Famously, Winston Churchill once described Russia as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
The New York Times put a modern spin on this at the start of the millennium by suggesting that the Churchillian words of 1939 were carefully chosen to speak eloquently of the Western sense of Moscow as the other – an inscrutable and menacing land that plays by its own rules, usually to the detriment of those who choose more open methods of co-existence with the rest of the known world.
Dealing with Mother Russia tends to be perilous in the extreme as the infamous double, triple and maybe even quadruple wartime espionage agent Richard Sorge eventually discovered by paying the ultimate penalty for being rumbled by the NKVD after one nefarious action too many.
Sorge was arrested in Japan for spying. He was tortured, forced to confess, tried, and hanged in November 1944. Stalin declined to intervene on his behalf with the Japanese when he easily might have done so as Japan was in no position to defy Russia by that late stage of the war.
In the most bitter of ironies, Sorge was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1964 by Nikita Kruschev.
As fascinating as the story of Richard Sorge truly is, what the kinell has it got to do with Norwich City I audibly hear you wonder.
Well, strangely, there are parallels to be drawn, triggered in this instance when MFW regular Don Harold sent me the photograph on the right of the triptych above on Monday morning when I informed him and some other friends that the official attendance figure for Saturday’s Blackburn match was declared at last. Nowhere close to the realistic estimates of 18,000 that seemingly everybody else was quoting, but a majestic 25,866.
Don’s response was quick, sending me the picture which he took from my seat, DU/L/0091, shortly after kick-off and captioned as follows:
‘The seats – and many others – stayed empty throughout the game. If there were almost 26,000 there on Saturday, I scored the winning penalty in the World Cup final!!! Norwich City may regret employing the North Korean PR execs one day!’
Was this grudgingly released crowd figure deliberate disinformation? Or simply replacing bums on seats with the number of tickets actually sold?
Even if it’s the latter option being used in the calculations, it would seem like some 6,000 people can simultaneously afford to buy a ticket and then say to themselves: “What’s 30 quid? I’ll just write the expenditure off and not bother to turn up on a whim”.
Well, I’m sorry about this but I simply don’t believe it. To the point that I would welcome an investigation by either the FA or the EFL. Or even the Dagenham Girl Pipers if wider attention might thus be drawn to it.
If nothing else it is morally wrong and the fact that I am still seething about it four or five days later is very unusual for me I can assure you.
Admittedly my wondering whether these tactics are more worthy of PRAVDA than Norwich City Football Club veers towards the stuff of fantasy, but I still feel badly let down by this incident, which to me is a perfect example of the microcosm and the macrocosm surrounding our beloved club.
This feeling is compounded by the inclusion of the picture on the left, which a mate took for me from the very same seat just before the Liverpool game in August 2021. See the flags, regard the anticipation, and take in the joy on the faces of old tuskers who should know better as SS Farke prepared to sail again on the hazardous waters of the Premier League.
What a difference the past 18 months has made. See how much we loved the Club then but have now lost our faith in and in my case at least, trust of.
Forget Dean Smith for a [brief] moment. Apart from a seemingly ever-decreasing number of lesser mortals, there have been four constants in the supporters’ descent from some type of ecstasy to every kind of agony.
- Delia Smith
- Michael Wynn-Jones
- Stuart Webber
- Zoe Ward [since she changed her working name to Webber, coincidentally].
These are the same quartet who are happy for Dean Smith to blame our obvious ills on the fans. Or if they are not happy for this to happen they have a funny way of showing it, allowing some accountant fella by the name of Anthony Richens to join in with the theme of “it’s all the fans’ fault”.
Or did Richens start it with Smith riding on his coattails?
I cannot remember the sequence and am frankly past caring.
Richard Sorge and Daniel Farke are an unlikely pair to have shared very much in life, but both were cast as the fall guy when it was probably far too late.
There are few who will complain if and when Dean Smith shares their fate.
