Budget cut threat to Linnets

Kings Lynn Town’s Chairman Buster Chapman has warned fans that the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South new boys are considering cutting their playing budget unless gates improve.

Despite the Linnets flying high in the league, crowds at The Walks this season have almost halved, leading the Linnets to a forecast reduction in turnover of more than £50,000 year-on-year since the new club was formed.

In an open letter to the West Norfolk public Chapman said: "Last Saturday’s FA Trophy game against Barwell has been quoted, by many, as the best game seen at KLTFC since its re-launch over two seasons ago.

"It showed the quality and commitment of the players the club now has under its wings, which is a direct result of the manager receiving the financial backing needed , an increase in playing budget from £70,000 in 2010/11 to £116,000 this season.

"Supporters should be aware that the financing of the team comes directly from themselves and the sponsors, which is a marvellous achievement in modern day football and something we should all be proud of.

"It symbolises the passion and commitment the club has to move up through the leagues on its own merit, but as with everything in life our club has to find a level of sustainability and at present we are falling short by an average of 220 people per game."

Chapman also strongly denied rumours that his family have been profiting from the club as the statment added: "Personally I believe the lower than expected attendances are due to a mixture of reasons which many parties, including ourselves, have to take responsibility for.

"The first issue I would like to deal with are the derogatory comments which have been spread through various forms of media. Unfortunately, anonymous people have been allowed to make unfounded accusations that myself and my family have been personally profiting from the football club and encouraging fans to stay away as a result.

"Some people have even gone as far as saying that the speedway is subsidised by the attendances at the football and sponsorship deals have only been done for the benefit of personal gain. These comments are hard for me to take as they are a complete fabrication. The truth is that myself and my family have neither taken either a penny in wages or a share of the revenue."

The statement continued: "We all make mistakes and I am certainly not afraid to admit the ones I have made, but when Lynn FC Limited won the bid to resurrect King’s Lynn Football Club the one mistake I promised not to make under my guard was to allow the club to get into financial difficulty once again.

"I promised the fans I would keep the club on the straight-and-narrow and to achieve this I would run it like a business, where we would only spend what we can afford and hopefully create a positive cash flow in order to build up a cash reserve.

"In the first two seasons I have delivered on this promise and don’t wish to fail on it this season either. Hopefully now the facts have been made clearer our supporters will feel assured that the money they pay for their ticket is being used for the right reasons.

"We have a great team producing the right results on the pitch, so I hope we can once again reach an average of more than 700 supporters so I don’t have to consider cutting the playing budget. Our club deserves to be playing at a much higher level so I ask you all to get behind it and show your support."

As an incentive for fans to attend Lynn’s top-of-the-table home clash against Coalville Town on Tuesday night the club is offering a £2 discount if they bring along their ticket from today’s [Saturday] league clash against Romulus.

On the playing front Pat Bexfield has returned to the Linnets less than ten months after leaving. The Cambridge-born player was part of Norwich City's Academy for several years before moving to Wisbech Town.

He moved from the Canaries to Kings Lynn at the start of the 2010-11 season. Bexfield made twenty-two appearances for Lynn last season before leaving in mid-December to find football at a higher a level.

Bexfield joined Conference North side Corby Town and then moved to Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division Cambridge City, one of his former clubs, in February 2012 where he made twenty-one appearances, nine of them this season.