Mint Imperial

King's Lynn Town 0-0 Chorley (National League North)

I fancied paying the Linnets a visit as it's been a while since I've visited the Walks and although it's a 2 hour journey over 70 odd miles it's often a nice relaxing commute to Norfolk down the single lane carriageways, especially when the suns out as it is today.

I'm heading East from Nottingham at 11:30am to get to King's Lynn a good hour and half before kick off. Chorley their opponents today are above Lynn in the table, managed by Andy Preece who had a good football league career in the 90's, they sit sixth in the playoffs and won 4-0 last time out against Spennymoor Town.

King's Lynn are a place outside the playoffs in eighth, they were beaten by Spennymoor 3-0 a couple of weeks back but have since enjoyed back to back 1-0 victory's against Buxton and Leamington respectively.

It's a gorgeous day but nippy in the shade, I'm through Grantham and up to Boston where I hit the A17, past the River Welland at Fosdyke and up to Sutton Bridge over the Nene and through the flat pastures of south Lincolnshire, it feels very Midwest America in these parts, farming and agriculture all around you, long straight single lane roads with views of flat fields and the odd wind turbine or church steeple dotted upon the horizon.

I eventually hit the town of Kings Lynn on schedule, pulling up on Goodwins Road where I park outside a stunning Georgian detached house just a five minute walk from the stadium, sun beaming down it's an enjoyable last few hundred metres on foot as I spot the ground in the background of the leafy village like suburbia that is Tennyson Road.

The Venue

As you turn left into the entrance the first thing you see is the huge apex roofed grandstand, it's gorgeous, dwarfing everything around you, the turnstiles below are manned by a single steward who scans my phone for the ticket before I walk behind the goal where there's a coffee bar sat on the open terrace.

Both goal ends are uncovered, there's a standing area that's roofed which runs the length of the field opposite the huge racecourse like grandstand which I walk back up to after buying a brew and a bar of chocolate, the wooden floored seating area is really spectacular and in good nick, one of my favourites in English football. Slightly obscured by post in view.

Sat down high up on half way in the Directors & Members area you do get a chill in the air up here, as I'm joined by a scout from genius/opta who's brought his packed lunch with him, and an old boy who's a season ticket holder, with Kings Lynn scarf wrapped around his neck, he's 88 and has been coming here since the early fifties. In fact he tells me he's been coming here longer than the stand we are sat in has been here. "I was here when it opened" he said, telling me "it's first use was for a game between Lynn & Rotherham United Reserves in 1956."

He tells me the grounds biggest attendance was 12,000 for an FA Cup game against Exeter City in 1951, he was here that day too, stating there used to be a big bank behind the goal to my left where a lot of fans stood, now flattened and fenced, with parking behind, I doubt you could cram half of 12,000 in here these days.

The Game

Both teams are in stripes, which might cause an issue for the chap besides me as he tells me his eyes aren't what they used to be. Chorley in black and white with jazzy red trim on their arms, King's Lynn yellow and blue, the bright green pitch has a bit of a bobble, as a laboured start is played at slow pace before Chorley's keeper Urwin misjudges a back pass and kicks it straight out to touch which at least gets the previously quiet crowd into gear of cheers and jeers.

Lynn's Sass has a long throw, he races from left back to right to take it, but it's not caused panic for the away defence, in fact both defences are well on top, Chorley do hit the woodwork when a corner floated in is headed softly against a post by Ellis, Kings Lynn have a bit more of the ball, they whip a few dangerous crosses in largely from the right but look to lack that potency in the final third, in fact both do, as they both happily see in half time without conceding.

The Score

I say to the old boy "it's two teams playing like they're afraid to lose" as neither take unwanted risk in the first half, and that trend continues in the second as Chorley take off a striker for a midfielder in Tom Carr for Billy Whitehouse, Kings Lynn Manager Lakeland deciding to leave their top scorer Johnny Margetts on the bench, he won't bother using him today.

Despite the lack of chances, both centre forwards that are on the pitch actually do well, Gold Omotayo is winning his aerial duals and causing havoc for Mark Ellis and Scott Wilson without really looking like scoring, at the other end the leggy Kole Hall is having a right old scrap with McFadden and Taylor, but both target men, tall and awkward number nines (Or in Hall's case 21), are far too isolated, not enough forward runners getting around them to make anything happen, but when they on occasion joined in upfront, there's chances for each, as Chorley shoot over through the impressive looking midfielder George Horbury, and late on Josh Hmani at the other end curls a shot superbly saved by Urwin around the posts.

In the end though, neither team wanted to lose this game, neither were prepared to take enough risk to win it, and with four games of the season to go, both will probably be happy they're as they were at the start of the match, without losing too much ground on those above. Still well within the playoff race.

The Stars

Gold Omotayo was announced as man of the match which might have surprised a few inside the Walks, I saw plenty of good from him, a bit of bad, his heavy touch often letting his back to goal play down, but he did win his fair share of headers and duals.

As forwards go, I was more impressed with right winger Ross Crane who's recently signed from Leiston, lively and tricky he gave his full back a hard time, especially in the first half, whilst Cody Johnson on loan from Stockport in the centre of the park, looks a real good prospect, just 20 years old he worked really hard always providing a short pass option, he hardly lost the ball and produced a few impressive moments from deep.

Defensively, both sides were strong, the Linnets duo of Kyle Callan-McFadden and Greg Taylor, experienced and solid as centres back pairing, they look to enjoy the art of defending and tussling with younger opponents, taking pride in clean sheets, their third in a row.

At the other end Chorley defended well too, Mark Ellis an erudite old journeyman but one who has long learned his trade which includes the dark arts, he knows when to take an injury blow to give himself some reprieve, and his side gain some respite as they look to run down the clock for a point.

In midfield I was really impressed with George Horbury who they signed from Harrogate in the summer, whilst the leggy and ungainly attacker Hall was a real menace, a Bermudan international he signed from Chester in the summer.

The Verdict

A game neither could afford to lose, and they didn't. Not a classic, but a point gained for both, as they look towards a playoff berth with just four matches of the league season remaining.

Made all the better for me by meeting an 88 year old Linnet, one who sat and talked to me about players now and then, about the Lexus he was driving a year ago before his eyes deteriorated, who chatted about his family, his health and his love for golf, who even offered me a mint imperial, which I gladly accepted. I don't often talk about mental health, as I've never really felt I've suffered from it, and it's probably because of football I don't suffer like some, a place where you can switch off for ninety minutes and enjoy the show, but also a place where you can have a chat, meet new people, then wish them well and shake their hands to say goodbye, thanking them for their time, much obliged on a day when the action on the field, wasn't all that.

The Teams

King's Lynn Town: Paul Jones, Dylan Crowe, Freddie Sass, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Tom Wilson, Cody Johnson, Greg Taylor, Ross Crane, Josh Hmani, Matt Warburton (Bailey Marsden 75), Gold Omotayo.

Chorley: Matt Urwin, Adam Henley, Jack Leckie, Mark Ellis, Scott Wilson, Adam Blakeman, Mike Calveley, George Horbury, Warren Clarke, Tom Carr (Billy Whitehouse 61), Kole Hall (Momadou Toure 90).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 5th April 2025, The Walks Stadium, King's Lynn (att 1,066).