LEE PAYNE

Tag: stadium

  • This week in the Euros #4 – Home or Rome?

    I’ve enjoyed Euro 2020. Major tournaments can often feel like they drag on but this one has been a good one. I’m sorry it’s nearly over.

    All that’s left is the final.

    Denmark continue to ride their wave of emotion

    Denmark’s players celebrate overcoming the Czech Republic in the quarter finals

    My last round up ended with two of the semi-finalists sorted – Spain and Italy – with two more quarter finals still to be played. The first of those was between the Czech Republic and Denmark, way out in the Azerbaijan capital Baku. The Danes took the lead after just five minutes through Thomas Delaney. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was left unmarked at a corner and his powerful header down into the ground bounced out of the reach of the Czech goalkeeper and into the net.

    With half time approaching a fantastic cross by Joakim Maehle found Kasper Dolberg on the volley, who volleyed in to double the Danish lead. Dolberg has impressed in this tournament, with that goal adding to the two he scored in the last round against Wales. The 23-year-old might find himself with a big money move in the near future (with no disrespect to his current club, Nice).

    Another players who has had a good Euros is Patrik Schick. The Bayer Leverkusen striker got on the end of West Ham defender Vladimír Coufal’s ball into the box and managed to divert it beyond Kasper Schmeichel not long after half time to keep the Czechs in the game. It was his fifth goal of the tournament, making him its joint top scorer alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Denmark managed to hold on, though, and on a hot night in Baku celebrated reaching the semi-finals. A tournament that started with one of their players very nearly dying on the pitch and with back-to-back defeats to Finland and Belgium has gone on to see them reach the last four – and who knows? They could even surprise everyone and end up European champions, just as they did back in 1992 when they hadn’t even qualified.

    England ease past Ukraine

    England’s campaign had been flying slightly under the radar before they beat Germany at Wembley. A decent performance in the opening game against Croatia but only a 1-0 win, a disappointing goalless draw with Scotland and another 1-0 against a Czech Republic side who were quite happy not to top the group. They had got through the group stage pretty much untroubled, however, and they hadn’t conceded a goal. Another clean sheet and a couple of goals in the ninety minutes against the Germans whipped the country into a fervour and had ‘it’s coming home’ on everyone’s lips.

    Harry Maguire celebrates scoring one of England’s four goals against Ukraine

    A couple of hours after Denmark had sealed a place in the semi-finals, England and Ukraine kicked off in Rome. The victory over Germany was very much a ‘prove everyone wrong’ moment, but here England found themselves in the unusual position of big favourites for a quarter-final. Harry Kane settled the nerves just four minutes in by finishing from just outside the six yard box after an excellent pass by Raheem Sterling. England were well on top and when Harry Maguire headed in a second goal from a Luke Shaw free kick early in the second half Ukraine had no answer. Two more headers – one from Kane and a first international goal for Jordan Henderson – finished off a professional performance. England were in the semi-finals of the Euros for the first time since 1996, where they would play Denmark at Wembley.

    Captivating semi-final sees Italy progress

    With the pandemic making international travel difficult there were fears that the Wembley crowd for the first semi-final between Italy and Spain would fall some way short of the around 60,000 permitted. Those fears proved unfounded as a raucous atmosphere befitting of the occasion provided the soundtrack to a fascinating game of high quality football.

    Italy were the favourites, going into the match with a 100% record in the tournament, while Spain had seemingly stumbled their way through to this stage, needing extra time to get past both Croatia and Switzerland. The Spanish were not to be underestimated and started well, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo causing problems for the Italians. Gianluigi Donnarumma is already, at 22, one of the best goalkeepers in the world but there was a hint that the pressure was getting to him as he made some uncharacteristic mistakes in the first half. Spain couldn’t capitalise, though, with Mikel Oyarzabal missing two glorious chances to score. Seriously, the 24-year-old will be having nightmares about them.

    On the hour mark an Italy counter attack saw the ball at the feet of Federico Chiesa, who picked it up on the edge of the box after Aymeric Laporte had tried to scramble it away for Spain. Chiesa brought it into the area and curled a fantastic shot into the far corner. Italy had broken the deadlock.

    Spain brought the much-maligned striker Alvaro Morata on a as a substitute and with ten minutes remaining he played a brilliant one-two with Olmo to get behind the Italian defence and slot in an equaliser. The game needed extra time and Spain had the better of it. Italy looked tired but, once again, Spain couldn’t make the most of it and a penalty shootout was in order.

