A season like no other? My top ten games of a topsy-turvy campaign with a Wembley cherry on top

Phew!

In reviewing the highs and lows of a crazy but triumphant season, which took a few unpleasant detours and had the odd dead-end moment, it’s hard to know where to begin.

Ultimately, even though two teams finished above us in the table, it turned out to be probably the most memorable promotion the club has ever had. The month of May especially brought rare goodies which will live forever in the memory.

I’m getting on a bit, but the first ever promotion to the top division in 1971/72, when Ron Saunders and Duncan Forbes played the key Alex Neil and Russell Martin roles back, is stretching my brain cells too far. I was alive but Lego and Action Man were probably playing a more important part in my life than events at Carrow Road.

That moment in the club’s history can never be surpassed due to its very historic nature because after nigh on 70 years of languishing largely in the Southern League and Third Division South, Norwich City were no longer to be considered a pokey, backwater club.

It was a defining moment. At last the yellow and green would make its mark on the big stage and never look back – except for 2009-10’s detour of some of the league’s darker backwaters.

With all that said, the Wembley-winning finale of last week runs it a bloody close second.

In a season that saw us top in October, on the edge of mid-table oblivion in the dying embers of 2014 and then, slowly but surely, assaulting the play-off positions by April, it’s impossible to list all the key events or personal zeniths (and nadirs).

There were lows of course. The month of November was especially bleak with one point from twelve and the family cat had to be put down the day before that hammering on Teesside. No need to dwell on the dark days though.

God bless you Billy and thank God for Alex Neil.

I have put up a top ten high points for discussion. I’m fairly confident that my choices would appear in most people’s but the order will no doubt differ.

In true Top of the Pops tradition, I’ll countdown backwards to build up the suspense. (For those born more recently, Top of the Pops used to be a popular chart-hit programme on the TV).

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10. March 17th – Huddersfield (a): Possibly the worst away performance under Alex Neil but a precious point was salvaged in the 98th minute by Jamar Loza. Former City player James Vaughan had put the opposition in front in the 95th minute and then comically got himself sent off in the premature celebrations.

Alex Neil was furious at the result but rarely has there been such a bonkers finish to a game of football.

9. May 2nd – Fulham (h): At last, the Cottagers curse – going back to the dark ages – was broken with a Bradley Johnson hat-trick of sorts. We had made the play-offs.

8. February 24th – Blackburn (a): The kind of bleak Tuesday night winter trip up north when the men really are sorted from the boys. Behind at half-time, things were looking poor but great goals from Jerome and Johnson took crucial points.

7. September 13th – Cardiff (a): Two down at half-time, Neil Adams seems to have given the kind of dressing room hair-dryer which suggested he might have the right stuff. The boys stormed back with four second half goals to make Mr Tan squirm in his seat.

6. April 11th – Bolton (a): Crucial game – very average performance. Game drifting to a 1-1 draw – cue Gary ‘hit-man’ Hooper’s luscious lob in the 93rd minute and three big, big points. Neil Lennon was furious – the cherry on top. Alex Tettey’s reaction was priceless.

5. March 21st – Forest (h): A dominant performance and comfortable win highlighted by Cameron Jerome’s sublime back-heel flick which left onlookers with their jaws hanging on the ground. A thing of beauty.

4. March 1st – Ipswich (h): Dominant dismissal of the Tractor Boys with a pile driver from Bradderz sending the home fans delirious. The Barry Butler Trophy was in the bag from that moment.

3. May 16th – Ipswich (h) again:  Nervous first half – play-off in the balance. Exploded into life with sending off and penalty. Just got better and better from then on – Redmond was electric. Wembley here we come.

2. January 10th – Bournemouth (a): Be honest – most of us thought a walloping was coming from a long unbeaten and free-scoring Cherries side. In the stands was a fresh-faced Alex Neil, newly appointed to save our season: 1-0 down and with 10 men, the unknown from over the border makes his way to the touchline. The rest is history.

1. May 25th – Middlesbrough at Wembley. Triumph and redemption – no further explanation necessary.

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The ball starts rolling again on August 8th. Premier League – Let’s be ‘aving you!