Right, normally I try to write with kindness but today I’m gonna holster the compassion and just put the boot straight in… (reminds you of football in the 80s doesn’t it?)
Recent years have just not been good enough.
That’s Norwich’s recent FA Cup history I’m talking about. Just look at this chart I’ve made (with crayons and everything):
See?
In the last 25 years – that’s a whole generation – City have only made it over the first hurdle in this venerable, creaking old competition only six times. That’s not even 25%. Not even one game in four! Hardly impressive.
And the list of footballing giants who’ve prevented our progress reads as follow:
Brentford, Grimsby Town, Sheffield Wednesday (twice), Coventry City, Everton, West Ham (twice), Bury Town, Charlton Athletic, Carlisle United, Leyton Orient, Luton Town, Fulham, Preston North End, Manchester City, Southampton, Chelsea, and Portsmouth.
Apart from the two Champions League regulars in there, it’s, again, hardly impressive.
The supporters I feel for are those under the age of 35 who have no idea of the joy an FA Cup run engenders. It galvanises the city, people go around with a smile on their face, a wonderful feeling of hope pervades everything. It’s a palpable and marvellous thing. Alas, it hasn’t happened for a long time (with one exception – don’t worry we’ll get to that).
But before the tears start dripping onto your scarf, let’s revisit a happier time a time when the FA Cup meant something, and we as a city were happy to participate and succeed regularly to the later rounds and feel that feeling. I’m talking of the NCFC golden age from the early 1970s until the early 1990s where we progressed 65% of the time, that’s two out every three games.
Again, I refer you to the chart. Ron Saunders dragged us pecking and scratching into the top division and made us believe we deserved to be there through grit.
John Bond came along with pizzazz and flair, gave us a national profile, and got us tickling along in the competition before Ken Brown took on the baton and established us a dangerous foe not to be underestimated in the top league and in the cups.
Dave Stringer then gave us a genuine sustained run as a top team in the top division. His scintillating side (featuring players such as Gunn, Culverhouse, Bowen, Phelan, Fox, Gordon, Townsend, and Fleck) achieved high league finishes and – in the FA Cup – two Semi-Finals and a Quarter Final in only four years. Astonishing.
Mike Walker and John Deehan kept the momentum going with decent runs, and then… well, there’s been virtually nothing since the missed opportunity that was Martin O’Neill.
Dismal.
But there is hope. There is always hope.
And in this case, it’s one Daniel Farke. The German maestro has started to build a bit of a cup reputation, running the big boys all the way to the wire on several occasions, and this season of course reaching the quarter-finals with a tie against Manchester United. A team we last beat in the competition under the divine Dave St Ringer.
Could it happen again?
It could.
It just could.
It’s time to get the city smiling again.
OTBC
(NB. Stats compiled from various sites including Wikipedia and playmakerstats.com
I will never forget the 1959 cup run what a team we had then. I was in the royal navy on H.M.S. Delight out in the med and had a job getting the results 2 days after City had played. My dad use to send me all the pink ens but we were mostly at sea and it would be another week before the post got to the ship Great Times lets hope this run is going right to the wire. Now 80 and have asbestoses so cant get to the games any more but still a strong City supporter have been since I was 8 in 1947 Stay Safe Regards Mike Smith
Fantastic stuff, Mike. Thanks so much for the comments, especially on the 1959 run, NCFC’s first real big bite at the cherry. Ah, the pre-internet days of slow communication. Receiving a letter or parcel had much more importance in those days. Great tales, thanks.
Hi Chris.
I was at the memorable Chelsea game and cursed that dam fog and waiting for the restart and then the replay a 1-0.
Such memories still with you and yes city haven’t had enough of them cup memories over the last few years to many chances missed.
The question is would you take getting into the next round of the FA cup over a win to stay in the cash land of the premiership
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Keep safe and well
Hi Alex B. Yes, the Chelsea abandonment could have been a massive injustice, but fortunately it turned out OK in the end. Must have been a worry at the time though.