The most sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you wonderful MFW readers out there from Yours Truly.
I love reading and replying to all your comments [the comical ones just as much as the serious stuff] so please keep ’em coming in 2023.
In the meantime, you tell ’em boys:
Once again an interesting read Martin and I’d have to say the club does appear to have gone Orwellian of late.
We appear to be at a point where all the plans have failed and all the board can do is try to stifle any information coming out of NR1 in the hope something might turn up or the fans are apathetic enough to still pay up regardless.
Time for our American investors to step up to the plate.
Hi John
Yes, Orwellian is right – some animals are certainly more equal than others, anyway.
Will it be step up to the plate or run for the hills?
I know what my choice would be but fortunately for our hopes and fears of all the years, these are not met in me tonight.
Let’s hope the boy from The Bronx uses this situation to his [and our] advantage.
Cheers
Nice photo of Churchill at Carrow Road, a serious one of you in the middle, and a sad picture of those phantom occupants on those apparently empty seats. Do you think it was the ghosts doing the booing? Of course Danny was, sorry is, a hero and we long for another one and we are entitled to wail and moan until we get another one. Have a good Christmas Marty.
Hi Cutty
Sue said exactly the same thing about the pics and couldn’t believe you had noticed the resemblance as well 🙂
I’ve been wailing and moaning like Jeff Beck’s Strat on *Ain’t Superstitious* but I’d like to play something different now.
Something like I Dulce Jubilo would do!
Cheers
Good morning Martin.
It is in fact an absolute joke releasing not the true attendance on a given match day but the attendance including season ticket holders who do not show up.
Sadly Arsenal have been doing it for years.
The famous four or infamous if you prefer are not helping the situation at all with this siege mentality.
It also seems with many a good person working at Carrow Road having left in the last eighteen months or so we are left with sycophants like Mr Richens who in another link to Mother Russia is happy to go along with Newspeak perpetrated by Big Sister and The Ministry of Truth or as we better know it The Norwich City Executive.
Why oh why can we just have some honesty from the powers that be at Carrow Road. Attendances is the latest in a long list of miss-truths along with recruitment being good, there is no disconnect between the club and the fans, the local media are enemies of the state on and on it goes.
But you know what Martin it is us who are in the wrong, why ? because we are guilty of Thoughtcrimes because as you know everything reported by Carrow Road is 100% true.
The Thoughtpolice are Watching you.
Hi Tim
Right now I reckon the NCFC spin doctors have about the same credibility as the Bottom Inspectors from Viz Comic and considerably less than that worthy magazine’s media stalwart Roger Melly.
There may be nothing about events in the boardroom or on the pitch, but we have been told that Norwich City have been nominated for two categories in Transform magazine’s 2023 European awards, courtesy of the club’s brand evolution by Marketing [an agency which did the work to our brief].
Paddy and the lads didn’t bother to rob that one and plaster it all over the Pink Un and with good reason as well – it was something to do with choosing an apposite typeface I learned as I fell asleep reading it.
Speaking to folks as we all do I would venture that the thing that rubs us supporters up the wrong way the most is the constant and consistent insults offered to our intelligence. That’s what grates more than anything.
Cheers
Morning Martin. Merry Christmas to you too, and I can cast a little light on the mystery of the attendance figure as its something we’ve raised with the Club previously. Basically, they announce tickets sold, not used, so any STH voting with his/ her feet as many did would be counted in. Attendance at full time would have been really interesting,…..
Hi Robin
Thanks for that.
It’s a tad reassuring to know that at least it wasn’t an actual falsehood. Stretching the canvas to tearing point, but technically truthful at least.
As for your final sentence: wouldn’t it just!
Cheers
Somebody needs to explain to the board that attendance by definition means being present.
Does the board think that we absent season ticket holders can’t see from the tv that the ground was nearly half empty?
It would be interesting to know which of the executive wonders thought this one up because once again it’s backfired badly.