    Italy’s first penalty, taken by Manuel Locatelli, was saved. Olmo blasted Spain’s first over the bar. Both sides were successful with their next few before the unfortunate Morata had his saved by Donnarumma. The Chelsea midfielder Jorginho stepped up and was the calmest man in the stadium as he nonchalantly passed the ball into the corner to put Italy into the final. It was almost Panenka levels of cool.

    Jorginho rolls in an incredibly cool penalty to send Italy into the final

    England finally make a final

    Wednesday 7th July 2021 was the date of England’s semi-final against Denmark – 9,142 days since their last appearance in the last four of a European Championship. By this point football fever had well and truly gripped the nation, and with hours to go before kick off the crowds outside Wembley were building.

    England started the game well without ever really threatening to score. With half an hour played, Denmark won a free kick about thirty yards from Jordan Pickford’s net and Mikkel Damsgaard fired in a brilliant shot – the first goal England had conceded in the tournament. That wasn’t in the script. It could be claimed that Pickford should have done better as the shot wasn’t right in the corner but it was travelling at such pace I think you can give the Everton keeper the benefit of the doubt.

    It didn’t take England long to respond. Bakayo Saka played the ball to Harry Kane on the right hand side of the area and he squared it in the direction of the onrushing Raheem Sterling. Sterling had already scored three goals in Euro 2020, and it looked for all the world that he was about to make it four. Kasper Schmeichel, however, had other ideas and produced a brilliant stop reminiscent of his father Peter.

    Shortly afterwards, Kane played a delightful pass that made its way through the Denmark defence, where Saka was able to put it back across the box where Sterling was arriving once more. There’s no doubt that the Manchester City midfielder would have scored this time, had the Danish captain Simon Kjaer not turned the ball into his own net. There was nothing he could do really – he had to try to get in Sterling’s way and hope that ball evaded the goal. England were level, and from then on became the dominant side.

    England beat Denmark in extra time to reach their first major tournament final since 1966

    Every time England got a free kick in a crossing position they looked for the sizeable forehead of Harry Maguire, who very nearly scored but for a fantastic save from Schmeichel, who looked determined to spoil England’s evening after his quip in the pre-match press conference. Late on, England had a strong shout for a penalty turned down after a clumsy challenge on Kane – inexplicably, the referee decided that the incident warranted a free kick for Denmark. And that was that. Despite the introduction of Jack Grealish, who the Danes appeared to be terrified of, the game went into extra time.

    Rarely have I ever seen a period of extra time dominated more by one side. In the first fifteen minutes, Denmark could hardly get out of their own half. England were piling the pressure onto tired Danish legs. There was a shot from Kane, Grealish stung Schmeichel’s fingers, and then Sterling weaved his way into the box near the byline, where he was tripped and a penalty was given. I’ve seen a lot of whining in the days since that this was a soft penalty – not for me. It looked like a penalty in real time and still looks like one in slow motion. Kane stepped up, had his penalty saved by Schmeichel (of course he did), but was first to the rebound and stuck it away to put England in front.

    In the second period of extra time England were more defensive – Gareth Southgate withdrew Grealish and replaced him with Kieran Trippier, at first glance an odd decision but one designed to protect the lead. To be honest, Denmark never really looked like scoring an equaliser and after what felt like an age the referee blew the final whistle. England were into the Euro 2020 final.

    Denmark had given everything. They had done themsevles, their nation and their teammate Christian Eriksen proud. But as an Englishman, the scenes of celebration at the end with 60,000 fans singing Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline were great to see. 55 years (!) after their last, England would play in a major tournament final.

    So, is it coming home? Or going to Rome?

    Italy won their only European Championship to date in 1968 – this is England’s first time in the final

    Whatever happens on Sunday, the whole nation should see Euro 2020 as a success. England have so often been the butt of cheap jokes about how rubbish they are at football, about what an inflated opinion we have of our players – now they have a squad of players to be very proud of. In the early 2000s, when England undoubtedly had some fantastic players, it felt like they were incapable of putting club rivalries aside. The class of 2021 all seem to get on extremely well and want each other to succeed.

