Football will not die at The Walks

By PADDY DAVITT



West Norfolk council chief executive Ray Harding insists borough officials will not let football die in King's Lynn.

Harding is adamant the council is prepared to help overturn the club's High Court winding up order ahead of the Unibond Premier Division outfit's decision to launch a possible appeal.

Lynn have seven days to appeal after failing to secure funding to meet a £67,000 tax bill ahead of yesterday's London hearing.

Harding, however, has ruled out any financial assistance or handing over the council-owned Walks stadium to the debt-ridden football club.

“It's really disappointing news but we aren't able to assist financially,” said Harding. “Of course we do hope that the club's management is able to find a solution. We're prepared to sit down either with the current board or any potential new investors during this on going process to help in any way we can. If, however, the worst came to the worst and the club's winding up order is confirmed then this council will stand ready to work with any credible group to find a way forward. The ground itself remains available to either the current club or a successor club. It is a purpose built football ground.

“We hope that any appeal is successful but if not and there was a football club that would want to take its place we would support them playing at The Walks. We have no alternative plans for the ground at this point in time and we would allow time for a new club to emerge before taking any action.”

Harding revealed the council did hold discussions with the Linnets' hierarchy in a last ditch bid to find a solution.

“There had been telephone conversations with leading members during which the club representative sought financial backing from the council,” he said. “We can't bail out one private firm with tax payers' money - even if that is a football club - it's still a private business and as such no different to, for example, a manufacturing company. As a council we have always given the club a tremendous amount of support.

“We made a major contribution to the upgrading of the stand in terms of obtaining grants a few years ago to undertake that work. We upgraded the floodlights at the start of this season and only this week we had contractors there doing some work on the electrics to comply with the ground's safety certificate. If we hadn't done that work the ground would have had to close in any case but we can do those kinds of things because, ultimately, we own the ground. We can't justify paying a tax bill.”

Harding also confirmed representations were made to the council to 'gift' the football club the stadium in a bid to buy the Linnets more time with the authorities.

“We were contacted about the idea of giving them the ground but there is no way we could do that,” he said. “It's not even a case of if we wanted to as a council. To give the club the ground at such a level below market value, well in reality for free, would be impossible. We have a responsibility to our wider tax payers and that decision in any case would rest with the Secretary of State.”

The council and football club recently held tentative discussions on a proposed new stadium prior to Lynn's financial meltdown.

“There were no formal plans to move the football ground,” he said. “We had a preliminary conversation to consider their request for an out-of-town stadium but we had just asked our technical people to look into the feasibility - whether we had the land or we could identify land to purchase. No formal consideration by the Cabinet or any committee of the council had taken place.”