I can relate to that – I was a scholarship kid at a public school and although 90% of the kids were paid for those who skipped it for the day still got a b*ll*cking!
Robin [above] confirms it is indeed policy but as for who decided to implement it your guess is as good as mine.
I’m sure they don’t take attendance of their workforce in the same manner.
Good point.
Its the computer age today Martin, the guy in charge of the attendance figure just pushed a button and the machine said 26000 seats sold, allocated to bums. If the bum didn’t sit in the seat, well it was allocated and was not available for casual sale. We could all see the gaps in the crowd but what’s a little more disinformation for the crew running the club.
Its a shame for Dean Smith that he has had to follow after the gold rush that was the last two promotion seasons under Daniel Farke, i feel anyone would have been tarnished by trying to follow those 2 years, but by the heck, his pitchside demeanor has done him no favours.
By the time we play our next home game all the Christmas dinners will be but a distant memory and I’m adding this about the Luton result, don’t let it bring you down, because even after Smith being pleased its away, i don’t have a good feeling about it.
Hi Bernie
The first match I took my kids to was Crewe in front of about 12,000 which was the average in the Hamilton era for what it’s worth.
No toxicity though.
I’ve got to be honest and admit that I’ll be concentrating on the whirlpool of clubs in midtable and below from now on.
Our position in the table at bedtime on Boxing Day will be interesting!
Cheers
Morning Mr P trust you are well. I cannot see the point of trying to falsify the figures, all who were there saw the big spaces, the press saw it and the sky cameras screened it first hand.. What is the point It is clearly based on the season tickets etc. Don’t need to be a maths genious to work that out.
To be honest I don’t really give a flying fig, they are a law unto themselves, they have lost sight of the big fact, it is however decreasingly less is it becoming, the supporters still make the club. As always attitudes will change slightly when renal time come up. Then there will be some more figures to juggle.
Norwich a big club with a massive hardcore of supporters,” Smith said today, “Together, we all have to make Carrow Road a really tough place for visiting teams,” he added (15th Nov 2021) The usual crap we come to expect when new coach wants to win the fans over from the start. With that duty done he soon went aloof, like a turtle in his shell. I still maintain that he not only continued the new mantra of blaming the lifeblood of the club , he could have said even more, he knows he is safe and secure.
I cannot recall one manager who was quickly shown the door, only Gunny, McNally wasn’t having it, and acted with speed and conviction. We need that type today. Lambert perhaps rightly got out, Grant fell on hos dagger. The club have hardly ever been quick in dispatching failing coaches, until the time is up for any new man to rescue.
If this is the way forward as they see it, where a prawn cocktail eaters takes place over a burger muncher. they can keep it. I was at one point considering going back on the waiting list for a ST again. but not while the club is owned and run by what we have. They will do and say what they wish, there is no avenue for supporters to challenge, (thank gawd for this site) unless you are favoured by the club. which clearly means they are seen as the club’s safe hands.
Only game boycotts in large numbers will get anywhere near drawing a response. while the turnstyles keep clicking, (open to interpretation) the bank account still gets it’s Debits, and merchandise (some tat) still flows out. what the hell do they care. ?
Football or bad football aside a very merry Christmas to all writers, commentators and readers, May the New Year be a dan sight better than this one
Hi Lad
I’ll bite into a couple of your points if I may beginning with Roy Keane’s prawn sandwich brigade. There was a great comment on either Mick or Matt’s MFW yesterday about them eating their fine cuisine to the sound of thousands of seats merrily rusting away!
Lambert did quit due to lack of ambition on the part of the Club, no doubt. Laugh as much as you will as it sounds fanciful, but I was told by somebody in a position to know that just before he went to Villa he asked if he could try for Michu and Benteke.
You can imagine the answer.
Finally I spoke with David McNally a few times in different settings and found him to be a really sound guy.
I doubt we have enough about us to organise an effective boycott, but we’ll see.
