Yesterday Gary asked whether or not we folks of a Canary persuasion, aka the Great Unwashed, are ready to re-engage with our Club as we head towards the resumption of EFL Championship season 2022-23.
He expressed some natural and quite understandable doubts about whether many of us are actually looking forward to the restart. Based on what’s gone down so far I count myself firmly in the camp of the ambivalent, devoid of hope that anything might change for the positive.
There seem to be a fair few of us and I don’t need Twitter to gauge that.
There is no way I am looking forward to hearing further utterings from Dean Smith, who claimed we would come back from a training camp in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA as “a different animal”.
A friend from the Posse reckoned we went as pussycats and will have returned as lemmings. Cruel but fair, I’d say. He might yet be proved wrong although I doubt it, all things considered.
Nothing has occurred during the break to indicate a thawing of the icy relationship twixt NCFC and the local media and I think we are all thoroughly bored with the topic now. It is a minor tragedy and will remain just that while the only people who can alleviate the situation will not budge one stubborn inch.
I could not give a rat’s butt where Stuart Webber is or what he is doing.
I do not care how many insignificant HR awards the Club is picking up and plastering all over its official site as “news”. If they do not realise the irony of this, that would explain a lot about the mindset of the current regime.
Is the pantomime villain that Anthony Richens has become losing any sleep over the rapidly approaching advent of season ticket renewal time or does he think the waiting list will more than compensate for those who will not be returning for 2023-24?
As Gary said, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Right now we are getting somewhat disingenuous crowd figures returned on matchdays, so can we expect a trumpeting from on high if the quota is fulfilled and a terse “we’d rather not talk to the local media” pose struck if it isn’t?
I have an interesting situation with regard to this in that ill health dictates I have to give up my season ticket, but it is going to be snapped up by none other than Don Harold of this parish, who has kindly helped me out with a few paragraphs of colour from DU/L91 after most home matches this season.
Maybe it’s because it’s a great view, but I think it’s far more likely that Don has fallen for the unique charms of Mystic Kev and the rest of the matchday crew whose company I have enjoyed so much over the years!
To that end I have thought about having a last hurrah with the lads at the final game of the season against Blackpool and dealing with the ticket office was a flashback to days of the recent past – the guy I spoke to could not have been more accommodating.
I didn’t go into full detail but when he heard it was likely to be my last match, he straight away offered to switch my seat to the disabled area and sort me out car parking at the ground. I thanked him profusely but explained my main reason for going was to sit in my old seat for the final time and take it all in. He said I might change my mind and the offer would be held open for me until April 7.
Now I can drive again I might be able to make it to the UB with the aid of a fair wind and the service lift, but I couldn’t bear to see the game from anywhere else.
Here’s hoping.
I was far less fortunate with my attempts to buy an On the Wall City brick, although once more the Club were most helpful thanks to Phil Gray and a colleague of his from the marketing department.
What the living daylights does he want one of those for? You might well wonder.
Well, William Wordsworth once wrote a poem called Intimations of Immortality, probably after some overindulgence in laudanum with Coleridge and his mates, and recently I’ve had far more than an intimation of my own inevitable mortality.
I’m not religious and no sacred ground would accept me. Nobody’s going to buy me a headstone, so why not become immortalised at Carrow Road, I thought. Theoretically, this should have been easy as the Club were pushing a new issue of bricks on their website with installation on November 22.
Without further ado, I purchased my brick complete with the engraved legend Martin Penney STH 1989-2023 on it in gold, and quickly got an e-receipt with the installation date on it.
Maybe the brickies are moonlighting from Partsmissin Homes or somewhere like that because NCFC marketing told me on November 29 that only half the installation had been done and I was one of the unlucky ones. I only phoned because I wanted to take a pic for an MFW article but the Club didn’t know that and took the time and trouble to find out what had gone wrong.
So now for the inevitable choice of music.
Surely you didn’t expect this one, but it comes to something when you fail to become…
(More below btw…).
Nobody in a white shirt let us down last night as England cruised past Senegal with a 3-0 win at a very expensive, soon-to-be-demolished stadium the name of which I couldn’t remember if I tried.
