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Pockthorpe

It was easier when I was 12 years old

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Same as me are you ? NCFC been rarely out of your bloody head this week . Drives you nuts doesn’t it . Go round in circles don’t you ? If you’re like me you’re constantly changing your mind . Wish I could be like one of those who never change their mind , that would be easier , no matter how many times it turns out they’re wrong . Actually, please God , no I don’t . Big question in my head for me personally this week ? Why the hell didn’t I tell that game long whinger somewhere behind me at Brighton to shut the f*** up . Only time I heard him join in with a chant was the Your support is f****** s*** at the Brighton fans . Jesus wept , the irony of it . Been having arguments with him in my head . 

Arguments …. made me think of my biggest ever row with my Dad . 1976 I believe . I would’ve been 12 years old . Driving home after losing 3-1 at home to Arsenal . Dad said we were outplayed (we were ) and deserved nothing from the game ( correct Dad ) . I couldn’t believe my ears . We deserved at least a point I said , Arsenal were just bloody lucky cheating bastards . What kind of Norwich fan was he anyway , my own Dad ! I was shouting and crying with rage , utterly disgusted with him . I was such a shy boy normally it makes me laugh now , and sad . Within three years my dear old Dad was dead , turned out we didn’t have too many more games left , watching City together at Carrow Road . 

My point ? As I’ve got older I think  I’ve lost my way a bit as a fan . When I was 12 the only thing that mattered to me was unwaveringly supporting Norwich City players . That gave me all the kicks I needed . It was pure and simple and looking back , magnificent . It was also so much easier. Didn’t waste time worrying about tactics , who I thought should play etc . Didn’t know anyway ,didn’t need to , didn’t think anyone knew really . Grown ups didn’t , silly old sods they were forever getting it wrong . 

So , as I really don’t know what I think at the moment , for the time being I’m going back to supporting like my 12 year old self . Apart from lots of pints before the game . 

Tell you what , I feel so much better already . Join me ? 

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Funny enough since giving up my season ticket, I’m pretty much like that, what’s the point in getting upset with things you have zero control over, as you say when we were young we didn’t care about who owned the club, it was about the players, game and mates.

Still want to win every game as I did back then though.

Great post by the way.

Edited by Indy

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Nice post Pock, made me smile. 

I can echo the frustration of the so called 'fan' behind you. The 3 guys who sit behind me at Carrow Road are horrific for this sort of thing.

Even against Newcastle specifically, not a good word to say. Seemed to actually ENJOY being right when we got stuffed by Villa. Moan long enough and sooner or later you'll be right...

I and a couple of others have appealed to them this season already, but it doesn't change. Honestly, the things they say are hilarious, you wouldn't believe it...

And whilst I personally enjoy the sentiment behind your post, I fear this type of person probably can't be appealed to.

They all know best, and their mind will never change.

I'm with you. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this club just has my unconditional support. I don't believe I know better. I know enough to have an informed discussion, a valid (and you'd hope resepcted) opinion, but not enough to blindly refuse to have it changed.

Edited by Flying Dutchman
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I gave up my season ticket for a number of reasons, health of my wife who was a fellow season ticket holder, not enjoying the day, as we had to drive in, park, spend the entire day in Norwich, the game lost its excitement, the days of the hair standing up on the back of my neck, that anticipation of kick off all went in a couple seasons. But the last straw was all the ****** who replaced the great fans in the lower Barclay who as you say did nothing but whine, while standing taunting the stewards was their aim or just on their phones the entire game! When challenged by the long term older fans were so bloody confrontational it wasn’t a nice place to sit anymore.

I enjoy my armchair support now as the games I’ve been to on the odd occasions I go to Carrow road have given me back that old tingle of anticipation, sometimes less is more.

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17 minutes ago, Indy said:

I gave up my season ticket for a number of reasons, health of my wife who was a fellow season ticket holder, not enjoying the day, as we had to drive in, park, spend the entire day in Norwich, the game lost its excitement, the days of the hair standing up on the back of my neck, that anticipation of kick off all went in a couple seasons. But the last straw was all the ****** who replaced the great fans in the lower Barclay who as you say did nothing but whine, while standing taunting the stewards was their aim or just on their phones the entire game! When challenged by the long term older fans were so bloody confrontational it wasn’t a nice place to sit anymore.

I enjoy my armchair support now as the games I’ve been to on the odd occasions I go to Carrow road have given me back that old tingle of anticipation, sometimes less is more.

Sounds like things quickly changed for the worse there then Indy, unfortunate that.

The wife and I are quite lucky that we are surrounded by mostly pleasant people (including 2 older women who's NCFC knowledge is absolutely insane!).

It means that the 3 guys behind us are the exceptions. I'm ok with that level of balance for now.

Im taking a break for a couple of months now (wife is due tomorrow) and passing our tickets on, I won't go as far as saying I'll miss those guys, but it defjnitely won't be the same without them in my ear!

Edited by Flying Dutchman

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5 minutes ago, Flying Dutchman said:

Sounds like things quickly changed for the worse there then Indy, unfortunate that.

The wife and I are quite lucky that we are surrounded by mostly pleasant people (including 2 older women who's NCFC knowledge is absolutely insane!).

It means that the 3 guys behind us are the exceptions. I'm ok with that level of balance for now.

