Old Man Andy

What?? Let me get this right. You are proposing that at some time in the very near future, we shall all be sitting in a theme park somewhere near Diss to watch a franchise operation called the "East Anglian Crusaders"? Yankee Canary, I trust your post is an elaborate attempt to wind us all up. "Merge with Ipswich", indeed! I''d rather chew me own foot off.

Just back from the Derby game, and feeling on top of the world. This is what being a Norwich fan SHOULD feel like! I just wanted to say a few words about Peter Crouch. He is as much responsible as anyone for us being where we are now.......6 (six!) points clear at the top of the league. When he (and Huckerby and Harper) joined us we were an average mid table team. I''m sure he must be looking at where we are now and feeling a slight pang of regret that he''s not here with us now, enjoying the good times. With the signings of McKenzie, Svennson and a full time Huckerby, and with all the press coverage that''s gone with it, there is a danger that Peter Crouch''s contribution to our cause might be forgotten. I hope it isn''t, and I wish Peter Crouch the very best of luck for the future. He deserves first team football, and I for one won''t forget what he did for NCFC.

Hello 1stWizard, thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I don''t work for the EDP. I wish I did, I''m told it''s a really cushy number working for Archant. Right, web team? ;) Steve, like you I don''t understand why footballers employ agents at all. The P.F.A. can and does do everything an agent does, and they do it for free. I think I''m right in thinking that Chris Sutton has used the PFA to sort out all his contracts, and he''s not exactly short of a bob or two.

We gotta wear shades. As someone once sang. Can''t remember who, any ideas? Anyway, back to the point. How good does it feel to be a Norwich fan right now? I reckon it feels great. I''ve been knocking around the country following NCFC for more years than I care to remember (when I went to my first game, The Sweet were in the charts..... nothing has changed, they still are.....they''re just called The Darkness now) and I''m struggling to remember a time when I felt so positive about our club and it''s future. Here''s why...... 1: THE TEAM. A great blend of experienced old pros and exciting youngsters. Promotion beckons. 2: THE MANAGER. He''s straight talking, no nonsense, ambitious and has got the respect of the entire dressing room. Except, perhaps, Mark Rivers at the moment. Promotion beckons. His only fault is saying "know what I mean?" every 20 seconds during TV interviews. Stop doing that, Nigel! 3: THE BOARD. Delia Smith and MWJ love this club with a passion. And they''ve put the money up to prove it. Over 10 million pounds so far. This club is in very safe hands. Promotion beckons. 4: THE STADIUM: With the completion of the new stand, Carrow Road will be a source of pride to all Norwich fans. Worthy of the Premiership. 5: THE ACADAMY: It''s taken years to recover from the disaster that Robert Chase''s management caused to our youth policy. But now the production line of home grown talent has come to life again. And my nephew is there, straining at the leash to do his bit for us. Bless him. 6: THE FANS: As Delia proclaimed to the world on Boxing Day, we are the best fans in the world. My suspicion is that she might well have had a glass or two of vino during the afternoon, but what the hell, so had most of us after hearing the news about Darren Huckerby. I think she meant it. And I agree with her. Every home game a sellout, and an away following that is the envy of just about all our rivals. The fans are the ones that deserve success more than anyone. Yes indeed, this is a great time to be a Norwich fan. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride!