    Beating Italy is an almighty tough ask. They have gone 33 matches unbeaten. They have, in Donnarumma, a giant in goal. The warhorses, Chiellini and Bonucci, in the centre of defence. The brilliant Jorginho and Chiesa in the midfield. England have their work cut out. There would be no shame in defeat, but the feeling that the story would be left incomplete would be hard to ignore. Football doesn’t really need a popularity boost in this country, but I’ve heard people who have shown no interest in the sport before talk about how they’ve been ‘really getting into’ England’s run at Euro 2020. We’ve all, collectively, had something to celebrate after an awful eighteen months – is it too much to ask to go that one last step?

  • The pain at the Arsenal

    I have just returned from a brilliant trip to London, where I went to my first Norwich City away match at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

    The plan was to make an event of it, so instead of going straight there and straight back on the coach with other fans I went on the train on Tuesday morning, stayed in a hotel in Finsbury Park and came back on Wednesday lunchtime.

    I was aware that my hotel was within walking distance of the ground, but I didn’t expect to be able to see it from my window!

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    The Emirates Stadium was visible from my hotel room

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    Zoomed in

    I walked to the stadium well before kick off, to properly take in the atmosphere. I had been outside the Emirates once before, but that was during the day when there was no one around. It was a different sight all lit up with thousands of people there.

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    Outside the Emirates

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    Near where the away fans go in

    I made my way to the end where my fellow Norwich fans were going to be sitting, and immediately felt a warmth come over me seeing yellow shirts and hearing familiar songs – I was amongst my own people! With an hour to go before kick off, I went inside and found my seat, giving me my first sight of the pitch.

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    The view from my seat

    Before long the Norwich players came out to warm up at our end, to great applause. There is a real feeling of togetherness about the club at the moment. The fans are right behind the players, the players are putting the effort in for the fans and they are buying into what the manager is trying to do. It’s lovely to see. There were particularly loud cheers for James Maddison, who scored the winner in the derby on Sunday.

     

    Norwich's goalkeepers Angus Gunn and Michael McGovern warm up
    Norwich’s goalkeepers Angus Gunn and Michael McGovern warm up
    The Norwich players preparing for the game
    The Norwich players preparing for the game

    Arsenal have a sort of TV show on the big screens inside the stadium for pre-match, half time and post-match. I don’t really think it works. I’ve seen it done at cricket grounds, and often it’s hard to hear the presenter and a lot of the time you don’t want to because they are really annoying. Arsenal’s presenter didn’t win any friends amongst the Norwich fans by introducing us as Ipswich! That’s pretty much the worst thing you can say about us.

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    This bloke introduced us as Ipswich!

    Then it was the match itself. You probably know that the game went all the way to extra time, with the eventual score being Arsenal 2-1 Norwich. The Norwich players put in a very good performance, going in front in the first half when Josh Murphy finished nicely after running onto a great Maddison pass and defending excellently until the 86th minute when a young guy I’d never heard of called Eddie Nketiah tapped in from a corner 15 seconds after coming on as a substitute for Arsenal. He then scored the winner in the first half of extra time. Norwich had come agonisingly close to pulling off an upset – one they would have deserved – but it wasn’t to be.

    I was proud of the team, though, and very proud to be in the crowd. The nearly 9,000 Norwich fans that were there put the Arsenal fans to shame. Boxer and City fan Anthony Ogogo says he was racially abused by one of our number last night, which is totally unacceptable and that person is merely a sad individual who has nothing to do with this wonderful football club. I certainly didn’t hear anything untoward, and I think we represented the city brilliantly.

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    The Norwich players in a huddle after the game

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    The Canaries thank the fans for their great support

    My first experience of seeing Norwich play on another team’s turf was one I’ll never forget, and one I hope to repeat in the future. We may not have won, we may be out of the cup, but I got a real sense that the club is in good shape at the moment and that if we can carry on performing like we did on Tuesday night then we can achieve something in the league this season.

     

  • 2014-15 Norwich City season review – part two

    This is the second part of my review of Norwich City’s 2014-15 season. If you haven’t seen the first part yet, here it is. I hope you enjoy looking back on an amazing season. This part starts with the appointment of a little known Scotsman…

    Alex Neil left Hamilton Academical to become Norwich City’s new manager in January

    9th January 2015 – Hello Neil (again)

    A few names were linked with Norwich City as the club decided who would replace Neil Adams. I can remember thinking that Nigel Adkins or Uwe Rosler would be sound appointments. In the end it was Alex Neil. Few south of the border had heard of the 33-year-old, but he had been making a name for himself in Scotland where he had been player-manager of Hamilton Academical. Neil had guided Accies to the Scottish Premiership the season before, and when he left to start work at Carrow Road they were third in the table, having already beaten Celtic at Parkhead. It was the sort of left-field appointment that might be expected of chief executive David McNally, who had pulled off something similar with Paul Lambert. But could this young, inexperienced Glaswegian really be the man to arrest Norwich’s slump?

