Day 2 of my quest to make the pages of MFW a less angry place, and it’s the turn of Trev ‘Demo’ to bring some light to the shade.
He attempts to do so in the form of a list of all the good things we have and have to look forward to.
All yours, mate.
***
- We are locally owned. ‘Stowmarket’ is an insult I often read, but I’d much prefer they hailed from there than, say, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or even USA. Yes, I am aware an American is manoeuvring. I am mad about cricket and when the IPl became a thing I succumbed to checking it out. I saw a West Indian bowl a long hop to a Kiwi who was caught on the fence by a South African, and 20,000 Indians went mad. What the hell did that actually stand for? I feel the Premier League has gone the same way. I’d much rather have Delia than some anonymous investor. If it makes me ‘xenophobic’ to want a local club to be locally owned then a xenophobe be I.
- We’re not in massive debt (yet). Who knows, maybe selling all our assets will result in some locally developed boys getting a game. Tony Springett on the left, Jon Rowe on the right, etc. Might be nice to watch as opposed to successful or unsuccessful mercenaries. There are teams in the Premier League that have overreached and will pay for it once relegated.
- Integrity! Yes, I know it doesn’t contribute anything to balance sheets and league tables, but I loved the idea of self-funding. Borrowing future payments has, admittedly, made me question whether we are still self-funded but it was nice to get into the Premier League – the first time under Webber and Farke – and only sign Sam Byram. It went belly up, but what a smug summer I had before. We tried to do it differently. We failed, but we did it with integrity.
- We can’t spend big now. That is good news, as we’ve never been good at spending big. All of our best teams and players were bargains. Maybe there are more to come? I have a shirt in regular rotation that I bought from Primark years ago. The charity shop has the jacket I bought from somewhere fancy and only wore once (I looked ridiculous). City and I are kindred spirits in this regard.
- We don’t have to watch the Match of the Day coo and fawn as they ‘analyse’ Erling Haaland’s sixth goal of the game against us next season.
- We sold 20,000 tickets, which is no indictment of the current regime but another sure-fire signal of how much our club matters to our community. You all make me proud.
- The stuff we get to read is far more interesting. Be honest… isn’t it more interesting to read about us when we are struggling than when we are great? Anyone with a crayon could pen an article on Teemu Pukki’s greatness or the Championship football under Farke. None can agree on what exactly went wrong this year, albeit I’m enjoying the various efforts, and it makes for an interesting debate.
- Away tickets should become easier to obtain, without the Jonny-come-lately’s perhaps we will undo the Ben Kensell nightmare of balloting for tickets.
- Angus Gunn, unless sold, will actually be trusted to start a season in goal for us.
- We are in the Championship. I understand it’s not the highest we’ve ever been, but it’s not the worst (and, yes, I understand anyone’s right to say that is coming).
- We’ve had some great entertainment over recent years. Many teams go an age without an exciting end to a season, be that at the top or the bottom. Perhaps that is why we are collectively so angry right now. Not so much entitlement, just being accustomed to despair or ecstasy makes 13th feel surreal and odd.
- We may just make it to the day when the money finally falls out of football (without selling up/out). and how sweet will it be to say we didn’t chase the dream? We lived more or less within our means. We own our ground, we recognise the owners, we know the names of the folk that sit near us, and we’ve done it honestly.
- And we have MFW. What a website where fans can exchange opinions with civility. I go to the internet with all the joy of someone going to North Korea these days, but what an embassy of reasonability this is. Thanks all.
Finally, let it not be forgotten, as Man City chase three titles in eight games, they have failed FFP. Again. They are going through the courts. Again. They have been found guilty of numerous charges of financial doping, again. The national media appear to have forgotten.
Grant Holt’s header at Anfield will mean more to me on my deathbed than the 50+ goals Erling Haaland will tediously bayonet against corpses this season means to any Man City fan.
All in all, there are worse things to do than try and adopt that mindset.
It’s been a poor season. But for a wonderful club.
OTBC.
Absolutely brilliant blog. Saves me having to bother. One mighty hammer and a load of nails put firmly in their place.
Ignore the replies that say you are unambitious, a loser, even a closet Binner!
And well done GG and MFW for balancing the argument. Salutations!
4 articles went up yesterday, and many many comments.
