Foghorn

Might be interesting to have a look at the video of the whole game - I was sure he had been booked, but maybe it was just that I''d lost count. If we had to replay the game because of a refereeing cock-up, I''m not sure if I''d be happy or not - mayb Hucks would score his penalty second time around, but maybe Greeno wouldn''t have made that save!!

Well, it looks like it''s you, me and Yankee Canary in the old gits club, Wiz. One slightly more recent memory, I lived in Harlow for twelve years in the late sixties and seventies because of work, and we were on a piped aerial system for each housing area, so we got London ITV. At the time, Anglia were showing highlights on a Sunday afternoon, and I found out that by putting up an (illegal) aerial, I could get Anglia from the Sandy Heath transmitter, so was able to watch City instead the Hammers, Spurs, etc. My son was the odd one out at school - while all the other kids were wearing Claret & Blue, or Blue & White, or Red & White, he proudly sported his Yellow & Green! The other kids even nick-named him "Norwich". He was really disapointed when we moved back up here, and he wasn''t the odd one out anymore! (Though he got over his disapointment when he realised we could actually get to all the home games). Gawd, I must be getting old - why did yopu start me off on memories, Wiz????? I''ll be crying in my beer soon, and making it even weaker than it is these days. Now, when I was a young man, you could get a really decent pint for fourpence..................

Since it''s obviously old gits time, I''d better add mine: Yes I was at the Man U 3-0 thrashing, courtesy of a free ticket given to my sister, a nurse at Cromer hospital at the time, by one of the Tooley twins who was in the hospital with a broken leg. (Both twins were on City''s books, but I don''t think they made many, if any, first team appearances). I stood in what is now the South Stand, but there was no lid on it then, and the snow that day was ankle deep on the terrace. I saw the remainder of the cup games that season, except for the two semi-final games, including Ken Nethercott''s magnificant performance at Sheffield Utd. In those days I lived in Cromer, and went to school in North Walsham, at the Paston School. We used to get a free season ticket for the train from Cromer to N Walsham, which we used on Saturdays to go and play football for the school in the morning. We then used to get on a train to Norwich, and when we arrived we used to run past the ticket inspector at the end of the platform shouting "Season" and waving the little green oblong of cardboard so that he thought we had a Norwich to N Walsham ticket. On the way home after the game we used to wait till the train was just about to pull out, then repeat the act with the ticket inspector and jump on just in time. The only worry was if they ever had a ticket inspector on the train. Fortunately, I never got caught by one. When we arrived in Norwich, we used to go to Marcantonio''s fish & chip shop at the bottom of Rose Lane for plaice & chips, and eat it with our fingers on the way to the ground. (1/3d it cost, if I remember rightly). My hero was Johnny Gavin - great player, but I was also a big fan of Barry Butler. Great thread, Wiz - didn''t realise you were that old!!!!

Thanks Pieman, don''t know where you got your information from, but it sounds plausible. However, it doesn''t answer my basic question - had he booked him in the first half? (Although I suppose if your facts are correct, he would have picked up his absence from the team sheet, then, so maybe I''ve answered my own question). I still think the quick substitution was very suspicious. Anyway, such a demonstration of incompetance doesn''t fill me with cheer either for Euro 2004 or next season when we''re in the Premier. Never mind, at least we''ll be in the premier to see it first hand!!

Someone help an old man out - what was going on in the second half???? I was convinced Riley had booked that player in the first half, and when he went for a chat with the fourth official, I was sure he was going to confirm it, but then they seemed to have a conference with the Stoke manager, and the guy was substituted instead. The Pink ''Un and the Sunday papers didn''t mention it, nor did the tele on Sunday. If he hadn''t booked him (or thought he might have done) why else did he need the conference with the fourth official? As for the number of bookings overall, it made a mockery of what wasn''t a particularly dirty game, especially not when compared to what''s gone unpunished in some of the other games this season. He also seemed to cock up Edworthy''s booking - having seen it on the tele, McVeigh went straight to him when he saw him reaching for his pocket, as he knew he''d done it, but Riley waved him away and booked Edworthy. He also gave a ridiculous free kick from 50 yards away against Malky, when the linesman 10 yards away saw nothing wrong - still, if he hadn''t done, we wouldn''t have seen Greeno''s wonder save. Premier League ref - he''s having a laugh!!

If you''ve read that little tale of our epic European season called "Norfolk ''n Good", you''ll know where my nickname came from - even if you haven''t and you sit in the River End (I refuse to call it Norwich & Peterborough) lower tier in block Q, then you might also have an idea.

Stop shaking A1, start singing and shouting - right from the start tomorrow. Have faith, Nigel is right, we WILL go up. He''s an astute manager, and what he''s said is geared to giving the team and supporters a lift. He''s maintaining his dignity, and not slagging off other teams, like Colin and Mr Potato Head and others. He isn''t the only one who believes we''ll get promoted - Ian Dowie and Andy Hasenthaler have recently said it too. Get behind the lads for the remaining games, have patience if we don''t score in the first twenty minutes, and sing your heart out. Believe!!!!!!!