    10th January 2015 – Bournemouth 1-2 Norwich

    Alex Neil was sat in the stands for this match, with Mike Phelan and Gary Holt taking caretaker charge for one week only. Matt Ritchie put the league leaders in front, but Gary Hooper equalised just before half time. Jonny Howson was harshly sent off for a tackle not long after the hour mark, at which point the new Norwich manager appeared in his suit on the touchline and started barking orders at his players. Cameron Jerome’s great goal ten minutes from time sentenced eventual champions Bournemouth to a rare home defeat and a stirring start to life under Alex Neil for Norwich City.

    24th January 2015 – City blow their chances of a play-off place

    Victory against Brentford would put Norwich back in the top six, but they blew it as Jota and an Alex Pritchard penalty gave the West London side the points. It was the first defeat for City under Alex Neil. They would go on a seven match unbeaten run afterwards.

    Norwich’s magnificent February

    The Canaries moved back into the promotion picture with a perfect February. Victories over Blackpool, Charlton, Wolves, Watford and Blackburn suddenly put Norwich in touch of the automatic promotion places again. It is worth pointing out that they beat Watford for a second time this season, again 3-0, and that the 2-1 win at Blackburn was secured with an 84th minute winner from Bradley Johnson after City had been behind for a long while.

    1st March 2015 – Norwich 2-0 Ipswich

    Norwich were in red hot form going into the second East Anglian derby of the season, and it showed. A thumping goal from Bradley Johnson sent Carrow Road wild, and a scrappy second off the heels of Lewis Grabban made it a double over the old enemy and a fourth derby win in a row.

    Bradley Johnson celebrates after his fantastic strike against Ipswich sent Norwich on their way to doing the double over the old enemy

    4th March 2015 – Norwich 0-1 Wigan

    It was very much after the Lord Mayor’s show for City as they were beaten by Wigan three days after the derby triumph. An early goal from Kim Bo-kyung was enough for the Latics, managed by former Norwich defender Malky Mackay. It was a game City didn’t get going in and was another missed opportunity, as a win would have put them top of the table. Wigan would go on to be relegated to League One, having sacked Mackay and replaced him with club captain Gary Caldwell.

    17th April 2015 – Norwich 0-1 Middlesbrough

    Norwich’s hopes of an automatic promotion place were all but ended on a cruel Friday night against Middlesbrough. Alex Tettey flicked an early Boro corner into his own net, and the disgusting timewasting that followed was a low point of what had been a fantastic Championship season overall. The referee stopped the game more than once for Patrick Bamford’s minor injury, and the almost comical sudden collapse of goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopolous capped a disastrous night for Alex Neil’s team.

    2nd May 2015 – It’s the play-offs, and guess who we are playing…

    With Bournemouth and Watford promoted automatically, and a play-off place secure for Norwich, issues were being dealt with elsewhere as the Canaries finished the regular season with a 4-2 win over Fulham and a first victory over the Cottagers since 1986. Derby County incredibly collapsed from automatic promotion favourites to missing out on the play-offs altogether after losing 3-0 at home to Reading, and it was Brentford who took a play-off place at their expense by beating Wigan by the same scoreline. City’s rivals Ipswich lost 3-2 at Blackburn but managed to hold on to 6th place, meaning the play-off semi-finals would see two more East Anglian derbies as well as the tie between Middlesbrough and Brentford.

    Nathan Redmond scored as Norwich won the play-off semi-final against Ipswich to make the final at Wembley

    16th May 2015 – Norwich 3-1 Ipswich

    After a 1-1 draw at Portman Road, it was winner-takes-all in the second leg at Carrow Road. After a nervy first half, Wes Hoolahan played in Nathan Redmond, who had his shot blocked on the goal line by the arm of Ipswich defender Christophe Berra. Berra was shown a straight red card, Hoolahan buried the penalty and Norwich were in front. Ipswich responded well and capitalised on some poor defending from a free kick to equalise just ten minutes later through Tommy Smith, but Nathan Redmond and Cameron Jerome put City ahead again and on their way to Wembley.

    Middlesbrough overcame Brentford 5-1 on aggregate, following up a late 2-1 win at Griffin Park with a resounding 3-0 success at the Riverside to set up a fascinating play-off final.

