LINNETS IN FURY AT TOM "TAP-UP"

ANGRY King’s Lynn Town chairman Stephen Cleeve has called on the National League to make a stand on the ‘tapping-up’ row which clouded manager Tommy Widdrington’s shock move to Aldershot Town.

Widdrington stunned chiefs when quitting as Linnets boss last Saturday night, just minutes after a 1-0 win over Chorley had strengthened their National League North title hopes.

That night, The NLP exclusively revealed that Aldershot were lining up a move for the former Salisbury, Hemel Hempstead and Eastbourne Borough boss and that link was confirmed the following day when it was announced Widdrington would replace Ross McNeilly, who returned to his former role as academy manager.

Tough-talking Cleeve, however, has not taken the matter lying down, especially with Aldershot chairman Shahid Azeem sitting on the board of the National League and the Linnets so close to potentially swapping places with the Hampshire club for a place on Non-League’s top table.

Technically, Aldershot haven’t broken any rules, but Cleeve insists there is a civil issue for both the club and Widdrington to answer and has called on the National League to act and introduce ‘tapping-up’ regulations for managers just as there is for players.