Yesterday was truly historic.
As if a decade-long spacecraft journey flyby of Pluto (it’s red – who’d have thought?) wasn’t exciting enough, there was also the long planned first ever clash between two yellow and green football clubs with the same avian nickname, with the cherry on top of the unveiling of the Norfolk Canaries new away strip.
While the green shirt/yellow shorts combo seems to have received a general thumbs up, you have to feel deep sympathy for John Ruddy who has surely have drawn the very short straw of an all and shocking pink away ensemble to go with the luminous lime green home affair revealed at Gorleston the other day… two very short straws in fact.
Presumably, the idea is to dazzle and confuse any on-rushing opposition centre forward, but I’m half expecting JR’s transfer request to be on Alex Neil’s desk as you read this.
But enough of football fashion talk. What of proceedings at Top Field, the home of Hitchin Town FC?
Firstly, well done to all those City fans who travelled to the game last night. As Gary Field wrote earlier in the week, Hitchin’s finances, as with probably every other non-league club, are bordering on the desperate – and unlike the Greeks, there is no big boys bail-out option for them.
Consequently, all entrance money, programme purchases and refreshment investments from those hardy travelling City fans will have made a most welcome addition to the Hertfordshire Canaries’ coffers.
(What were those Hitchin FC pies like out of ten?)
Well done also to our club for not opting for the Asian gravy train which many Premier League clubs have greedily hopped on board for in their early pre-season outings. Even Stoke are topping up their tans on a different continent.
On the pitch, as with the home strip, we saw two distinct halves and two distinct City line-ups which gave the majority of the squad a chance to stretch legs and to be examined by the all-seeing-eye of the Premier League’s youngest boss.
It also which gave the home crowd the chance to see far more quality players than they will have ever seen on their hallowed turf.
Everyone was a winner in fact – at least until the final whistle blew and our boys had made it two wins out of two in July.
To put it in a nutshell the final score 10-0, with goals from Jerome (2), Andreu (3), Hooper, Hoolahan (pen), O’Neil (2) and Whittaker. A cumulative pre-season score to date of 17-0.
That incredible unbroken Alex Neil away record still stands… at least until Friday night – clearly a stiffer test awaits in ‘Silicon Fen’.
I’ll admit I was following last night’s events from the comfort of my own home. I decided to try the online equivalent of going in with the home fans for a bird’s eye view of the action. I was kept informed by the Hitchin FC Twitter feed.
The local tweeters rightly expressed their pride for their club’s 150 year existence and seemed genuinely excited to have Norfolk’s finest in town to mark the occasion.
I was also treated to pictures of car park portaloos; a world away from the Raheem Sterlings of this world.
There even seemed to be the odd West Brom fan at the game and tweeting – presumably because of our recent purchases from their squad ‘surplus to requirements’ section, but also because the Baggies played in yellow and green in their Ron Atkinson/ Bryan Robson heyday, and so on that basis, they felt compelled to join in the jamboree.
What did we learn about the fitness and form of our boys? Preseason run outs against non-leaguers are of course fickle indicators of what lies ahead in the months to come.
Cameron Jerome was my player of the season in 2014/15 and seems to be determined to break all pre-season scoring records this summer. But calm down Cam – save a few for Palace and the like in August.
After almost disappearing without trace following his move from Hamilton, Tony Andreu seems to be getting into the swing of things down south now and clearly has a handy knack of popping the ball in the net. Definitely an option for Alex Neil, but then he probably knew that already.
1,777 headed home from Top Field last night; their average home gate last season was just under 400. So, coffers duly swelled and good luck to Hitchin and here’s to another 150 years of community service.
And so, as New Horizons ploughs on into deep space, the City pre-season bandwagon heads for the Abbey Stadium, Cambridge on Friday night.
Until then, it’s back to the wacky and so far wildly inaccurate transfer rumour mill. Am just waiting for Tom Cobley and a couple of his nephews to be next up on that.
As an attendee in person, happy to confirm that Hitchin’s hospitality was excellent (not to mention the sausage & chips). Maybe exemplified by the public address announcer: having been informative and accurate all evening, he signed off by wishing Norwich well in the Prem. Class.
Left with nothing but goodwill towards our fellow Canaries.
In fairness, the second half was a fresh City team against a tiring Hitchin one. Nonetheless, Andreu caught the eye with a busy and sharp performance. But for acrobatic goalkeeping, he’d have had six. And Wes was simply too good for them.
Jerome’s clinical finishes were the highlight of the first half. Hopefully he’ll have new competition up front, but hopefully he’ll also get a crack at starting.
These are useful exercises – in effect, augmented training sessions. But well worth going to watch.
Stewart – good to get a first hand flavour of the night from you.