    25th May 2015 – The perfect day

    The days after the semi-final win over Ipswich saw City fans make a mad scramble for tickets for the club’s first appearance at Wembley since 1985. On the day, 40,000 headed to London by car, coach and train to create an amazing atmosphere at the national stadium. Those 40,000 could not have wished for a better start when Cameron Jerome stole the ball from Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala and slotted past Konstantopolous at his near post to give Norwich a 12th minute lead. Nathan Redmond finished off a brilliant passing move with an arrowed shot three minutes later and the Canaries had one foot in the Premier League. Alex Neil had said before the game how important it was to start well, after what had happened in the defeat to Boro a little more than a month previously. City saw the game out with little worry to spark jubilant celebrations at the final whistle. Norwich City, after an incredible ride, were back in the top flight at the first attempt.

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    Norwich’s aim when the season began was to make an instant return to the Premier League. It’s a difficult task. We were going to have to do a lot of hard work. But we did it, and we have the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to look forward to playing again. What a roller-coaster ride it was, with all the late goals and defining moments. I can’t wait to go through it all again.

  • 2014-15 Norwich City season review – part one

    We did it! It was an amazing day at Wembley yesterday and it capped off a thrilling season for Norwich City – full of ups and downs – but we can celebrate because we have achieved our aim and we are Premier League once more. I have never been prouder of my club and my fellow supporters.

    My article about wearing my dad’s old City shirt to Wembley got a lovely response. Thanks to everyone who read it. I didn’t write it looking for pity or sympathy, I just thought it was a nice story to tell. To my surprise the Norwich Evening News got in touch wishing to feature the story and you may have seen it in the papers yesterday. Thanks to Peter Walsh for that.

    I’ve picked some pivotal and memorable moments from the season for my season review. I got a bit carried way writing it so I’ve split it into two parts. This is part one. Part two is here. I hope you enjoy looking back at this incredible season for Norwich City.

    Norwich fans head down Wembley Way before the Canaries' glorious victory in the Championship play-off final
    Norwich fans head down Wembley Way before the Canaries’ glorious victory in the Championship play-off final

    22nd May 2014 – Hello Neil

    Norwich City were licking their wounds in the days and weeks after relegation from the Premier League. The club’s decision to sack Chris Hughton as manager had come too late to save them, and chief executive David McNally – who had said relegation would be ‘worse than death’ – appeared on BBC Radio Norfolk with other members of the board to give the fans some answers. Eventually, Neil Adams was given the job on a full time basis. Adams had played 182 games for City as a midfielder, and had led the club’s Under 18s side to winning the FA Youth Cup a year before.

    5th June 2014 – Welcome aboard

    A club that is run very smartly in financial terms, and backed up by Premier League parachute payments, Norwich did have some cash to spend in the summer transfer window. On 5th June they made their first purchase, with striker Lewis Grabban signing from Bournemouth. Grabban had scored 22 goals in 44 games in the season that had just ended and was seen as an exciting buy. The club would end up buying nine players in the summer window – players such as Cameron Jerome and Gary O’Neil were signed for their experience of Championship promotion, and others such as Conor McGrandles and Louis Thompson were signed with an eye very much on the future.

    30th June 2014 – Hull of a fee for Snodgrass

    When any team is relegated from the top flight, the fans expect the players who don’t think they belong in the Championship to find moves elsewhere. Norwich’s player of a bad season was Robert Snodgrass, who worked tirelessly down the right for the club for two seasons after joining from Leeds. On 30th June 2014 it was announced that the Scotland international would be leaving to join Hull City for a fee believed to be around £7m. Many City fans were pleased with the money the club made on the deal. As it turned out, Snodgrass suffered an agonising-sounding dislocated kneecap in the very first game of the Premier League season and would not play again for the rest of the campaign. Hull were relegated.

    Anthony Pilkington, Leroy Fer and Andrew Surman also left Norwich – for Cardiff, QPR and Bournemouth respectively. The club had managed to keep hold of the core of a decent squad and it was a reason for optimism as the season approached.

