As Sky Sports have now commandeered most of the remainder of our fixture list, we face a Bertie Bassett array of kick-offs. The traditional 3pm on a Saturday that we all love will be a rarity.
This will create problems for those of us who, as soon as the games are announced, book holidays or prioritise our work diary in and around the football schedule.
But this is one the drawbacks of being involved in the final countdown for promotion.
In some ways, us fans have become victims of the team’s success. Some of us have hotels and train tickets booked, so thanks to Sky Sports for blowing our intricate planning out of the water.
So, yes, it’s a pain, but let’s take it on the chin. If the football wasn’t so entertaining, we would probably still be little ol’ Norwich, hovering around mid-table, trying to get a sniff of playoffs while Sky turn their attention to Leeds or Frank Lampards Derby… oh…
The revenue is welcome though and we are all praying for the season to continue in the same vein. Some though (not me!) already have their envelope stamped and think we’re signed sealed and delivered. Perhaps I’ll rest a little easier if we get the right result against Swansea on Friday.
Right now, every game seems like a cup final, even those we are not involved in! We’re constantly looking for teams around us to drop points and seeing if the chasing pack have a more challenging run.
What is certain is the camaraderie between this group of players and how this is a team with no large egos. It’s clear they all want each other to do well and their celebration of each other’s successes is living proof that there is no I in team!
This togetherness has filtered into the fans and the atmosphere is electric both home and away. Is this due to the work of Along Come Norwich/Barclay End Norwich, and their fantastic crowdfunding campaign that has the Lower Barclay emulating scenes from the Bundesliga? Or has the success of this been dependent on the play on the pitch? Could one influence the other? Are they down to symbolic interactionism?
Whatever the case, it’s a great time to be a Norwich fan.
Millwall away will stick in my memory forever, especially with the fans singing for the entirety of the journey. There was a united belief of something special is happening. Grown men were professing their love for Pukki, Emi, Stiepermann and even Daniel and his horse. There is a sense of togetherness from top to bottom.
I’m desperately trying to take it all in, enjoy it and stop the part of me that’s panicking every time a game looms. I want to enjoy every second, every minute, every hour.
I truly can’t face the thoughts of the playoffs and so, for me, we’ve got to take one of those two top spots.
I listen intently to Farke’s pre and post interviews and each time I swear he’s just come from a yoga class; always calm and philosophical. He certainly doesn’t look like a head coach that’s feeling the pressure. I think maybe I’m doing enough fretting for the both of us.
So perhaps I too should look at meditation to get me through the next eleven games if I want to enjoy the journey. And, while I’m at it, I also want a crystal ball to see where we will be, come May. Wishing the season could end now!
Perhaps, just perhaps, a few games down the line we will be in the position where I can relax and then I will be wishing for the season to go on forever. But, for now, I’m not going to think of what lies ahead. That P-word.
So let’s hold aloft our flags, scarfs and banners and roar these boys to victory. Let’s be that twelfth man. If social psychology and Farke’s philosophy join together, Carrow Road and the team will remain a real force and we could just do it.
Meanwhile, we’ll leave that other team in East Anglia – the rubbish one – to their negativity bias.
I couldn’t write an article without a mention, because apparently, we’re obsessed.
OTBC
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A very good read Anita.
The kick-off time changes annoy me too – and that’s just at the Carra as I only go away two or three times a season and unless I go to Wigan (which I might) that’s my lot.
But as you so rightly say it’s the price we, as supporters, pay for success.
Like several recent articles on MFW you’ve perfectly reflected how we’re all feeling but with a personal and thus individual take on it.
It’ll soon be time to sink them Swans!
Perfectly summed up how so many of us are feeling.
I recall a game v Gillingham back in 2010 when we won to guarantee the League 1 title. Rusty and Nelson scored in a poor game to be fair but we had won promotion at Charlton the game prior to this and remember the pure joy that we were going to finish top of the bunch and be back in the Championship and so started the best period in our recent history.
Of course we went on to win promotion to the Prem the following season, what amazing days they were, filled with all the same tensions and roller coaster rides as we are experiencing now.
Life moves ahead so quickly, we are almost 10 years on from the above mentioned, it’s 16 years since Hucks signed and over 25 since we beat Bayern Munich, Jerry Goss and all that! So please everyone just savor what’s happening and enjoy every single moment.
As Anita says, “So let’s hold aloft our flags, scarfs and banners and roar these boys to victory. Let’s be that twelfth man”.
Continuing from your last sentence Martin –
In front of Sky cameras at 19.45 on a Friday evening.
No thought for travelling fans!!! 🙁
PS – Great article Anita
Hi Ed
It must be an absolute nightmare for the Jack army.
I used to have to go to a powder coating factory in Newport for work on occasions but at least I had a comfortable hotel overnight provided f-o-c by my Company. The lengthy journey is a complete pig and I would imagine it would be more than a bit risky in the dark.
Total respect for all those Swans that make it – and you can bet they’ll bring more than a few as they always do.
I completely agree with you.
Anita, forget the yoga and meditation. I can vouch for a nice drop of single malt – does wonders for me!
COYY!!
I need no encouragement
Being a football support you have to take the good with the bad, rough with the smooth and expect the unexpected especially being a city one.
If push had comes to shove I would have expected most city supporters would have prayed for a playoff place and to be in the final at Wembley and what a day out that would have been again, now with the possibility of going up automatically nerves will be jaggling, fingernail chewed to the quick, lets hope that we don’t have to rely on any penalties over the run in.
Great read Anita and as all have said it sums up how we all feel at this stage of the season.
A great read Anita and couldn’t disagree with anything you wrote. The issue regarding the kick off time for Wigan in my view is impossible to avoid and Sky are rather damned if they do or damned if they don’t. They can’t leave it at 3 o’clock on Saturday because they’re not allowed to televise matches at that time (in this country). So they either ignore us and get accused of ‘big team’ bias or they find a suitable time slot to show the game. The Sunday afternoon slots are taken by Premier League so that just leaves the evening slots or what we ended up with.
Either way, it’s a long old poke for us Norfolk based Canaries so it’s a straight choice between an early start at silly o’clock or a late late drive home in the dark. Ho hum, we’ll suck it up and be there to support the boys, it’s what we do.
I responded to an earlier tweet by saying ‘The public deserves to witness greatness’, I stand by that comment and I’d rather they show us on the telly than spend ages droning on about how great Jack Grealish is and suggesting that Villa can still make a late bid for the play offs.