Linnets hope to end league limbo

The Walks has been considered sub-standard for Conference football

King's Lynn hope to end uncertainty over their future with an appeal against their relegation from Blue Square North on Thursday.

Linnets officials go before a Football Association and Football Conference committee in Derby.

They will argue against their demotion over their ground The Walks not meeting the minimum standards for the league.

Chairman Ken Bobbins said: "It's a terrible situation, we haven't got a manager and everything is in limbo."

He added: "It's wrong of us to attempt to appoint a manager until we know what league we're in.

"We don't know if we're in the Conference, the Southern League or the Unibond League, we can't look at squad players either."

The case will be heard in Derby on 28 May but the club claim they were originally told by the FA that it would be the previous Tuesday, and Bobbins said the shift in date had not been helpful.

"Overnight accommodation had all been booked, we've just cancelled our second barrister, they seem to be making it as difficult as they possibly can for us."

Last week the club issued a statement claiming the Football Conference were attempting to block their right to an appeal, which the league's officials denied, but Bobbins said King's Lynn have paperwork to prove it.

"We have a letter from their solicitors stating that [the Football Conference would block the right of appeal]. Steps have been taken to clarify that," he said.

"Eventually we managed to speak to Mike Appelby at the Football Association, he assured us that our right to appeal is there, nothing can be done about that."

Conference representatives claim the letter is simply their response to the appeal itself, rather than the club's right to appeal.

The club's stadium at The Walks fell short of league standards in an inspection last year but the club claim that necessary improvement work on the council-owned ground will be completed by the start of next season.