Blue & Gold Trust
Official Websitewww.thelinnets.co.uk
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Season 1945-46 Season 1946-47 Season 1947-48 |
1946 saw King's Lynn, still an amateur side, make their United Counties League debut. Anyone wishing to purchase a season ticket could do so at a price of ten shillings and sixpence (which for the younger readers, is 52.5 new pence)
The new season was looked upon with excitement. August 1946 saw the Council announce that banking would be created at the Hospital End of the ground that would be sufficient to accommodate 6,600 with the overall capacity at least 9,000.
Rationing was still in force - about 80 clothing coupons were provided by supporters towards new jerseys and shorts for the team. Numbers appeared on the backs of the shirts for first time in the Amateur Cup match against Gorleston.
Lynn had already begun their season before they appointed player coach Jimmy Robertson. He had previously played for Bradford Park Avenue, Bradford City and had been a player coach at Nottingham Forest. Living in Warsop near Mansfield he stayed with Lynn FC Committee secretary Len Rush in Kent Road.
For the second successive year Lynn were removed from the FA Cup by Cambridge Town at the first hurdle – going down 2-0 at The Walks in front of a crowd of 3,000. There was a similar fortune in the Amateur Cup where, also for the second season in succession, Hitchin ended any hopes of glory.
King's Lynn Supporters' Club was established and by November 1946 it had some 360 members.
The Supporters' Club wanted to see football progress in the town and suggested that up to three semi-professional players be employed. The relationship between the Supporters' Club and the Lynn FC Committee was stormy at times. A suggestion that Supporters' Club members should attend Lynn FC Committee meetings, and vice versa, was rejected by the Committee.
On 7th December Lynn entertained Peterborough Reserves. The referee allegedly blew for time seven minutes early and Lynn complained – presumably in the hope of getting the match replayed as they were 4-1 down at the time.
Lynn were offered the services of 100 German POWs to help clear snow from The Walks pitch but at a cost of £25 the offer was not taken up and a friendly match against Norwich City A postponed. The incident sparked unrest in the Supporters Club who complained that they were not asked to help.
King's Lynn FC had a reserve team that entered the Peterborough and District League and took part in the Norfolk Junior Cup. It was particularly successful in the latter but as Junior Cup matches took priority over first team league matches and with it being a bad winter, a backlog of fixtures resulted and the final match of the season not taking place until 7th June.
At the S&L Corby game in April 1947 supporters were asked to vote on which league the club should enter the following season - the vote was 503-196 in favour of staying in the UCL as opposed to the Eastern Counties League.
In the East Anglian Cup Lynn's run ended in controversial circumstances at Lowestoft; trailing 3-2 George Luke had a shot which the linesman said crossed the line before being cleared. Mysteriously referee E Shorting of Norwich awarded a goal kick.
The Supporter's Club members were not happy. At a meeting of Season Ticket holding members of the club towards the end of the season they proposed 12 of their own members as nominees to replace the existing Committee at the club.
One member, Mr J Bell, said that he was not satisfied with what the football club had done towards improving football in Lynn, Of the 5,000 people who went to see Lynn play Wisbech (a league cup second replay) he said most could see nothing but heads and shoulders.
Mr Bell said many improvements were needed: the playing pitch was in a bad state and not in the right position and should be moved nearer the stand and the hospital end to allow room for banking at the Tennyson Road end. He also suggested a permanent entrance with turnstiles to "dispense with the ticket tearing practice" and another exit by the Seven Sisters which could be made into an entrance later, and an extension of the stand by some 60 feet.
At the end of the season the Supporters club had raised sufficient funds to enable the purchase of amplifier equipment.
Lynn reached the Final of the Norfolk Senior and Junior Cups. The first team lost 2-6 to Gothic at Carrow Road in front of 10,315 whilst Lynn Reserves went down 4-1 to RNAF at Holt.
Lynn finished their league campaign in 10th place out of thirteen clubs and an average home league attendance of 1,390. Player coach Jimmy Robertson left the club.
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