Title blow for Needham and Leiston?

Stuart Watson

NEEDHAM Market and Leiston's Ridgeons League title hopes could have effectively been dealt a three-point blow after it was confirmed that King's Lynn Football Club had folded.

The Norfolk club was officially wound up in the High Court today over an unpaid �77,000 tax bill following the failure of a desperate 11th hour takeover bid.

It means that both their first team - who play in the Unibond Premier Division - and their Ridgeons Premier Division reserve team are likely to have their all results from this season expunged from the records.

King's Lynn Reserves had claimed just 10 points in the league, losing to all but four teams. That quartet - CRC, Newmarket, Ely and Wisbech - will now have the disadvantage of those dropped points wiped out.

That could affect both Needham and Leiston's title hopes as they had both comfortably beaten King's Lynn Reserves 7-0 and 4-0 respectively, while their main title rivals CRC had suffered a shock defeat to the Linnets back in August.

Another club that would strangely benefit from this scenario would be Woodridge Town. Although the Woodpeckers would lose three of their nine points recorded this season (one of their three victories having come against Lynn), there would be one less relegation place.

Rock-bottom Wivenhoe Town, who are yet to register a win this season, had been due to host King's Lynn Reserves this Saturday but that match has been postponed.

Ridgeons League representatives will now talk to King's Lynn, as well as the league's other member clubs, to discuss how the situation will move forward.

After their 130-year history was brought to an end, a King's Lynn club statement read: “It is with our deep regret that the club has had to end in this fashion. We have done all we possibly could to find a solution to the problems but unfortunately time was against us.

“Please try and remember some of the many good times over the past few years. Again we are truly sorry that this situation has occurred.”