With all the swank and sophistication of Premier grounds and their facilities to come, a bit of grass root footy viewing is essential to keep fans grounded. You did your bit for the Hitchin fundraising – I doff my metaphorical cap having sat on my backside at home.
Some have questioned why we bother playing non-league sides – I think they are far more worthy exercises than playing ‘Singapore-select XI’ and the likes. They generate crucial money for local area sides, give their fans the chance to see quality players and provide the first rungs for stepping up gradually to tougher opposition to come in later matches. Long may Norwich continue to support the likes of Gorleston and Hitchin.
Pleased you chose to write about last evening. Yep, I went along too, I spent my childhood, well from 7-14 supporting a similar non league side, St Albans City. Absolutely loved: paying at the gate, buying the programme once inside the ground, walking around the ground, chatting to Hitchen fans, listening to young kids excited about seeing Wes, Cameron, JR etc then having selfies with them!Reckon we have sown a few seeds to enhance our reputation.
Most of all I was impressed by our attitude the boys were full on, reckon Alex Neil settles for nothing less than 100% whatever the situation.Teams rarely score 10 so quite an achievement and yes Stewart, Wes was simply to good!Love Carrow Road, loved Wembley but also loved last night, not for the score but for the occasion.
May be non league is where some of our youngsters should play.
Good luck Hitchin Town.
Russ (2) – agree with everything you say about playing non-league sides. And Hitchin did exactly what we’d have asked – they worked hard and competed, while avoiding anything reckless.
Having highlighted good things about City, a disappointment was Josh Murphy. He waltzed past defenders with ease, but didn’t put in a single decent delivery.
@3 Colin – absolutely agree with you about the attitude of our team, having witnessed the pre-season game at Braintree a year ago, the contrast in sharpeness and approach, couldn’t have been more positive.
@4 Stewart – Agree about Josh, unlike Jacob, who seemed a handful in the second half.
Interesting point you make re the contrast between Josh and Jacob last night. *Exactly* the same applies to their respective performances at Gorleston on Saturday (as recognised in the post-match comments by AN).
Gary – Good point re the ‘strolling’ at Braintree v the effort/commitment at Gorleston/Hitchin – an Alex Neil trait if ever there was one!
Colin (3) – well said sir on all points.
Re: the Josh/Jacob observation. Maybe it was a case of ‘Murphy’s Law’ for Josh?
I’m sure AN will be having a word in his ear.
Ref. your comments about us not opting for the Asian gravy train. I am sure those tours were sorted out long before the play off final.
I enjoy seeing us support the local non-league clubs and I was at the Gorleston game. But I presume there is greater financial rewards in such overseas tours so we may be there next year.
The Murphy situation is tricky, we all are desperate for them to do well but I can’t help feel that Josh is having a mental battle he is trying so hard but needs to learn his trade, he needs lots of game time and both he and Jacob need to go on loan again probably to league 1. They didn’t figure much last season so less chance this time. I wonder if AN is just a little less impressed than NA was and at their age they may be finding it hard to accept. Reckon they are both great talents and worth persevering with. Our own ‘Sir Alex’ is exactly the mentor they need, lucky boys then.
Maybe there’s less pressure on Jacob as he’s probably perceived as further away from 1st XI than Josh?
Either way, both need more game time, probably on loan in either League One or Championship level.
Never knew there was another ‘Canaries’ til last night. They sound like a proper community club. Apparently they’ve been in a very long legal battle to save their ground from being turned into a supermarket, and now that the landowners have agreed to shelve those plans, the club is asking for donations for a stadium rebuild.
I’m going to contribute a little to their crowdfunding project, which is currently a long way short of its £50,000 target. I have spare cash from my football related allocation, seeing as I decided on Monday not to part with £44.50 for a restricted view ticket for City v Palace. Two different worlds!
No 11- With you all the way. With Premiership clubs now paying over £100k per annum to young reserve players who are unlikely to appear in first team, what would a Hitchin Town give for that sort of money? Ticket prices can no longer be justified short term gain could end up alienating fans after all there’s always Gorleston, Kings Lynn, Lowestoft and Hitchin Town available for £5-£10!
Frank(8) – if we do become a stable PL club, then I fear the trips to Gorleston/Hitchin will become replaced by exotic and lucrative trips to Asia and the Middle East as is increasingly the case. Clubs such as Arsenal and Man City may claim it’s about promoting the game on a global scale but it’s obviously all about flogging merchandise and their own brand.
PLP(11) – better than late never on the Canaries thing! Mind you, I only realised a few days ago. There was an interesting background piece on Monday about the ‘other’ Canaries current plight (by Gary Field) which attracted a comment from their supporters’ trust.
@13 Yeah, wise after the event, that’s me!
@12 Thanks, but I think you mean Premier LEAGUE clubs, unless Scottish football has received a massive injection of cash recently.