King's Lynn will earn a Northern Premier League reprieve today after a dramatic FA U-turn. Lynn chairman Ken Bobbins confirmed the club is set to remain in the Southern League following crisis club Scarborough's High Court stay of execution yesterday.

King's Lynn will earn a Northern Premier League reprieve today after a dramatic FA U-turn.

Lynn chairman Ken Bobbins confirmed the club is set to remain in the Southern League following crisis club Scarborough's High Court stay of execution yesterday.

Scarborough's case was adjourned until next week to allow fresh talks between the local council and developers over the sale of their McCain Stadium and proposals for a new purpose-built ground.

Bobbins revealed the unexpected delay will scupper plans to transfer Lynn into the Northern Premier to replace Scarborough - a move which was due to be rubber-stamped today at an FA Alliance committee meeting.

"Pending final ratification FA officials have told me we will stay in the Southern League," said Bobbins. "This latest development has taken the issue out of their hands. Scarborough's latest delay falls within the time-frame of the scheduled Unibond AGM.

"At that point they will still be a member club and thus take their place in the Premier Division. In line with formal constitutions, once teams and leagues have been set in stone and the process ratified, clubs can not be switched or moved.

"In the event Scarborough fail to solve their on-going problems then it is my understanding the Unibond Premier will run next season with one less team.

"I think there is general consensus now between all the clubs who might have been affected by this. Even Scarborough have been thrown a lifeline - so perhaps everyone will come out of it okay."

Bobbins again expressed his disappointment at the lack of Southern League support for Lynn's case and confirmed that the club will express their displeasure at the competition's annual meeting this weekend.

"I think they've handled things extremely poorly," he said. "Not to let us know something was on the cards isn't right. Hopefully we can draw a line under it and move on"

Bobbins (below) insisted Lynn's Southern League title push can survive the recent farce.

"It's been an interesting few days," he said. "Keith Webb is obviously delighted. He was very, very concerned. Lee Glover had an issue with going into the Unibond and we had broken off communications with certain playing targets."