Maybe cruised is a little disingenuous as a decent Senegal side matched us until we scored two fine goals courtesy of the unlikely provider that was Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane breaking his tournament duck on the stroke of half-time. Bukayo Saka added a third in the second half and that was job done.
France were equally efficient in dispatching Poland 3-1 in the earlier game, which sets up a quarter-final that could go either way.
Will it be a case of tres bien or merde alors?
We’ll have to wait a few days before we find out.
Hi Martin
Great bit of music.
Age defining illness and medicine to make you forget what day it is are all part of life, it’s left to the family to do the real care a friend told me that the NHS has become a money pit of expensive administration asking for money to pay the top brass bigger salaries get the old fashion Matrons back.
Real a good article yesterday on M-A and how he runs the Brewers very similar to the Smith and Jones but he ensures the club has the infrastructure to succeed whereas our present incumbents sit and watch it slowly rot 26years of poor ownership.
The local media may not be the best but if they aren’t given info by the club then will dig till they find any titbit and run with it, surely the City Press Officer must be pulling his or her hair out not being able to negate any possible leaks or at least put a positive spin on them or just delay them till the club is ready.
Back to cricket today looks like a draw and the second starts on Friday and then the quarter final V the Frogs all before the restart I’m South Wales a long trip and sadly I can’t find a positive out come for our reinvigorated animal of a team.
To little to late should be the Smith’s motto that’s both of them.
Hi Martin;
So sorry to hear that you have to give up your ST.
As you know, I did at renewal time last season….although not for medical reasosns.
What has confused me enormously, given that there is (supposedly) a long waiting list for ST’s, is that a recent call to the ticket office elicited the information that if I wanted to, I could purchase “any number” of half season tickets for the rest of this term……
Are those on the supposed list not contacted to see if they want to go for the rest of this season?
O T B C
P.S. really looking forward to Walker versus Mbappe on Saturday!
Hi John
I doubt we’ll know the truth on the ST issue but the camera does not lie and the empty seats have told their own sorry story.
Enough people will go for it to remain respectable but I would imagine a drop beneath 20k on a matchday would be uncomfortable for Delia and Webber in more ways than one. We’ll find out next summer, although probably not from the club.
Mbappe really is something else!
Cheers
I’m not looking forward to Walker v Mbappe! Walker seems to have lost a significant amount of the speed he used to have, and his sole tactic now seems to be a ball back to the keeper or a long cross-field ball, neither of which inspire me much. Mbappe will have him on toast.
Hi Jim
Mbappe is a superb footballer and athlete who is in the form of his life so I fear you are right. He’ll probably restrict young Saka at times too.
Cheers
Martin, the view is great and the company is pleasant (the football has left something to be desired lately), but I would rather your health allowed you to take your seat.
I remember going to see the Pink Floyd film at the ABC . One of our group learned that she shouldn’t watch weird films after taking weird substances.
Hi Don
Thanks for the sentiment but it ain’t gonna work out that way.
I never saw the film myself, but am old enough to remember my mate Baz smuggling an old Phillips mono cassette recorder into Gants Hill Odeon when we saw Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii some 50 years ago now!
Cheers
Hi Alex
From the outside it seems that the NCFC press office aren’t able to do very much at all right now. It’s a bit like being a delivery driver and the boss won’t put any fuel in your tank so you can’t do your job.
I read the Attanasio article too and would agree with your interpretation of it. He won’t remain in this state of passive investment for too long I am sure as something will eventually have to give.
As for your point about care I agree with you to a certain extent but some families are closer than others and for so many people blood isn’t thicker than water in reality.
Too many poor old devils out there have nothing and nobody so are forced to rely on the state for everything. That’s an area where we could learn a thing or two from other cultures I suppose.
Cheers
Morning MR P, sorry to read of the withdrawal of your bum on the Carrow road seats, as you probably recall, I took much the same line a few seasons back. Getting older has many limitations none of which I can find a really positive one yet. We change unfortunately the club we have pumped thousands of pounds into over the years, given up countless hours of our lives supporting, plus countless other things none of which we can get back. Have not and will not.
