...and it's goodbye from me (probably)

I’ve been a Norwich City fan for just over 47 years. In that time the club has played a huge part in my life. I’ve seen some wonderful players: Keelan, Forbes, Stringer, Peters, Huckerby, Holt (both of them!) – it’s a very long list. Seen some wonderful teams – from the one that was forming in 1969 to the one that triumphed gloriously at Wembley not so long ago. I can pick out three periods as favourites: the Spring of 1982 when Ken Brown’s team just kept winning and we came from nowhere to promotion; those wonderful three years under Lambert when it looked like the “little old Norwich” tag had gone forever. But my favourite was when the team was performing well under Worthy – even though I lived in Cornwall we got to a lot of games – me, and my son and my Dad. Now my son is grown and my Dad is gone I cherish those memories. Norwich City drew us together – and even though he often annoyed the hell out of me I’m very glad for that time with Dad.

So many glorious victories, so many ignominious defeats. My two favourite matches – the relegation head to head with Palace just before my 12th birthday, when Dave Stringer reduced me to unstoppable tears of joy; and winning promotion at Portsmouth just after my 50th birthday. Worst match – the defeat at Charlton. The only time I’ve ever booed a City team or player. But I made up for lost time that day. A few minutes ago Match of the Day showed the goalkeeper - who ran away rather than face the fans – giving away a soft goal. How I rejoiced!

And yet… the truth is that now, right now, I care less about Norwich City than at any point in those 47 years. There are a number of reasons for this – the terrible things that have befallen my wife & I over the past few years give a sense of perspective, Hughton, I’ve just grown up at last, and basically football is not what it was. What do we get if we go up? A lot of money but that’s about it. This is not a new thing born out of recent travails – I missed the Middlesbrough league game 18 months ago because I wanted to watch Robin Trower more. Football just doesn’t do it for me any more.

So I’ve been gradually taking my leave of the Wrath – because I can’t find many posts on which I wish to comment. This is not a reflection on you all, but rather reflects the fact that the subject matter no longer excites me. And the Wrath has been great too – I think my favourite night’s posting was when Palace won promotion for us, joy was unbridled as we listened to Jim Nasium playing a series of NCFC related songs that will have meant nothing to his wider radio audience. And, as some of you know, my wife and I met on the Wrath (I think we were the first Wrath wedding).

The season tickets won’t be renewed. We’ve decamped to Yorkshire. And as for the football club… well Delia and Michael are taking an awful lot of stick. I don’t know the ins and outs of the club like I used to, but I do know this – they are decent and honest people who genuinely love the club. For all their mistakes (and they’ve made some corkers) when I look at the rest of the shower running football well… I wouldn’t swap Delia and Michael.

On The Ball City!

Posted By: Winged Eel Creosote, Jan 1, 00:16:13