YankeeCanary

It''s obviously a great credit to Norwich fans to see the numbers making the trek to Everton. It''s particularly impressive when you look at attendance figures of some of the other 3rd round cup ties: -just over 16,000 at Ipswich for a team that needs the income - OK Forest are having a tough year but under 12,000 to play West Brom in the cup -just over 9000 at Preston for what was probably a good cup-tie -under 7000 at Millwall Yes, Norwich has got the fan support and full credit to those great Sunderland supporters too where over 40,000 showed up against Hartlepool.

I get it Beelsie...kind of "Cradle to Grave Canaries". Happy new Year!

Vince, is your reference to the heading "Visitors" because I was wondering why there is nothing present under that heading, particularly given Delia Smith''s relationship with food. I saw some of the visitor comments ( good and bad ) from past matches. It would be great if fans of visiting teams to Carrow Road went home after the game, even if their team had lost, cosistently singing the praises of the club in all respects. It''s a worth goal to make Norwich one of the top tier clubs in the land.

Good idea Beelsie. I wonder what the economics are and whether the Board have considered other sites in terms of long-term plans? Another thing I was wondering in terms of player development and perhaps some other posters could provide insight....nice to see that the Norwich Academy is on the right track in terms of youngster development. Is there any kind of program by English clubs to have youngsters spend time in other countries developing skills? I personally don''t like the Italian style although every style has it''s day with the right players. What was going through my mind was what I have observed on travels in Brazil at the sheer skills being developed by young Brazilian boys. I know there would be a lot to think about, but a lot of corporations have employees based in Brazil and there are English speaking communities to help for short-term stays. Imagine the excitement and competition that would be in place for example for 4-6 youngsters out of the Academy ( say 14 - 16 years old ) annually ( or bi-annually ) to spend a school season in Brazil with full exposure to comparable soccer leagues. Possibly could be done on an exchange basis to minimize costs, although chaperoning could be accomodated. I know one can think of lots of obstacles but, given the amount of money that is risked in football anyway, this could be a good investment.

Just to build on the point by Canny Canary ( and please bear in mind that this dated reference comes from an old timer ), does anyone remember the great playmaking ability of that other Irishman Jimmy Hill all those years ago. Similar size and skill as Mulryne. I thought I''d seen one post where someone was saying that Mulryne in midfield is tending too hang back too much...so put him up front playing just short of your two front target men. Then let the wing or wider midfield plays flow into the two target men or Mulryne, whoever has freed themselves up best. We might see some real clever plays and pressure applied down the middle then. We are now richer in terms of midfielders and strikers and Nigel can really start demanding a lot of running from both of those areas...with replacements on hand for when batteries run low. Again, sorry for the dated input but I still have vivid memories of Hill playing that wonderful role with Terry Bly and Terry Allcock.

Let me make it short for you rainbowchaser so you can comprehend my previous message: 1. There was nothing to apologise for on a public message board 2. I am having fun!

Diane, I am truly sorry that you have had a difficult time at Christmas and I am going to commit a cardinal sin on a public message board ( assuming the screeners will allow me ) and give you my personal e-mail address ( cpickett@optonline.net ) because if you will send me your address I will communicate with you personally, something I do not think should be happening on public message boards. This is intended with goodwill for you only and not for others. However, in light of some of the responses I have seen, I do want to make one or two observations here to all and sundry. First, my comments as they relate to you Diane ( or anyone else ) are not personal attacks or insults. They are observations of your opinions and others opinions on a public message board. I do not curse ( hopefully this site screens out that kind of thing anyway ), call people idiots, tell them they are life''s sad mixers, advise them that I know someone who would kick the stuffing out of them etc. I am too well mannered for that. Yet the very people who accuse me of such things are happy to do that themselves. Your latest reaction to this post was similar to the reaction you had to posts from a couple of others a few days ago when people were making constructive suggestions to you as to how to most efficiently use the message board for the enjoyment of all. Your response was basically " I can do what I want, when I want and how I want". Do you understand how others see you in your reactions. You can''t have open rules for yourself and then tell other people the guidelines for how they should input on a public message board. I don''t know anybody''s personal situation or do they know mine. But when engaging in commentary on a public message board all comments are fair game as long as they and the reactions are civilized. Notwithstanding all of the above I love to read what you have to say Diane and really enjoy the enthusiasm of you as Canary supporter. That will not stop me, however, offering critical commentary back on others opinions.

