When Lynn were full-time

[Colin Fuller]

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!

[dillydilly]

Yes Colin.  I remember those days we’ll, and the players.  As I recall, a typical team would have been Walls; Proverbs, Baker; Williamson, Bone, Wright; Bacon, Edwards, Donovan, King, Partridge.  The Southern Premier was much stronger, in terms of “bigger” clubs than the one the club left recently, with a number of member clubs having since moved into the EFL, and others into the National League top division.  Good days.  Crowds were bigger, ( though ours are catching up these days).  End terraces we’re substantially bigger, ( a nerdish thing of mine, I know !). I fervently hope that, if we come out of these very difficult weeks and months relatively unscathed in terms of health and finance, we can make the climb up to a level reached by many of our peer opponents from those days.....