The latest victim to take on the MFW guest blog challenge is Simon Mitton – a familiar voice for those in the #NCFC Twitter community, who describes perfectly what it is to be an “average fan”.
Well worth a read…
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat.
I’m not a ‘super-fan’. I’m not elite. I’m not even a season-ticket holder.
I can spin a few epic “I was there” away-day tales for some, but by no means all, of the club’s biggest days. I’ve seen some magical victories. I’ve seen some abject defeats. I’ve seen pretty much everything in between. But I’d be hard pushed to come up with something that thousands of fellow Canaries haven’t experienced.
So, if you’re looking for penetrating insights, some in-the-know anecdotes, you’re in the wrong place (but read on anyway, it’s really good – Ed).
Admittedly, this may not be the best sell job for a first-time piece, but amidst all the football-related content that the information age gives us access to, maybe, just maybe, there is a space for the average fan experience.
(When it’s time to write my memoirs, the title I already have picked out is “A Life More Ordinary”, which I imagine will do just as good a selling job as the opening three paragraphs of this piece).
But what does it mean to be an “average fan”? The answer, really, is quite simple. It’s that the club, the players, the matchdays, mean as much to me as they do to anybody else.
I’ve never been one for the idea that because you’re a season-ticket holder you care more, or if you’re a home-and-away member the defeats hurt more, or that if you’re a shareholder you’re entitled to celebrate the good times more than anybody else.
The history of my love for Norwich City begins at the age of 12. My first visit to Carrow Road came in August of 1985. Oldham Athletic were the visitors that day, the opening fixture of the 1985-86 season, which saw the Canaries starting life back in the old Second Division. I stood on the River End terrace with my brother, and it was during that first season that we graduated from there to the Barclay.
I’d like to say that graduation was some sort of right-of-passage – something that in the movie adaptation of my memoirs could see Elijah Wood playing me, running with the Yellow Army, and seeing off the likes of Millwall and Portsmouth – but, in keeping with the tone of this piece, it was much more pragmatic graduation.
On the way to a home game against Blackburn, the coach from the Black Cat garage in North Walsham broke down on the way into the city. The phrase “sh1t, we’re boiling!” uttered by the driver as steam plumed around the front windows, has since entered Mitton family folklore.
This resulted in us being late to the coach park, running to the ground to make kick-off, and going through the Barclay turnstile rather than running all the way around to the River End, to be sure we didn’t miss anything. From thereon in, the Barclay was our home.
In the near-35 years since, I’ve seen pretty much everything a club our size could experience – promotions, relegations, play-off final joy and despair.
From my first idols – Chris Woods and Kevin Drinkell – to the current band of brothers, I’ve seen some of the brightest players ever to pull on the shirt, and some very dark days; often have been left wondering how some of those in yellow were ever able to make a living from the game.
But the point is this – so too has pretty much everyone else who’s been a fan for as long as I have.
The fact I’ve never been a season-ticket holder does not mean that any of those experiences have meant any less.
My family moved away from Norfolk when I was 14. From that point on, the question has always been how many times I can get to Carrow Road in a season.
In those early days, it was a case of talking family into driving me up there.
While at university, it was a case of finding the money to go. I was fortunate in that the famous UEFA cup campaign coincided with my work placement year, meaning I could find the money to travel up for our first home game against Vitesse Arnhem. But I wasn’t there for Munich. Part-timer, hey?
Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, away games were easier to just rock up to, so I’ve collected a fair number of away grounds, but I’m not close to being a paid-up member of the ’92-club’. In latter days, balancing work and family commitments has become the key.
But here’s the thing – none of that matters on a match day. Whether I’m at Carrow Road, now with my son who I’ve so far safely steered away from the lures of “the big clubs”, or watching on TV, or scrolling Twitter, the highs are AS high and the lows hurt AS much as anyone else.
Ask any of the neighbours who heard my boy and I roar as the goals went in at Elland Road last season, or the door I put my foot through in my student house on the day relegation was confirmed in 1995.
All the best days and funniest stories that I recount will resonate with the thousands and thousands of “regular” fans of all clubs, all across the country.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be a season ticket holder, to go every week, and to visit so many more of the fabulous communities and stadiums that are part of the culture of football, but the fact I’m not able to shouldn’t be a reason to assume the highs and lows of supporting my club are any less pronounced.
The most common instance of this perspective is usually around access to tickets for “big” games. It’s always disheartening when things turn nasty around that time.
There have been occasions when the club could have done a better job of rewarding those who are able to invest more of their time and money in going to games, and I’m all for that, but what makes me uncomfortable is where frustration at such arrangements is turned on other fans, who don’t have any control over that distribution.
I won’t ever apologise for taking a ticket whenever one is available at a time and place, I can make. I’ve earned that over 35 years. But the whole point is, even those 35 years don’t really matter.
If you’re a fan, you’re a fan. Once it’s in the blood, it never leaves.
I agree with your sentiments. I am neither a season ticket holder nor a regular visitor to Carrow Road ( though I do hold the grand total of 11 shares in the club) mainly due to the fact that I have never lived nearer than 4 hours drive from the fine city.
This does not make me any less a fan than someone who stands up in the Barclay every other week. I have followed the Canaries for 53 years ( Dave Stringer was my first hero) and get to as many games as I can, including Wembley, the Millennium and Europe.