This is my team for the final push in 2004: - 1st Wiz would be in the space nearest the closest toilet for quick access - DerbyCanary would take one wing as, given his gegraphical experience, he would probably be very thick skinned for away games - I''d put Diane and greatgazza on the other wing together so if they want to spend time patting each other on the back they won''t overly interfere with play - ....Hold on, on second thoughts, I think I''d put Diane in goal as it''s clear that nothings getting through so far -Big Dave is an obvious striker because "GOAL" is always spelled in capital letters - I''d put Anderz in at fullback which would give him a clear view of assessing players Premiership potential -IrishCanary could play in midfield as he covers a lot of real estate -King Juan of Spain would anchor the defence and, in the unlikely event that the opposition is too fast for us, we''ll just give them the "Royal Wave" as they go by -Snake Pit Rebel would play a link role as he communicates very well with Diane and gazzathegreat -SaintCanary would captain the team to make sure we avoid cursing each other to exhaustion -WorthyOut could be a utility player and if Nigel starts to mess with us we have a ready replacement -Old Man Andy,Beelsie and YankeeCanary would have to fill the subs bench because, while we have oodles of experience, the creaking joints would sound like a referee''s whistle and, finally, Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones would be given a special bench on the touchline so that, if we are unhappy with the teams performance, we can run right over and access more cash. Happy New Year everyone!

Diane, I''m sorry, but I still think you are missing the point. The Norwich Board is ambitious, they were before the input of the past few months, before the loan signings ( which cost a healthy chunk ) and before the most recent three permanent signings. Negotiating hands are played very carefully if you don''t want to tip your hand. You have been very supportive of Nigel Worthington and his position with the Board ( by the way, we all feel Nigel is doing a very good job I''m sure ) but Nigel''s public positioning with the media/fans for the number of months before it was time to strike was very different. Look back at the articles if you can''t remember. His statements were filled with rhetoric like " we would love to make some signings but we just don''t have that kind of budget". He was saying these things before he came back with the wonderful surprise news of the loan signings. At that time we were all happily amazed that we could even afford to do that. One does not walk around with hands filled with Sterling saying "we want to make some deals". Okay, and we will lose out on occasions but have no doubt, Nigel and the Board are hand in glove on the strategy and have been from the start.

I thought it was time I sign in again and advise as to my true intentions. I sincerely was not attempting to simply "wind people up" although I could see how the message could be perceived that way. However, I did have a motive that was not stated. Over months of observing this message board it was clear to me that there were at least two camps of thought when it came to the ambition of our team. Some folks were supportive of the Norwich board and others were coming down hard on them and augmenting with statements like "the board needs to be ambitious and speculate to accumulate". Of course it’s always fun to tell others what to do with their money, particularly when you are not required to be accountable for the decision. Personally, I think the board has been doing a very good job in the past two or three seasons and I also think they knew exactly what they were trying to achieve with their latest signings. But I digress. What I was interested in was finding out just how ambitious some of the fans think we should be and, more particularly, for them to put greater definition around that ambition as if they were in the role of the Norwich Board. In other words, what limits would you place on that ambition. Presumably, it would not end at the signing of Darren Huckerby. I appreciate some people want to engulf themselves in the fun of what is occurring with the team right now but that is more than adequately being covered on other threads. This is a different thread. For example, on Dec 28th Anderz posed a question on the thread “Planning For the Future” which has drawn very little response to date. And that’s only the short-term future. Action which is necessary over the coming months if Norwich are promoted (which looks increasingly likely given the mediocre performance of others ). The most supportive response I received to my proposal came from someone in my age bracket. Thank you Beelsie, not for agreeing, because I was not seeking agreement, but for being prepared to look at a bigger picture. As to Old Man Andy ( not sure if you are in the same age bracket as Beelsie and I ), I must say that your reaction gave me the biggest belly aching laugh when you said "I''d rather chew me foot off". What I really wanted was to challenge folks, particularly some of the younger fans, as to what you would do ( if you owned the team ) to enhance the ability of the Canaries to really be competitive in the Premier year on year over the next two decades. There must be some creative talent out there. Let’s hear some thoughts....it might be fun. We might even come up with something that can really influence the Board. While there was some good feedback re “the Charlton model” , with respect, it may be early days to use that as a panacea. P.S. I have been a joyful observer of this message board for the past several months before deciding to share some thoughts myself late in the year. I say joyful because whether we are Yankee or Canadian or any other kind of faraway Canaries we love the team and are green with envy at what you all are going through in Norfolk, particularly at this time. Wish we could be there with you. There are going to be some bumps and tough games ahead and I know that all those that are remote are there with you in spirit. I love and read the messages from all.

