A view from the management

Patience and Loyalty

As we enter the winter months it’s extremely satisfying to the see the club in such a strong and stable position. Both men’s teams are in the top 4 of their respective leagues and they are still involved in all 4 cup competitions. The Under 18’s have an ever increasing squad and are now starting to form a strong squad that will provide the quality young Linby players of the future.

Back in April the 1st team had just finished the season finishing second to bottom with only 21 points and amassing only 40 goals. On the surface it appeared that we were on the decline and this was certainly reinforced by local media publications. I’m sure that with a poor season people would question whether there should be a change and maybe the Status Quo wasn’t right.

However most football people who understand the game know that to build a good club/team requires trust, patience and most importantly, time. Since I’ve been at the club I have felt nothing but loyalty from its members and never felt the pressure of having to achieve immediate success. Although last season didn’t appear a success it was actually really pivotal for a couple of reasons. Firstly it saw the introduction of a new group of exciting and very talented young players who were emerging out of the fantastic Under 18’s.

Gaining 20+ games of experience at both first and reserve team level has been momentous for this group of players’ development. Last season also gave our more experienced players an opportunity to regain their fitness, form and hunger for the game. In both men’s teams you can see that combination of youth and experience combining so well every time there is a fixture. Long may it continue…

David Marlow

Joe Butler Scoring the only goal at Coronation Park in October