King's Lynn are ready to match their rivals pound for pound as they use their financial muscle to leave Southern League football behind.

By CHRIS LAKEY

King's Lynn are ready to match their rivals pound for pound as they use their financial muscle to leave Southern League football behind.

Linnets chairman Ken Bobbins says he is determined to avoid a repeat of last season's play-off failure - and that means dipping deep into the club's coffers to bring quality players to west Norfolk.

Bobbins admits the club's transfer record is under threat as he seeks to fund manager Keith Webb's rebuilding plans, the next stage of which is try and tempt two current Football League players to join them at The Walks.

“We need to get out of this league and we can only do that with quality players,” said Bobbins. “Quite a number of the other clubs in the division are strengthening and bulking up their squads and the time has come for King's Lynn to pull out all the stops because we are desperate to go up.

“You have to put money into the pot and hope it works. We had a pretty high budget last year and unfortunately we fell short, so this year we are hoping that won't happen again.”

The Linnets are currently chasing a Conference midfielder, with talks due to begin next week with two Football League players. Experienced keeper Paul Crichton has signed on along with striker John Turner, while the signing of exciting youngster Joe Francis for an undisclosed fee was wrapped up on Wednesday.

Francis' transfer fee from Woodbridge came close to the club record £5,000 that Lynn paid Halesowen for Lyndon Rowland back in

1999 - and Bobbins believes it could come under threat again.

“It's is a possibility, yes,” he said. “But to do that it would have to be a very special player.

“Our position will be reappraised at Christmas when we will look at where we are and how we are fixed and if we need to get more players in to push it through we will do that.”

Bobbins believes getting out of the Southern League's Premier Division is the hard part as the club attempt to rise the footballing ladder.

“If we do that then the next stage, I believe, will be easier than this one,” he said. “I think this is a very strong league to get out of, which is proved by the fact that both Histon and Salisbury have made the jump and quickly gone on to reach the Conference.”

Aside from the playing staff, Lynn are striving to improve facilities at The Walks, with a £350,000 summer redevelopment programme intended to increase capacity to 7,500.

“We are moving on in all areas regarding the ground,” Bobbins added. “It is virtually up to Football league stand and it means expenditure on these items will be much less than we have had to deal with over the past three or four years.

“The pitch is also in a far better state than it has been for several years - we have been spending £5,000 at the end of each season on it and now we are reaping the benefits of that investment.

“Everything is moving forward.”