But this regime will stay the same ditches dug, drawbridge up battlements readied. to repel those pesky supporters. Drop the bridge down while they prepare some sweet sounding words as season tickets renewals come around. The one thing that can make the clubs lugholes be de-waxed will pass-by unnoticed by those clinging the Delia’s knicker legs, the fans who know something is wrong but still want to support the team, in case just in case. Then those who are seriously on the point of saying enough is enough of this tripe. surrendering their seat for one reason or another.
The PR team will find a way round pimp up some news item 0r report on season ticket sales, finding a happy knicker holder or two to spout some tripe they have been helped to do.
Cynical I know, suppose age and supporting NCFC has made me like it, but I can never in 60 years supporting, remember feeling this way towards the corridors of power at Carrow Rd..
I have never wanted Smith & Jones in the ownership position from day one, which has been at times impossible to speak against. I have tried to stay constant in that view, and could many times have shouted from the Barclay End rooftop, I told you what would happen. I am no seer, but what we are having now, I said would come about, perhaps not exact but not bloody far off.
As regards to the other Smith, words are cheap Deano, a different animal…really! that means bugger all to me , until I see few games. I have many fields around me that are full of it, without it coming from in the City.
As to England, you can only beat what is in front of you, but in truth I would expect my national side to beat all that we have come against so far in this WC. When pundits, media get excited about beating Iran, Senegal and Wales something is amiss. We now come up against a top class opponent, where a better judgement can really be made of Southgate’s management.
Last night at 3-0 up was the perfect time to give players a chance to stretch their legs who have been overlooked for the old guard. Wilson, Maddison, Coady. Like City I expect nowt else.
All the best Mr P , sorry if I have rambled again. another drawback of old age lolol
Hi Lad
I think as supporters that unconditional love remains up until a certain point and although our hearts will remain Yellow and Green forever there is only so much incompetence and BS that we can put up with.
This decision was taken out of my hands but I have to admit that in many ways this has made it easier for me. Not in the sense that it means I can tell myself I had no choice, just that I see things with a clarity I never possessed before.
I didn’t really see through Delia until the day Lambert left. More fool me.
Agree with all you say about England.
Cheers
Really sorry to hear that there’s just one final Carrow Road hurrah in you, old chap. A real shame.
I hope the health improves sufficiently for you to make that final game and, hopefully, get along to Carrow Road on an adhoc basis in the future.
All the very best.
G
Hi Gary
I’m going to get a Membership just in case!
Cheers
So pleased to hear that, mate. I still need to introduce you and Delfie remember!
Oh yeah – it would be very rude not to take you up on that 🙂
Sorry to hear that you’re making this your last season Martin.
The wife and I are in a similar position. The walk back to Chantry car park seems to get steeper and longer and the meagre entertainment at the end of the slog made me think of packing in last year only for my wife to suggest another season.
However, she is no longer as keen and quite honestly is there any enjoyment to be taken from our current performances?
We gained five promotions (counting two with Lambert) employing young ambitious managers and then decide to replace the last and best one with an aging manager who’s just been sacked for poor performance.
Our team not only looks directionless but also doesn’t appear to be fit enough to compete for longer than sixty minutes.
Our owners are now nonexistent and their agent has created a £50 million hole in our finances with his transfer dealings.
Our only hope is a U.S. takeover but if this fails to happen I’m reluctant to spend £1200 for vastly overpriced football.
Hi John
I had a long walk too which I used to enjoy, but round about last Christmas it became discernably more difficult and I had to get a Courtesy home.
Now I know why 🙂
I can only agree with all the points you make with the caveat that I don’t see Mark Attanasio putting up with the status quo for much longer. If he cannot effect some changes [try doing that with Delia there!] I fear he will butt out completely.
I so hope I’m wrong about that.
Cheers
Sorry to hear you may have to give your ticket up for health reasons football I could understand so poor has it been been through mire myself lost mother in law and few family been in hospital myself having treatment for pre skin cancer cells .back to football find it strange we wanted foreign coach farke stepped in and had some great times now got uninspiring manager how does he whip players up for games why not another foreign coach keep well mate all the best.
