Linnets will eventually be quids in with offer

Everybody has to start somewhere.Each football’s fan journey will have begun in a different way but there will have been a reason they started to attend games live – be it sporadically or regularly.Perhaps it was a birthday outing to celebrate a special milestone or a reward for passing an exam.Maybe it was that rare chance to spend cherished time with a parent on a weekend after a working week apart. Or perhaps a financial saving was the motive.My own Linnets journey began as a teenager taking advantage of the Lynn News’ ‘Kids for a Quid’ offer. The strip on the bottom of the back page was the most important item in my possession.The McDonald’s sponsorship, unless my memory has failed me, made it feel an even bigger offering. ‘Wow, if it’s supported by Ronald, this must be a proper club’ was probably the thought.Those £1 tickets gave me my first opportunity to use my hard-earned paper round money and watch King’s Lynn, as they were, in the flesh. The 505 bus from Terrington St Clement into town, the stroll through The Walks, and that first sighting of the main stand that still gives me butterflies 25-plus years later. Within 90 minutes I was hooked. Naturally, it was all I could talk about at school or on MSN Messenger and plenty of mates of different ages all followed suit.We’d stand behind the goal feeling like adults with our new-found footballing freedom. Hearing the songs, cheering the goals and laughing when a photographer (no names mentioned, and I won’t be making a U-Turn on that) fell down a drain.Away games followed on supporters’ coaches, standing near the ‘Barmy Army’ and belting my teenage heart out. Writing in the programme as a trainee journo, a career covering the club as one, some time spent featuring for the youth team and then, very briefly, the reserves, and now matches still attended as a single parent, albeit not as regularly as I would like. If it wasn’t for ‘Kids for a Quid’, that bond may have never been formed; that love served elsewhere.To say I was heartened to see the return of this initiative for tomorrow’s game against Marine was an understatement. The attendees this weekend will be the fans of years to come. The money lost now will be gained in the future.My two boys are too young to be taken at the moment – both are still formulating their growing interest levels in the beautiful game. I don’t fancy spending the whole matchmaking sure my three-and-a-half-year-old doesn’t wander off or venture onto the pitch.But I hope parents, grandparents and all in between take advantage of reduced entry admission for u16s.The club, regardless of who pushed the green light, deserves huge credit for bringing it back. It’ll pay off eventually.As the game closed in on extra-time you knew the backlash was coming. Not from those watching Arsenal v Manchester United in the third round on Sunday.But millions of football lovers who were captivated by non-League Tamworth’s plucky performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. The hosts’ heroics would have earned a money-spinning replay in years gone by but not now.Not since the country’s governing body decided to scrap there being a second bite at the cherry if there was a draw after 90 minutes.It was another betrayal of the lower reaches of our magnificent pyramid and poured further favour to the bigger clubs who bemoan hectic schedules yet fly a world away for post-season friendlies.Their focus is on inflated European schedules and making more money than they know what to do with. A replay at Tottenham would have earned Tamworth around £1million. It’s the type of finances that can change the future of a club at that level.“The FA have got a lot to answer for,” roared King’s Lynn Town defender Josh Coulson on X, formerly known as Twitter.“My boy George Morrison and Tamworth robbed of a chance to play at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and help the club financially for years. Shambles.”Coulson is bang on. At worst, going straight to penalties would have given Tamworth half a chance. Yet once they went into the additional 30 minutes, you knew the professional fitness levels of Spurs would see them off and that’s a crying shame.I might not be involved but I’m only more than happy to plug another ‘evening with’ sporting event coming locally soon.King’s Lynn Stars’ supporters’ club have organised a chat night with skipper Nicolai Klindt at the Adrian Flux Arena for next month.It will be hosted by the trio involved with Pride of the East – the unofficial Lynn speedway podcast. Host Nathan Bunting and co-hosts Andrew Howell and Chris Abbs will be on the stage to quiz Klindt and have some fun in front of a live audience.The prices are a steal given the usual cost for evenings like this; £4 for Our Stars members and £5 for non-members.And knowing what the trio are like having listened to their episodes, and Klindt who is an entertaining guy to interview, you won’t even go close to being short-changed.These types of occasions offer a rare glimpse into the lives of the sporting professionals we pay handsomely to watch in person and invest so much time in supporting. They can provide a great insight into their psyche and the real person behind the helmet. It’s also a chance to get out of the house during a quieter time of the year and reconnect with a sport that shuts down across the winter.Attention will soon turn to the shale sport, so why not get thinking about it sooner?All involved deserve credit for stepping outside of their comfort zone to put something on that goes above and beyond. So please do go and support it if you can on Thursday, February 6.I know how much work goes into putting these nights on as I’ve done plenty of the years and wish all involved good luck.