It was when I was penning my piece for the Along Come Norwich fanzine, a while ago now, that it dawned on me just how eventful life is as a Norwich City supporter has been, and still is come to that.
Maybe a statistician out there will prove me wrong and life for us is just, well…normal, but from the inside it feels like we generally have more than our fair going on, and we certainly do when compared to those sides whose recent history has been spent hovering midtable in the Championship.
And I’m not just talking of the successes and the trophies – yes, kids of Ipswich, we have had some – but of the almost unrelenting yo-yoing that does little for the nerves but which ensures life is never ever dull.
The piece I wrote for the ACN fanzine was about the 1980s, mainly from a City perspective but also the wider view – UK and global news, music, films etc – but it was my concluding paragraph that highlighted to me (admittedly not the sharpest tool in the box) the extremes of the ups-and-downs of a Canary foot soldier.
In that decade alone there were two promotions, two relegations, a League Cup Final win, an FA Cup semi-final and a fourth-place finish in the top-flight, and what should have been (but weren’t) three separate sojourns into the UEFA Cup.
Not bad for a little provincial club with, then, average home crowds of around 15,000.
Admittedly, not all decades have produced the extremes of the 1980s but life in these parts is certainly never dull and it really does feel that, compared to others, we have more than our fair share of dramas – both good and bad.
Ipswich fans, of course, wax lyrical about the 1980s (and the late 70s and the early 60s and any other moment in history if you’re patient enough) but 17 consecutive seasons in the Championship says that the 21st century has been more beige than blue, even though they did rectify that depressing stat last season.
In researching this piece (yes, I know it is hard to believe), I was however taken aback to find that our friends down south qualified for European competition in nine out of ten seasons between 1973 and 1983.
Obviously, I knew they’d won the 1980/81 UEFA (my god, I’ve been reminded enough times), and knew that it was a good Ipswich side (sorry, but it was) but nine out of ten seasons in Europe? Hadn’t quite cottoned onto that. *doffs cap*
With that tucked up my sleeve, I too may scoff at a ‘UEFA Cup 1993/94 (participants)’ line, and I certainly don’t have the strength to argue that one of our aborted 1980s UEFA Cup runs may have helped redress the balance.
The 1990s were of a similar ilk for City, not because of the ups and downs on the pitch – there was just that one ignominious relegation in 1994/95 – but most certainly because of events off it.
It was, to say the least, tumultuous with the club soaring to that third place in 1992/93 – which was of course rewarded with our UEFA Cup ‘participation’ – but then plummeting to the depths of financial peril and near extinction.
For the fans, it was from exhilaration to despair in a matter of months, the journey from one to the other being like one of those Hollywood lifts at the top of a skyscraper that goes into freefall. Luckily the landing wasn’t bad as it could have been and Delia, Michael, Sir Geoffrey and Martin Armstrong were there at the bottom to help us out of the wreckage.
But it was a wreck, one minus a pot tom pi$$ in, and all far cry from Mike Walker’s ‘loosen the purse strings’ rallying cry on the eve of the Inter Milan away-leg; something I can vividly recall reading in one of the complimentary EDPs dished out that morning at Norwich Airport to the travelling Yellow Army.
The despair was absolute and 99 per cent of the wrath was aimed at one man, whose forced departure ultimately led to Delia and Michael, with the support of the two aforementioned outriders, taking the reins.
It’s a piece for another day, but Robert Chase didn’t depart stage left willingly and it took the full force of a supporters’ movement to dislodge him from office – something that resembled civil war, as recollected by Martin in the week.
There was nothing beige or, I guess, boring about it. The adrenaline was pumping, not because of success on the pitch but because of what many of us saw as a victory off it.
Like I said…never dull. Even when football was.
The 21st century has seen more of the same, only this time one of the relegations involved a stopover in the third tier, which to most of us was a new experience. And while that certainly wasn’t part of the masterplan, it did inadvertently offer a chance to overturn a losing mentality that had engulfed the club.