I know we are all excited now at how well our team is doing so I fully appreciate the timing on this thought may not be well received ( either by Norwich or Ipswich fans ) but here goes. This message board is obviously a conduit to at least good fun and possibly constructive suggestions on how our team needs to show ambition. We all know what our ambition is for this season and perhaps next, although even next season is probably only in the planning stages. How ambitious do we want to be over the next 10-20 years. Do we want to participate on the European stage? Let''s take a look at Norwich and Ipswich over the past 50 years or so. Number of times in the top division during past 50 seasons: Norwich - 20 times Ipswich - 26 times Number of times in 12 seasons of the Premiership: Norwich - 3 times Ipswich - 5 times While Ipswich has performed better overall in both categories and obviously have won a league championship one could objectively argue that both clubs have done reasonably well given the size of the city/town. However, if you were drawing the performance on a chart you would have to conclude that,if anything, it is becoming more difficult for these two teams to continue to achieve a consistent role in the top division. Indeed, given what has transpired during more recent times it is becoming increasingly difficult for even long-standing top division clubs to maintain a competitve role against the very top clubs in the country. None of this is new to us, of course, it''s just that there does not seem to be a lot of discussion on the table as to what to do about it. I BELIEVE THAT THIS REGION OF EAST ANGLIA DESERVES TO PLAY ON THE TOP STAGE OF FOOTBALL. We are not going to achieve that in all likelihood by squabbling over which player we can afford to bring in ( or not ) for several hundred thousand pounds. In the spirit of inviting good thoughts from all and sundry allow me to make a proposal which can then be critiqued, added to or replaced by even better thoughts. I propose that the boards from both clubs form an exploratory team on the feasibility of a merger in the longer-term, encompassing a desire to build a 60-70,000 fan stadium to house ( for want of a name ) the East Anglian Crusaders. As all traffic planning is now aimed at diverting cars around cities and towns, selecting a site halfway between the two present clubs seems reasonable to ensure no more than a 1 hour journey for most fans. The stadium could be planned to house and be adjacent to other attractions so that there is a constant draw of people/income. Thoughts please? For those of you that may doubt it, I bleed yellow and green BUT I fear the future trend line may not be kind to us over the longer term if, and only if, we have a desire to be really competitive in the top division ongoing. If that is not our objective, then there is nothing wrong with that either but then we should be realistic as to what can achieved over the longer term.

A brief clarification. A1canary believes the fans played a role in Darren Huckerby coming here...i.e. all of the fans. His reference as to why he thinks you and your merry band are delusional is because of your constant idulgence in your sense of self-importance and belief that you were the ones that were the strong influence in making it happen. On different posts you deny that but then happily participate in messages back and forth between your "band members" where such claims are made. EXTRACTS - “hey, we were right, we kept on at them and they (at last) listened" - "we are the reason that Hucks is here A1canary” - "Diane, you were bang on in all this, and no, I never doubted you, ignore the idiots we all know you kept this particular candle alight" If you truly feel that it was the fans making the contribution Diane, then your heading to this post should be "To Norwich City Fans" not "Gazza,rainbow,wizard,unimiller,snakepit" unless the "etc" was to the rest of Norwich City fans.

