Latest news with #KingsLynnTown
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I'm so proud' - Linnets boss Rowe after opening day show
King's Lynn Town 1 AFC Telford Utd 1 'It was always going to be eventful, wasn't it, if I was the manager? It always is.' And so, in just 17 words, James Rowe summed up what it will be like for King's Lynn Town fans this season. The head coach was more like a ringmaster in his dugout - animated, cajoling, urging his team on, berating them when it went wrong. When his opposite number Kevin Wilkin bemoaned a referee's decision, Rowe was ready to pounce with his opinion. Officials get rarely a moment's rest, and Rowe even urged the crowd to get on their backs as well – not that it takes a lot of doing. It was high energy stuff – on and off the pitch. And, when the 90-minute storm had final abated, Rowe was calmness personified, happy to give his thoughts but keen to get to his family and some different post-match banter. Lynn started with just three players from last season - Gold Omotayo, Ross Crane and Tom Wilson – with new owner Joseph Phua sitting in the stands, after a whirlwind 16-hour trip from Singapore, the return leg of which began immediately after the game. It was all very 'new' – and if what transpired on the pitch is repeated, Lynn fans will surely love this rollercoaster ride. Yes, Lynn should have won and on another day might have had the game tucked up before half-time. But a new squad, considerably younger than last season's, will live and learn. 'I'm so proud, because we're a young group and the enthusiasm and the attacking intent that we played was outstanding,' he said. 'To have 24 shots at home, you expect to score more than one goal. And I think we got 34 box entries as well, so those stats back up the pride, really. 'And 1-0 at home against us at half-time, as a young group could have gone the other way, but they've showed great character. They've come out even stronger and we played better in the second half. I thought for 30 minutes before their goal, we were very, very good. And again, that shows a young group that, after their goal, they had the best spell of their game. So we need to make sure we react better when adversity comes, that'll come as we learn along the journey. 'But my overriding feeling is pride.' It took a Michael Gyasi equaliser just before the hour mark to earn a point, after Matt Stenson had put the visitors ahead on 35 minutes from the penalty spot. Lynn had enjoyed the bulk of the play for much of the opening period, before the visitors came into the game. Gyasi had the balI in the net on four minutes but was ruled offside, but the returnee then slipped in Crane who, with the keeper advancing, fired over from close range. All the opening forays were in the visitors' half, and debutant Joe Nyahwema almost made the most of it on 17 minutes when he cut in from the left and fired a rocket of a shot against the bar from 25 yards. Louis Chadwick, preferred in goal to the experienced Paul Jones, denied Stenson a second, but whatever Rowe said to his players at the break worked. Bar the odd foray from the visitors, it was all Lynn. The reward came when Crane found Gyasi with a drilled ball down the middle and the striker switched on the after-burners before slotting the ball past keeper Alfie Brooks. Gyasi twice went close to scoring a winner, but make no mistake, this is a very different player to the one that struggled at times during his first spell at The Walks. His upper body strength, his confidence, his speed – all improved. In the final reckoning, despite some close shaves and some excellent defending by the visitors, Lynn had to settle for a point. But the thumbs up verdict from the crowd was unanimous. They rather like this bright new world. King's Lynn Town: Chadwick, Hall-Johnson (Williams 89(, Clements, Wilson, Fleming, Clunan, Nyahwema, M Williams, Crane (Forde-Brown 69), Gyasi (Collins 81), Omotayo. Subs: Jones, Doherty, Dickens, Marriott. Goal: Gyasi 59 AFC Telford Utd: Brooks, Harper, Cranston, Pendley, Williams (George 77), Rowe, Stenson (Ilesammi 77), Cawthorne, Hilton (Lawal 57), Leshabela, Walker (Armson 86). Subs not used: Fletcher, Allen-Hadley, Cook, Armson. Goal: Stenson 35 pen Att: 1,354
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
From Wrexham to King's Lynn via Hollywood
King's Lynn Town's new signing Reece Hall-Johnson will bring a bit of Hollywood magic to The Walks next 30-year-old began his career at Norwich City and also played over 60 games for Wrexham - the club owned by superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney."Ryan and Rob would pop over and come to watch training or be around the place, you end up seeing them as kind of your friends and people you know," said defender signed for National North side King's Lynn from London club Barnet. Hall-Johnson began his career in Norfolk with Norwich City and still regards the FA Youth Cup win in 2013 as the highlight of his career. "The majority of us still keep in contact. We had a lot of talented players and a talented coach and manager in Neil Adams. "He believed in us and gave us the confidence to play with freedom, so that's why I owe a lot to Norwich," he told BBC Radio Norfolk. After departing the Canaries, Hall-Johnson had spells at Grimsby and Northampton Town amongst others - before joining the Hollywood revolution in North Wales at Wrexham. "After playing for Northampton, I moved to what people call 'the Hollywood club' nowadays. "That was very interesting, very fun. I spent three years at Wrexham and absolutely loved it and the owners there are fantastic."Hall-Johnson continued, "Everyone has seen how Ryan (Reynolds) and Rob (McElhenney) have done and it's just a testament to them that they've been able to do well with the club, so I couldn't have a bad word to say about them. "We achieved promotion from the National League to League Two, which was really good."Since Hall-Johnson left Wrexham, the club has had two more promotions and will compete in the Championship next season. It's the first time the team has been in the second tier of English football since 1982. So could Hall-Johnson's new club King's Lynn Town emulate Wrexham's rapid rise up the football pyramid?Last season the Linnets reached the National North playoffs before losing to club has a new owner and a new head coach, with former Chesterfield boss James Rowe taking over from the departing Adam says he is targeting another promotion to add to his CV."I spoke to the gaffer and he had a clear vision of where he wanted to take the club and a clear vision of what he wants to do in his career. "That made it an easy decision for me to come to King's Lynn."He continued: "For me, this is closer to the area where I grew up and closer to friends and family. Hopefully the fans will really like me and we can kick on and get promoted." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external.
