Mick McCarthy “likes him”.
He is rumoured to be a transfer target for McCarthy.
Most Norwich fans like him too but the rumour is causing some discomfort over a long, not very hot summer.
Elliott Bennett, or EBenno, is presumably currently ‘considering his options’ in time honoured fashion.
After joining the putative Paul Lambert revolution at Blackburn Rovers in January he now has the former Bolton and Wigan boss Owen Coyle in charge of his destiny at Ewood Park.
Maybe he’s now ‘surplus to requirements’ or he is restless for a return down south? Who knows.
For many a City fan, any crossing of the line from Norfolk to Suffolk (even if there is a period of time between as would be the case with Bennett), is heresy – taboo – a no-no of the highest order.
For others, he is perfectly welcome to ply his trade for whoever the hell he likes. His time at Carrow Road will remain untainted.
I wonder if that will be the case if 1) he does make the move, and 2) he pops up with the winner in the East Anglian derby?
Some bigger names than Benno have faced the same dilemma and taken the plunge.
Denis Law crossed the Manchester divide – in both directions. City – Utd (via Italy) – City. Wow, now that does take some balls.
Peter Beardsley crossed the park directly from Anfield to Goodison – again brave beyond words.
Being a Geordie boy though, I suspect that Beardo knew any thoughts of a move to Sunderland at any point of his career would have been the end of his welcome on the Tyne.
Both brave men survived to tell the tale but almost certainly came in for dog’s abuse from diehard fans of the clubs involved.
All in an age before the online vessel gifted everyone and his dog an opinion of course. Modern technology ramps up the spreading of vitriol and rancour.
I’m sure you can think of other examples.
Only a handful of such cases have made the Norwich to Ipswich move.
Some have come the other way but that’s different. That’s coming to their senses and seeing the error of their ways.
Louie Donowa, that pacey, tricky Canary of the mid-80s who played at the old Wembley in 1985, went to Suffolk for one season but only after a time spent in Spain and Holland.
Louie was born in Ipswich, so did have some ‘excuse’ maybe but he soon moved on to Bristol City, so clearly the lure of Constable country didn’t turn out to be so strong.
Louie’s fellow Milk Cup Final winning colleague John ‘Dixie’ Deehan did the unthinkable and moved straight from the Canaries to the Tractor boys in an exchange deal which saw Trevor Putney make the opposite journey.
Deehan must have taken serious flak for that move at the time but the club was big enough to invite him back to first assist Mike Walker – that went rather well – before taking up the full managerial reigns from 1994-95.
That didn’t go so well with Deehan jumping ship shortly before relegation from the Premiership.
However, long-serving stylish midfield ace Ian ‘Chippy’ Crook deserves centre stage when discussing those who risked the wrath of the yellow and green faithful, albeit he didn’t even play for Ipswich in the end. But only just.
Crooky’s Suffolk near miss is one of the most curious episodes in the club’s history.
After serving the club with distinction for the best part of a decade and leaving an indelible impression for his beautiful range of passing and midfield guile, Chippy suddenly found himself surplus and available on a free.
He was not alone in that regard with other legends, Mark Bowen and Jeremy Goss, similarly ‘Chased out’ in a clear-out by Gary Megson. Those were dark days.
Chippy did the unthinkable and was persuaded to sign up for the move to Portman Road by George Burley, even having his photo taken with the dreaded blue and white shirt.
As fortune would have it, Megson got the boot, the silver fox Walker returned and one of his first acts was to re-instate Crook at Carrow Road.
Much gnashing of teeth followed, a tribunal ensued, fines were issued and the local Suffolk rags vented their spleen at the ‘Judas’ who changed sides without ever seeing action there.
There must have been a hell of a stink for a while.
All was forgiven with most as Chippy resumed his Norwich career (if only briefly) before disappearing off to Japan.
Crook of course did, again briefly, reappear in Norfolk as coach in the Bryan Gunn regime but the least said about that episode the better. He now plies his trade in Australia.
Now, Benno is no Ian Crook or John Deehan in terms of his record with the Canaries – they both became hall-of-famers – but a Canary he was and, as such, it would be tough to see him turning out for the mortal enemy next season.
It is entirely a free decision he has to make if he does want away from Ewood Park. If Mick does make the call, then he has said time-honoured tricky decision to make.
And with Twitter waiting for his decision, he better be prepared for a less than 100 per cent positive reaction if he does join the Marcus Evans revolution.
Most though I suspect, would get over it… unless he pops up with the winner in a certain derby match. Now, that would be unforgivable.
Personally, I’d wish Elliott Bennett good luck if he chose to venture down south. It won’t be an easy task for him, pleasing all those opinionated empty blue seats every other week….