Diane, my apologies for getting your name wrong. That''s inexcusable. I will try harder. I also looked at my last message to assess how I was speaking to you like you are an ignorant kid. I think it must have been the dog and the tail analogy. I did not mean you personally when I referred to the tail ( although that is what I wrote ). We, the fans, are the tail. My point is when things are going well ( as they are at the moment ) we should wag our tails but let''s not forget to pat the dog. Incidentally, before I started to make any comment on this message board I had read a lot of the input over the past few months. Clearly there were eloquent voices for and against the Norwich Board. Despite the early naysayers this Board is steering a pretty good ship.I was triggered by some of your recent input when you were coming across harshly with the Board when they were doing a very good job. We all know what good and bad Boards are like. We have a good one right now regardless of where Norwich end up this season. I was pleased to see that you have respect for WorthyOut''s input because the reaction there was similar to mine. Effective negotiating is not done in public.

Dianne, I like to see enthusiastic supporters for Norwich from all quarters. Some of us have supported Norwich for over 50 years through difficult days in the old Third Division South. However, I am sure that many readers would enjoy your comments and enthusiasm if you were a little more humble. You make it sound like Darren Huckerby was your idea and the Norwich board finally came around to your way of thinking. On the contrary, Darren Huckerby was initiated by Norwich management long before any of us had conceived of the same. Management then carried out a very sensible and strategic negotiation to a successful conclusion. This is the way negotiation works. Please remember that in this process there is a dog and a tail. Norwich management is the dog and you are the tail. Don''t let that bother you...every dog needs a tail. We just need to keep perspective and verbally support the board even when things look tough. We will have a few of those bridges to cross between now and the end of the season.

I am happy for you Dianne that you are so pleased with your conviction, loyalty and faith with respect to Darren Huckerby. Please try to demonstrate those same qualities toward the Norwich City board in the future and we can all get our shoulders behind the wheel together in urging the team on to victory.

Dianne, your interpretation of what Darren said is illogical. If Darren could have said what you concluded ( 15 words ) "the deal was as good as done, then the board went back on their offer", then he would have said that, because that would have been the strongest statement he could have made. He did not do that!. Indeed, he could have opened by stating categorically that he accepted the offer Norwich made last Friday. He did not do that! What he did was use 150 words ( probably well wordsmithed by his agent ) that attempts to get Norwich fans to put more pressure on the Norwich board. If we don''t trust our board to operate in the best interests of Norwich City FC we have a lot bigger problems than Darren Huckerby''s signature on a contract.

Sitting on the other side of the ocean does not make us true Canary fans less enthusiastic than if we were there in the thick of things. Indeed, there are advantages and disadvantages to being remote. Being isolated, we have not witnessed the flashes of brilliance or stunning performances that a Darren Huckerby can bring to a game such as must have been the case in the win against Cardiff City. However, admittedly to a less well informed observer, it does appear to me that far too much excitement has been cast in the "will he or won''t he" signing of Mr. Huckerby. First of all, most us don''t know the true numbers that were on the table, even from a Norwich management side. If the totals are as considerable as what one might imagine then even if he does sign ( we have a cagey old baseball manager in the USA who is famous for saying "it''s never over till it''s over" ) then it begs the questions of 1) what effect will the numbers have on Darren Huckerby and 2) what effect will the numbers have on the rest of the Norwich team. As far as money is concerned, most humans only get really enthused when they get a good pay raise and that impact only lasts for a short while. Even if he eventually signs, how do you think Darren''s motivation will be impacted in from a good-sized pay reduction once the initial signing euphoria wears off. On the other hand, if his performances start to slip, how is that likely to impact the rest of the team members, knowing they are receiving a fraction of Darren''s pay cheque. Looking at his statistics over the past 7-8 seasons both in terms of goals and, more importantly, games played, it does appear that Darren has cost 4 teams about 10 million in transfer fees and probably half that amount in wages. If his flashes of brilliance were frequent he would have enjoyed more starts and/or games than he has, particularly with Leeds and Manchester City. Again, "it''s never over till it''s over" but, personally, I hope he does not sign.