Training at Trowse

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

Just doing a little bit of historical research about the club, and Google has only got me so far. Does anyone know when City started using the training ground at Trowse? I''d also be interested if anyone knows if the team had a permanent training ground before they moved into the site at Trowse and if so where it/they would have been located.Thanks.

[john in exile in leeds 4]

In August 1970, Roy Allison who had been responsible for the training ground at Trowse retired.

So Trowse was the training ground before 1970, but I''m afraid I can''t find any info prior to that.

[Bradwell canary 109]

One small aside. My kids did a school visit there. They had a nice photo taken with Ken Brown. Can you imagine that taking place these days? That was a great way to ensure these youngsters became fans for life

[daly 499]

I can remember when I had a business in Sprowston driving Don Heath who scored in that great win at ManU to Trowse as he would invariably miss the bus to the city. Also the number of pushbikes at Trowse there belonging to the players. Anyone could turn up and watch anytime.

Now easier to get into Knox Road than Colney

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,017]

With regards to training pre Trowse a potential venue is the old Boundary Park stadium (where B&Q now stands on Boundary Road). This was a dog racing stadium but it had a football pitch in the middle which was used by Norwich City A and Norwich City B circa 1960......

[SwindonCanary 455]

They were defiantly at Trowse when I started supporting them which was Sept. 1968 so it looks like they started there between 1960 & 1968 - Hope this helps

[daly 499]

Long before then

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,421]

Iwan''s Big Toe

Just doing a little bit of historical research about the club, and Google has only got me so far. Does anyone know when City started using the training ground at Trowse? I''d also be interested if anyone knows if the team had a permanent training ground before they moved into the site at Trowse and if so where it/they would have been located.

Thanks.

This is taken from the excellent Canary Citizens.

 

This relates to a summary of the 1963-64 season ;

"At the end of the campaign it was reported that the club had lost £63,263....The Supporters Club had handed over £35,000 to the club during the season and also footed the bill of £6,500 for the new training ground at Trowse."

 

Hope that helps.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,017]

As an aside to this Norwich City considered using the Boundary Park Stadium as their home ground when they had to leave The Nest, before deciding to build Carrow Road.......

[Bill 1,788]

"At the end of the campaign it was reported that the club had lost £63,263....The Supporters Club had handed over £35,000 to the club during the season and also footed the bill of £6,500 for the new training ground at Trowse."

that was a huge sum for those daysand I remember them handing over £30,000 to pay for a player a few seasons lateranyone any idea what fundraising methods they were using ?

[Absent Friend 0]

"and I remember them handing over £30,000 to pay for a player a few seasons later"

Gerry Howshall from WBA if I remember correctly. Don''t think it worked out too well for him (injuries?). Think he was a wing-half in 1960s parlance.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="Absent Friend"]"and I remember them handing over £30,000 to pay for a player a few seasons later"

Gerry Howshall from WBA if I remember correctly. Don''t think it worked out too well for him (injuries?). Think he was a wing-half in 1960s parlance.[/quote]That''s himAn interesting thread on him from 2008 (with apologies to the OP for taking it a bit ''off'' thread)here

[Guest]

Hope this helps IBT.

In summer 1963 City started training at a ground at Trowse, and playing their A and B team games there. The twelve floodlight pylons from Boundary Park, with three lamps on each, were purchased and erected there. The ground had previously been used by Trowse Villa and various Sunday teams.

There was a pronounced slope on the ground, rectified following a levelling exercise, which resulted in a pile of earth resting up against the floodlights, on the side which had been at the bottom of the slope. Carrow Road groundsman Russell Allinson had not been keen on the plan, and would have nothing to do with the ground.

City A rejoined the ECL in 1963/4. Their 1st competitive game at Trowse was the 4-0 defeat by Great Yarmouth in the ECL Cup on 31 August 1963.

Throughout the ECL period there was a grass bank on one side of the ground, and a small dugout, but no cover. The clubs training headquarters lay behind one goal. The ground, occasionally used for reserve team fixtures, could be a very bleak place in winter as it was not fenced in. On Tuesday 21st December 1971 Norwich Reserves played Lowestoft Town there in the East Anglian Cup. Lowestoft had pleaded for the game to be played at Carrow Road, citing that “Trowse was hardly a place to play a game at this time of year!”

Norwich A resigned late from the ECL in June 1975, incurring a £150 fine. This was not quite the end of Trowse’s affiliation with the ECL. When Norwich United joined in 1989 they were training under the Trowse floodlights on Wednesday evenings.

During the 1994/95 season City surrendered their lease and bought a 25 acre greenfield site at Colney where they built a new training complex with several pitches for minor matches. They made a brief return to Trowse due to early teething troubles at Colney. The Trowse ground was recently redeveloped for housing by Hopkins Homes, although some of the area (including the sports hall and changing facilities) survives and is used for sports by the Trowse YMCA.

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

Thanks for all the info guys, it''s been really helpful. If anyone has any more info that on locations that City have trained and/or played at over the years that hasn''t been mentioned yet it would still be greatly appreciated. Once I have put this knowledge to use I will inform the Pink''un community.