It’s been talked about for long enough and now it seems that it’s finally coming to pass. Welcome to the European Super League. Never mind that well over a century of history will be going into the trash; never mind that Covid hit fans of the “elite” clubs will have to stump up for away […]
“Sustain the Game” -the Football Supporters’ Association’s five-point plan
None of us could have imagined at the turn of the year that anything could break the annual cycle of football seasons bringing joy to some and despair to others, and plenty for all of us to chew the fat over during the cold winter months. Now however the old certainties have been torpedoed by […]
Football without fans is nothing – the PL and EFL should never ever forget that
“Today is 47 days before the start of the League One season and Charlton remain in limbo. The EFL should issue an immediate public explanation of what is happening and should take decisive action so that alternative futures for our club can be explored if necessary. That clock ticks more loudly with every passing day.” […]
Time for a major re-set. The very future of the game we love is at stake right now
I’ve been lucky enough to be allowed to write about the game I love for 10 years now but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as disillusioned with it as I currently do. Before the pandemic the combination of live football to write about and a tight word limit meant that I never had the […]
Strange days are upon us… no football but, doubly disappointing, no Trust foodbank
This is a story of being overtaken by life. Last Monday I started writing about football, as I’m unlikely to be doing so for the foreseeable future I might as well publish it anyway: Black and white, night and day, matter and anti-matter. Pick the antonym of your choice but they could all be applied […]
City’s on-field success came faster than the financial rebuild that has now been sorted
Other children of the 60s may remember an Australian series called the Magic Boomerang in which said implement when thrown would suspend time for all but the thrower. Apparently a number of Wolves players were carrying one on Sunday judging by their second goal, with three attackers fighting to get the final touch with not […]
Hard times but this remains a long-term project and City are still ahead of schedule
To say that being a Norwich City fan is hard at the moment would be an understatement of monumental proportions. As the central defensive carousel turned once again at Brighton due to even more injuries there was plenty of cause for concern before a ball was kicked, but the performance itself was the toughest of […]
Vive la Webber révolution. The future’s yellow and laden with Under-23 talent
It would be difficult to underestimate the influence of Stuart Webber on Norwich City, even though, as I discovered last week, there are still a few people out there desperate to criticise him, however inaccurately. In that particular instance it was an attempt to hold the Sporting Director, who is not involved in the commercial […]
It’s not all VAR. Other rule changes set to alter the Premier League landscape…
While the introduction of VAR on a more comprehensive basis is the obvious change that will give the Premier League a new look next season, it’s important to remember that there are other rule changes to take on board as well. In principle they all make sense, but some may well create issues in practice. […]
The Class of 2015-16 v the Class of 2018-19 – how does Farke’s XI compare to Alex Neil’s?
With no actual football to talk about, the next couple of months will be full of the usual rumours and speculation as we wait to see how City will fare on their return to the top division after three seasons in the Championship. At this point we don’t know who will be coming to the […]
The mayor’s hat… some MD 20/20… and a fine end to the season from a quality player
He may be the new Mayor of Norwich but Kenny McLean’s failure to be Moritz Leitner or Mario Vrancic has meant that some City fans were still calling for him to be replaced as the season reached its climax. While I’m a huge fan of both the players that he kept out of the side, […]
Webber and O’Hagan light up AGM as the Trust revel in the NCFC feelgood factor
Last week’s Canaries Trust AGM carried on the feelgood factor that has surrounded the Club this season. The Trust has had a hugely successful year purchasing a further 426 ordinary shares and five Preference B shares on behalf of the fans as well as receiving a donation of 12 more and is now within striking […]
Unpopular with some, but let’s not underestimate Ed Balls’ impact on this football club
From the moment that he was appointed to the role, Ed Balls was always going to be a controversial choice as Norwich City chairman. As a former Labour Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Home Secretary he was always going to attract antipathy from those of a different political persuasion, while the fact that he was a […]
City leading way in safe standing debate after an audience with Minister for Sport
The safe standing debate seems to have rumbled on forever with little in the way of resolution but that could be about to change. As most of you will be aware various representatives of the Club and supporter groups went down to Westminster last week for a meeting with Tracey Crouch, the Minister for Sport, […]
Phase two of the Webberlution is underway, with a clear plan developing
Towards the end of City’s humiliating defeat at Hillsborough on the last day of the season, a group of lads in the away end attempted to start up a chant of “We want Webber out”. I’m pleased to say that no-one joined in and a number of people did take the trouble to point out […]
A Lynn loosener kicks off 2018/19 for City, with not too many lessons learned
The Walks has changed quite a bit since my playing days. In the late 1980s it was getting pretty run down as the club struggled from one financial crisis to another, which would ultimately culminate in a coup de grace from HMRC in 2009 as a result of an unpaid tax bill. The pitch was […]
Mo’s finally in the house! With the midfield starting to take shape, now for a striker (or two)
There’s still plenty of work to be done in this transfer window and without doubt we’ll all breathe easier when we see some strikers through the in-door, but there was one player in particular whose signature I felt was essential to the success of City’s campaign and that was Moritz Leitner. When he originally signed […]
Dr Tony may have got it wrong, but he wasn’t the first and he certainly won’t be the last
While it’s inevitable that the current mess at Aston Villa has reignited the debate about foreign owners, I would suggest that there is actually a much deeper issue that should be debated more openly. Although it’s increasingly clear that Dr Tony Xia effectively decided to gamble the club’s future on promotion, that’s a question of […]
MUSIC WEEK – Dr Feelgood… Led Zep… Hendrix… Portishead… all part of Robin’s journey
Football and music have always been constants in my life. Unfortunately, the arrival of my teens coincided with the musical desert of the early 1970s, full of novelty songs and glam rock. Growing up in Lynn there wasn’t much chance of seeing big names in concert either, although I did get to see the original […]
FAO The Minister for Sport: Before passing judgement on safe standing, understand the issue Ms Crouch
Once again, we find ourselves faced with an increasingly acrimonious debate about the issue of safe standing following the decision of the Minister for Sport, Tracey Crouch, to reject West Bromwich Albion’s application to install a safe standing area at the Hawthorns. This is, of course, a major setback for club’s, like City, who were […]