    20th July 2014 – We have Novara idea who we’re playing

    One of the lighter and perhaps more farcical moments of Norwich’s preparations for life in the Championship, on the club’s pre-season tour of Italy they were due to play a friendly against little-known Novara, but they pulled out of the fixture at short notice. A game against Saint-Christophe Vallée d’Aoste was hastily arranged, which Norwich won 13-0. Saint-Christophe Vallée d’Aoste later denied that it was them that had faced The Canaries, and that in fact it was an amateur team made up of players from all over the region that had been given a beating. Later friendlies against Sampdoria and Livorno were also cancelled at short notice, and Norwich’s trip to Italy wasn’t quite the preparation they were after.

    5th August 2014 – The Wolf departs

    Everyone with a connection to Norwich City was so excited when Ricky van Wolfswinkel became the club’s record signing. But after a terrible season in which his debut goal against Everton would turn out to be his only positive, van Wolfswinkel left to join French team Saint-Étienne. It was only a season long loan, but there was an option to buy at the end of it. After 9 goals in 40 games, Saint-Étienne have not taken up that option and so The Wolf will be returning to Carrow Road.

    10th August 2014 – Wolves 1-0 Norwich

    On a warm Sunday afternoon in August, Norwich got back into competitive action with the opening game of the Championship season at Wolves. The year before there had been two divisions between the teams but they pretty much matched each other. The game will be mostly remembered for Martin Olsson’s push on the referee earning him a red card, which was later put down to the out-of-sorts left back grieving the loss of a family member. A header from David Edwards saw City got off to a losing start in the second tier.

    16th August 2014 – Norwich 3-0 Watford

    The first game of the season at Carrow Road felt like a fresh start after the depression that had captured the place in the grim end to the Premier League campaign. Watford defender Joel Ekstrand was sent off just two minutes in for drawing blood on Nathan Redmond, and lovely chipped goals from Bradley Johnson and Lewis Grabban were punctuated by an Alex Tettey strike to give Norwich a comfortable 3-0 win. Watford would go on to get automatic promotion.

    23rd August 2014 – Ipswich 0-1 Norwich

    Of course, being back in the Championship meant the return of the East Anglian derby for the first time in more than four years, and the fixtures computer decided that the first meeting would be at Portman Road just weeks into the season. The Canaries showed how strong they would be on the road by holding out for a 1-0 win – Lewis Grabban’s first half header was the only goal. It gave the City fans a sweet taste of derby success once more and was the third win in a row in the league.

    Lewis Grabban heads the winner for Norwich in the first East Anglian derby of the season.

    13th September 2014 – Cardiff 2-4 Norwich

    A theme of Norwich’s relegation season was how poor they were away from home, so the fans who had travelled all the way to Cardiff would not have expected much after Joe Ralls and Aron Gunnarsson had put the home side 2-0 up after 22 minutes. But second half goals from Martin Olsson, Wes Hoolahan, Michael Turner and Cameron Jerome sealed an incredible comeback. Cardiff had come down with Norwich and would finish 11th in the Championship, proving just how hard it is to bounce straight back.

    20th September 2014 – Norwich 2-2 Birmingham

    Norwich were among the Championship’s pacesetters going into the home game against struggling Birmingham. However, goals from Callum Reilly and Demarai Gray saw the Blues were 2-0 up at half time. Cameron Jerome scored twice against his former club in the second half to make sure of a point but this was a sign of Norwich having trouble breaking teams down and being too open at the back.

    30th September 2014 – Norwich 0-1 Charlton

    If the Birmingham game hinted at the problems Norwich would have if they couldn’t break sides down, this game against Charlton was a clear example. City dominated the match but couldn’t find a way through a resolute Addicks defence, and to add insult to injury Johnnie Jackson’s deflected shot gave Charlton a late winner and all three points.

    21st October 2014 – Cameron Jerome vs Giuseppe Bellusci

    The 1-1 home draw with Leeds would play second fiddle to the moment Norwich striker Cameron Jerome lost his cool with defender Giuseppe Bellusci. Jerome complained to referee Mark Clattenburg that Bellusci had used racially abusive language towards him, and an investigation got underway. Several months later, The FA cleared Bellusci, accepting that the Italian defender had been ‘misheard or misinterpreted’ and that he had actually threatened to give Jerome ‘a black eye’.

    Cameron Jerome accused Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci of racially abusing him during the 1-1 draw at Carrow Road

    4th November 2014 – Middlesbrough 4-0 Norwich

    Norwich’s heaviest defeat of the season would come on a Tuesday night on Teesside, as Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford, Grant Leadbitter and winger Yanic Wildschut scored to give Middlesbrough the win in a game the Canaries never turned up in. They would pick up only one point from their four games in November.

