A NEW twist has emerged in the King's Lynn saga with confirmation that the Norfolk club could have its first team playing in the Premier Division of the Ridgeons League next season.

Elvin King

A NEW twist has emerged in the King's Lynn saga with confirmation that the Norfolk club could have its first team playing in the Premier Division of the Ridgeons League next season.

This week Kings Lynn FC (1994) Ltd was officially wound up because of financial problems and the results of their first team and reserves have been expunged and tables updated accordingly in the Unibond and Ridgeons League respectively.

According to Football Association rules if Lynn are re-formed next season under another guise they will have to drop down two levels from step three to step five.

Canvey Island took that route when they went into financial difficulties going from the Blue Square Premier to the Ryman Premier a couple of years ago.

“If that is the case then in effect we will replace King's Lynn reserves with King's Lynn first team in our Premier Division,” said Ridgeons League secretary Nigel Spurling today.

“It certainly looks as though they will become eligible although our member clubs will have the final vote on this.”

There are reports that King's Lynn speedway promoter Keith Chapman - among others - is set to take over running the football club in the town, and if they emerge from the ashes of their current problems the Linnets could well be back in action next season.

The top flight of the Ridgeons League is the only step five league left in the country that contains a reserve team with Histon's second string in the Premier Division.

“We cannot accept any more reserve teams at that level,” confirmed Spurling. “Both CRC and Team Bury for that matter are stand alone clubs despite their links with Cambridge United and Bury Town respectively.”

It is understood that attempts are being made to allow the Lynn youth team to continue playing in the youth section of the Ridgeons League. This has to be ratified and they could play the rest of the season under a different name.

Lynn were the second team to depart the top section of the Ridgeons League inside 12 months following Whitton United, who called it a day mid-way through last season because they felt they could not the field a competitive side after a lack of funds led to the departure of a host of players.

“The circumstances are different and it is hard to disagree with the general view that King's Lynn have overspent,” added Spurling.

“I don't know the ins and outs of their case, but in the entertainment industry you can only pay out what you generate, and this applies from the late Michael Jackson downwards.

“If you go out of kilter with that you are in dangerous territory.

“Clubs that go forward on the back of a chairman's ego can be left in an awful mess if he gets frustrated and walks.”

Spurling sees Lowestoft, who moved into the Ryman League after winning the Ridgeons championship last term, as ripe for advancement.

“They are a true football town,” explained Spurling. “But I like to think that the majority of our member clubs will not place themselves in a position to overspend.

“I am a believer in clubs keeping within the limits of their means, with Walsham-le-Willows and Debenham Leisure Centre wonderful examples of clubs successfully punching above their weight.

There will now be a maximum of two teams relegated down to the Ridgeons League First Division at the end of the season.