Hi Kev
I had no idea you have been unwell too – hope everything is fine now.
Webber has dropped a huge goolie with the Dean Smith appointment, knows it, became ultra prickly and is now in some form of denial.
That’s how I read it, although as ever I could be wrong.
Cheers
Marty, sorry to hear that your brick in the wall is not yet in the wall, but rest assurred Webber and Richens wont notice up in their mansion on the hill.
Good that you found some helpfulstaff working at the club ansd its a pity that this attitude doesnt stray into the PR dept, so us fans dont feel we’ve been left on the beach with all the littoral detritus.
Another positive for me, is you getting back into your car and that you might be able to soon drive back to the Carra. I’m going to echo Gary’s thought that you should get more than one.
Hi Bernie
Yeah the article would have looked better with my own brick.
Just drove all the way from Mundesley to Cromer – it made me a happy old man.
I don’t want to be noticed by either Webber or [particularly] Richens but I think the vast majority of the fanbase would appreciate a little more respect.
Cheers
Hi Martin
I am so sorry that your health is causing you to have to give up your season ticket. I really do hope you can get to the Blackpool game.
I would rather have had good health than bags of money any day, so I really feel for you.
As for Saturday you are so correct in the belief that there is great apathy among the Canary faithful.
As I have said before I really do fear for us at Swansea, I just hope this bad feeling is wrong.
Personally, I would love to see the running stat comparisons for the team under Farke and the team under Smith. I have to admit great disappointment with dear old Smudger. I had high hopes when he was appointed.
His belief that we will come back stronger, fitter and quicker is admirable but like you Martin I have serious doubts.
By now even Dean Smith’s supporters, me included, must have serious doubts about his future.
He has had time to put his own ideas and way of playing by now. To be fair there have been 20 minutes here then 25 minutes there, but that is no good whatsoever.
No one expects us to dominate matches for 90 minutes but surely with the quality of players we supposedly have, we should have had games where we have had some measure of control in for the majority of the game. But I struggle to think of one… Coventry ?
Any team would love to have Pukki and Sargent up front in this league.
And Josh Sargent is a case in point, I thought he would not make the grade even in the championship I was totally wrong and ate humble pie over it.
It is a pity we cannot have that kind of honesty from the club admitting they have made mistakes also, if we did, they would get my respect for at least being honest for once.
As for the attendances Martin it is very worrying seeing so many empty seats at Carrow Road. At times I really do wonder if Delia, Stuart and Mr Richens plot like three Scooby-Doo baddies ” Thank god we got rid of all those pesky fans, it’s much nicer now the stadium is empty”😂
Hi Tim
I think that some people find it easier to ‘fess up when they are wrong than others and much depends on the size of the ego involved.
It isn’t a nice thing to do but if nothing else some credibility is retained and folks are far more willing to offer the chance to *go again*. There have been psychological studies recently that refute the long-held idea the bully is an inadequate individual, it’s more that he thrives on demonstrating the power of his ego over others.
I’m not sure about Scooby Doo villains, I think the central character in this scenario has something of the Macbeth scenario surrounding him.
Whichever state police department that endured the activities of Bonnie and Clyde in between-the-wars America suffered enough carnage, I don’t know what they would have made of an elderly couple cut from the same cloth and operating at the same time, but that’s what we have right here in Norfolk County, heaven help us.
Cheers
How so true Martin, your Macbeth reference gave me a laugh out loud moment this morning.
That lovely old saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” is alive and kicking in the throne room at Carrow Road.
All the best Martin.
One rung down I cannot help but think of Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern in terms of representing Accounts and PR. Which is which is anyone’s guess!
Very sorry to see that your health issues are possibly going to curtail your attendance at Carrow Road Martin. That’s a cruel blow I’m sure.
I very much hope that you make a good recovery and are able to take your place with us all for any years to come.
Thanks Chris
Very much appreciated.
It’s the banter I’ll miss as much as anything, which I’m sure you’ll relate to 🙂
I get some consolation from the fact that I might, and I stress might, have downgraded to a Membership anyway this time around.
Cheers