Setchell Happy to be in `Proper` League

King’s Lynn Town boss Gary Setchell insists he is relishing the opportunity to meet some “proper” non-League....

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Published 26th May 2012

Gary Setchell

....clubs next season in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League First Division South.

Setchell’s Linnets will travel to a host of well-known semi-professional outfits, such as Northwich Victoria and Sutton Coldfield Town, after being placed in the NPL set-up by FA chiefs.

Following the club’s rebirth, after Lynn were wound up in the High Court in 2009, Linnets fans have watched Step 5 football in their hundreds every week.

And Setchell, pictured, believes the decision is just desserts for the club’s loyal supporters: “There’s a lot of big clubs in the league,” he said. “Northwich Victoria are ex-Conference, Halesowen Town and Sutton Coldfield are well-known too, and there’ll be no easy games.

“No disrespect to the United Counties League but it was localish football and this is a real football league. It’s a man’s league. You travel 100-odd plus miles to some big grounds and that’s what higher-level football is about.

“We’ve crossed swords with many of these teams before in the past and hopefully the supporters will look forward to facing them again too. Some of the stay-away fans will come back because now they’ll be travelling to better grounds and seeing a better standard of football.

“However, this chance to play at Step 4 is what our fans – especially those who stuck with us over the past two seasons – deserve as much as anything and I hope they’re as excited as we are.”

The Linnets achieved promotion to Step 4 despite finishing runners-up to Long Buckby in the UCL Premier Division last season.

After a host of clubs were refused promotion, many like Buckby for failing ground grading requirements, The Walks outfit were granted permission to go up for having the best points per game average of runners-up in the Step 5 divisions.

For weeks it looked like Lynn would be placed in Ryman Division One North, where Wroxham will play next season, but Setchell insists he never minded what league his outfit were put in.

The Linnets boss said: “We’re happy to be at Step 4. It didn’t matter what league the FA put us in.

“It’s going to be a tough league wherever you are but this will be a hard northern division. Lynn have been in the set-up before, I’ve played in it, so we know it’s going to be physical and competitive.

“You never expect to get promoted and it be an easy league you’re going into so it’s going to be a step-up in class. But I think the players, myself and the fans will enjoy and relish that and we’ll be ready to give it a go.

“Wroxham took their stance and that’s down to them what they do. We didn’t demand where we wanted to go, we just let the FA decide and took it on the chin. The journeys might have been less in the Ryman Division One North but we’re looking forward to our new challenge.”

Setchell will be meeting all of his current players to discuss their futures as he looks to build a squad that will be competitive at Step 4.

He moved quickly, however, to reassure supporters that the club will not throw “ridiculous” amounts of money at players in the hope of securing back-to-back promotions and a return to Step 3 – the level the club were at before it went under.

Setchell said: “I’ve had a good meeting with the chairman and we’ve got a very good budget again next season.

“We won’t be trying to buy the league, even if it our budget is slightly better than last season, because we’ll be working to a sensible budget.

“We’ll be looking to be competitive. We’ll try and be in and about the top end of the league and without sounding big headed I think we can do that.”

[Source: Eastern Daily Press]

Comments (2)

andy tinkler - 12 months ago
Wow, disrespect or what,lets hope you win nowt again(2 seasons running) in a mans league,travel 100 miles(win nowt)--dont forget you were lucky to win some of your games at Wembley Lynn--deeping for one-own goal,then late winner trickels over the line---but by then a load of fans had already left, the ones who did stay were slagging the players off at halftime!--sensible budget!!!- £32,000 not enough to get you nowt, so how much for winning something
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lewis richardson - 11 months ago
U make me die setchell, you talk of the ucl like your better than it but u haven't even earned the right to get out of it! u got promoted on a technicality, this is whilst having the biggest budget in the league and failing to win it despite 2 attempts .... st ives destroyed you in the cup final and considering the budget you have had i honestly think the board should be having a proper look at you as you really have failed. To sum up u have been in the ucl 2 years and having had 1 of the biggest budgets the ucl base ever known for 2 years running you have won ......... nothing!!!!
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