart shows that the 125 goals scored were awarded as follows:
Baldwin 24, Newdick 15, Grantham 15, Murray 15, High 11, R Woodhouse 10, Fakenbridge 5, Corbett 5, L Woodhouse 4, Wilson 3, Fenton 3, J Moore 3, Weardon 2, Ibbs 2, Dent 2, Trigger 2, Savage, McKenna, Barrett, and one own goal.
Mr Leonard Rush was the team manager throughout the season and was nominated as secretary for the forthcoming season - replacing Mr J H Savage who was expected to be appointed as chairman of the Norfolk County FA.
The next season was looked forward to with optimism: “Lynn will commence next season in a sound financial position, for the recent appeal raised £300” the Lynn News told its readers.
Links: Results 1945-46
Many local clubs had closed down during the hostilities and, by the end of the war, their grounds were not ready for a return of football. This was not the case at Lynn, however, who had managed to keep going throughout the early 1940s with 190 games being played on The Walks. It meant that once the war was over Lynn were back in action before the likes of Yarmouth and Gorleston and it would be another season before the Eastern Counties League was reformed.
So Lynn played the 1945-46 season in the Norfolk Senior League (Western Division). An August edition of the Eastern Daily Press lists some nine teams that comprised this league – the vast majority being RAF sides. There doesn’t appear to be a league table published for the Norfolk Senior League, in fact it is not clear how many teams actually finished the season.
By May 1946 it is noted that Lynn played ten league games, winning seven and drawing one. Much of the season was spent playing friendly matches with forces sides providing most of the opposition.
At the beginning of the 1945-46 season it was said that the Lynn team was probably just one sixth as good as that which competed in the Eastern Counties and East Midland Leagues before the war. The strength of the Lynn team fluctuated in the months after the war as some former players returned to the area after being demobbed whilst other players, playing for Lynn because they were stationed nearby, left as they too were demobbed and returned home.
One former player to make a return was centre-forward Norman Grantham who made his post war debut on 24 February 1946 in a victory over RAF Massingham by 11-1, showing that a spell as a prisoner-of-war had not effected his ability to score goals – he scored four.
It was not a classic season for Lynn. The FA Cup offered little cheer as Lynn, comprised of local players, went to Cambridge Town, who only had two local players, and lost 4-1. There was some revenge for Lynn in the Amateur Cup as Cambridge visited The Walks and were defeated by the same scoreline. Hitchin Town ended Lynn’s Amateur Cup run but here too there was a small degree of revenge as Hitchin visited The Walks at the end of the season to compete for the Lynn Hospital Cup, Lynn winning 3-1.
Mr B G Culey of Wootton Road donated the Culey Victory Cup and Lynn competed for it against Norwich City Reserves, winning 6-3 in front of a crowd of 2,554
All was not well at King’s Lynn Football Club as many supporters were frustrated at the club’s lack of progress. Just along the A47 Wisbech Town, who had turned semi-professional before the war, and were playing in the United Counties League and this was a sore point with many Lynn supporters and calls for the club to drop its amateur status, demands which had been present before the war, grew louder.
With the 1945-46 season drawing to a close and football beginning to re-organise itself Lynn had to decide which league they would play in the following season. They had received an invitation to join the reformed Eastern Counties League but this was rejected as there were no other Norfolk clubs and only three from Suffolk. Lynn applied to join the United Counties League.
Towards the end of the season there were moves to create a King's Lynn Supporters' Club with one of the aims being the installation of a loud speaker system.
The 1945-46 season saw Lynn play 34 matches winning 23 and drawing 2. The scorers chart shows that the 125 goals scored were awarded as follows:
Baldwin 24, Newdick 15, Grantham 15, Murray 15, High 11, R Woodhouse 10, Fakenbridge 5, Corbett 5, L Woodhouse 4, Wilson 3, Fenton 3, J Moore 3, Weardon 2, Ibbs 2, Dent 2, Trigger 2, Savage, McKenna, Barrett, and one own goal.
Mr Leonard Rush was the team manager throughout the season and was nominated as secretary for the forthcoming season - replacing Mr J H Savage who was expected to be appointed as chairman of the Norfolk County FA.
The next season was looked forward to with optimism: “Lynn will commence next season in a sound financial position, for the recent appeal raised £300” the Lynn News told its readers.
Links: Results 1945-46