And so to an Avian derby which looked unlikely to fly - the Robins of Altrincham against the Linnets of King's Lynn in the National League, a game already postponed once because of Covid protocols.
Alty's history was covered in my previous match report, and since the Woking home victory the Robins have, frustratingly, drawn at home with the ten-man Monkey Hangers of Hartlepool United (team bus registration 14 HU - for those that are interested), been shot down 2-1 at Aldershot, and played the reverse fixture at Woking, earning a point with an injury-time penalty. A home clash against Dagenham & Redbridge last Saturday proved underwhelming, the only piece of quality being Will Wright's exquisite free-kick with ten to go as the Daggers nicked all three points 1-0.
King's Lynn Football Club was officially founded
on 30 August 1881 as Lynn Town, although there is mention of an earlier team
existing in 1868, and the club badge refers to 1879. After winning the Norfolk
Senior Cup in 1883, and with three more successes in the next seven years, Lynn
was a founder member of the Norfolk & Suffolk League in 1897, crowned as
champions four times before World War One, and then winning four consecutive
titles between 1922 and 1925.
After a brief spell in the East Anglian League, Lynn became a founder member of the Eastern Counties League in 1935. Thereafter they spent two seasons in the United Counties League after WWII, before reverting to the ECL where a 1953/54 League and Cup double, coinciding with the adoption of the name King's Lynn FC, saw them step up to the Midland League. Four years later the club joined the Southern League, and achieved promotion to the Premier Division for the 1959/60 season.
FA Cup exploits in 1961/62 saw King's Lynn reach the third round, beating Chelmsford City and Coventry City both by two goals to one, before losing 4-0 to Everton.
In 1980 the club transferred to the Northern Premier League but in 1983 they returned to the Southern League. After a yo-yo existence Lynn were promoted to the Conference North as champions in 2008, but demoted a year later due to their ground failing to meet Conference North standards - King's Lynn have played at the Walks for their entire existence, with the stadium name deriving from the area of parkland located next to the stadium.
Whilst the remedial work was completed by the start of the following season, Lynn's first season back in the Northern Premier League saw the club wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000, going out of business in December after a failed appeal. A reformed club was established in January 2010 as Lynn FC and later renamed King's Lynn Town FC.
The Linnets were admitted to the Premier Division of the United Counties League and finished runners-up in their debut campaign, also reaching the semi-finals of the FA Vase, losing 6–2 on aggregate to Coalville Town. After finishing as runners-up again in 2011/12 the club was promoted to Division One South of the Northern Premier League. They won Division One South at their first attempt, earning promotion to the Premier Division.
In 2015 the Linnets were transferred to the Premier Division of the Southern League. After a play off defeat in 2018 Lynn finished as Premier Division Central runners up in the 2018/19 season, going on to beat Stratford Town and Alvechurch, and then being promoted to the National League North following a 3–2 win at Warrington Town in the super play-off final.
The 2019/20 season was abandoned due to the coronavirus
pandemic with the club second in the league, two points behind leaders York
City with two games in hand. The National League later decided the final
league table would be based on points-per-game, resulting in King's Lynn being
declared champions, and promotion to the National League.
In 2020/21 the new club reached the first
round of the FA Cup for the first time after Notts County were forced to
forfeit the fourth qualifying round tie due to a Covid outbreak in their squad.
In the first round, King's Lynn defeated League Two club Port Vale 1–0 at
Vale Park - then losing 6–1 in the second round at Portsmouth.
In the league a bright start has lately been overshadowed by
ongoing rows concerning loans/ grants regarding fulfilling the season's
fixtures, resulting in a threat to 'draw down the shutters' at the end of
February, a week's emergency funding, furloughing six first team players, and
'Gun to the Head to Carry On'. Little wonder that the previous 12 games have
accumulated 6 points and left the Linnets deep in the mire - if relegation
comes to pass this season, which seems increasingly unlikely....
So a different, circuitous route, circumventing Altrincham town
centre and its £12,000 vanity project, complete with spelling mistake, and the
equally unusual Eudaemonium. A repeat performance from B16LET (Wren Properties)
plus L4WNS and a second sighting of M3CRY (A dyslexic cry for help ???) feature
as today's numberplates. Instead straight onto Park Road, and past the Wok Inn,
Barberian and Marvel Guitars before I turn right at Moss Park Community
Gardens.
Then Beauty at Peaches & Cream, Hair Icon, Pickering Lodge
Park and beyond Rose & Lily Spa Bar, turning onto Thorley Lane and Cheshire
Dog Spa. The Timperley Wedge and, in the distance, Field Walk, scene of an
attempted murder late last year. Fittingly the next landmark, after turning
right, on Grove Lane is Kenneth Dewey Funeral Directors.....
Before that the mosque that is the AMA (Altrincham Muslim
Association) Centre, itself the site of a stabbing in 2017 - but attempted murder
was downgraded to wounding with intent at the the subsequent trial. Then we're
here at Moss Lane, Honeybear Nursery and those allotments, apparently missing a
coat....
Piped on to the pitch by the iconic Emerson, Lake & Palmer's
'Fanfare For The Common Man', Alty are in red and white with black shorts, Lynn
in blue with a yellow and black diagonal stripe (sash?). The home custodian,
Tony Thompson, is in all pink, the away stopper, Theo Richardson, in all
yellow. Lynn are able to announce a full bench for the first time in several
games, including assistant manager and non league legend, 50 year old Paul
Bastock, as goalkeeper cover.
A minute's silence for the coronavirus anniversary, and my view
at the J Davidson is now obstructed by an overflowing skip, resulting in five
eighths vision and more timepiece shuffling between both gates. The Robins
create the first chance, James Hardy showing impressive footwork to shimmy
round two defenders before lifting his shot over the bar.
Shortly after a sliced Alty shot lands in a garden on The
Chequers, and the steward tries once, twice, three times (a gatey??) to open
the gates and retrieve the ball - unsuccessfully. Whilst this jammed gates
farce is playing out, the ball sits up nicely for Lynn's Simeon Jackson on 14
minutes and his volley smacks the bar before going over - Thompson motionless.
Within a minute the Robins lead as Ryan Colclough's corner is
nodded in by an unchallenged Josh Hancock at the near post. Colclough brings a
save out of Richardson soon after.
Jordan Richards forces a splendid fingertip save from Thompson
ten minutes before the break, and Sonny Carey drives just wide with a minute
left. So it's 1-0 at the interval in an entertaining half that also saw three
goals correctly disallowed - two for Lynn, one for Alty. Half time also prompts
a conversation with the steward, he of jammed gates, who informs me of a better
vantage point involving a missing breeze block on the opposite side - to be
investigated....
Five minutes into the second period it's deja vu as Jackson
belts another screamer that hits the bar and bounces out, Thompson again
motionless. Seven minutes afterwards Hancock's excellent, but slightly
deflected, free kick doubles Altrincham's advantage.
Two minutes later and it's game over with the goal of the game;
Hardy again showing nifty close control, slaloming down the wing and eventually
scoring through Richardson's legs. Richardson prevents a fourth Alty goal,
superbly fingertipping aside a Joe Piggott effort.
Thereafter the Robins are content to let Lynn push forward, but
the Linnets' only meaningful chance is a disappointing Jordan Davies header, as
the match finishes 3-0 to Altrincham.
