[Marco4]

LIVE, FROM CARROW ROAD, NORWICH...ITS

v

Chris Powell takes his Terriers to Carrow Road on Saturday to take on Neil Adams’ Canaries with both sides looking for something to get their teeth into after recently disappointing form (both are 2-1-3 from their last six games).

One has to go back to 1969 for Town’s last win in Norfolk, Bobby Hoy and Colin Dobson ensuring that Ian Greaves’ side stayed top of the second division with a 1-2 victory. Since then, it has been slim pickings indeed, with some heavy thrashings during the 1990s as the two sides have been bobbing in almost opposite directions since then. The last meeting between the two sides was a 3-1 defeat at the JSS in 2010, as Stephen Elliott and current Huddersfield loanee Grant Holt helped the Yellows come back from an early Neal Trotman header.

So Who Are Norwich City?

The only professional sports team in Norfolk, Norwich City are the owners of the oldest recorded football chant, and those that make the journey at the weekend will likely hear On The Ball City once or twice throughout.

The Carrow Road trophy cabinet does not exactly creak under the weight of silverware, but a couple of League Cup wins in 1962 and 1985 are held along with a trio of Division 2 trophies. More interestingly, the Friendship Trophy, contested by just themselves and Sunderland after their meeting in the 1985 League Cup Final, is currently in the cabinet, too.

There’s been some illustrious players in yellow and green throughout the years, too. Steve Bruce passed through en route from Gillingham to Manchester United (one of very few times Norwich was on the way to anywhere) as well as England World Cup winner Martin Peters. My personal favourite is Darren Eadie, the cursed winger whose pace and skill earned him a place in a fair few England squads in the mid-1990s, but whose brittleness curtailed his career. The side he was part of, with the likes of Bryan Gunn (who was Sheriff of the city in 2002), Jeremy Goss, Chris Sutton and David Phillips, was a fine, fine team indeed though they, as Huddersfield, suffered a little with the technology to print free-form in the early 90s. Avert your eyes now. Which is worse?

or

And This Year?

Norwich started this year with a lovely European tour, taking in Italy and France, before welcoming Nice (5-1) and Celta Vigo (2-2) to the Fine City and it stood them in good stead for the start of the season.

An opening day defeat to Wolves was followed with a run of six wins and two draws but the wheels have rather come off since then – just two win in their last ten games; that coming at Wigan last weekend. Neil Adams is under pressure, and the vultures, rather than the Canaries, are circling Carrow Road.

Huddersfield-born Cameron Jerome and Lewis Grabban provide the impetus of the attack though Wes Hoolahan, should the mood take him, is as creative a player as one will see at this level. He’s something of a tosspot, though, so look out for that; while at the other end, one can keep one’s wine in Carlos Cuellar.

Oh, and Kyle Lafferty is in the squad – allowed to leave Palermo because Maurizio Zamparini didn’t like his womanising. Lock up your…female physios, maybe. He’ll likely be on the bench.

How Do I Get There?

You have two choices, really. You can either go to the back of beyond and then carry on a bit further, or you can go to Peterborough and turn left (or right if you’re in the south). Neither offers much in the way of geography but it will present an appealingly cold wind that, I have it on good authority, has nothing to break its path from the Urals until it gets to Cambridge.

It’s about £30 to get in and, given that tickets are on general release, it won’t sell out. You can still get the £360 hospitality package that, I have to say, looks a pretty decent deal. Three course meal in the Gunn Club and free champagne, and a scoreboard message. Contact the club direct if you want to do it. You even get to meet a Canaries legend, so if you wonder what Efan Ekoku is doing now…

..well, he works for ESPN – I’ve just saved you £360. You can thank me later.

Who's Gonna Be There?

Norwich is a proper rogues gallery of the great and the good. Delia Smith will likely be there in the directors boxes, looking all smug because she can cook an egg. Equally, Stephen Fry is known to frequent Carrow Road during his jaunts into the city – he’s a phenomenally large man, and you can’t miss him if you see him. Other famous Narch people include Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who used to be in a band called theaudience, who not only were ace, but also split up because the lead guitarist was agoraphobic. Back before she was Britain’s hardest hitting political journalist, Myleene Klass even rocked up on the pitch. I won't be there. In a grim coincidence, one of my best mates who still lives in Norwich is visiting me this weekend.

