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Messages - Colin Fuller
1
« on: April 09, 2020, 02:03:54 PM »
With no live football to enjoy, I’ve been delving into my old progs, memorabilia and cuttings. Some weeks ago I remember reading on the forum about the possibility of the Linnets going full-time should they gain promotion to the National League.
In 1964 I kept a cuttings scrapbook for the season, mostly match reports and photos from the Lynn News. The caption for the team photo at the start of the season (Lynn had just won promotion back to the Southern League Prem Div) says “The Linnets’ full-time players pictured at the Walks Stadium with manager Len Richley”.
The lineup includes some familiar names to older fans. Remember any of these Linnets? Ian Williamson, Ronnie Bacon, Norman Liggitt, Derick Lythgoe, Roy Proverbs, David Partridge, Roy Banham (a part-timer), Bob Edwards, Gerry Baker, Barrie Jones, Jack Walls, Dave King and, of course, Mick Wright. Absent from the pic was Dick Whittaker.
I don’t know how long the full-time experiment lasted, maybe just that season. Does anyone know?
I have clear memories of Mick , Bob Edwards and Ronnie Bacon. Also recall goalkeeper Jack Walls always looked immaculate, even on muddy days, full-back Roy Proverbs had the best sliding tackle I have seen, Dave King was a prolific goalscorer and Gerry Baker was a formidable defender.
Good memories!
2
« on: December 11, 2019, 12:49:11 PM »
I understand Lynn legend Mick Wright has died. Wonderful club servant, outstanding player in a fine Lynn team under Reg Davies. Always gave maximum effort and very versatile in a number of positions. Condolences to his family. Lynn’s greatest player?
3
« on: December 07, 2019, 09:02:49 AM »
Just read TonyM’s feedback. As a former Lynn News journalist I would have thought there was enough newsworthy detail in Mr Cleeve’s evening for the local paper to report. Do you know if they were represented? Thankfully, for us long-distance fans, TonyM has kept us ably informed. Big thanks to him.
4
« on: December 05, 2019, 12:53:22 PM »
Just read Mr Cleeve’s tweet about answering those “burning questions” fans want to put to him tonight. He is indicating he’s prepared for questions from the floor. Hopefully there will be a good turn out prepared to address some of the concerns regularly aired on this forum. Once again, please post some accurate feedback for those of who can’t be there.
5
« on: December 04, 2019, 03:05:05 PM »
It would be interesting to know whether Mr Cleeve believes the club has the infra-structure to support a National League campaign if Lynn win promotion at the end of the season. I live in Leicestershire so won’t be attending but some feedback on this forum on what he has to say would be appreciated.
6
« on: November 28, 2019, 12:51:31 PM »
Can anyone confirm that Lynn’s all-time record goalscorer, Malcolm Lindsay, joined the club from Gateshead, along with Dave Brooks? If that’s the case, and Malcolm is still in the area, perhaps he could be invited as guest of honour at Saturday’s game. Great servant and prolific goalscorer in the 60s.
7
« on: November 27, 2019, 12:49:39 PM »
Good points made by Blue and Gold. Attendances generally were higher in non league in the 50s and 60s and Lynn regularly attracted 1500 - and more for local derbies against Wisbech, the Cambridge clubs etc. The old Eastern Pro Floodlit League usually pulled in over 1000. One of the attractions for me, as a young football fan, was the chance to see former internationals like John Charles, Cliff Jones, Reg Davies, Ted Ditchburn etc. Can you imagine today’s Premier League players needing to prolong their careers in non league?
8
« on: November 13, 2019, 09:01:58 PM »
Some good suggestions so far in ways of taking the club forward. I understand Mr Cleeve is to face a question and answer evening at the Blue and Gold club. Perhaps these points could be raised then. One thing I think needs asking is would he be prepared to welcome aboard other directors? The difficulty is finding potential investors knowing, from what we can gather from the owner, that at present there is little prospect of a return on their investment.
