Gary Setchell rules out squad overhaul as King’s Lynn Town start thinking about life at Step Three
Action from King's Lynn Town v Sheffield at The Walks - Lynn Town celebrate in the dressing room after their league title win. Picture: Matthew Usher. - Credit: Matthew Usher
Gary Setchell is ready to give his players a crack at higher-level football after they helped King's Lynn Town win their first title.
The Linnets secured back-to-back promotions by winning the Evo-Stik Division One South crown in front of a bumper crowd at The Walks on Tuesday night to move up to Step Three of the non-league ladder.
After picking up the reformed club's first piece of silverware, the Lynn boss insists he remains keen to hold onto the nucleus of his championship-winning squad for next season.
Setchell said: 'We're going to enjoy this. These players deserve the right to have a go at the next level. We're not going to make wholesale changes. A lot of these players deserve the right to play at Step Three.
'After so many games, I'll tinker with it, just like I did this year. We kept the majority of the squad last year so I'll be speaking to all of my players when the season has ended and there will be decisions to made. But you know, these players deserve to have a crack at it.'
Town, reformed in 2010 after the original club was wound up in the High Court, played in the United Counties Division for two seasons before moving up to the Northern League.
They could start the next campaign in that set-up's Premier Division – which is currently home to promotion-chasing FC United (of Manchester) – and face similar, but lengthier, trips up the country as they did this term.
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There is a possibility however, due to Lynn's geographical position, that they may be moved into the Evo-Stik's Southern League Premier Division.
A place in the Ryman Premier Division, where Lowestoft currently play, looks the least likely of the three options.
Alan Allcock, the Evo-Stik League's operations manager, said: 'Seventy-two clubs have to be split between three Step Three leagues. The FA will decide which clubs best fit what division.
'King's Lynn are always going to be in the grey area between the northern and southern leagues.
'I wouldn't like to guess which division they may end up in as I'm not fully aware of all of the clubs who will be moving up, or down, into the Step Three leagues next season.'
The Linnets, wound up in the High Court over an unpaid tax bill of £67,000 in 2009, have spent time playing in both parts of the country during their more successful days.
When Lynn won the Southern Premier Division in 2008, they were shifted into the Blue Square North – despite there being a Southern alternative.
Setchell's men, who have one league game left at Belper on Saturday, will begin 2012/13 at the same level the 'old' club was at before it went out of business.