    3rd January 2015 – Out of the FA Cup with a whimper, and it’s goodbye Neil

    The first game of the new year saw Norwich travel to League One Preston on FA Cup third round day. Two Paul Gallagher goals knocked City out after a dismal performance. It took some by surprise, but this turned out to be the last game Neil Adams was in charge of – he left two days later, with a suggestion that he had jumped before he was pushed. With half of the season still to play, Norwich were in mid-table and 11 points behind leaders Bournemouth. The search began for a manager who could get the club back on track.

    Now read part two.

  • Part of my Norwich-mad dad will be with me at Wembley

    Going to the football was the thing me and my dad did together.

    Dad was 48 when I was born. He had the son he had always wanted – someone to kick a ball around with and watch the match with him. Yet I was a latecomer to football, and to his obsession with Norwich City. I can remember protesting that I wanted to watch cartoons when dad had sat himself in the living room ready for the Super Sunday game on Sky Sports.

    My dad in his room in his care home, a Canary from beginning to end.
    My dad in his room in his care home, a Canary from beginning to end.

    It is an old family tale that dad was a very handy footballer, who scored plenty of goals for teams such as Gothic. He was part of the Norwich Boys team, a side made up of players picked from local schools. He played at Carrow Road several times. He always insisted that someone from Norwich City asked his father about him turning professional, but his father refused and made his son go and get an apprenticeship. Whether that’s true I’m not so sure, but it’s a lovely story.

    At some point, I became interested. Perhaps through sheer osmosis. I remember getting very excited at England beating Germany 5-1 a week after my 9th birthday. The next May I went through emotional turmoil watching the now defunct ITV Digital, who were showing Norwich’s agonising penalty shootout defeat to Birmingham in the Division One play-off final. I was in tears at the end of that game. At that point, the Canaries had got me. From then on I was a Norwich City fan, and I always would be.

    Dad had got up extremely early that morning and travelled to Cardiff on a minibus to be at the match. On his return, our conversations about football would become more knowledgeable on my part, and increasingly partisan. He must have loved it. I can imagine him thinking ‘Finally! After nearly a decade my boy has got the football bug!’.

    Less than a year later, in March 2003, I went to my first Norwich game. We lost 2-0 to Ipswich, of all teams, but that didn’t put me off. I was part of the enormous crowds as our Division One champions of 2004 celebrated with an open top bus parade. I recall both me and dad jumping up and down in pure elation as we went 2-0 up against Manchester United in what would be a brief stay in the Premier League. Dad was 61 at that point, but he certainly didn’t look it or move like it.

    As the next few years passed dad’s memory became something of a concern. He had to give up working after more than 40 years. He was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

    In August 2008, me and dad took our seats at Carrow Road for our first game sitting next to each other as season ticket holders. I had only been to the odd game a season up to that point. We sat three rows back in the upper Barclay, just to the right of the goal. We watched a 1-1 draw with Blackpool. We got relegated to League One that season. In fact, our first seasons with those tickets saw us witness a relegation, a promotion and another promotion. We sat through the 7-1 defeat to Colchester, through the 2-0 win over Gillingham that confirmed Norwich as League One champions, through the joyous last game of the season against Coventry as we celebrated promotion to the Premier League.

    Dad’s undying faith in Norwich City showed in his score predictions. Ask him what he thought would happen in that particular game, and he would ask who we were playing. When I told him, he would usually say ‘we should beat them shouldn’t we?’ in a fantastically confident voice as if to say ‘of course we should beat them, we’re the mighty Norwich City!’. His predicted score would usually be 5-0 to City, but if he wasn’t feeling quite as confident that day we might only win 3-0.

    Gradually, getting dad to and from Carrow Road became increasingly difficult. His particular type of dementia appeared to strike his mobility. He found it hard to walk, hard to negotiate stairs, and on one occasion he found it impossible to walk over the Novi Sad Friendship Bridge. A very kind couple stopped and helped me get him to the other side, where they waited with him while I ran to get the car. It was a desperately sad and worrying state to see him in, someone I had looked up to so much.

    Dad cut down on his trips to see City play. I took him to what would turn out to be his last visit to Carrow Road on Boxing Day 2012, a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. From then on I would carry on going to home games, but would go and sit with him in his care home to listen to the away matches on Radio Norfolk.

    On 1st February 2014, just over a month short of his 70th birthday, my brilliant dad finally gave in to this most evil of diseases. This classic Norwich City song was played at his funeral. I still sit in the same Barclay seat as I did for that Blackpool match nearly seven years ago, and I have often wondered what my dad would make of the latest goings on in yellow and green.

