“I’m just a different voice, but it’s the same message as before,” says Linnets interim boss

Interim manager Mark Hughes insists it’s time to repay the club’s fans for their support as he looks to take King’s Lynn Town back to the promised land of the National League.

Hughes has been placed in charge at The Walks following the sensational exit of Tommy Widdrington on Saturday.

He will lead the Linnets for the remainder of the National League North campaign and, who knows, it might be longer.

Hughes said: “It’s not like a rallying call because they’ve been great to us all since we’ve been here, but hopefully we can give the fans something to cheer about between now and the end of the season.

“They’ve been coming to support us for weeks and their backing is going to be crucial for the remainder of the campaign.

“Everything is about timing in football. In the 14 months that we’ve been here there has been a real positive change in the playing squad, behind the scenes and also with the number of supporters coming through the turnstiles.”

Lynn’s new chief, who holds an UEFA A coaching badge, is just 39 but is no stranger to the dugout having been player-coach at Chelmford City and assistant manager at both Cheshunt and Billericay.

The former midfielder, who lives at Sawbridgeworth with his wife and two children, clocked up 600 games on the pitch with his career taking him into the Football League and also into non-league.

For the last 18 months he has also combined his time at Lynn working as an Academy coach three nights a week at League Two Stevenage.

The job at Lynn is an opportunity that has been a long time coming.

Hughes said: “Normally when you get a job in football it is because somebody been sacked, so I’m really lucky to take over a winning side, which is very rare.

“For my first job in the game it’s a good one to be in, I’m not going to lie, and obviously it’s one that I’d like to keep long-term.

“I want to prove myself and hopefully I can do that. I spoke with the chairman on Sunday and I was really happy to be offered the position.

“The first thing I did afterwards was ring Hugo (Langton) because I was desperate for him to stay on with me and obviously Paul (Jones) also agreed to come on the coaching staff.

“Paul has been a professional since he was 16. He brings a lot of experience to the table and it’s an extra set of eyes and ears that we can call upon.

“I’m excited about what is ahead. It’s about having that continuity and maintaining the standards that we’ve set all season.

“I’ve got to take a little bit of a backward step from the coaching side and I’ve been involved in the game long enough to know that you can’t look too far ahead, especially at this level.”

Lynn’s new boss took charge of his first training session today and revealed that it is business as usual going into the Good Friday home game against Kettering Town.

“The players were all shocked about what happened at the weekend,” he admitted

“They called their own little meeting because they are a tight-knit group and I spoke to them beforehand but there were no big speeches.

“I’m just a different voice, but it’s the same message as before.”

Whatever the circumstances surrounding Widdrington’s acrimonious departure at the weekend, which is now in the hand of the club’s lawyers, Hughes has a lot to thank Lynn’s former boss for.

“I played under Tommy and to also get the opportunity be on his staff was a privilege,” he said.

“I’ve learned so much from him. His coaching methods, his man-management of players and the way he networks.”

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