As for the ‘would I’ question. I wouldn’t take getting to the next round over staying in the Premier League, but I would take winning the FA Cup over staying in the Premier League (in the position we’re in). Although I’d prefer both. Plus Champions League qualification next year!
Hi Chris – a good read again. Yes, our recent FA Cup record is pants compared to 1959 to 91. I was lucky enough to experience the 3 league finals at Wembley but would’ve swapped them for one FA Cup final. Also apart from top-six, I think the majority of teams have similar records to us recently. Keep well.?
Thanks Keith. I agree. Hopefully we have some better times ahead. Farke has some form with cup progression and has been unlucky a couple of times with NCFC taking Arsenal and Chelsea to the wire. I’m optimistic if he stays he’ll get us close to Wembley one year.
We’re pretty close now. Just one game away!!
Yes, Derek, of course the semi-finals are at Wembley too these days. Forgot about that! Thanks.
Growing up in the 70s, my dad always told me that Norwich were ‘ a good cup team’. I always looked forward to the 3rd round draw and the day of the 3rd round games was one filled with optimism-Wembley’s twin towers loomed large.
The FA Cup may not have the same glamour now, but I am still excited that we have a manager who takes it seriously and has led us further than we’ve been for almost 3 decades.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks Don Harold.
Hi Chris.
I’m going to have to go a little against the grain here.
Like Kevin [above] I too went in 73, 75 and 85 but I’m most distraught about the Hillsborough no-show in the 1992 semi. Much has been written about that match but I know it was the worst journey home from a game in my experience. And I was driving. The halfway stop at the Newark KFC was like us four zombies walking in to meet with around 20 more. There were very few words exchanged.
On a cheerier note – what a fantastic comment from Mike Smith!
That Hillsborough no show was a shocker.
I remember being so excited when Flecky appeared, but he was clearly nowhere near fit.
And I think I remember that it might, at one point, been Portsmouth as potential opponents in the Final if we got there!
And yes, what a terrible experience Hillsborough was back then.
I really felt that could have been our year, Martin. Such a shame to get so close and not do ourselves justice. All the comments are gratefully received and appreciated, but it was great to hear about Mike’s days on HMS Delight!
I always like a good cup run and our record in the past decade was terribly disappointing; I think we have won as many FA Cup matches this season as in the whole of the 2010s.
But from 2008/9 to the current season nearly every year we have been either chasing promotion or fighting relegation. The one exception that comes to mind was 2017/18, so to draw Chelsea in round 3 was very unlucky, and even then we came so close to beating them. Personally I don’t believe that promotion or relegation issues should stop us having a tilt at the cup, but I know many fans do take that line.
Likewise just about every manager in the top two divisions uses the cup to give fringe players game time, or blood emerging youngsters. If you make 7 or 8 changes and put out a team that hasn’t played together much it is very difficult against even a lower ranked team that is settled and highly motivated. That’s happened a lot to us over the years.
Luckily when we played PNE in January they decided the lure of the play-offs meant they would make more changes than we did, and on the day our emerging youngster did rather better than their stand-in goalkeeper.
Using the cups to rest players or make a couple of tweaks or blood a promising youngster may be OK, but a whole-hearted effort to go far in the competition seems a good idea to me. You can’t win the league every year. For example Jose Mourinho has picked up cups regularly along the way to keep his trophy count up. Once you’ve won it, it’s on the record, and they can’t take it away from you.
Well Chris, I’ve said this before, but here goes again.
If this season does indeed reach its proper conclusion I can see NCFC winning the FA Cup, but not receiving the plaudits they deserve as they become the first team to succeed in the competition having only won 2 matches in the regular fashion. Penalties and the brilliance of Tim Krul see us getting past Spurs, Man Utd and then Chelski (who both field weakened teams as they concentrate on qualifying for the Champions League), setting up a final against anyone. The final is a great game for the neutral finishing 2 – 2 at both 90 and 120 minutes….then the Flying Dutchman takes over….again!!!
Me, a dreamer???? Yes, unfortunately!
Keep well and stay safe.
O T B C