Yorkshire Canary 118 Posted March 6, 2017 This period has had its fair share of highs and lows but noone can say it has not been exciting.the European campaign after finishing third 5 relegations 4 promotions and an unsuccessful play off final. Cup runs have been in short supply. We perhaps could and should have done better but also could have done a lot worse a quick glance of the premiership table the season we finished third at the start of this period is quite sobering.wimbledon lost their club Coventry heading for league 2 this season Oldham in league 2 the blades quite a few seasons stuck in league 1 before this season and the likes of owls Leeds forest many seasons out of the top flight. By and large I have enjoyed this period you have to take the rough with the smooth and the next 25 will be no different Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cornish sam 944 Posted March 6, 2017 Yorkshire, thank you for a fair and positive outlook on it all...Yes, this season (and last) have felt like big let downs, but overall it''s been an interesting, and enjoyable time to be a Norwich fan. Few clubs fans, even those who are comfortable in the PL (promised land) have had such an eventful time of it in recent history... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greavsy 2,412 Posted March 6, 2017 You need the lows to appreciate the highs, certainly had our share of both being a ncfc fan.I''d hate to be an Everton, for example, just treading water, maybe a cup run, but no realistic chance of winning the league, or qualifying for Europe etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoola Han Solo 448 Posted March 6, 2017 Just nitpicking, but Everton have qualified for Europe on a number of occasions over the last 10 to 15 years. But yeah, agree with Yorkshire''s view. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greavsy 2,412 Posted March 6, 2017 Fair comment hoola, my bad in that case, and wrong team as an example, but my point still stands.I''d rather a relegation and a promotion, than no extremes. However I guess a relegation followed by a promotion is better than a promotion followed by relegation, and a long term in a lower league, which is where we appear to be now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yorkshire Canary 118 Posted March 6, 2017 The thing is as well we are often on the edge of our seat never far from success or failure both of which can hit us with incredible speed. Who would have thought that within a couple of years of finishing third and our subsequent European run be would be relegated.likewise those of us that sat through the 1-7 home demolition by Colchester we would have been in the premiership within 2 years. As for the immediate future who knows dependent on manager and signings we could be back in league 1 or again in the premiership within 2 years it is so volitile Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,554 Posted March 6, 2017 I had started some research over the weekend on roughly similar lines, looking at the last 20 seasons, since that represents the Smith and Jones era - so far. In terms of seasons in the the four divisions (PL first etc) our record is 5-14-1-0. Of similar-sized or rather bigger (as opposed to much bigger) teams in the PL in that first (1997-98) season:Palace - 6-14-0-0; Barnsley - 1-13-6-0; Bolton - 12-7-1-0; Sheffield Wednesday - 3-13-4-0; Southampton - 13-5-2-0; Coventry - 4-11-5-0; Leicester- 9-10-1-0; Derby - 6-14-0-0; Blackburn - 13-7-0-0; Leeds - 7-10-3-0.Of teams with us in the second tier: Nottingham Forest - 1-16-3-0; Middlesbrough - 12-8-0-0; Charlton - 8-8-4-0; Ipswich - 2-18-0-0; Birmingham - 7-13-0-0; Wolves - 4-15-1-0; WBA - 11-9-0-0; Huddersfield - 0-9-10-1; Portsmouth - 7-8-1-4; QPR - 3-14-3-0; Sheffield United - 1-13-6-0; Stoke - 9-7-4-0; Reading - 3-13-4-0.In the third tier: Watford - 4-15-1-0; Bournemouth - 2-2-14-2; Fulham - 13-4-3-0; Burnley - 3-14-3-0.In the fourth tier: Swansea - 6-3-3-8; Cardiff - 1-13-3-3; Hull - 5-7-1-7; Brighton - 0-8-8-4.While our PL time has mainly been in the recent past some big clubs, such as Leeds, Forest, Ipswich, and Sheffield Wednesday haven''t been in the PL in years, and others, such as Coventry, Charlton and Porstmouth, currently look a long way away. The recent influence of rich owners can be seen in the advances of some of those teams who were in the third and fourth tiers 20 years ago.There are 31 clubs listed, with a total of 94 seasons in the third tier, so NCFC''s record of only one season is markedly better than the average of 3.032. And no time in the fourth tier, against the average of 0.935 seasons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,160 Posted March 7, 2017 Interesting, thanks Purple. Looking back I am struck by how much our fortunes have been transformed since we went down to L1 and Lambert took over. When we lost 7-1 to Colchester, who would have forecast that we''d have two straight promotions followed by 4 out of the following 5 seasons in the Prem ? I think you''d have got pretty astronomical odds on it. It was very much a turnaround out of the blue, and without those 4 top flight seasons our record over the last 25 years would look a lot sadder. The last 10 years especially have been an amazing time to be a City fan, with lows but on balance more highs than lows. My concern right now is that we risk throwing away the advantage of our parachute payments and having another long stay in the lower tiers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
