Never let it be said that the MFW team doesn’t take its readers’ comments on board (or should that be to heart?).
The club’s current situation has rightly dominated the discussions within our community, but it has been pointed out that something other than the regular club pile-ons would make a refreshing change.
So, let’s put on our thinking caps and take a trip down memory lane with the good, the bad and the ugly from Norwich City’s history with some nominations for a series of awards.
I’ve offered my selections but I’m sure you can do better:
The ‘Where’s VAR When You Need It?’ Award – Worst Refereeing Decision
You know the scene in Escape to Victory when Pele beats the Nazis with an overhead kick, despite the best efforts of a biased referee? Well, Hitler’s boys would have won it, if Simon Hooper had been officiating instead. On his top-flight debut, Hooper disallowed Cameron Jerome’s acrobatic and deserved equaliser for dangerous play and, to this day, he remains one of the most compelling arguments for VAR.
The ‘Never Fall in Love’ Award – Best Loan Signing
I’m going to discount our Hucks on the basis that he actually became ‘our’ Hucks. Despite never seeing him play in the flesh, my nomination is Oliver Skipp. While the attacking players received most of the credit for the promotion campaign, Skipp provided the perfect platform for them by doing all the unglamorous stuff. He was the Makélélé to our cut-price Galacticos.
The ‘Return to Sender’ Award – Worst Loan Signing
If you’re struggling for inspiration, search Google for Glenn Roeder signings. However, my selection is based on what this player did for us compared to what he has done since. Harry Kane is England’s captain and record goalscorer, and second in the list of all-time Premier League goal scorers. He even out-Beckham’d, David Beckham for Bayern Munich the other day. In three appearances for Norwich, the abiding memory is a fluffed chance to win a game against West Ham. Signing Harry could, and should, have been a masterstroke.
The ‘Unbelievable Jeff’ Award – For WTF Just Happened
It takes something special to trump Jonny Howson carrying a pigeon off the pitch but step forward Delia. “Where are you?”, she asked. Most people were in the bar trying to get warm but those of us who remained in the stands, who were discussing how we had managed to blow a two-goal lead and whether we could still feel our toes in sub-zero temperatures, bore witness to an iconic rallying call. There was some laughter, a few cheers but the overwhelming sound was of jaws hitting the floor.
“Let’s be having you” indeed.
The ‘Agony and Ecstasy’ Award Part One – Worst Moment
The most intense emotions are felt in the heat of a moment, more specifically moments that determine a result. When Kenny headed us in front against Manchester City, it was amazing but the feeling was tempered by the fear that it would probably only be a footnote in a thumping. Last-minute winners, for or against, tend to live longest in the memory. January 23, 2016. City were losing 4-3 to Liverpool having blown a 3-1 lead but Seb Bassong looked to have salvaged a point with a strike deep into injury time. Moments later, Adam Lallana broke our hearts and Klopp’s glasses with the latest of winners and wild celebrations.
Absolutely gutting.
The ‘Agony and Ecstasy’ Award Part Two – Best Moment
So many late City winners to choose from, especially under Lambert and Farke. But for me, one stands out. We will let Chris Goreham take it from here…
The ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’ Award – Childhood Idol
Things change as soon as someone younger than you plays for Norwich. It signals the end of the ‘when I grow up, I want to be a footballer’ chapter of your life. As a child, you can ‘be’ your favourite player in the back garden and have their name on your shirt without being seen as some sort of stalker. For me, that player was Justin Fashanu. With hindsight, my childhood attempts to recreate his volley against Liverpool really should have signalled the end of my ‘when I grow up, I want to be a footballer’ chapter.
The ‘Worth His Weight in Gold’ Award – Best value
Teemu Pukki was a free signing. Emi Buendia signed for a reported figure of £1.5 million. What they did for us was nothing short of phenomenal. Throw in the record fee received from Villa and there’s a compelling case for the five-feet-seven piece of football heaven. However, I’m going to nominate another diminutive midfield wizard on the basis that we got ten years of magic from him. The £400K we paid Blackpool for Wessi was repaid a million times over on the pitch by one of the greatest talents ever to play at Carrow Road.
The ‘Track and Trace’ Award – Biggest Waste of Money
Don’t believe the hype. I did, but it turned out that nobody was afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, because he was toothless. Did Hughton play to Ricky Van Wolfswinkel’s strengths? It’s hard to say because we never saw any. However, he was considered to be one of Europe’s hottest striking prospects until ‘along came Norwich’ with our club-record bid. What a shame. What a waste.
The ‘Kevin Muscat’ Award – Most Unlikeable Opposition Player
Controversially, I won’t be nominating the Aussie thug who tried to end Craig Bellamy’s career. Muscat was someone whose talents were limited to crunching more skilful players. It doesn’t excuse it but it wasn’t done to wind us up. That’s why I’ve shortlisted two perennial ear-cuppers and shushers. Players whose first instinct is to stick it to the opposition supporters rather than celebrate with their own. Jamie Vardy almost nicks it for shushing an imaginary crowd during lockdown but David Nugent gets my nomination on the basis that I had to endure that wind-up merchant’s celebrations on more occasions.
***
Now over to you…
Steve, prior to RVW physically arriving, but after definitely signing for the following season, in about March or April, do you recall the EDP doing a 4-page pull-out about his performance in a game where he didn’t score back home. I remember a half-page article about a run he made (and wasn’t picked out with a pass).
Poor lad, I knew then he was doomed to fail.
