They locked us down. A scenario I never thought I’d see, certainly in my lifetime. As I sit and pen this article I find myself gazing out over the Severn Estuary and count myself very fortunate to live where I do.
We live in Portishead and have a 180-degree panoramic view of the river Severn, Cardiff right up to the Severn Bridges. I am trying to reframe this situation as a holiday more so than a lockdown. I’m spending lots of time with my now two-month-old and my two-year-old knowing that at some point I’ll be back in work every day.
With the sunshine this often feels more like a holiday than a quarantine with a clear view of the rolling Welsh coastline, hills, fields and the industry and furnaces of Newport… the view is never the same twice.
I also count myself very fortunate to live in an age of the Internet where we are able to communicate with both sets of parents either via phone or FaceTime.
Occasionally the sun catches on some piece of glass over in Wales and reflects with a twinkle, and it made me think how we would have coped in this situation without the benefit of modern-day appliances. Using mirrors to communicate perhaps?
It also got me wondering where my fellow MFW readers and writers were and how they were coping?
I thought it might be fun to for us to post a picture of us self-isolating with our favourite, or simply a Norwich shirt on. It might help to bring us all together, more so given the feelings of loneliness and isolation that can creep in. So, if you’re up for it, pictures to Gary at gary@myfootballwriter.com, who will collate it into a piece in its own right.
Let’s give a go – a welcome piece of solidarity showing that we stand together. I’ll kick us off…
I also wondered whether we could each construct that age-old discussion of what your favourite Norwich XI is. I’m not talking the greatest, or the best players, but simply your favourite players. One for each position.
Now, this comes with a caveat – you have to have seen these players live. So for me, sadly it rules out Darren Huckerby and Mark Robins who unquestionably would have made my line up. It’s, of course, easier if you have been a season ticket holder; less so, if like me, you’ve spent most of your Norwich supporting life as an exile.
I’ve gone for a 4-2-2-2 formation. So, here goes my favourite players (who I’ve seen) plus subs:
Andy Marshall – left-field choice here, I’m sure many of you are thinking – Judas? Flapper? For me, a superb shot-stopper. During my school days, we were all desperate for the ‘next big thing’ to come from our clubs. And at one time he was! England Under-21 caps never materialised into senior ones. But let’s not forget that at one point, Marshall was lauded as one of the best young keepers in the game.
Adam Drury – Mr Dependable. A mainstay for ten seasons. Captain and scorer of ‘that goal’ against Middlesbrough. The first name on your team sheet.
Jon Newsome – my first taste of a ‘proper’ centre back. He arrived as I was starting to really appreciate and understand football. A leader and scorer of quite a few goals. Blackburn at home anyone!
Ben Godfrey – a surprising selection as my others have come from Christmases past…. but watching him play this season at Liverpool just made me aware of what an immense player he is and will become. I just hope we get to see him for a bit longer.
Steen Nedergaard – STEENO!! A buccaneering right back and solid defensively too. He had a hell of a right foot on him and it’s just such a shame his spell with us wasn’t longer.
Ian Crook – okay, so I only saw Chippy towards the end of his playing days. But what a passer. He could put a pass on a 50p piece but not only that, you have to love him for his Ipswich ‘U-turn’.
Phil Mulryne – dubbed the new Beckham but was swiftly found wanting as regards the requisite ability to play at that standard. Moving to the Carra, thus followed season after excellent season, one leg-break aside, of exquisite passing, some great goals and, boy, could he hit a free-kick. Grimsby!
Darren Eadie – My favourite in the list. I grew up extolling the virtues of Eadie for England, proclaiming with unabashed pride of his qualities and his left foot. And all this at a time when England simply didn’t have a left-footed winger. A case of ‘what if’, surely. I had the pleasure of sorting out Darren’s rental van when he moved to Leicester.
An absolute gent, he not only signed various bits and pieces for me, but had a good chat on the phone and also brought me in a signed photo of himself thanking me for my help. Legend.
Wes Hoolahan – Huckerby would have taken this slot, but the only fixture I managed during his tenure was Exeter away in a friendly, and he didn’t play! Groan. So Wesley takes it and to be fair he’s not a bad replacement. Twinkle-toed, I thoroughly enjoyed watching him turn defenders inside out, from League One all the way to the Prem. His penalties could have been better though!
Grant Holt – Talismanic. Check. Goal predator extraordinaire. Check. Surprisingly fleet of foot. Check. Loved goading Ipswich. Check Check Check.
What a player and what a legend. He gave us so many goals and so many magical moments all personified by ‘that’ laugh against Ipswich. I could go on. The goals against Colchester, Arsenal, Liverpool etc etc. All came with equal importance and glee. Akin to Iwan, it was such a shame he was faded out before his time.
