Fakenham Town FC

The more of these I do, the more incredible and interconnected East Anglian history seems. And our next #GetTheBadgeIn is no exception. Today, we explore the current @ThurlowNunnL table toppers, @fakenhamtownfc, also known as The Ghosts.

Let's jump straight into the badge. It's a ghost—or at least, I think it is. The design has changed from an older version that looked more ghostlike. This newer version seems like it’s holding a rolling pin.

After much searching, I’m still unsure about the badge's origins. The club’s website shares two newspaper clippings explaining the nickname. According to the story, a woman in the Suffolk village of Fakenham once ran home after being followed by strange footsteps. The tale spread, and a sports reporter confused the Suffolk Fakenham with the Norfolk one, calling the football team "The Ghosts." The name stuck.

However, there is another... spooky... coincidence here. Fakenham borders Raynham Hall, where, in 1936, the famous "Brown Lady" ghost photo was taken. It shows a distinctly ghostlike figure descending the stairs (though no rolling pin is in sight).

Regardless of the origin, both explanations are excellent—and maybe both are true? Either way, "The Ghosts" is a fantastic name.

What of the club itself then? Formed in 1884, they've won the Norfolk Senior Cup seven times so far. This season, they're riding high again, looking for promotion, aided by

@jakeyyyyboy9

, Jake Watts, who has scored 22 goals in 13 games—genuine paranormal activity.

Let’s look a bit at the town itself. Fakenham sits at a strategic crossroads between Norwich, Swaffham, Cromer, and King's Lynn. It had royal connections: before 1066, it was owned by King Harold Godwinson (the fellow who got the arrow in the eye at Hastings). Afterwards, it transferred to the new king, William the Conqueror.

Later, it was gifted to nobleman Guy Ferre, who fought alongside Edward I in the Crusades and later in his wars against Scotland. From him, it passed to the famous John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster and founder of that House of Lancaster, which would dominate England for centuries.

John fought bravely in the Hundred Years' War against the French, but his campaigns coincided with the Black Death, which claimed more of his soldiers than enemy action. Many of his military expeditions achieved little.

When Richard II was king, John of Gaunt became a key advisor and supported the poll tax in 1381. This unpopular move, also backed by Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, led to disaster. Sudbury lost his head (still on display there), and John was fortunate to be out of town when rebellious peasants burned down his London home, the Palace of Savoy.

More recently, Fakenham became known for its printing presses (celebrated on the town’s sign) and its nearby racecourse, specialising in thoroughbred racing.

So, the town is certainly more than a mere apparition. Beneath the friendly ghost is a tale of military might and industrial innovation—a history to be proud of. Fakenham Town FC are printing the next chapter as we speak.