Controversially (as I don’t ‘hate’ him) may I nominate Stuart Webber for the Track and Trace award. Purely for the 2021 window (Rashica et al) and the fact he’s labelled as a ‘shrewd operator’ but has left us many many millions in debt
The ‘Agony and Ecstasy’ Award Part Two – Best Moment… may I nominate the 2nd half against Charlton in early League 1 days. We were two down at HT (Otsemebor pinned twice at the back stick). Expecting little, city emerged for the 2nd half in the Fox/Hoolahan/Lappin/Smith Holt/Martin diamond.
Wow. I didn’t know we could play like that, and the rest is history (sadly now)
Best ‘moment’ I recall was May 2 2011…actually it was about 4 hours as we watched Cardiff implode then we clinched Premier League , Precisely, on 75 minutes David Fox curls a ball just beyond the far post where Simeon Jackson dives to guide a header back across goal for the winner. Cue pitch invasion at full time.
I remember my early days at Carrow Road Steve.
Tommy Bryceland was my first favourite player, then Peter Silvester, Kenny Foggo and Dave Stringer, Dunc (as long as he didn’t come up for a corner, but how glad was I that he did in 1972 against Swindon and Sheff Wed) and rather one from left field Geoff Butler.
As the years went by Graham Paddon and Mick McGuire took the mantle.
After that too many too mention. But Wes, Robert Fleck, Ian Crook, John Deehan have to be mentioned.
Best moments, Watford 1972 and Wembley 2015.
Time I cried, (Worst Time) easy the fog coming down against Chelsea in the semi final of the League Cup in 1972.
Best Ever Goal, Youseff Safri v Newcastle 2005. And many from the Daniel Farke playbook.
Worst Loanee, Give me a list of Roeder’s season 2.
Best Loanee, As you say Steve, Olly Skipp but I would also consider Peter Crouch.
Worst Signing, it has to be Michael Theoklitos, you can bet Gunny knows his keepers we said😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 oh dear.
Best Value, as you say Steve it has to be Teemu.
Biggest Villain, who was nowhere as good as he thought he was, again we are in agreement Kevin Muscat.
Funniest Moment, Standing in the River End when Dad misunderstood what I said and thought Ian Crook was moonlighting at 2.45pm parading around the pitch as Captain Croc🤣 Team talk Crooky ? Nah he is far too busy, who wants a sweet?
Best Manager, that is tough but to me it has to be a three way tie, Ron Saunders, Ken Brown and Daniel Farke. Without Saunders none of what came after would have happened. Had Sir Arthur South backed him who knows, Ron’s Villa won the First Division in 1980 and the European Cup the year after.
We can but dream.
Person Most Like a Bond Villain, stroking a white cat one….. Mr Robert Chase. Has to be.
Worst Var Decision, has to be Teemu v Spurs. the lines were drawn by a 5 year old who thought they were doing some colouring.
Favourite Ref, yes I have one🤣 Roger Kirkpatrick, or Mr Pickwick as me and Cousin Dave used to call him.
Worst Job after Carrow Road, Has to be poor Gunny after his management stint, Carphonewarehouse ! Well very much like them.
Worst Decision to Leave Early, A day that will live in infamy…26th December 2018. Against Nottingham Forest 0-3 at 75 minutes, Teemu missed a great chance and kicked the goalpost in anger. The wife wanted to get to her niece’s and help her prepare for a Boxing Night party, so I said ” Lets go”….Utter Madness.
Unbelievable Jeff Award, Jeff Stelling. On 75-76 minutes in that Forest game he said no come back from Norwich today on Sky sports 🤣 We both should have known a Farke team is never beaten.
Worst Relegation, easy Coventry beating First Division Champions Everton 4-1 who had imbued gallons of Watney’s Red Barrel all of that week, on a Sunday afternoon in 1985 about 3 months after we had played our last game and that relegated us.
Yes we had finished our fixtures and Coventry had three games left, and won all three.
The Great Mick Channon mentioned how unfair it was last month on a Racing Channel interview. So that’s two of us who can’t let it go.
And it REALLY spoiled me and Dad’s lunch🤬🤬🤬
What memories though💚💛
Kevin Muscat award –
Ironically would’ve said Ashley Barnes, but I’ll go for Luis Suarez the hungry hippo who enjoyed an Italian and chewed on our goals against column at will.
Agony & ecstasy parts 1&2-
The defeats to Utd and Villa that ultimately stopped us poo-pooing the inaugural fat cat Premiership! But……..
That season also gave us the UEFA cup run the year after, “This is almost fantasy football”
Unbelievable Jeff-
Dean Coneys arse goal, his only in a city shirt.
Never fall in love with a loan player-
100% spot on Skipp, David Neilson…..Then we signed him and………
Worst loan-
His replacement Normann, utter maverick of a footballer, Antoine Sibierski,
Not all heroes wear capes-
Flecky, remember him nicking a mars bar during an injury lull from a sweet trolley that used to be wheeled around the pitch perimeter at half time😂😂
Just after 10 in the evening, all I’m saying is , river end ,first division survival on the line ,30000+ in the ground, game 41 of a 42 game season . Goal ,we stayed up .73-4season I think .
What about “Worst Contract Negotiation” It’s got to be McNally for Naismith, paying a million for him not kicking a ball in a promotion campaign. Or perhaps for Dean Ashton, no bonus because it wasn’t a “competitive” England game. Or making no profit on Earnshaw due to a clause.