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As Roy and his prima donnas prepare for Lithuania, the Hall of Fame beckons for City's no. 10

23rd March 2015 By Russell Saunders 7 Comments

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You’ll have to take my word on this:

– The venue was Burnham Deepdale school playing field (the Camp Nou of North Norfolk)

– The time was summer of 1977

I was centre-forward for a neighbouring village’s primary school. I didn’t own a pair of football boots at the time so was playing in scuffed school shoes.

The second of three goals that day was a sublime back heel flick from inside the penalty area. My other two were more scrappy – a bit like Harry Kane’s against Leicester.

That memory had long been consigned to the recesses of my brain until Cameron Jerome’s glorious goal against Forest at the weekend brought those hazy days of a sweaty youth back to mind.

Of course the crowd that day back in 1977 was about 26,950 fewer than those worshipping at Carrow Road. Most of the onlookers – mainly parents and dogs – who witnessed my Messi-esque flick (Lionel was 10 years away from being born – maybe Dalglish-esque is more appropriate) probably aren’t around anymore to corroborate my account. Certainly not the dogs.

I’m not saying that my effort was quite of the same pedigree as ‘Big Cam’s’ but considering the state of the pitch I had to deal with and the nature of the footwear I was sporting it was not bad.

While Wes Hoolahan has quite rightly taken many of the plaudits for his man-of-the-match performance on Saturday, I’d like to focus on the contribution of our big Yorkshire-born  number 10 who now has 18 Championship goals in the locker this season.

That tally – all from open play – is just behind the 19 of Rob Earnshaw in 2006-07 (of which four were penalties), the 19 of Iwan Roberts in 1998-99 and the 21 of Grant Holt in 2010-11 (of which three were pens).

With seven massive games to go, another three or four from Jerome would not only take him to the top of that list but more importantly potentially propel us into a top two spot come the end of the day on May 2nd.

And let’s not forget Jerome was a Neil Adams’ summer signing, and for that we owe him in the same way Bryan Gunn, despite a disastrous spell in charge, is owed an eternal thanks for signing Holty.

They are pointless questions but ones that always comes to mind: would either Alex Neil or Paul Lambert have signed their inherited strikers if fate and timing had been different? And how different would the club’s fortunes have been if they hadn’t?

The crowd scenes and players’ smiles after that Jerome goal sure made for a stark contrast with the away fans’ disgruntled looks and noises, and Jerome’s dejected demeanour after the corresponding fixture at the City Ground back in November. He was substituted that day.

That late capitulation at Forest was a season low for me, coming on the back of a hammering at Middlesbrough and in a month where we lost three of four games, and only scraped a point off Brighton at home.

But how times have changed, not least the fact that neither coach on that chilly November day subsequently survived the dreaded axe. Back then, which of us honestly had heard the name Alex Neil?

Much water has flowed under the metaphorical bridge since those dark early winter days and now with the latest international break upon us, it’s all to play for when the league action returns on April 3 – a visit to the South Coast and a re-acquaintance with a certain former Canary boss.

But to Cameron Jerome. Apart from ex-City loanee Harry Kane, which English striker is playing better at the moment?

Sturridge? Wellbeck? Austin? Rooney? Personally, no on all counts but then with Roy Hodgson’s selection blindness to outside the Premier League there was never a chance for a Deeney or a Wilson or a Jerome to figure.

Not since the glory days of Steve ‘Bully’ Bull has a lower league striker been picked for his country.

Jerome made ten appearances for the England Under-21s back in 2005 – 2007 when he was at Cardiff and Birmingham. Now at 28, he’s at his physical and footballing peak.

That deft back flick was sensational but only one of ten or so absolute stunners (Cardiff away, Bournemouth away etc) to have left the opposition keeper looking as bemused and frustrated as an overly-peckish Jeremy Clarkson.

With Lewis Grabban’s season looking over, Gary Hooper struggling to find form and consistency, and Kyle Lafferty topping up his tan in Turkey, the efforts of Jerome over the next few weeks will play a crucial role in deciding the Canaries’ fate and whether it will be the Etihad or Ewood next season.

While Hodgson will no doubt continue to take up the complimentary seats at the more fashionable of the Premier League’s glitzy stadia, he’d be well advised to expand his horizons to the Championship where a far more interesting and exciting top-of-the-table battle is about to go ballistic.

My glittering playing career? Like so many dreams, it was dashed on the rocks of reality. I did at least eventually get a pair of proper boots but never scored another back heel flick.

I swear there’s a moral there somewhere.


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Filed Under: Column, Russell Saunders

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Comments

  1. Gary Field says

    23rd March 2015 at 8:12 am

    Unfortunately, the enforced International break will see the same old, same old getting selected for England, whether on the basis of merit, or, because they used to keep goal at one of the manager’s former clubs. And, whilst I always want to see England do well, my general lack of enthusiasm probably has more to do with the “given” selection approach than anything else.

    Reply
  2. Dan R says

    23rd March 2015 at 8:47 am

    I suspect most of us agree with Gary. ‘International break’ weekends are just dull. Most England games are boring, even at major championships

    Reply
  3. Stewart Lewis says

    23rd March 2015 at 9:02 am

    Good to see proper praise – if perhaps just a touch over-the-top – for Jerome. He didn’t make much impact with Stoke in the Prem, but I gather he’s desperate for another chance and is doing a lot to create it for himself.

    He’s always been a beast in the Championship. I’m wrong about many things in football – and beyond – but I did say when we signed him he’d get 20 goals this season.

    And good to see proper recognition of the manager who signed him. Actually, we can answer one of Russ’s questions. Paul Lambert tried hard to sign Holty for Colchester that summer, but was outbid by Norwich. Things come around…

    Reply
  4. Gary Gowers says

    23rd March 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Yep, spot on Stew. Holty was definitely on Lambert’s list of most wanted but was gazumped by City’s extra pulling power. I’ll take a stab that Cam was not on Alex Neil’s Accies wish list 😉

    Reply
  5. Russell S. says

    23rd March 2015 at 12:38 pm

    *Gary & Dan – you can almost smell the apathy around Friday’s clash with the world’s 94th ranked side! England will probably win 4 or 5-0 and suddenly we’ll be great again. I think Cameron (Jerome not David) would terrorise that Lithuanian back four. Our man in Turkey (Lafferty) has shown that you can make an impact at international level without being a Premier prima donna. Shame he didn’t make an impact with us.
    *Stewart – Over the top – moi?! Maybe a smidge but there ain’t many a better striker on form at present than our 10 but Roy doesn’t seem to pick on form. He did struggle under Pulis, but his PL record at Birmingham isn’t too shoddy – 11 goals in 32 in 2009/10.

    Reply
  6. John C says

    24th March 2015 at 12:39 pm

    A number of years have passed since ’77, Russ. Are you sure this wasn’t an own-goal, and you have so suppressed the embarrassment, it has warped your memory…
    Remember, I have seen you play !
    Anyway, agree with the point re CJ. And I’ve just noted that Adam Lallana has dropped-out of the England squad, to be replaced by Mason (?) of Spurs – who he ? Can you now pen another piece on why Jonny Howson should get the nod over Mason ?

    Reply
  7. Russell S. says

    24th March 2015 at 1:42 pm

    *JC – I have got a faded daguerrotype of the goal somewhere in the loft! I did try to repeat that flick in subsequent games but fell flat on my a***.
    Those White Hart Lane complimentary seats must be especially comfy for Roy – at least I assume it’s Ryan and not Perry he’s picked?
    Howson piece request is noted.

    Reply

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