Our friends down the A140 may benefit from the same – who knows. There is an obvious common denominator.
In the 19 seasons of this century, we’ve spent five in the Premier League, 12 in the Championship, thankfully just the one in League One, and have been involved in five promotions and four relegations.
In other words, for almost every season spent in mid-table – which doesn’t allow for just missing out at either end of the table – another has been spent either reluctantly heading southwards of joyously heading northward.
That we’re currently in the process of heading north (literally) puts in a good place; possibly as good a place as we’ve been in at any stage of the last four decades. Arguably ever.
And it’s having lived through the heartaches that make this time so special, and what makes me smile when we’re scoffed at by those who see the upper echelons of the Premier League as home.
Those at the very top of the English game have, I suppose, the potential joy of winning the biggest prizes to look forward to but there are only five worth winning, and two of those are competed for by Europe’s elite. So said moments of ecstasy don’t happen very often – the rest of the time it’s just a battle to make top four and avoid the dreaded Europa League.
Is there really much fun to be had in that? Imagine being Everton.
The irony, of course, is that we aspire to be Everton – to be secure in the Premier League without the perennial threat of relegation, and to be equipped to go toe-to-toe with the top six without the relying on them having “an off day”.
But that’s for another day. For now let’s just embrace the madness, soak up every nerve-shredding second and not even contemplate giving Liverpool a guard of honour on opening day.
Great sunday morning read, with the first coffee. I look back at the many up and downs and always reminded of the monitor you see in so many hospital TV show.s. and never actually seen one in real life.
When the line goes up and down .. you are alive .. when there is no movement a flat line. sadly you are dead. Flat-Lining . is quite common in middle table nothingness.
I am more thank thankful for the ups and downs…. Re Chase days, I am sure I still have a bruise (haha) from a Police Horse …. those days do seem a long way back now, I have to refresh my memory by reading old articles. I will say that some of what he put the clubs money into did reap small benefits later on. Unless I need another refresher .
I have been no big fan of the Stowmarker duo, the saving the club is well worn path. but I don’t believe we will see those Chase type events again. Yet we did have some very successful seasons under his time at the helm, although the rudder did fall off.
As to being close to bankruptcy under him. has not the current regime taken us close to that more recently ? A thin edge football clubs walk along
Good post ‘lad’ …. hard to argue with any of that (and yes, they have).
Thanks, as ever.
Gary
On three occasions I believe.
Whilst the collapse of ITV Digital in the early 2000’s was completely outside of their control, in necessitated the last share offerings. The banks were also eager for the return of their dosh following that relegation to League One, and it took some fancy renegotiating, plus promotion to the Premier League, to resolve that one. Add into the mix Stuart Webber’s utterings last summer and the ‘near misses’ probably stands at three.
I really enjoyed reading that.
No I didn’t realise either how consistent 1p5wich were in achieving European qualification back in the day – that revelation was an eye-opener for me.
Two things I could have put in my Chase article but chose not to I’ll briefly share.
The horses. Rented from the Met as to the best of my knowledge Norfolk Constabulary didn’t have a mounted section then and perhaps do not to this very day. As Lad says above, there were bumps and bruises aplenty but fortunately nothing serious occurred. These uniformed riders know what they’re doing and I never saw a nightstick drawn.
But Jeez, were they intimidating.
Secondly I had a photographer mate called Nick who lived in Knowsley Road. His Hammer brother was behind the West Ham protests (the famous balloons) and came to a meeting of a now-redundant City supporters association to offer advice on peaceful – but effective – protest.
His advice was totally ignored by said organisation and we all meandered along with our protesting individually. As I recall there wasn’t much cohesive strategy to it.
As Gary said it took a long while to get the gentleman to quit, but we got there in the end.
Let’s think ourselves lucky we don’t support a club such as Bolton!
Martin, we’ve also had horses from Nottingham on, I think, more than one occasion, but you’re right, we have used the Met.
I think Norfolk have, or have had, a couple of Special Constables who have their own horses, which they sometimes use for rural work.