How Can I Tell The Teams Apart?

Norwich will be in yellow. Huddersfield probably won’t. If you need further clarification, then really I’m not the person to ask. Maybe a psychotherapist of some kind.

What Should I Do There?

A weekend in Norwich is time well spent, so enjoy your time if you’re going to stay over. For those who want a wide selection of ales, The Fat Cat is well worth your time – I used to drink there every Friday - even if it’s a little way out of the city. For those who want history, there’s the Castle to visit (though there’s not a lot to see there) and the Adam and Eve is a phenomenally old little pub that you could theoretically work in your way to the ground. Norwich Thorpe Railway Station (the main one) would be a sight to behold if it wasn’t for all the buses and crap in the car park; you can imagine John Betjeman gazing proudly upon it. There is a two-storey Wetherspoon’s down by the ground now; that’s in the Riverside complex that houses most of the nightlife nowadays. Best avoided, I would say, but that’s your choice.

AS BEFORE - MORE INFO TO FOLLOW LATER

[WakeyTerrier]

Bravo, another spiffing effort on the match thread front.

I purchased my ticket at the weekend or rather Mitzi did and I've yet to exchange cash for ticket so I will be in attendance. Hoping the weather is a little kinder than our last visit when the snow caused havoc with the railways. Unfortunately it's just a day trip otherwise I think I'd end up spending the weekend in the Belgian Monk pub which I've been alerted to on DATM...I mean who doesn't want to drink 12% beer all weekend! I know I would.

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Damn and blast, I've just clicked the Fat Cat link and seen all my favourite Belgian beers, desperate for a Kwak now

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Could you not get a travel lodge or summat, Wakey. Bet it will be nice this weekend. Put me off the year we went and it peed it down.

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, Marco.
I've only been there once. We lost 4-1 but before kick off we were top of the what is now called Championship. Must have been late 90s. Craig Bellamy was a young whipper snapper and took our defence to pieces.

[WakeyTerrier]

Trains have been booked for 3 months so staying overnight would incur further costs on top of my 2 gallons of beer (not the 12% stuff though! I'd be in a coma)

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I saw Town get a draw at Norwich once way back in the 80s I think, it was the FA cup and if my mind isn't playing tricks it was 1-1 and Norwich scored near the end to earn the replay

Infact thinking about it, I've been to Norwich a few times down the years


P.s. I think it was snowing then as well

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Shame. Bet it's a decent place for a weekend if the weather's right.

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Cameron Jerome's family were peeved we didn't sign him years ago according to my friend who's a friend of his family!

[Marco4]

To be fair, Cameron Jerome has probably had a better career than if we did sign him back then. The equivalent now...maybe not

Norwich is a great place for a weekend.

[ARTERRIER]

I was at that game Wakey, the last visit, when it snowed and yeah the railways went to pieces that day. I got home about midnight when it should have been 9pm. I did get talking to a female Norwich fan, who travelled all the way from York to home games in her own, she was very nice and before anyone asks, no I didn't shag her or even get her number....what was I thinking?

[Marco4]

Was it anything to do with webbing?

[sloppyattheback]

Cross country train bogs dont qualify as the mile high club ART

Perhaps she's allover the Norrich board hoping she meets this 'real gent' from Hudders as she commutes from York this weekend again?

Think we'll do well to get anything and need to score first as they could be a bit fragile with 25,000 behind them - dont change the team keep Robinson in for Dicko, JV to replace whoever misfires up front, its gotta happen n click for Wells sooner or later. We know Lynch dont do Xmas or bank holidays, real family man team player.

Any ideas how many we sold i think 600 might be close, we did have 1000 last time but that was with 2 wingers and we'll score 1 more than you under LC, except that afternoon.

Training it over from Notts direct service the drive in the snow was dreadful 3 years ago and thats from someone who does hundreds of miles per week in all weathers, the missus wouldnt let me take my lad in case we got snowed in somewhere remote or worse, glad there's at least one reasonably sane bod in our house.