We all owe Gary for what he does (especially appealing for views differing to his own), a real public servant.
Thank you Nick
Perfect, and such a refreshing outlook to that of the Gowers/Penny witch hunt variety. Norwich will NEVER be an established member of the capitalist elite that is the Premiership so enjoy the ride. What we are experiencing now is nothing new and we’ll experience the last five years again in the future. There are NO clubs that are guaranteed anything or entitled to it. Social media and the wider media/pundit world demands it though😞
Thanks, appreciated, but lets be careful not to create sides.
I for one am greedily indulging myself on the buffet of opinions on this website. Thanks to al who have brought a plate to the table
An interesting read.
My first game was Oct 1959. I was 9 years old – a birthday treat with two friends whose birthdays were either side of mine.
In the intervening years we went to many games home and away. Sadly both my friends are no longer with us but memories of those time bring back joy of our times at Carrow Rd, especially the City v Chelsea League Cup game and the fog drifting in over the River End.
In all my years, the club has been know as the Canaries, Norwich City, Yellows and some not so nice names but for the last 26 years it’s been ‘oh Delia’s Team or Club’. You never hear Liverpool called Fenway Sports, Tottenham called Levy or Lewis, and even Man U never get call the Glaciers’ club. But our identity has been suppressed by a TV cooks name and identity.
Any good times during their ownership have been met with double the amount of bad times – an old friend many years ago purchased a Rolls Royce and it sat on his drive Monday to Sunday without moving; Saturday was his polish and wash day; on Sunday he and his wife, in their best togs, would drive along the Gt Yarmouth Seafront around the Harbour into the Star Hotel on Howard St, have lunch in the upstairs dining room on the balcony and then return home.
When asked why a Rolls Royce, he said it was a status symbol that he could afford to enjoy once a week.
We have the Smith and Jones like my friend – they have a status symbol to use once a week and show off, be it good times, bad times. Nothing changes for them. Happy Clappers say they love the club but that love appears blind. They just don’t see the damage to the club’s reputation.
Do we need new local owners? In an ideal world, yes. Has there been any interest? We will never know but the Coventry owner said he tried and was told he did not meet the criteria. We will never know the truth but what would that criteria be?
Beggars can’t be chosers so they say, so would a Mega rich Saudi, Nigerian (see Sheffield United soon) American, Australian or an oligarch be welcome? Possibly, and, as someone said yesterday, be wary of those bearing gifts. Due dilgence needs to be taken in all businesses especially football clubs reaching for the sky. Many have been burnt by the sun god.
Some supporters are writing off Mark Attanasio already, saying infrastructure investment is his aim and little money for team building. They must go hand in hand – what’s the point having the best stadium or training centre but a poor football team struggling to survive in the Championship let alone the Premier League.
Can we please let the announcement come soon. Then let the man be open with the support on his aims for the club.
Success is much more enjoyable when worked for, not bought.
Plus we get the chance to beat Ipswich again.
With our current owners we stand a good chance of being well beaten by Ipswich. Who wants that?
Well I’m hoping that Delia and co. won’t be playing. But seeing as the article is about positivity…
Gil; as things currently stand, I have no wish whatsoever to face 1p5wich with our Rag, Tag and Bobtail squad. Even given barrell scraping recruitment which we’ll have to do, I cannot see us taking points from them next season.
Oh; how I dearly wish to be eating humble pie at this time next year.
O T B C
It’s always interesting to hear an opposing view.
I wish things were as they used to be and we could have local owners who are also fans and remain competitive in the top leagues.
I’m afraid the game has moved on and unless the local fan is extremely wealthy this simply does not meet the huge financial demands of the EFL.
The reason we’ll be playing Ipswich next year is because they have secured foreign investment and we have not.
If we wish to remain in the championship we need substantial investment. If people think I’m overemphasising this requirement look at the levels of wealth of other owners in the championship.
I don’t wish to see City fall into the league Ipswich have just departed because the level of football is dire.
I’d rather be a pragmatist than a disappointed dreamer.
Well said Trev, I’m a south west exile and still a season ticket holder and you’ve taken the words right out of mouth (esp the IPL ref!)
I feel like John that I am a pragmatist.
I too like to hear other points of view, they are just as valid as mine or as anyone else’s.