Hi Jim
Yes that makes sense to me.
I was with the Met for nearly four years and obviously felt confident enough to chat briefly to one of the mounted Officers who said they came from their base near Chigwell in Essex (adjacent to the “3 Area” social club) and it must have cost Mr Chase a fortune. The guy didn’t care – Met weekend overtime was double bubble. Much more than that probably, if we include meal allowance, displacement, etc.
Now you’ve mentioned it he did say that a couple of other forces were there too, although obviously the units operated in different locations and separately. One of them could very well have been Notts.
The 80s were certainly an eventful time for us and I guess the 70s were too. I was lucky enough to start watching Norwich in 1970 and the next 25 years were glorious. I was unlucky enough to live in Suffolk though and that was no pleasure until the 80s and the Ferguson decline down the road. Their glory time was at a more fortuitous time than ours and I think we would have had more success if able to take our place in Europe. For me the dull years of 1996 to 2009 are the anomaly but I guess for fans in their 30s or 60s they are the norm. I was thinking about the last decade and we are about to spend our 5th season in the top flight and for me that is a reasonable expectation of what we can achieve. I want to look back at history to see how we compare to previous promotions. I think 2004 was a year or two too late for some of our players and we needed a rebuild which didn’t click until too late and 2016 was probably also a time when we needed a refresh of the squad. This time I think we are a developing squad so will hopefully kick on with the current crop of players with some augmentation. I looked at Brighton two seasons ago and their approach seems to be like ours and maybe we are more Brighton 2017 than Cardiff 2018
Hi Gary.
An excellent read while watching Golf.
Never did like Robert Chase he seemed to like all the attention he got as city owner and was the first to try and make city self financing by selling players on for big profits, like all businessmen he took little if any advice on how to run the club and his skin must have been ad thick as a Rhinos.
Yes under his control city had good and bad times near bankruptcy and you can say Delia and co have had a similar run of good and bad time and near miss bankruptcy.
Chase will always be remembered for our run in Europe and his using Police horses on his own supporters.
I once read that the Ipshite board room was the envy of most clubs due to the Cobbolt family that financed the club from non league to the top of the first Division.
Their two most successful managers Ramsey and Robson both went on to manage England, and their successful periods outshine cities, we can gloat at their predicament now but not that long ago we were in their shoes and getting the abuse from them.
The Stowmarket couple have been lucky the last couple is seasons with the recruitment of Webber and co and long may it last, their descent Q&A was interesting even about outside investment but could that be a smoke screen to keep supporters of their backs, they are very adapt at shifting subjects that they are uncomfortable with.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Being reported that Oliveria has departed these shores finally given a free transfer by Pinkun online, I can understand that but hope there is a sell on clause so in the future city might get some pennies for him
Something I often remind my friends who support the big north west clubs is that unlike me, they’ve rarely had the excitement of a promotion season, and if their particular club fails to reach the Champions League that’s their equivalent of a relegation season for us.
Great piece Gary,
Don’t you think its so sad now that the “other” European trophy has been so devalued so much since it was the UEFA Cup ?
Aston Villa and Bolton among others played weakened teams in the competition as Premier League survival was all that mattered, nothing else,
I loved it when the Champions (only the Champions) went for the European Cup and all the other teams really took the UEFA Cup and Cup Winners Cup seriously.
It seems to me that it is in many ways it’s all about money now, don’t get me wrong I still love my football but surely had a Stoke, Swansea etc won a Europa League it would be a fantastic achievement and one that would be celebrated in 10, 20 or 30 years time. No one would have a reunion for finishing 16-17th in the Premier League.
I was also surprised how many times Ipswich qualified for Europe, and I was also surprised that the teams most affected by the Heysel ban were Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City with 3 years each.
Thanks Tim – agree with that. Is perverse how teams strain every sinew to get as high up the Premier League as possible but then, having qualified for the Europa League, play weakened teams as it’s perceived as nothing more than an unwanted distraction.