King's Lynn chairman questions if town has fan base to support a team at National League level

King’s Lynn Town chairman Stephen Cleeve has questioned if the town has the fan base to support a team at National League level.

The club has massively reduced ticket prices for tomorrow’s FA Trophy clash against Nantwich as they look to get a four-figure crowd through the turnstiles.

But Lynn’s owner was left totally bewildered by last Saturday’s poor attendance of 591 for the crunch Dover Athletic clash at The Walks – the club’s lowest league gate for a number of years.

“I just don’t get it,” Cleeve said. “We had a new manager in place and we’d just signed a new player but it didn’t seem to make a bit of difference.

“I know we were playing a team below us in the table and it wasn’t a particularly attractive game in the public’s eyes but I was astonished that we got well below the 800-mark.

“It does make you wonder what the people of the town want and whether the club can continue to sustain a team at this level. I appreciate our position in the league table but attendances have got to improve.

“People have either got to support the team or they don’t. If they don’t then having a team at this level for a sustained period of time is a big ask as I can’t keep putting the money that I am in.”

Cleeve has thanked the Linnets faithful for their support so far this term - but says more support is needed if the club are to continuing operating at the level they are.

“It has been fantastic to see crowds back at football matches and underlines how badly fans were missed at the height of the pandemic,” he said.

“We were averaging crowds of 1,500 when we were in the National League North but crowds have been nothing like that this season.

“Fans are happy to pay the prices at Halifax and look where they are in the league table at the moment.

“No disrespect to Halifax, but I wouldn’t exactly describe them as a booming football town but their attendances are so much better than ours.

“Their prices are more expensive, especially when you compare it against what we now charge against the smaller clubs in the league.

“If we are going to move forward as a club and be competitive with the big boys of this league the reality is simple, we need more people through the gates.”

Ticket prices for the visit of the Dabbers tomorrow are £10 for seats and terrace for both adults and concessions with kids being admitted for just £1.