Iwan Roberts – Iwwwwwwwan. The chant still echoes in my conscious. Iwan was ‘the’ goal scorer during my UEA days and as such is the striker and indeed, player I happen to have watched the most on this list.
I also met him in Time Nightclub (NCFC’s ‘Tuesday club’ coincided nicely with a uni night out) shook his hand and called him a legend. He just smiled and said thank you very much! Iwan – if you’re reading, thank you for taking the time. A simple gesture, but one very much remembered.
I remember the announcement of his signing and getting very excited – proven Premier League goalscorer! And his goals didn’t disappoint. I cheered him on with aplomb most particularly, albeit from my living room, for that glorious leap at Cardiff.
Subs:
Craig Bellamy – precocious – but what a talent. He had it all, apart from the attitude.
Paul McVeigh – We love you… Another to coincide with my uni days and as such got to watch him a lot. Great player.
Mo Leitner – a surprising admission given his relative lack of time at the club and rumoured bad attitude. But I love a deep-lying playmaker who can pick a pass. And he certainly can.
Teemu Pukki – unlucky not to make the start line up. But I just couldn’t find a way to oust Holt or Roberts…
So I hope you’re all holding up well and are safe and healthy. Pictures to Gary and favourite lineup below!
OTBC
I’m punished because you couldn’t be bothered to travel! ?? Hucks
Cheer up – see below 🙂
Haha, Hucks – I’m sorry!!
I blame Peter Grant, personally. Instead I got to watch big Dave Strihavka up top.
Hi Martin.
Disclaimers normally come at the end but I’m going to get mine in at the beginning. My selection could never have played together as a team! It’s 4-4-2 btw.
GK: Kevin Keelan for his athleticism and personality. He’d never stay on the pitch for 45 let alone 90 these days but I loved him.
RB: Ian Culverhouse. Unflappable, solid and reliable. I once played against him in Harlow when he was just a kid and he ran rings around all of us.
LB: Mark Bowen. Simply the best. Sorry Adam but he was.
CBI: John Newsome. Pure Yorkshire class.
CBII: Steve Bruce. A close call with Dave Watson but after that goal against 1p5wich he has to get my nod.
DM/AM partnership: I have to work Ian Crook in somewhere so it would have to be him and Bradley Johnson. Weird but it might have worked.
RW/LW Hucks. Who the bloody hell else? Darren Eadie gets the other gig but they’d have to change wings quite often as they always did of course.
S: Flecky. Didn’t have to think about it.
S: Chris Sutton. Ideal if a CB got injured too of course.
My bench: Bryan Gunn, Ruel Fox, Dale Gordon, Dean Ashton, Dave Watson, Adam Drury, Max Aarons.
Manager: Glenn Roeder – see I told you they wouldn’t be able to play together as a team.
Ok, my favourite City XI
Kevin Keelan – my first hero
Ian Culverhouse – the original and best ‘Steady Eddie’
Steve Bruce – that header
Dave Watson – lifted that Cup
Marc Tierney (yes, really) – mad as box of frogs
Colin Suggett – classy midfielder
Martin Peters – the classiest midfielder
Wes Hoolahan – the best bobber and weaver in the history of the Universe
Darren Huckerby – the best
Steve Morison – always love an underdog. Everyone hated him, so I liked him
Teemu Pukki – Had to include one of Farke’s heroes
Subs;
Holty
Iwan
Gossy
Chippy
Ruel
Stiepi
Sherwood
Gunny
SuperMac (Ted MacDougall)
Morison? Sherwood? Tierney?
Perhaps I took Martin’s article too seriously 🙂
I feel the urge to come up with an alternative XI.
Theoklitos
Colin
Blades
Segura
Diop
Brellier
Whittaker
Jonsson
Gow
Ottosson
Coney.
Subs: Hansbury, Pattison, Strihavka, Sibierski, Otsemabor, Derveld, de Waard.
Manager: Jose Mourinho. He wouldn’t be very Special with that lot.
Ha … I genuinely really liked Steve Morison in his first season and then got even more on board when, in his second season, the majority took a proper dislike to him (mainly because he wasn’t Holty). Sherwood was similar, in my book, and was (also in my book) a great player, who went on to be a league title winner.
I loved Tierney … limited player, but daft as a brush.
Loving these left-field favourites! I was always a fan of Brian McGovern…
until that is, I saw him subbed off at half-time – he never played again.
Wow, such a hard choice!
442 for me
Woods – Great keeper – City have been blessed with Keepers and he was the first I saw,
Culverhouse – No other choice at RB unless you want to include Ostemobor!!. Aarons is c
Mckay – Loved his desire. Can’t believe he was released before 04/05 season
Bruce – Purely sentimental. Always remember his penalty miss against Wimbledon. It was shocking!!! Great old fashioned CB.