Good luck to Benno wherever he ends up-looked a real class player in the making when he joined us and in the first few months of his career here, ‘that’ goal at Tottenham a highpoint (Lambert and Holt both commented afterwards how they had implored him to have more self belief in his game and to get forward & attack the game in that manner)but also, for me, a crucial one in the home game against Reading towards the tail end of the 12/13 season.
Personally don’t see the issue with players coming here from ITFC or ours going there. It’s their career after all & they don’t have or need to be swayed by fan alligance and/or antipathy to their own and rival clubs. It’s nice when they do embrace it as some have-yet even Alan Smith, when he was at Leeds, said he’d never join Man Utd, went there anyway. But its not obligatory and if your career is a modest one at best, then you go where you are wanted and where the contract and security is at its best-completely understandable.
If Benno does go down the road, I’d like to think we’d show him and their fan how classy we are by giving him a good reception if he shows up here with them-they can carry on abusing players who have never played for us but they think he has because the name is similar to one who did, think it was Curtis Fleming when he went there with Middlesbrough.
Gary (1) You need to remember that those empty seats are very loyal (they turn up for every home game at Portaloo Road, even if they’re not very passionate). They also have “history” – or so they keep telling us.
Cheers for the comments.
Didn’t mention Andy Marshall – still a bit raw that one for me, but then I do hold a grudge. Think he was the last to cross to ‘the dark side’ of Anglia.
Nothing against EBenno doing whatever he likes but with 2 years on his Blackburn contract, a move anywhere let alone Suffolk seems odd. Then again, the full car crash that is the Venkys’ Blackburn is probably known only to those on the inside.
The Denis Law story amazes me more than any other, especially his back heel winner for City against Utd in the last game of the season which relegated Utd – now there’s some genuine reason for bitterness and angst.
Russ, anorak time…
Law’s goal didn’t, in the end, send Man United down-indeed, in a way, we were responsible!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVPfd8UurkQ&feature=youtu.be
We lost 2-1 at Birmingham City on the same day, a result which put the Brummies clear of Man Utd meaning that, even if they’d won this game and their last game at Stoke, they would have still been relegated.
A little over 44,000 at St Andrews for that one-Ian Davies, at 17, made his Canaries debut coming on for Steve Grapes.
While we rightly require players to show commitment while they’re at Norwich, we sometimes need to be reminded that they’re professionals trying to make the most of their (relatively short) career.
Good luck to Benno if he goes to Portman Road – I believe he’s a good guy. He didn’t grow up in Norfolk; we bought him from Brighton when it suited us; he doesn’t owe us any special allegiance.
Now, if a City FAN switched allegiance to Ipswich…
I remember playing against Clive Woods years ago in what could loosely be described as a pub-based charity match. Myself (LB) and our RB were turned inside out so many times we were dizzy. He was only about 45… (embarrassed emoticon).
THE worst experience of my life came in Alan Brazil’s pub, the Black Adder. My mate Colin used to work at Willis Faber and I met him for a catch-up and a drink. He ran the Binners’ social section and knew everyone there was to know at the Club.
Enjoying a beer, I suddenly blanched as Brazil came in with, of all people, John Wark. They’d just been playing golf. Brazil said to Colin: “Who’s your mate?” He kindly replied, loudly: “He’s a Norwich fan”. Tumbleweed, swinging doors, etc.
Actually they were both gents and great company. I even understood the odd word they said:-)
I’ve also had the privilege to meet EBenno a couple of times and he seems a really good guy. He would surely get no abuse from any real City fan? The Andy Marshall thing was different – the circumstances around that transfer were very, erm, emotive. No wonder Marshall got his own line in that well-known terrace favourite “There is a Circus in the Town”!
The point about Andy Marshall, which irked many, was more to do with the point that he refused to sign a new contract – which he was perfectly entitled to do – and then moved on a free, to Ipswich of all places.
Norwich weren’t exactly flush with cash at the time and that just seemed to add insult to be injury.
At least Rob Green had the decency – if such a thing exists in football – when he wanted out, to put his hand up when he still had a year left on his contract, so the club at least got a fee.
EdCL – I bow to the anorak! Do you have any more background on that Crook saga or is that for future publication? I did find this Eastern Evening News front-page from the time which is probably worth printing off and framing;
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/polopoly_fs/1.4593532.1467027154!/menu/standard/file/July%202%201996.pdf
Stewart – don’t think ‘fan-switching’ has been/is/will ever be forgiven!
el dingo – nice recollection. I have no problem with those such as Woods (or Putney as mentioned) who come the ‘other way’.