UP NEXT, after a tough trip to Boston Town last weekend, the lads travel an extra forty minutes along the A52 to face Skegness Town. With many players and supporters alike making a weekend of it, three points would cheer everyone up.

With the win one, lose one pattern still in effect, the miners have now won and lost five matches from the last ten. Having already faced Skegness twice at The Stag Ground this season, they will be acutely aware of the task ahead of them. With results going against them last weekend, Kimberley have slipped back into the bottom two. The last three matches are now vital in dragging themselves out of the mire.

Skegness will go into the match sitting comfortably in mid table obscurity. Their final matches will neither see them into the playoffs, nor the relegation places, so other than professional pride, they have little to play for. Having already beaten Kimberley twice this season, they will be in a confident mood as they look to make up for a heavy defeat last weekend.

Kimberleys last match was a trip to playoff chasing Boston Town last weekend. As is now customary, the Miners followed the win one, lose one pattern and fell to a 2–0 defeat. A goal in either half through Fraser Bayliss and Luke Wilson wrapped up the points for Boston.

Skegness also played last weekend when they made a long trip to second bottom Gresley Rovers. With Gresley taking four points from the last two matches, a good game was in prospect. Skegness raced into an early lead through Arun Jones. Gresley however, had other ideas. Just two minutes later, the scores were level through Jack Thatcher. Max Jemson and Jenson Cooper then scored twice in two mid-half minutes to give Gresley a 3-1 lead at the break. Midway through the second half, Cooper grabbed his second followed by Finn Barker making it 5-1 in front of a crowd of 374. The result saw Gresley leapfrog Kimberley into safety.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides met at the Stag Ground in the FA Vase in September. A Leon Mettram Brace and Marshall Young wrapped up a straightforward 3–0 win for Skegness.

A few weeks earlier, a single goal separated the sides as Jordan Smith scored for Skegness midway through the second half in a poor game at the Stag in the league.

Onto last season, the two sides met in March. Cole Lambert scored twice for Kimberley. A Marshall Young brace was accompanied by goals from Gary King and Declan Johnson for a 4-2 win at Skegness.

The last time the sides met at the Stag ground was in November last year. The miners struck out as goals from Gary King and Scott Floyd took the points for the Lilywhites.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

The club was founded in 1947, as a successor to the town's two pre-war clubs Skegness United and Skegness Blue Rovers. The latter having one season in the Lincoln & District League (1937–38). After a season in the Boston & District League (using Wainfleet Road Recreation Ground) and then the East Lincs Combination (at the former ground of United in Richmond Drive), the club moved to Burgh Road to become a founder member of the Lincolnshire League in 1948. After two successful seasons in the Central Alliance (South), the club were, 1960–61 apart, when the League was in abeyance, members of the Midland Counties League from 1958 to 1982, finishing as runners-up in 1978–79, missing out on the title on goal difference. The club had a season in its successor, the North Counties (East) League, before returning to the Lincolnshire League in 1983. During the 1977-78 pre-season, Skegness Town played a pre-season match against Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest and nine months later Forest became champions of England.

Until 1985 the club regularly entered the FA Cup but only once reached the first round proper, in 1955–56, when they were defeated 4–0 at home to Worksop Town after beating Barton Town in the first qualifying round, Brigg Town in the second qualifying round, Grantham in the third qualifying round and finally Gainsborough Trinity in the fourth qualifying round. The club's last participation in the FA Cup was in 1985 and a 1st qualifying round trip to face local rivals Goole Town where they lost 3–2. Skegness Town entered the first ever FA Trophy competition in 1969–70 and competed until 1976–77 never getting past the qualifying rounds. They switched to the FA Vase, reaching the 4th round in 1978–79 where they lost to Shepshed Charterhouse and the 5th round in 1981–82, losing to Rainworth Miners Welfare. Changes in the ground grading regulations for national competitions ended the club's participation in 1990–91.

Since the Lincolnshire FA restructured its cup competitions in 2006, the club competed in its Junior Cup losing the 2007–08 final on penalties. Previously, with some success, the club participated in the Senior 'B' Cup, becoming its first winners and adding a three further wins. For 1956–57 they were promoted to the Senior 'A' Cup winning at their first attempt going on to six wins including a hat-trick between 1968 and 1971.

The club were champions of the Lincolnshire League in 2006–07 and 2007–08,[4] thus winning their third and fourth county league titles. The Lilywhites also won the league in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons.

On 25 May 2018, it was announced that Skegness Town would be promoted to the Northern Counties East Football League Division One, step 10 of the English football pyramid, thus ending a 36-year absence. Following their promotion, it was announced on 30 May 2018 that the former assistant manager of National League North side Boston United Martyn Bunce would be the side's manager for the 2018-19 season, replacing Nick Chapman. On 16 November 2018, it was announced that Nathan Collins would join the club as joint manager with Martyn Bunce. Martyn Bunce stepped down as manager on 28 January 2019, leaving Nathan Collins as the singular manager of the club. In 2021 the club were promoted to the Premier Division North of the United Counties League based on their results in the abandoned 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.

In early 2016, it was announced that Skegness Town would be moving from Burgh Road to the new Vertigo Stadium. The site of The Lilywhites' old ground Burgh Road had been demolished to construct a small shopping centre and the new location was to be on Wainfleet Road. The ground was completed by mid 2017 for the start of the 2017/18 season. The stadium was officially opened on 21 July 2017 by Mayor Danny Brookes

Honours
Lincolnshire League champions: 1951–52, 1955–56 2006–07 & 2007–08, 2013–14, 2015–16 & 2016–17
Lincolnshire Football League Cup 1951–52 1953–54
Central Alliance (South) champions: 1956–57, 1957–58 & 1960–61
Lincolnshire FA Senior 'B' Cup winners: 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, & 1955–56
Lincolnshire FA Senior 'A' Cup winners: 1956–57 1959–60, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71 & 1974–75

FINALLY

This is now a huge match for Kimberley in their fight for survival with only two matches remaining afterwards. A poor performance against Boston will need a big improvement if the lads are to take a win against a side with only pride to play for after last weekend's mauling at Gresley. This could hopefully be a great weekend for many supporters who are staying overnight.

Please come along and support the boys. We need you.