Bowen – Just edges out Drury/Lewis. Scored some good goals and linked up great with Crook.
Crook – What a passer
Francis – strange choice but a good box to box player who would put his foot in and compliment Crook. I loved Crook/Townsend as a partnership
Huckerby – Pace/Skill – loved playing for City
Hoolahan – Creative, special
Holt – Record speaks for itself
Drinkell – Fave striker growing up
Subs
Aarons
Ashton
Buendia
Godfrey
Drury
Peters
Gunn
Hi David. Some great choices in there! I would have taken Culverhouse over Steen, but he was phased out as I was getting in to supporting the club. By the time I got to watch a game, Sutch was our first choice.
I like the Francis choice too! Great midfielder.
Woods
Culver house, D Watson, Bruce. Drury
Maddison, M O’Neill, Peters
Huckerby, R Davies, Macdougall
B Gunn, Stringer, Lineghan, Sherwood, Hoolahan , Sutton, Foggo
Martin, do you live on Denny View, or near it? My sister used to live there, great views, but a really steep back garden!
For what it’s worth ( and I have seen all of them play):-
GK Kevin Keenan (best right hook in football)
RB Steen Nedergaard (its all been said above)
CB Barry Butler (taken too early)
CB Steve Bruce (that header! And the OG in his first game, so much power!)
LB Adam Drury (so cool, and that goal in the 4-4 draw!)
LM Ian Crook (what a left peg)
CM Martin Peters (the classiest)
CM Bradley Johnson (read the game well, a 100%er, and good for a few goals)
RM Wes Hoolahan (sometimes frustrating, but always entertaining)
CF Grant Holt (had to include him)
10 Darren Huckerby (the ability to run at defenders, and such pace)
Subs
Chris Woods
Max Aarons
Mark Bowen
Duncan Forbes
Dion Dublin
Robert Fleck
Fuel Fox
Jimmy Hill
I wan Roberts
In a 4-4-2 formation, with Herr Farke as the manager.
Hi Jim. Eagle eyed! I live very close to Denny View and only separated by a small park. Small world and wonderful how the internet connects us all.
You have seen some fabulous players in your time! Bradly Johnson is in very esteemed company – a player we certainly let go far too early.
Ha, I’m in Wolverhampton where the scenery is, um, different.
I won’t post a full team but a couple of my favourites who don’t usually get a mention are Dave Watson, the only captain I’ve seen lift a major trophy for us. Dixie Deehan, Mark Barham and Peter Mendham from that team too.
Andy Linighan, who scored the goal that ensured we played in Europe for the first time. He was playing for Arsenal when he scored the goal but earned a special place in my football memories for this.
Some great players there, Don. I only saw Mark Barham play once and that was in Tim Shepard’s testimonial vs Celtic. He still had a great touch though!
Hi Martin
No one seems to have selected…
Hugh Curran
Graham Paddon
Ken Foggo
Dave Stringer
Duncan Forbes
Ron Davies
Kevin Reeves
Phil Bowyer
Sandy Kennon
Phil Holden
Saw all these play – just wonder if it would work as a team. lol
Must give my condolences to the Hunter family of Yorkshire as I have just heard Coronavirus has taken another footballing legend in ‘Bite Yer Legs’ Norman Hunter – not the most skilled player but what determination for club and country
Stay safe everyone.
Hi Alex.
That is sad news about Norman Hunter. Before my time, but his reputation more than precedes him.
Some great selections in there! The more I read about Paddon, the more I’m starting to realise what a superb player he was. Sadly a bit before my spectating days.
good bunch I had Davies, with Stringer and Foggo on the bench. Reeves a good call
Quite a challenge this because in the 80s and 90s I saw very few games in the flesh, so it’s hard to be sure who I did and didn’t see live.. I’ll go with:
Kevin Keelan
Max Aarons
Duncan Forbes
Dion Dublin
Adam Drury
Mel Lucas
Gary Holt
Tommy Bryceland
Martin Peters
Darren Huckerby
Robert Fleck
So I think that’s some sort of 4-2-4. But the 2 in the middle wouldn’t half cover some ground! We might be a bit short on aerial power for defending set pieces.
I only saw Peters once, an away game at Loftus Road, and he was just a different class to anyone else there.
Other names in the frame, Rob Green, Dave Stringer, Terry Alcock, Ruel Fox, Darren Eadie, Paul McVeigh, Ron Davies
I reckon big Dunc and Dion would have been just fine in the aerial battle myself. Max? No. It’s his only weakness. He’s about my height [5’9″] which is no good as a defender these days.
You’ve thrown me with Mal Lucas. I had to look him up, turns out he played a lot of games for us!
