Stevenage make the 150-mile round trip to Norfolk tomorrow for a huge FA Cup clash with National League North side King’s Lynn Town…
Kicking off at 12:45pm, Boro will be live on BBC One as Tommy Widdrington’s King’s Lynn stand in the way of a place in Round Three of the FA Cup.
In the first round, Stevenage went on their travels to the Northeast before seeing out a 3-2 win against National League side Gateshead. Boro’s most recent fixture also ended in a 3-2 victory as Arsenal’s Under 21s suffered defeat in the Papa John’s Trophy.
King’s Lynn currently sit second in the National League North after suffering relegation from the top tier of non-league last campaign. So far, The Linnets have picked up ten wins and five draws from seventeen league matches, losing just two in their bid for promotion.
Last time out in the FA Cup, King’s Lynn made the headlines as they knocked out Sky Bet League Two outfit Doncaster Rovers away from home in the first round. Substitute Gold Omotayo scored the only goal of the game with ten minutes remaining to achieve the upset victory. Omotayo is the club’s top scorer this season, with nine in all competitions.
Tommy Widdrington was appointed Manager of King’s Lynn in December 2021 and was handed the tough task of keeping his side in the National League. The Linnets suffered relegation at the end of the campaign but have since looked determined to return to the fifth tier. Widdrington has experience in non-league, having had managerial spells at Eastbourne Borough, Hemel Hempstead and Salisbury City. Widdrington’s son Theo plays in midfield for King’s Lynn and has appeared in several matches this season.
This will be the first competitive encounter between Boro and The Linnets as the paths of both clubs have surprisingly never crossed. King’s Lynn entered administration on more than one occasion whilst in non-league, allowing Stevenage to overtake them in the leagues.
When Boro achieved promotion to The Football League in 2010, The Linnets adopted the new name of King’s Lynn Town and were playing their football in step six of non-league.
King’s Lynn play their home games at The Walks Stadium, which has a capacity of 8,200 with 1,200 seated. The ground is located on Tennyson Road, post code PE30 5PB.
Alternatively, it is just five minutes away from the train station. There is limited parking at the stadium, so supporters are encouraged to park at St James’ Multi-storey, just a five minute walk from the stadium.
Andrew Kitchen has been appointed Match Referee for tomorrow’s fixture, with Marc Wilson and Mark Jones as Assistants, and Declan Bourne as Fourth Official. Kitchen has handed out forty yellow cards and one red in sixteen games this campaign.