Cheers
Hi Martin
I just read a sad story that brings you down to ground level of a little 8 year old girl Amy a City Supporter who is facing her last Christmas to her and her family I can only send my heart felt sorry and hope her remaining time is a happy one and that city just might make it just a bit merrier by winning at Luton also she gets to see the result.
You spy story reminds me of the infamous lady of the first WW1 who was a triple spy for Germany, England and America one Marta Hari who was send to the firing squad by the French who didn’t know she was working for their alies.
Like yourself I like to read and during my time I have read many various styles from thrillers to comedy one.
Doctor in the house series of books that were made into films and a TV series were an early take on the mishaps in a London Hospital and a very light relief reading material.
Another set was Confessions again about mishaps of a wayward young man trying to find a career that would make his name also a few film again a light relief reading material.
I just wonder if either of those 2 authors could use the skill or maybe the writers of the Carry on Films to do something featuring City but then that would be beyond the Twilight Zone in belief.
Shakespeare name sake did a great play called A Comedy of Errors but never read that yet the title seems very apt for the current owners.
Misinformation seems the name of the game coming out of city at the moment added to the blame game.
Mick Dennis had an interesting article yesterday but it was more in defence of What’s going on that about trying to put right the wrongs, he even picked a few to answer and that must have been hard for him with the amount of criticism, I was surprised also how calm most comments were no cursing him out.
Chris Sutton still backs Smith to come good if given time but says his time is fast approaching the end and Martin O Neil says Smith can still do it for city but must rid the club of its relegation woes surely that should have been done prior to the start of the season.
Many people will claim Farke would have done much better is that hindsight or dreams we will never know, but we would have at least seen some entertaining football.
You mentioned 2 families on the Board but their is the Tom Smith and Wife also there, Tom who was supposed to be helping to take the club forward, his recruitment of Webber with Ed Balls now seem to be fading into obscurity side barred by the Webber’s and a then Michael Foulger sold his shares but voted on the board to facilitate the change over.
All in all do we have a Board of competence to run the club or one that enjoys a 2 weekly gathering at Carrow Rd for a few sherries and posh nosh at the supporters expense who can tell.
Mark A could be bidding his time watching the SS Norwich sink before making his move but then it might all be too late.
Smith said we would return a new animal well we went away as Pussies and returned as Lemmings and after last week’s game we looked like playboy bunnies caught in the headlights.
Merry Christmas to all at MFW and a Happy New Year to one and all and will enjoy any article over the festive period.
Hi Alex
I don’t actually read that often any more but a story like Richard Sorge’s is one of those that tends to stay with you and it was great to get the trigger to rediscover it in the Internet era.
The book for me to relate to NCFC right now would be: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and definitely not anything by Anthony Richens.
From 60s stage and TV and the Charts of the early 80s, Up The Junction.
And there’s always the staff Christmas panto featuring Delia as Marie Antoinette, Zoe W as Lady Macbeth and Stuart Webber as Lord Snooty from the Beano with Richens as one of his Lordship’s most prominent Pals.***
Cheers
I could have called that wrong. Beanoland’s Lord Snooty was actually quite a sociable, jovial kind of chap.
My thoughts are with Amy and her family this Christmas Alex 🎅💖🟡🟢x
News like that certainly does bring you back to earth.
I’ve just now read the story in the EEN.
Extremely moving.
The headlights you refer to may be the new low level lights that are blinding not only the players but the supporters in the South stand ?
Hi Kriss
I didn’t realise the lighting affected the players as well.
It’s really quite ludicrous if that’s true.
Cheers
Even if the tickets sold is correct as such, that is almost 2,000 down on ground capacity. Friends and STHs offered me a seat but I declined. As a mere member I can pick and choose where to sit if I decide to go. Which judging by recent games, the wide choice of seats available tells me something. Quite apart from where best to sit to watch the game rather than get blinded by the Gestapo-like lights they installed without consultation. What next, barbed wire? Machine gun towers? Or just barbed words?