Love that formation and what a front four!
Alternative
Favourite Tracey
Keelan Colin
Aarons Derveld
Watson Scott
Bruce Walsh
Bowen Hamilton
Burton Whaley
Crook Murray
Peters De Waard
Eadie Conlon
Davies Blair
Huckerby
Subs
Gunn
Culverhouse
Safri
Hoolahan
Boyer
Pukki
Buendia
Saw Norman Hunter play for Bristol City v Ipswich in the mid-70s. He’d slowed down a bit by then but his reputation still had legs (with teeth-marks).
My favourite NCFC 11 I ever saw would probably be…
Kevin Keelan
Mark Bowen / Steve Bruce / Jon Newsome / Ian Culverhouse
Darren Eadie / Mike Phelan / Martin Peters / Dale Gordon
Ted MacDougall / Kevin Drinkell
Sorry Hucks! (You’d be the pacy substitute to introduce later on.)
Great to see everyone’s teams btw – and shirts. Great idea Martin McB.
Going by the criteria favourite not best or greatest.
King Kevin
Ted Payne
Dave Stringer
Duncan Forbes
Mark Bowen
Graham Paddon
Ian Crook
Trevor Hockey
Phil Boyer
Chris Sutton
Bill Punton
Sub
Ben Godfrey
Given the vintage the majority played in an era of one or no subs I’ve only selected one and BG will fit at the back and in midfield.
A balance of skill and some more agricultural solid elements.
Hockey and Big Dunc would not have flinched facing Norman Hunter who has sadly passed away.
Kevin Keelan
Ian Culverhouse
Dave Stringer
Timm Klose
Geoff Butler
Graham Paddon
Martin Peters
Darren Huckerby
James Maddison
Teemu Pukki
Ted MacDougall
Subs
Bryan Gunn
Mark Bowen
Duncan Forbes
Martin O’Neill
Phil Boyer
Grant Holt
Manager
Daniel Farke
GK – Bryan Gunn
LB – Mark Bowen
RB – Ian Culverhouse
CB – Ian Butterworth
CB – Jon Newsome
M/F – Crook
M/F – Mendham
L/W – Phillips
R/W – Fox
F – Holt
F – Hucks
Subs
Woods
Bruce
Donowa
Fash
Drinkell
I really liked Dave Williams in midfield as well.
Keelan
Culverhouse
Bruce
Tony Powell
Joe Mullett
Maddison
Peters
Suggett
Huckerby
Ashton
Crickmore
Subs
Woods
Pukki
Holt
Hoolahan
Crook
Roberts
Forbes
Being of a certain vintage
Keelan
Aarons
Bruce
Forbes
Sullivan
Crook
Paddon
Peters
Foggo
Macdougall
Fashanu
Subs
Gunn
Stringer
Neighbor
Holt
Boyer
Suggett
Pukki
Started watching Norwich from 1998 onwards- team based on players I’ve seen during that time:
Green
Steeno- Malky- Bassong- Drury
McVeigh- B. Johnson- Mulryne- Hucks
Holt- McKenzie
Subs-
Pukki
Iwan Roberts
Anselin (first player I had on the back of my shirt)
Bellamy
Ruddy
Fleming
Gary Holt
Good old Cedric! I was over the moon when we signed him, he had some pedigree, but sadly failed to live up to expectations
My take, which shows my age:
Keelan
Culverhouse
Bruce
Watson
Bowen
Crook
Peters
Eadie
Gordon
Sutton
Boyer
Subs – Woods, Stringer, Paddon, Huckerby, MacDougall
PS It’s a matter of opinion but if you saw Peters play he would have to be in surely?
As this is a favourites rather than best column, how come no one has mentioned Gossy???
Or do we (not me) just remember him for those 2 games against Bayern??
Keep well and stay safe. and remember, we could easily have been playing at Wembley this weekend!
O T B C
Being older than most so I’ve a greater choice.
Keelan
Aaron’s Bruce Sutton Bowen
Crook Peters
Huckerby Davies Ashton Bellamy
Gk: Rob Green
RB: Jon Otsemobor
Cb: Malky Mackay
Cb: Jens Bertal Askou
LB: Adam Drury
RM:Craig Bellamy
CM: youseff Safri
LM: Darren Huckerby
CAM: Wes Hoolahan
Fwd: Grant Holt
Fwd: Rob Earnshaw
Subs:
Paul Gallacher
Gary Doherty
Gary Holt
Matt Svennson
My all time favourite Norwich City XI
Kevin Keelan
Greg Downs
Duncan Forbes
Steve Bruce
Ian Culverhouse
Ian Crook
Martin O’Neill
Martin Peters
Alex Tettey
Robert Fleck
Justin Fashanu