We’re back on the long road to Wembley in the FA Cup
KING’s Lynn Town have been hit in the pocket by Southern League chiefs for allowing kids to attend their play-off matches against Weymouth and Slough Town last season for free.
The club has been found to be in breach of Southern League rules requiring teams to agree admission rates before the showpiece fixtures.
As a result, the club have been fined by the league and ordered to pay costs totalling more than £1,100 to compensate the clubs based on a £4 admission charge for each child admitted to the two matches.
Fans packed into the Walks twice in a week to see Lynn face the Terras and Rebels in May. The club maintained its policy of not charging under-16s for admission to the fixtures.
Linnets chairman Stephen Cleeve, who has been touched by offers of help from various parties, has slammed the decision.
“It’s ridiculous and unfair. I can’t believe it,” he said. “We’ve got to pay Weymouth and Slough a percentage of an entrance fee that we never had.
“We used our normal entry prices for the games, all three clubs were guilty of not agreeing entry prices, but only one club is being punished and that’s us.
“Slough only let underfours in free and Weymouth make all pay. It’s good to know which clubs have the fans at heart.”
Cleeve, who believes the league took the decision following complaints from both clubs, added: “If they had a complaint, why didn’t they complain before the game?
“I spoke with Slough officials several times before the mach, why didn’t they tell me then they had an issue with our free entry incentive for kids?
“What you hope for is some common sense to be applied but what is applied is the letter of the law.”
Lynn have been ordered to pay the costs within the next seven days.