Trevor Putney appreciates more than most the fickle nature of football fans.
In 1984 he was crowned Player of the Year by Ipswich supporters, following Paul Mariner and preceding Terry Butcher as the darling of the Portman Road faithful.
That he was anywhere near such exalted company, never mind in precisely the same bracket, speaks volumes ? but two years later the same fans turned on him after he committed what in their eyes was the cardinal sin and signed for Norwich.
Of course, it was no easier at the other end of the A140 for the lively midfielder, who found the Carrow Road crowd in unforgiving mood and reluctant to cut him any slack for his past associations south of the county border.
?I was scum in both camps,? laughed Putney, who switched clubs in tandem with John Deehan and benefited most from the swap deal as the Canaries finished fifth in his first season, 1986-87, and fourth two years later.
?The most successful time of my career was at Norwich. Apart from finishing so high in the table, we also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1989.
?They had won the Second Division title in 1986 and we were expected to go straight back down again, so to achieve what we did was incredible.
?The biggest problem I had was winning over the supporters. It was really hard and that sort of thing can destroy players. I was fortunate, I suppose, because I was a strong character but it was sink or swim for a while and I won't pretend it was easy.
?They would boo when my name was read out and after I picked up an injury and found it difficult to get straight back into the team, I was on the bench and they booed when I came on.
?In that situation you have two choices ? you can hide or you can say 'Boll*cks to you, I'll show you what I can do…'
?I remember I picked the ball up and came inside to try a shot and just as I made contact with the ball it hit a bobble on the pitch and I shanked it good and proper.
?There was a groan that echoed round Carrow Road and in the end it took what could only be described as a wonder goal against Leicester to eventually get them on my side.
?But I've no regrets about leaving Ipswich to go to Norwich when I did. I had a love-hate relationship with Bobby Ferguson, the manager, and I had also suffered with back problems and hadn't had the best of seasons.
?In actual fact I probably stayed a bit longer than I should have done. I spoke to Howard Kendall when he was Everton manager and he said he had tried to get me from Ipswich before he signed Trevor Steven.
?Look what happened to him ? he picked up several medals, got into the England team and then went up to Scotland and made himself a fortune with Rangers.?
Putney's career took him on to Middlesbrough, who paid Norwich ?300,000 for him, and then he joined Watford before winding down at Leyton Orient and Colchester.
As a youngster he was picked up by Tottenham but they considered him too small and he was turning out for Brentwood in the Essex Senior League when Ipswich were sufficiently impressed to invite him to Portman Road for a trial.
He had grown a fair bit by then and he added: ?At the time Ipswich were probably the best team in the country, but by the time I broke into the side a lot of the players had moved on.
?It was all I ever wanted to do, play professional football, and when I look back I was probably a nit na?ve. I signed to play, not for the money. The cash was almost irrelevant ? and it's not like that today.
?I don't begrudge the top players earning top dollar, but what I think is wrong with the game now is that players like Robbie Savage ? in my view I had a lot more about me than him ? are making a fortune.
?These days, thanks to television, every footballer is a star but when I was playing and Match of the Day only had highlights from two games an awful lot of good stuff went unnoticed.?
Then, pausing for breath, he laughed: ?I hope I'm not sounding like a bitter and twisted old so and so!?
Putney is not short of friends in both derby camps, to the extent that he is tipping Sunday's game to end all square.
He admitted: ?Yes, I'm sitting on the fence. I might want to come back to the UK one day. But seriously, I hope it's a passionate game because to my mind the derbies aren't what they used to be.
?I can remember, no matter which club I was playing for, that you would want to make your first tackle a good one, a bit of a cruncher if you like.
?Or maybe it would be a telling pass, something that made you feel good, got the adrenaline pumping and gave your game an edge.
?I've watched derby games since then and I've sat there wondering if they meant anything to the players. Honestly, some of them had about as much excitement as you would find in a practice game.?
Last year Putney quit his job with the Press Association, which saw him on duty at all Ipswich home games, and he sold his Essex home to move to Spain, where he now lives on the northern Costa Blanca.
Things are definitely on the up and he is currently in discussions with a top Premiership club about representing them on the continent.
He has also teamed up with a real estate company and would be delighted to hear from anyone thinking of relocating to Spain or considering the purchase of a holiday home there. He can be contacted by email at trevor@premiervillasspain.com
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