It’s a Catch-22 cliche that young footballers are not ready to play in the Premier League until they’ve played in the Premier League. The experience of playing at the top level is what exposes those so-far-accomplished young bucks to a whole new level of aspiration. It pushes their dreams into the realms of attainability, and […]
Money, Money, Money – Which City manager has splashed the most cash?
Following City’s brave exit from the FA Cup this week at the hands (or left boot) of Harry Maguire – it occurred to me with some bitterness that it was a player who’d cost £80million who made the difference. Failing miserably to avoid wallowing in self-pity after yet another glorious failure, I decided to check […]
Happy Birthday! – Predicting NCFC success?
I noticed when pootling about the internet the other day that several Norwich City players share the same birth month. Mmm. That set me wondering… Could the date of your birth define your chances of becoming a professional footballer? The answer is… No. Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. But, before we get carried away […]
Singin’ in the Rain – Norwich City’s League Cup History
Joy is a rare commodity these days, especially for fans of professional football clubs. But sometimes, even when things aren’t going so well, there’s an area of the game, a region of opportunity where a club can notch an accomplishment or two and the fans can enjoy the sweet taste of success. Such an area […]
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Norwich City & the FA Cup
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 […]
The Carrow Road Experience (1985)
The year is 1985. Elizabeth II is on the throne, Margaret Thatcher is prime minister, and Tears for Fears are storming the charts with Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Richard Briers is wittering his way through Ever Decreasing Circles on BBC1, Morons From Outer Space is showing at the ABC, and somewhere in Croxteth, proud mum Jeanette Rooney has […]
Other than Chisholm (og), can you name City players who’ve scored in cup finals?
As the expiry date for this year’s FA Cup final slips by, maybe it’s of interest to mention those Canaries who have scored in major cup finals during their career. Do you remember any of these? FA Cup – Peter Osgood 1970 – Alan Taylor 1975 – Kevin Reeves 1981 – Andy Linighan 1993 – […]
NCFC Quiz: Function, Faith, and Football – Can you pick the odd two out?
Some people say it’s a mistake to start a football article with a Shakespeare quote peppered with paltry puns such as ‘A (Danny) Rose by any other Nayim would smell as sweet’. Those people are right (*cough*) So let’s get straight to the quiz. QUIZ 1: The following virtual team of eleven players have surnames […]
Can you name the ten City players who’ve gone on to manage in the Premier League?
So, how many of these managerial appointments do you remember? Cue music… 1. Martin O’Neill Leicester City (1996/97 – 1999/00) Aston Villa (2006/07 – 2010/11) Sunderland (2011/12 – 2012/13) O’Neill’s highest league position was 6th with Aston Villa which remarkably he achieved for three consecutive seasons from 2007/08 to 2009/10. His highest position with Leicester was 9th. 2. […]
Who is, statistically, the most successful Norwich City manager in the top flight?
Fourteen managers have managed Norwich City Football Club in the top flight since Ron Saunders first achieved it in 1972/73. But how do their records compare? In the following table all fourteen managers are ranked by the percentage of games won under their leadership in the top division in English football. All competitive league and […]
Heroes aplenty, but who has been City’s most prolific striker of the last 50 years?
Since Ron Saunders first dragged the Canaries scratching and pecking into England’s top football division in 1972 several hundred players have represented the club – including many dozens of strikers. But which of these strikers was the best? Who managed to hit the back of the net most frequently? In short, who was the most […]
Crystal ball time. It’s now 2050. So what exactly does the Canary Nation look like?
It’s April 2050 and as the 2049/50 season draws to a close manager Daniel Farke comes under pressure as Norwich City sit only 2nd in the Amazon Prime Premier League, a division they’ve won for the last 11 seasons. Club chairman Sir Ian Culverhouse says Farke has the board’s full support, but ‘needs to pull […]
Forbidden ground? Only a few have been brave enough to cross that great divide
There has never been a physical wall along the Norfolk/Suffolk border; no barrier to trade, people, and friendships. But in sporting terms there surely is. That thin line on the map that traces east to west forms the demarcation point between the two East Anglain footballing giants; Norwich City and Ipswich Town. League victors, cup-winners, […]
Madonna, Beyoncé, and Delia – all twerkers extraordinaire, but their other connection?
Apologies, forgive the loose connection to football analysis, but as it’s such a nice headline, I beg your indulgence… Cutting to the chase (or more appropriately ‘to the Smith’); what do Madonna, Beyoncé, and Delia all have in common? – Are all three a whizz in the kitchen? Well, no – even if one of […]
Was Worthy worth it? The crowd thinks so…
I do like a graph. Must be something in my chromosomes (the ‘X’ and ‘Y’ bits probably) And, for reasons that will become clear, I like this one very much. It shows a comparison between the average home attendances for Norwich City and Ipswich Town since 1992. As you can see, City’s attendances have been […]
Great Scot! – The top ten Norwich City legends from north of the border
The clue is in the title. And so, kicking us off in civic style, straight in at number ten, in a Fluff Freeman style, it’s the Mayor… 10. Kenny McLean (Midfielder 2018-?) – Apps 50, Goals 4 A sprightly, energetic midfielder, full of life, who loves scoring the odd goal here and there. A great […]