No.48 - Mon. 24th March 2008; Anglian Combination League Division 2                         11.15am at the West Lynn S&S Club, St. Peters Road, West Lynn, Norfolk. (Att: 15; Prog and Admn: N/A)

View matchday images  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 West Lynn (2) 3  Horsford United (3) 3 Hail a fellow who finds the net! Our visit to the West Lynn Sports & Social Club on Easter Monday will be remembered for something quite unique that happened midway through the second half of a closely contested Anglian Combination Division 2 League fixture which ended in a 3-3 draw. But more about that later.   My last trip to West Lynn took place on  25th March 2000 when Foster Athletic FC took on Costessey in a fairly low-key Anglian Combination League Division 4 fixture. The game ended 5-1 and was played out in front of only ten spectators. Nothing really remarkable about that I hear you say. However the main reason for my visit was to pick up a programme which the club issued for all of its First Team games and a superb effort this was too.  Sadly the Foster Refrigeration Company lost use of the ground in Clenchwarton (a great name isn't it?) and as a result the works team had to re-locate somewhere else in the area. Thankfully they did find another ground (not far from the old one) and have successfully re-formed as West Lynn Football Club. A glance at the informative (ladies) football club website (link below) shows that the numbers playing the game are now growing with several teams competing in ladies, men and junior leagues.   The Sports & Social Club is only a few miles from the main A47 dual carriageway if you are travelling west from Kings Lynn towards Peterborough. Take the third exit off the roundabout towards West Lynn and follow the Clenchwarton Road for about half a mile before turning right into St.Peters Road. Continue until you reach the entrance which is opposite a sharp left hand bend in the road. A small changing room block and clubhouse are found next to a spacious car park. The expansive playing fields cover a wide area and are bordered on the far side by the banks of the Great Ouse. The main pitch runs parallel to the river and two portable wooden dug- outs, used by the subs, are placed alongside the halfway line. If you climb up the wooden steps on the steep embankment there are some magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and local buildings from the top. This also provides a good vantage point to watch all the action on the pitch below. Travellers here are advised to wrap up warm though in order to combat the bitterly cold cross-winds typically found in such an exposed location. It's bracing to say the least!   And the seasonal weather played it's part in this game which attracted about a dozen or so hardy fans. After a bright start conditions soon deteriorated and a mixture of driving snow and hail made visibility difficult at times. Despite this the players adapted well and contributed to a smashing game of football. Visitors Horsford United,  with an eye on the Norfolk Junior Cup Final next week (v Swaffham Res) at Carrow Road, led twice only for Lynn to draw level soon after. Tempers flared when Horsford restored their advantage with a hotly desputed third goal, perhap from offside position, just before half-time. The referee was a busy man after this incident and ended up booking five players and sending off another one other.    And then something quite amazing happened on the hour mark. Following a clumsy challenge Lynn were awarded a direct free-kick just inside their own half. Burly 'keeper Matt Hails, sporting the latest mullett hairstyle and carrying a beer belly, raised his arm and directed his players upfield. As he prepared to take the kick he took one look goalwards, put all of his weight on his left foot, before striking the ball hard using his trusty right boot. With the swirling wind behind it, the ball followed a high, looping path. The Horsford keeper, realising he had badly misjudged the flight, tried to back-peddle but it was too late. To everyone's surprise the ball had beaten him as it dropped down under the bar and straight into the back of the net!! None more so than young Matty Hails who let out a couple of colourful expletives to celebrate his amazing goalscoring feat. We reckon the ball must have travelled at least sixty metres! A cheer of aproval came from the 'home bench'. Yes it was true, the 'keeper had just scored a goal! In all of my years of watching live football I can honestly say that this is the first time I have ever seen a goalkeeper score a goal. Minutes later Lynn were awarded another free kick from a similar position inside their own half. It was really quite amusing to hear some of the locals heartily encourage Matt to try his luck once again on goal. To a loud chorus of 'shoot', the big fella' willingly obliged but this time the ball went just wide of the target. Quite surreal. No further goals were scored and a draw seemed, on balance of play, about right result.   Unfortunately West Lynn FC, like the majority of teams in this divsion of the Anglian Combination League, do not issue programmes. Although the club do have catering facilities in the pavilion, refreshments were not provided  for this game. Despite this it didn't dampen our enthusiasm and we really enjoyed our visit. Club secretary Mr. Steve Truman was especially helpful in confirming that the game was on (after a morning pitch inspection) and in providing us with detailed directions when I phoned at 9.30am. When we arrived he explained that the pitch was in fact covered in snow the day before and that hordes of youngsters were having a great time sliding down the embankment on their sledges!! All quite surreal. The joys of hopping!!   FGIF Rating: 5*            http://www.lynnladies.com/

edited on 27/03/08