9
« on: November 13, 2019, 05:01:05 PM »
Many thanks to Mallard, admin, Blue and Gold for the info. Interesting reading. I do not know Mr Cleeve and I certainly would not pass judgement on his running of the club without more information. What I would say as a general comment, having covered non league football in my years as a sports journalist, is that it is a rarity for clubs like Lynn to operate at their level and survive on gate receipts alone.
It helps to have a successful team, playing entertaining football. So Lynn tick those two boxes. But the infrastructure off the field must be there as well. That takes time to build and maybe the team punches above the club’s present capabilities.
I understand Mr Cleeve is sole owner of the club. Therefore it seems logical he must put the hours in and find the financial shortfall. I think I remember reading when he took control that the ambition was to take Lynn to League football. If that is to be achieved then, I would suggest, things are going to get harder.
I am sure he gets pleasure from what he has so far achieved and I would love to see Lynn at the higher level so good luck to him and the team.
10
« on: November 13, 2019, 11:00:09 AM »
I followed last night’s match online and recall reading a comment about the chairman’s programme notes. Can anyone enlighten me on the content? Is there a link to where I might read them? From reading the various reports of the game it sounds like another good evening’s entertainment. I live in Leicestershire so hope to see the return fixture at Leamington.
11
« on: November 10, 2019, 09:40:46 AM »
It’s something all football fans love to do - comparing different generations of players. But extremely difficult because football has changed so much in terms of fitness. Two points to make: all strikers are dependent on the quality of service and most work better as a pairing.
Lynn have had some fine combinations going back to Lindsay/Laverick, Lindsay/Jenkins, MacNamara/Hudson, Defty/Bloomfield, Defty/Nolan, and now Gash and Marriott.
Defty had good all round qualities and fine passing ability. He also defended resolutely when needed. I feel sure he could have reached a much higher level with a yard or two more of pace.
12
« on: October 27, 2019, 05:46:28 PM »
Cliff Jones played briefly for Lynn in Dave Clarke’s time but on the right wing. I think the other great Welshman mentioned, the Gentle Giant, John Charles, was player-manager at Hereford.
Lynn usually topped 1500 for home games and against the likes of Cambridge Utd, Chelmsford, Romford, Yeovil, nearer to 2,000. I think they were part-time, like most non-league teams then. Davies was a fine footballer but at the end of his playing career. Like today’s Lynn team they looked to attack with Mick Wright and Dave Brooks driving forces in midfield. Lindsay and Jenkins were consistent goalscorers while Clarke, Ronnie Bacon and later Ray Savino provided genuine width as traditional wingers.
13
« on: October 27, 2019, 01:27:28 PM »
Dave Clarke was a speedy left-winger in Reg Davies team of the 1960s to early 70s. Joined Lynn from Notts County and provided good service to strikers Malcolm Lindsay and Bryan Jenkins. Lynn more than held their own in the Southern League premier in what was then generally regarded as a ‘fifth’ division to the Football League.
‘
14
« on: June 27, 2019, 05:00:08 PM »
I was sorry to read in the Lynn News about the demise of Lynn Sunday League. I had many good memories of playing in the League in the late 60s and early 70s with Unicam, a factory team from the Hardwick estate. We played the likes of Light Blues, White Horse, North Lynn etc. But my earliest memories of the League was joining in with some of the lads from Vanguard in kickabouts on the Walks. I think Park Avenue were the top team then and Vanguard were at the other end if the scale.
I was still at school and spent hours at the Walks playing football until it was dark! Occasionally Lynn's centre-forward Norman Bleanch would turn up and join in... anyone remember him? I won a penny off him for saving his penalty on one occasion. Kept it for years. He was a Geordie and Lynn later sold him to Cambridge United.
15
« on: June 04, 2019, 10:18:11 AM »
I remember Bob Edwards as a skilful, goalscoring inside-forward. I think he captained the Linnets during the mid-sixties and played in a good Lynn team which included Mick Wright, Gerry Baker, Roy Proverbs, Ron Bacon and Dave Partridge. Around about that time I think Lynn may have been full-time for a short period. Len Richley was manager.
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