But disagreeing with them is also valid. That is what supporting your team is all about.
A friend of mine didn’t like Wes Hoolihan as a player at all, he felt he gave the ball away too much,
I strongly disagree.
One of my favourite City players is Mick McGuire, he is not even in the Norwich City Hall of Fame.
Some City supporter’s do feel we should be beating the likes of WBA, Coventry, QPR etc week in week out, I disagree, we should be going into those games with every chance of winning once all the work on tactic’s, fitness and skill has been done all week by a proficient coaching team.
It has to be earned.
You say it is nice being owned locally, of course it is, but have those days gone forever?
I do not disagree with Delia and Michael because I think the club should be in the upper echelons of the EPL. We can be there with the right investment and coaching staff, we have been there before, but it is because that dream is fading fast under their leadership.
And my real worry is relegation and then stagnation in League One.
You have to move with the times, do I want a Newcastle type owner here, absolutely not but we have to change because in the world of football not changing is really standing still.
Einstein said “The definition of insanity is dong the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result” That is what we are doing under the self-funding tag with two awful relegations from the EPL.
And with recent borrowing I do not think anyone on here really believes we are actually self-funding the way I would see it, as a year to year basis.
And I do applaud the club for having a go in the summer of 2021, pushing the boat out as it were, but I said at the time “hang on a minute you’ve signed 6 player 22 or under, isn’t that unwise?” and instead of the club holding their hands up and saying “sorry we got that wrong” they go down the route of actually blaming the fans and local media.
For me it is not the mistakes that Delia, Michael and Stuart have made that is the real reason for so much venom directed towards them by a big section of the fan base it is their secrecy (some would say, allegedly, lying) and unwillingness to admit to making these mistakes.
What happened to the openness we were promised? Why can’t the fans be told that we have had realistic offers for the club in thepast?
But I do agree with you that there has been a lot of excitement/anguish supporting City over the last 20 years. That has to be said.
I was quite shocked the other day to see over the last 10 or so years Southampton have spent on average around £ 30 million per season on players, some seasons even making a profit. This season they have spent a whopping £ 143 million and they are getting relegated.
It just shows it is not all about money, along with the right investment you need the right recruiting team and a top class coaching team. Southampton had Maurichio Pocchitino and Ronald Koeman who had them in the top half of the table, Ralph Hasslehut just about managed them to keep up for a few years but either or both the difference in coaching staff and the years of underinvestment has now caught up with them.
Finally I cannot agree that is better coming on here and giving the club stick because we are doing badly, I much prefer eulogising over the football we played in our two Championship wins and picking out how well the club had done in picking up so many good players.
You also paint a very cosy feel to Carrow Road, I have often felt that even at times under Mr Chase that actually did exist as it probably did for Delia in the early days.
But why are people like Kieran Scott, Head of Recruitment, who was the architect of those Championship winning seasons, leaving our club and it is many more sadly. Why are we not doing more to keep those people here after they have proved to be invaluable?
It is a matter of record that Scott was the main man in the early years of SW’s reign for player recruitment in the years that it has been primarily SW it has been awful.
As my dear old Dad used to say you cannot polish a turd.
I would like to believe that every now and again, standing still and not running with the herd is admirable. Progress was made as a result of the brave folk in Tiananmen Square who refused two budge. I refuse to own a ‘smart’ phone, everywhere I look I see the top of peoples heads as they download anxiety, depression, division and addiction. I feel like the Last of the Mohicans, but I’ll be gald to go out that way and not short my ideals.
However much must one spend these days to ‘stay up’? Is it worth it? Bournemouth pushed the boat out in Jan, handsomely, and, fair play; have survived. But what if they go down next year? Do we want to go down the route of signing players for £20m as the one’s we bought for £10m weren’t up to it? and if we stay up, so we need to buy players for £30m to kick on? Until the inevitable bad window occurs and we’re done for? As opposed to a European Super League, I’d like a Domestic Sustainable League (tongue in cheek).
Seriously though, What price a club’s soul?
Gee this blog brought all the Happy clappers out hasn’t it? As I said in a comment recently I couldn’t care where the money comes from as long as it gets rid of the stow market couple, it wouldn’t bother me if Putin put in a few million.