Hi Roger
I had cause to get a ticket for a friend around early October and there was a wide choice available in the Upper Barclay the evening before the match and I am not talking the extremities of blocks A or E either.
I’ve not experienced the lights myself but I’ve one particular mate who finds them really annoying and to the best of my knowledge he’s got good vision.
I’m not too sure they have to consult on anything that is within H&S rules but there do seem to have been a significant amount of complaints.
Cheers
Merry Christmas Martin, always enjoy your articles and in the main our minds seem to concur. It seems that by releasing that ridiculous attendance figure it’s just another example of their contempt for the fans. Do they really think we’re that stupid or gullible, I might be an old Norfolk boy but I’m sharper than I look. I’m pretty sure that the light that comes on at the turnstile when I present my ST is recording my actual attendance at the game rather than the fact that I’ve purchased a ST some months ago.
I can only assume that the powers that be at CR have never heard the old saying ‘If you find yourself stuck in a hole, stop bloody digging’.
Oh dear Martin, when will this nonsense all end.
Hi Bob
We lost another Norfolkman in the week with the passing of Keith Creamer, who was Tim Sheppard’s sidekick for quite some time and when you look at the top there seem to be very few left now.
Dave Stringer, Phil Lythgoe and Michael Foulger quickly come to mind and there must be others but a quick thought doesn’t turn anything up.
The fact that we’re in a hole and still digging is principally down to a Welshman and a cook from the Home Counties so Norfolk folk can rest easy.
Keep your comments coming next year!
Cheers
We will be back to ‘Kids for a Quid’ as we had in the late 90’s mind you meant I took the kids!
They wont sack S & S.
Watched the ‘All or Nothing: Arsenal’ on Amazon compelling fly on the wall account, a must watch for any footy fan. Sat watching and thinking what would must Dean Smith think when he compares his management skills to Mikel Arteta whereas I imagine Daniel Farke would feel quite at home.
Our history and record against Luton isn’t great is it. However, anyone remember the ‘King of Spain’ scoring a worldy to win 3-2 at Kenilworth Road must be over 15 years ago, nearly took the roof off the Oak Road stand, (probably fallen off by now).Sadly I used to care then not sure I do just at present.
Hi Colin
*What must Dean Smith think when he compares his management skills to Mikel Arteta whereas I imagine Daniel Farke would feel quite at home* makes a very good point.
Arteta had a rough couple of months or so with Gooners fans but now they love him for obvious reasons.
Smith’s had a rough YEAR with us lot and most of us cannot abide him – or what pass for his managerial methods, anyway.
Cheers
Many thanks for sharing some world history stuff. Nowadays when Russia has started again strange behavior, typical tourists question us is what we should do now? To russians this is a shopping center which has now been closed because the border has been closed. When economic problems get tough enough, it will reopen again.
Fake attendances have been part of our sports life I would say about 30 years now. The question is not about having season ticket holders to be involved in games, its imaginary spectators and claims that some companies have “bought” those tickets.
Something incredible happened and we are able to see 1 free premier league game on tv per week for the rest of the season. Its traditional saturdays 5 pm game, to you 3 pm game which we have a long history as the first game was televised in the late 60s. English league football success in Finland basically started in the early 50s. The reason behind that was 1×2 game, here its 13 games. All other 1×2 games do not have 13 games, saturday 5 pm is clearly the most popular one and its english football always. In Spain its called quiniela, they have spanish league games and more than 13 games in their 1×2 games. I play it every saturday and have played it for the first time when I was likely 13. Its also a way of socializing, its typical that people make their saturdays 1×2 as a group and as more people get involved more opinions so it can take time, but its always a very nice experience. Of course there are after match speculations too, “I told you that Wolves does not win but you didnt listen to me.”
