TT MATCH PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @Steveharris84
Match details: King’s Lynn Town versus Torquay United
Venue: The Walks, King’s Lynn
Date: Saturday 12th December 2020
Kick-off: 3pm
Current form (all competitions):
King’s Lynn: L, L, W, L, L, L
Torquay United: L, D, W, W, W, W
Top scorers:
King’s Lynn: Adam Marriott, Jamar Loza, Dayle Southwell – 4 each
Torquay: Danny Wright – 7
Head to Head:
First ever meeting between the two sides.
Nickname:
The Linnets
Notable honours:
National League North champions 2019-20
Southern League Central Division Premier play-off winners 2018-19
Northern League Division One South champions 2012-13
Manager: Ian Culverhouse
King’s Lynn boss Ian Culverhouse will probably be best remembered for his spell as Norwich City right-back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, he helped the Canaries to finish third in the Premier League in the 1992-93 season under Mike Walker. He was part of the side that famously knocked Bayern Munich out of the UEFA Cup in the following 1993-94 campaign.
After serving as assistant manager to Paul Lambert at Colchester United, Norwich and Aston Villa, Culverhouse embarked on his managerial career with the Linnets in 2018 before a brief spell with Grantham Town. He then returned to the Walks and led King’s Lynn to promotion from the Southern League Central Premier in the 2018-19 season, via victory in the super play-off. This was followed by their National League North title triumph in the 2019-20 campaign, after the outcome of the league was decided by PPG (points per game).
One to watch: Ryan Jarvis
The Linnets’ squad contains a number of players with Norwich City connections, including former Gulls’ striker Ryan Jarvis. Nowadays Jarvis plays as central midfielder for the Linnets, which is a far cry from his early days with the Canaries who he made his debut for as a teenager in 2003. He won a First Division Championship winners medal in the 2003-04 season and managed to score against Liverpool in the Canaries in their 2004-05 Premier League campaign.
Sadly his 2005-06 season back in the Championship was ruined by injuries, which also saw him fall down the pecking order at Carrow Road. He then dropped down the leagues to join Leyton Orient – where he first played under former Gulls’ boss Martin Ling – and then Walsall.
Jarvis linked up again with Ling towards the end of the 2011-12 season – initially on loan before signing permanently in the summer of 2012. He finished the 2012-13 campaign as United’s second top scorer with nine goals in all competitions – which included a brace against a Yeovil Town side managed by current United manager Gary Johnson in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and a 35-yard wonder striker against York City.
He left Plainmoor in the summer of 2013 to sign for his former Canaries’ boss Nigel Worthington at York and he helped the Minstermen reach the League Two play-offs in the 2013-14 season. He was released by York at the end of the 2014-15 campaign. He then dropped into non-league football with Lowestoft Town in 2015 before joining King’s Lynn in 2017.
His brother Ross Jarvis had a loan spell at Plainmoor in the 2006-07 season, and also played alongside him at Norwich City.
Torquay (4-4-1-1)
Shaun MacDonald
Sam Sherring – Fraser Kerr – Kyle Cameron – Jake Andrews
Aaron Nemane – Adam Randell – Asa Hall – Ben Whitfield
Connor Lemonheigh-Evans
Danny Wright
——————————————————————————————————————
King’s Lynn Town (5-3-2)
Archie Mair
Ross Barrows – Kyle Callan-McFadden – Chris Smith – Tai Fleming – Alex Brown
Michael Clunan – Ryan Jarvis – Sonny Carey
Michael Gash – Adam Marriott