    These feelings have been particularly felt in the last week, with Norwich of course preparing for the Championship play-off final at Wembley. He would have been there, without a shadow of a doubt. And he would have loved the sight of around 40,000 fellow City fans inside the home of football.

    I have decided to wear dad’s old City shirt to Wembley. This way, I know a part of my old man will be with me at the biggest game I’ve ever been to.

    What would he say about the result?

    ‘Middlesbrough? We should beat them shouldn’t we?’

    Me with my dad's old Norwich shirt which I will be wearing to Wembley.
    Me with my dad’s old Norwich shirt which I will be wearing to Wembley.

  • The England team should be for the nation, not just Wembley

    Last night, England played a friendly against Norway. The official attendance for the match at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium was 40,181 – the smallest crowd to have seen the men’s national team at the ground since it was rebuilt. There are a number of explanations for the poor turnout – expensive tickets, families unwilling or unable to venture to the match after the first day back at school, parents tightening their belts after a summer of spending – but the overriding feeling was that people had simply lost interest in the team. The desperately disappointing World Cup campaign means the players will have to convince the public that it’s worth coming to see them. Only performances on the pitch are going to address that particular issue. A dour 1-0 win, through a Wayne Rooney penalty, isn’t going to do it. The small attendance last night, however, opened another debate entirely – is it time the England team played away from Wembley?

    The rebuilt Wembley is a fantastic arena, but the England team should tour the country.
    The rebuilt Wembley is a fantastic arena, but the England team should tour the country.

    The reason why every single England home match is played at Wembley is simply cost. The rebuilt stadium came in way over budget and was incredibly expensive at £798 million. Despite the stadium being in use since 2007, Wembley is still being paid off. The semi-finals of the FA Cup are also played at the national stadium for the same reason. Yesterday, the head of ‘Club England’ Adrian Bevington said it might be “eight or nine years” before England matches can be played away from Wembley. Ignoring the typical money matters, the idea of moving England matches would be beneficial to fans and to the team itself.

    Playing games around the country would bring forward the idea that the national team belongs to the nation again. Fans in, say, the north east would be able to go and support the England team if a friendly was at St James’ Park much easier than the weeks of planning it must take to head down to London. There is also a chance that the youngsters would be inspired by seeing the national team play on their doorsteps. The England women’s team already do this, as do the various age group teams. The England cricket team do not confine themselves to Lord’s – every summer fans can see them play as far north as Durham to as far south as Southampton. I wonder if even were Wembley to be paid that The FA would even consider sending the senior team on tour.

    Wembley Stadium and Ashburton Grove – a tale of two stadiums

    Around the same time Wembley was being rebuilt, Arsenal were making progress on their ground Ashburton Grove (better know due to sponsorship as The Emirates). While Wembley came in over budget at £798 million and about four years late, Ashburton Grove was built on time and on budget.

    While Wembley was being rebuilt between 2000 and 2007, the England team did indeed play around the country. Most of these matches were played at Old Trafford, but Anfield, St James’ Park, Villa Park, and even Portman Road played host at some point. I believe that – once Wembley is finally paid off – the idea should be considered again. Even if this is just for friendlies, with qualifying matches continuing to be played at Wembley.

    In an article for his paper The Telegraph on the eve of the Norway friendly, journalist Paul Hayward went as far as to claim that The FA should sell Wembley Stadium and invest the proceeds in grass-roots football, coaching and player development. I am not sure I would go that far. I have been to the rebuilt Wembley – first for a stadium tour and then for the friendly against Ghana in 2011 – and there is no denying it is a magnificent arena. Hayward does, however, make some interesting points. Europe’s other top football nations such as Spain, Italy and world champions Germany, do not have a national stadium and tour their countries for all matches. He says the selling of Wembley would not mean it would be demolished or become a white elephant – the concerts, American Football matches, boxing and a whole range of other events that already take place their could continue.

    While the selling of the national stadium is unlikely, there is without doubt an angst about Wembley since it has been rebuilt that was not there with the original. It is not universally loved, it is not the pinnacle of every football fan’s season to see their team there, and it is not the undisputed ‘home of football’ it has always claimed to be. I believe sending the national team around the country would be for the good of the game in this country, but ultimately it is for The FA to decide. Anyway, it’s San Marino next month.