Hi 1×2
Is that where you got your username from? 🙂
You cannot beat watching a match with your friends and it does not really matter if you don’t care too much who wins as there is always so much to talk about both during and after a match.
I love Spanish football and saw several matches at Real Mallorca’s Son Moix stadium in the 2000s and the atmosphere was great against, say, Athletic Club, Seville or Valencia in those days.
I never got to see Real or Barca as the only way to get a ticket would have been to pay a crook €1000 for a ticket, The € was weak against the £ then, but even so!
Please keep your comments coming next year – I enjoy reading them and very often learn something as well.
hyvää joulua
Martin, I suppose username is coming from that or just overall results. Sometimes it is easy to know the games outcome, but usually its either a home win, draw or away win. The name of the game is not 1×2, I didnt know its name in english. 13 right could have been better. Boxing day 13 right price is 400 000, if you get 12, 11 or 10 right you usually win something too. Just a traditional game here and lets say habit to me get involved and reason of course to use last brain cells.
I have seen a couple of live games in Spain also and in some other european countries. For some strange reason I have never been to Britain. Its typical that some finns travel to see their club playing and usually they try to see as many games as possible during their football trip. In London there are so many football clubs, but some do travel all around England. I agree that Spain is likely the best place in Europe at least during the winter time.
Everything looks to be so expensive now. Electricity price brings problems to football halls too, so far we have managed.
Merry xmas to you too Martin.
We have a similar but different game in the UK called the Football Pools where you aim to find eight scoring draws from 12+ matches. The number of games to pick from depends on which promoter you choose to bet with.
It is very, very difficult to win, but somebody does every week 🙂
Hi Martin. I think you’re getting a little paranoid about attendance figures. There’s no way the FA would investigate them, the seats were sold, and that counts, whether there are any bums on them or not.
You also need to consider a couple of other factors – it was freezing cold, the approaches to the ground were not very safe (thank you, Norwich City Council), the time was inconvenient for many, and it was live on Sky. Given those factors, my wife decided to watch it in comfort at home, although I went.
As has been said above, other clubs count attendance in the same way, including that lot down the A140, and it’s been mentioned about us doing it a few years ago if I remember rightly.
I must admit, that though I stayed to the end, I wished I’d followed my wife’s example!
Hi Jim
Yeah you’re quite right of course, hence the crack about the Dagenham Girl Pipers!
It’s in our DNA to turn out and, had I currently the gift of 100% mobility I would doubtless have gone too. Having said that after half a season of enforced abstinence I am genuinely not missing the experience anything like as much as I thought I would.
Cheers
Hi Martin;
ATTENDANCE….the action of attending a place or event…OR..the number of people present at a particular occasion.
Not my take on it, but pulled from the Oxford English Dictionary.
CHICANERY….trickery or deception.
At present, I know what NCFC are doing to their fans!!
May I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas, and a New Year with better health.
(And some honesty from those in the corridors of power at Carrow Road)
O T B C
Hi John
Thanks for the good wishes – much appreciated.
As John Lennon said on Imagine, *Gimme Some Truth*!
Cheers
I’m beginning to wonder if the wall of silence is a prelude to a big announcement-step down Delia and Michael, step forward Mr A? Naive optimist that I am.
Hi Don
I wouldn’t normally call you a naïve optimist but in this case I’ll make an exception!
Cheers
I see someone mentioned the lights, what chance they set off an epileptic episode before too long? I hope not.
They must have passed the appropriate HSE tests… mustn’t they?
I am epileptic and when these lights start I have to look down towards my feet to stop the massive glare hurting my eyes,
Hi Lynskey
Thank you very much for the first-hand info – it must be extremely intrusive for you.
Cheers
It’s like paying for your Christmas meal in advance then not turning up because you realise they’re serving tripe. The restaurant thinks that’s so successful that they keep the recipe every year – until they go out of business.
Hi Gil
An analogy I am sure Madam D herself would relate to 🙂
Cheers