I don''t want to be alarmist, but I''ve heard a story from a strong source that Drury''s injury may keep him out for the rest of the season, because it''s more serious than was at first thought. I hope this is wrong, but if it is correct, then Brennan is a must for left back, with McVeigh in the wide left berth, and presumably Cooper on the right. The centre mid-field is then Holt plus either Francis or Mulryne, depending perhaps on who the opposition is. Up front that leaves Huckerby and A.N.Other - Roberts/Svenson/McKenzie - but I''d like to be in the position of being able to take on giving Jarvis a full game or two before the end of the season, which means we have to have it sown up by then. I agree that we shouldn''t be panicking because of the last two away results - a lot will depend on the games where the chasing pack have to play each other. We WILL do it - keep the faith!!!

Sorry, my age is showing again, but how is no-one has mentioned Barry Butler? A class centre half, capped for England B while playing in the third division? (We''ve even named the Player of the Season trophy in his honour). I''d also have to include in my list of favourites Flecky, Sutton, Bowen, Bruce, Barham, Keelan, Ron Davies, and Gunn. The more I think about it, the more come to mind, and the harder it is to pick one. Huckerby could end up in there before long, and with a bit of luck Jarvis will eventually join the list. For the benefit of Welsh Canary Fan if he''s reading this, Chris Llewellyn would NOT be in there!

Thanks NMTD and Old Yeller - I was begining to think the cave girls were just an old man''s wishful thinking. Mind you, they''d probably be slightly less erotic if you brought back the original ones now, given that it must have been about 20 years ago! As for which game it was (Man U or W Ham) I haven''t got a clue - I''ve only got one memory of that game! (I would have said "one mammary", but the Moderator would probably take it out - the comment, not the mammary!!)

Ip**** may have a great pitch, but they''ve got a c**p team (at the back, any way). Re-laying our pitch has got nothing to do with that lot, and it''s nothing to do with the relevant performance of any other Div 1 team. If you read what has been said, it''s not just a matter of re-laying the turf - the drains are begining to fail, and the waterlogging in some parts will only get worse if its not dealt with. The pitch currently stays wet in some areas, and is dry and crumbling in others, so clearly it''s got to be done. The reserves play so few games these days it''s not a significant factor - they play some of them at Colney, anyway. £650,000 for something which will last another 10 or 12 years is nothing, whether we''re in the Premiership or not (and we WILL BE). Seems like another good investment from our prudent board - Gordon Brown would be proud of them!

The best half time entertainment has GOT to be those girls a few years ago (can''t remember when - getting very old now, but it was before the seats were put in the River End). They came out from the corner where the disabled stand used to be, dressed in "caveman" outfits - small bits of fur in strategic places, a la Raquel Welcch in "2000 Years BC", and performed a very raunchy routine on a freezing cold day. They were so good, when the players came out for the second half the crowd were telling them to go back so we could carry on watching the girls. Don''t tell me I''m the only one who can remember them - I haven''t got that sad and old that I dreamt it - have I???????????????????????

Yankee, I have to disagree with some of your choices:- West Ham - I lived in Essex for 12 years, and their fans came and went depending on the fortunes of Spurs and Arsenal. Ip**** - about three or four years ago, before their recent brief excursion to the Premiership, we had more season ticket holders (around 13,000) than their average gate. Wolves - their support has only re-emerged from the woods since they climbed back from the lower reaches four or five years ago. It''ll be interesting to see what it''s like after they''ve had another two or three seasons back in the Nationwide. I wouldn''t disagree with Wednesday, Man City (great result yesterday!!), Sunderland, and Forest. I also think you should have included Portsmouth in your list - not my favourite team, but their fans continous singing and support when they got stuffed 5 -1 by Arsenal a week ago did them enormous credit.

Dead right mello yello - Cardiff was a blip, and it''s the one game out of our recent run I''d have chosen if I had to select one to loose. With the other results on Saturday not doing us too much harm, and with the Baggies playing Wigan tomorrow, we can improve the gap against one or the other, if not both. We need to be patient against the Gills - they got a good result against Preston, and will try to contain us, but we can and will break them down. (Sorry if that prediction upsets 1st Wiz, but I stopped believing in fairies along time ago - apart from those that wear a white donkey on their shirts - biggest bunch of fairies I''ve ever seen!!) As for Archie saying we''ve got to sort out team selection, I think I''ll leave that to Nigel - he seems to have done OK without my help so far this season.

Hi Taff - how could I forget you!! I haven''t posted on this board since they changed to the new format, but I couldn''t resist saying hallo to you. Hope you''re keeping well, and that your fellow countrymen are going to roll over nicely for us tomorrow. I haven''t heard much about your former favourite recently - I know he scored a couple early on, but I haven''t been interested enough to keep checking. I have to say we haven''t really missed him! Maybe now you''ve got me started again, I''ll post the odd one now and again. While I''m on here, I''d just like to say how impressed I''ve been with Nigel Worthington''s attitude and standards. Despite having some ridiculous decisions against us, he hasn''t followed the example of Warnock and Royle, instead he''s tried to impress on the team that there''s no point in getting booked for dissent, because the ref isn''t going to change his mind. You just have to get on with it, and put it right in the best way possible by stuffing another one past the opposition. He deserves the Manager of the Season award for his approach if nothing else (though I hope he''ll get it for winning the League). There Taff - see what''s happened? You''ve got me started again. All the best.