The other day our very own Stewart Lewis suggested somebody should do an article on NCFC loans in. Fool that I am, I threw my hat in the ring, drew the short straw and so off I’ll go. I won’t remember all of them – who could – but there can only truly be one starting point.
The holy trinity of Darren Huckerby, Peter Crouch and the less-remembered Kevin Harper. What a season that was, and (sorry) basically driven by the loan players. Harper made an ar$e of himself with an autumn sending-off, Crouchy went back to his parent club but…
On Boxing Day 2003, I drew up in the Clarence Harbour where the security guys and their dogs always used to let me park. Because I knew them, and they knew me.
My mate Slim from Blofield came bundling across said car park yelling: ‘We’ve got him. We’ve got him!’
I didn’t believe him, but he was right. Hucks was ineligible for the game against Forest – but there was the arrival of Darren Huckerby on a permanent announced on the pitch by Delia. And we had the temerity to win 1-0 on the day. Hence the birth of the Huckerby Christmas song, which I’m sure we can all recite to this day.
Possibly that was as good as it got. Stewart pointed out what a good player Scott Parker was and I would cheerfully second that. A bright young spark in a grey cloud of darkness at that time.
John Hartson is not fondly remembered. But, oh boy, if we’d realised his medical status at the time – which we didn’t, and I doubt he did himself – opinions might be a little different. It seems he’s okay now and I’m delighted for him.
Jonas Gutierez also had that dreadful disease while on loan with us.
Sibierski – I’m not even going there. Utterly useless.
Andre Wisdom? Hmm. Didn’t look good to me. Ryan Bertrand – I never realised what a fine player he would become.
Moving on to some positives: Neale Fenn and Paul Dalglish at the end of Mike Walker’s final season. Great little players and I still don’t understand why She Who Must Be Obeyed binned Mike off. Ten goals to us in our last two home fixtures and he gets the tin tack? We all know the rumours, but I guess we’ll never know the truth.
In recent times, Angus Gunn and Harry Reed were top of the shelf. Well done Webber and Farke.
I’m going to end where I should have started by comparing two very different on-loan goalkeepers. Simon Tracy (I was there, and I saw the error that even I could have prevented) and Fraser Forster.
“Fraser Forster one more year, one more year. Fraser Forster one more year – stay at Norwich”
Any of your comments on our loanees are actively appreciated – I’ve deliberately left a few out to make room for debate 🙂
Paddy Boyle, David Carney, Alan Gow, Chris Killen, Adrian Leijer, David Mooney, Zesh Rehman, Maceo Rigters…, and we wonder why 2006-early 2009 was often a depressing time!
What an excellent selection.
Maceo Rigters I genuinely do not remember at all!
2 games 2008 dutch loan
Well done Alex.
The thing I love about this site is there’s ALWAYS someone who knows better than me – and you didn’t let me down:-)
Kyle Naughton was excellent. I remember watching him play rb, lb and cb in one game due to injury and maybe a sending off.
Fraser Forster seems to be out of the scene at Soton- worth remembering in January perhaps
Hi Don
The Kyle Naughton show was against Bolton and he was brilliant at Carrow Road that day.
We could have kept him but those at the helm at that time decided not.
Yet another one from Tottenham of course.
Hi Martin
Norwich once was a good place for Arsenal to loaned there up coming player’s to.
Bentley he that got lost and turned up at Ipswich training ground but his loan was a success.
Landsbury another that did a good job while at the club
Then there are Spurs
Edwards sent back after playing only 10 minutes
Kane never did much
Calum Davenport CB
Chelsea players
Bamford not much to write home about
Ryan Bertrand did a good job at city
There gas been a few from both Liverpool and Manchester clubs and possibly more successes than flops but that is the nature of the loan market
Hi Alex again – Poor old Harry Kane.
Missed that sitter against West Ham, injured his toe and never seen again here in a yellow shirt..
Oh wow what we missed out on!
You’re right about Bamford too.
Callum Davenport I had completely forgotten about.
Cheers for the comment.
Henri Lansbury was marvellous for us, he really was.
“Kane never did much”
Well no, he got injured. Might that explain it?
Hi Keith
Yes I forgot his injury but in some of his other loans he never set the world on fire.
Both Harry R and RvB never rated him as a first team option and never gave him a game 7 loans under them it was Ex city man Tim S that rated him and gave him his first run of game and he showed what he could do
Good stuff, Martin.
A couple of loanees come to mind who burned brightly but briefly for us: Kevin Cooper in 2004, Stephen Elliott in 2011.
On the other hand, I don’t recall Pape Diop (1999) or Danny Granville (2000) burning much at all.
Somehow – remarkably – we’ve got this far without mentioning Elvis Hammond.
Oh somebody did mention our (Fulham’s) Elvis, in the very recent “forgotten faces” thread!
Kevin Cooper is an excellent shout.
I do recall Papa Diop, on loan from Lens, tearing down the wing at CR around Christmas/New Year against (?) Fulham. Upended, then one of their players accused him of spitting, Diop was sent off and that seemed to be the end of that!
Hi MGW.
I’m pretty sure it was Fulham too and it was a night match as I recall. There was quite a furore over the spitting incident at the time and as you so rightly say, that was very much that.
Sorry, Martin – I missed that 62nd comment….
Martin another spurs link and possibly one of my favourite plsyers at both clubs
Jimmy Neighbour
Transferred to Norwich City in September 1976 for a £75,000 fee and went on to play 106 matches including two as sub and netting five goals for the Carrow Roadclub between 1976–1979
Long may he be remembered
He was terrific. Thanks for remembering!
Good one Alex.
The Spurs links seems never ending – and we’ve not even touched on Martin Peters or John Polston!
A player that we all thought was “no good,” until he arrived on loan at Norwich back in the 1976-77 season. I can remember watching at least one of the three games that Peter Osgood played for us during his very short loan spell here.
Thanks Graham.
A big name easily forgotten (by the rest of us) I guess!
I never saw him myself. Well, I did, but he was playing for Chelsea against Spurs so I guess it doesn’t really count:-)