Darren, I salute you. You did, indeed, "wake up and smell the coffee". What an incredible week this has been. I have never, EVER, known a week like it. Work took a back seat. Christmas preparations were put on hold. Keyboards were bashed like never before, and mobile phone bills rocketed as I desperately tried to get some, ANY information about what the hell was going on. Facts were in very short supply. Rumours were plentiful. I heard more rumours than a Fleetwood Mac convention. But now, in the best traditions of Christmas, we have the present that we really, really wanted. Darren Huckerby is a Norwich player. I don''t know the whole story behind this transfer saga. I''m hoping that Rick Waghorn will enlighten me soon. But what I do know, is that common sense seems to have prevailed. Darren Huckerby and this Norwich City team are truly a match made in heaven. He is the final piece in the promotion puzzle, the man who will surely lead us back to the "promised land" of the Premiership, where this club belongs. Nigel Worthington knows it, the team knows it, the board knows it (and deserve a hell of a lot of credit for doing something about it) and Darren himself knows it, although he''s far too modest a man to say so. There is a real "feel good factor" around Carrow Road and the whole city of Norwich right now. No one man makes a team, everyone knows that. But the capture of Darren Huckerby is, in my humble opinion, probably the most important signing that NCFC have ever made. He is, quite simply, the right man in the right place at the right time. We NEED to get promoted this year, if we do our financial problems will be wiped out overnight. Without Darren Huckerby, we might just have done it. With Darren Huckerby, I reckon it''s an odds on bet. Darren, if by some remote chance you are reading this, thank you for ignoring the so called "advice" that your agent was giving you. It was obvious to all Norwich fans that you and your family had fallen in love with Norwich City Football Club, it''s fans and Norfolk in general. I don''t blame you mate, and you''ve probably noticed that the feeling is mutual! Isn''t it wonderful that a parasitic, cynical football agent who has tried EVERYTHING he possibly could to stop this transfer going ahead (for his own, selfish reasons) has failed. To men like Phil Smith, football is only about money and what''s in it for him. To fans like us, although we know that money talks, football is ultimately about dreams. It looks like Darren Huckerby (already a very wealthy man) has decided that the fans are right. For that reason alone, he deserves all the adulation that he''s going to get as he leads us to promotion. Merry Christmas to Norwich fans everywhere! Champagne, anyone?

Darren Huckerby is a very good footballer. Especially at this level. With him in our squad, I would be down the bookies like a shot to take any odds they are offering on Norwich City to not only get promoted, but to win the title. I don''t wish to sound harsh, but Darren''s talent is playing football. He seems to be a very genuine and honest bloke to me, but he also strikes me as possibly being not the sharpest tool in the garden shed. That''s the reason he leaves extremely complicated and lucrative financial negotiations to his agent. I don''t blame him, Phil Smith has made Darren Huckerby a multi-millionaire at the age of 27. The problem is, Darren Huckerby has also made Phil Smith a very wealthy man thanks to a series of very expensive transfers. Smith gets his cut from every one of them. I''ve said it before, no self respecting football agent wants a client of his to move to a club where he and his family will be happy and settled. There''s nothing in it for the agent for several years if that happens. Darren has got to wake up and smell the coffee. He''s already a very rich man, financially secure for life. Now he has got to make a decision for himself for a change.

Diane, I may be the world''s biggest optimist but I don''t think this is anything other than Worthy doing what he does best. He wants Huckerby here. He knows Huckerby wants to be here. He is dealing with an agent who doesn''t want Huckerby to be here and is trying to stall the deal. Worthy has a fine track record of brinkmanship. Just ask the NCFC board! I simply can''t believe that this deal will not go through. Right now, I''m willing to bet that a very hacked off Darren Huckerby is asking his agent some very awkward questions.

Hang on. I haven''t heard ANYTHING from Darren Huckerby. I''ve heard plenty enough from his agent, though. I have a hunch that this announcement will be as much of a bombshell (to quote Alan Partridge) to Darren Huckerby as it is to us. I sense a little bit of mischief here from Nigel Wothington, he has had enough of Mr Smith the agent from hell as the rest of us, and has decided to call his bluff. I strongly believe that Darren meant every word that he has said, about how much he wants to be a Norwich City player and that he will take a large pay cut to come here. His agent, for his own reasons, doesn''t want that to happen. I mean, what agent in his right mind would want a client of his moving to a club where he is very likely to be happy, succesful and contented? If Darren Huckerby signed for Norwich City, it is very possible that he would spend the rest of his career here, and that''s very bad news for an agent who makes his money by getting a cut of a transfer fee every time his player moves on. Darren, we''ve said it before and we''ll say it again......."SACK YOUR AGENT, HUCKERBY!"