Just ask my wife, when she tries to tidy my memorabilia packed study, if I am a true fan or not.
Thanks for taking the time to read, Gordon! I’m glad the piece spoke to your own experience of following our fantastic club.
Of course you’re a fan, there are Canary fans all over the world, many have seldom if ever been to Carrow Road, but cut them and they’d bleed yellow and green. A few trolls masquerading as fans try to stir up ill will by saying non attendance = non fan. Good ole Norfolk word for that is squit. Keep a troshin ole partner.
Thanks for reading! We are all bound together by the club we follow, that’s what’s important.
Good stuff, Simon.
Thanks for taking the time to read, Chris.
Lovely piece.
As an exile, barring 4 years at the UEA, I echo your sentiments exactly. Whenever I can get a ticket I grab it, if not I tend to enjoy via some sort of medium, be that Stelling, SKY, Amazon etc etc. Cut me and I’m yellow and green through and through.
I miss the match day experience – far prefer home games to away – but I get a good deal of enjoyment cheering from my living room.
I threw myself on the floor at the Forest 3-3 equaliser and rolled around. My then 1 year old son didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!!
Good read.
Thanks, Martin, I hope it won’t be long before your son understands all too well!
Great read Simon, many a time I myself used the old “Black Cat Bus” a bit ropey but we’d get there. Great times and as you’ve said, it runs in your blood. City til I die. Nice one
Thanks for taking the time to read, and great to hear from a Black Cat veteran. Simpler days, the coach back and then standing in the rain outside the newsagents waiting for the Pink Un! Kids today with their phones will never know the joys!
Hi Simon – I enjoyed reading that very much and it’s a thought-provoking article as the comments suggest.
Not being involved with Twitter I thought for some awful moment you were Simon MiLton, but I guess you’ve heard that comment zillions of times before.
This is a subject that often rears it’s ridiculous head and there are no real rights or wrongs on this topic that I can see and that’s for sure.
I’ve had a ST for over 30 years and missed less than 10 League games in all that time. But equally [growing family back in the day, work, other commitments] I only go away two or three times a season.
Yes I’ve been accused of being a plastic too by a few eejits because I don’t go away enough. It used to rile me but it doesn’t any more. You get used to it I guess.
If you listen via Radio Norfolk from your armchair it doesn’t make you any less of a follower.
And when you consider how many expats and new fans we have in other countries it just makes the entire debate a little bit skewed.
We’re not all lucky enough to live within striking distance of Carrow Road. I do and reckon myself really, really fortunate.
A great MFW debut.
Thank you, Martin, appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Away games are an interesting measure – for most of my life away games have been easier for me than getting to Carrow Road! Now the nature of memberships and ticket restrictions makes it harder – my son is desperate for an away day but we can’t afford the dual membership on the off chance of being able to get a ticket at a time we could go. But we’re always following, however we can!
Simon, I saw my first game in 1957, saw most of the ’59 cup run games, including Ken Nethercott’s heroics at Bramall Lane, and am currently lucky enough to be both a season ticket holder and minor shareholder. I don’t tend to go to away games, as I value my Saturday evenings out with friends (though not in the present circumstances, obviously!). I missed a few years between 1964 and 1978, through being in the Merchant Navy, then living in Essex with a young family.
I think none the less of those who can only get to an occasional game, beat home or away. The home games are particularly difficult for casual attendees, given the number of season tickets.
Thank you for an excellent piece. I know you feel the same joys and despairs as the rest of us. Lets hope we can all get to a game before too long (though I’m not too optimistic about that).
Damn the auto-correct! That second paragraph should have said “be it home or away”!!
Thanks for reading, Jim, I’m glad you took something positive from it. I’m jealous of your ‘59 memories!
Great piece Simon (glad it’s not Milton!). I went to my first game at Carrow Road against Coventry in 1973 and have been a regular visitor on and off since then, and am currently fortunate to hold season tickets together with my wife and youngest son. To your point irrespective of the number of games attended home and/or away we are all one – The Canary Nation who bleed yellow and green.
Thanks, Glen, appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Yes, the Simon Milton days were somewhat problematic!
Well said, Simon
I am now an exile in Kent, but try to get to games when I can.
I remember how hard to was to give up my season ticket in 2005, but I lost my job and could not afford it. Hard knowing I could never get that seat back and lose contact with all my matchday friends.
Thanks for reading, Ian. So sorry to know you had to give up the season ticket, must be very hard to feel you’re missing out on that matchday experience. I’ve always watched local football wherever I’ve lived, but a Norwich City matchday always means more. Hope you still get to enjoy it from time to time.
Hi Simon
I gave up or rather sold my season ticket to a friend in 1980 as I moved to an area outside of Sheffield called Hoyland possibly nearer to Barnsley really.
Over the years I had a relation who could always get me a few tickets when I was in Gt Yarmouth.
Now living in Blackpool and not often in the area it is as others say difficult to get tickets even for away games in the local area.
Having g spent most of my married life working overseas I have listen to city cup finals in Gibraltar via force radio, the BBC fir the European games and have met many city supporters in similar positions whole in Qatar watching a game during working time via the internet U was joined by 2 others that worked in the same building and from then on every game we could watch on the internet was done as a trio and the bosses didn’t mind as long as the work was finished on time.
Life as a city supporter is a challenge for many reasons but who would have it any other way.