Im taking a break for a couple of months now (wife is due tomorrow) and passing our tickets on, I won't go as far as saying I'll miss those guys, but it defjnitely won't be the same without them in my ear!

Congratulations FD, hope you’re new bundle of joy brings you lots of happiness.

Yes like you we had fantastic people all round us, up over 20 odd years people moved on, passed away and the last few seasons it appeared those younger supporters didn’t engage in supporting the team but were there to taunt the away team, fight with the stewards or older supporters and hardly ever actually actively supported our team! Strange to why they took up season tickets.

Good luck, all the best to you & your wife.

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8 minutes ago, Indy said:

Congratulations FD, hope you’re new bundle of joy brings you lots of happiness.

Yes like you we had fantastic people all round us, up over 20 odd years people moved on, passed away and the last few seasons it appeared those younger supporters didn’t engage in supporting the team but were there to taunt the away team, fight with the stewards or older supporters and hardly ever actually actively supported our team! Strange to why they took up season tickets.

Good luck, all the best to you & your wife.

Thanks Indy, very kind.

£40-50 monthly direct debit to shout obscenities, start fights and abuse away fans from a super safe distance every other week? Fairly reasonable if that's your thing I suppose 😁

I do hope the OP's message gets through to some. It's becoming a little repetitive on here recently. Almost worth staying away from the forum under certain circumstances now.

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Great post, what would you say to the young lady (early 20s) who sits near me in the barclay with her boyfriend ( maybe first season as a season ticket holder), she spends most of the game on her phone playing Tetris, even at tense moments when we maybe looking like scoring....no idea why she goes

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25 minutes ago, city4eva said:

Great post, what would you say to the young lady (early 20s) who sits near me in the barclay with her boyfriend ( maybe first season as a season ticket holder), she spends most of the game on her phone playing Tetris, even at tense moments when we maybe looking like scoring....no idea why she goes

Apparently it’s called CPA - Continuous Partial Attention. It’s a millennial thing.

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Bloody hell . Thanks for all the likes everyone. I’m pretty new to this . Only just cottoned on what OP is ! 
Nice to know so many of us are on the same wavelength . Pretty handy as we’re all in this together , up to our necks ! 
OTBC

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1 minute ago, Pockthorpe said:

Bloody hell . Thanks for all the likes everyone. I’m pretty new to this . Only just cottoned on what OP is ! 
Nice to know so many of us are on the same wavelength . Pretty handy as we’re all in this together , up to our necks ! 
OTBC

Yes, nice post.

I suppose OP could mean Old Person........there's plenty on here 😉

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Pockthorpe & FD great thread, we need more like this to keep our mind off other posts!

As for the millennial, multitasking to a new level, but not just young female supporters but lots of younger male supporters too, busy posting or betting to be truly bothered.

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Agree, great post. Living over here I don't really get to many live games anymore. Local top side Cork City is pretty much the only option under four hours away. Your post immediately made me think of the seventies . Return bus to Norwich 32p , bag of chips in the market 12p, unticketed entry into the Barclay 35p.Maybe enough spare cash for an enamel Canary badge or green and yellow penant  from the souvenir shed . 90+ mins of roaring and swaying. The elated or deflated walk back up into the City. Even though the bus was scheduled to leave Surrey St at 1750 it would not leave until the Bundles of Pinkuns was thrown into the door of the bus to be dropped off on the route. People used to walk up to the Bus Stop in Stalham from all over town to get it still warm(ish) . Great day out for a couple of quid. 

I'm about the same age as you Pocko so the era and the total Immersion in your post resonates with me. My Dad never cared for Football as he believed it was played unintellgently in those days, said the only team worth watching were Ajax. He was a Hockey man and would say ad nauseum..... "When are these idiots going to realise that a ball travels faster than a man? pass! Move! Pass. " Have often wondered what he'd think of the way the game is mostly played at the top level nowadays.

Oh and best of luck with new arrival FD.

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I remember one game when the Barclay was particularly full, making it very difficult for a diminutive 13 year old to see anything going on on the pitch. Some adult that I didn't know told me to hop up and stand on the crash barrier, he stood behind and kinda beside me with his hand on my back, helping me balance, for the entire second half, as a kid ,being able to see all around me was so exciting.  If that chap is still around he'd be in his eighties now and I owe him a pint.

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Thanks Cork . Total immersion , that’s just how it was . We were completely transfixed by it all weren’t we . We had that one chance to see it . It was like nothing else we ever did .

Edited by Pockthorpe

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22 minutes ago, Pockthorpe said:

Thanks Cork . Total immersion , that’s just how it’s was . We were completely transfixed by it all weren’t we . We had that one chance to see it . It was like nothing else we ever did .

One thing I never did elsewhere was , walking up the steps corner of Barclay/ South Stand kicking a matchbox, my slip on shoe slipped off , sailed over the fence into the ditch in the adjacent Steelyard or whatever it was then. Asked a couple of Bobby's for help, greeted with a rub on the head and a rueful smile " come back at 8 o'clock Monday son, you can get your shoe back then." Felt a right tool for the rest of the day and had to explain to my folks what had happened when I got home. 

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1 hour ago, wcorkcanary said:

I remember one game when the Barclay was particularly full, making it very difficult for a diminutive 13 year old to see anything going on on the pitch. Some adult that I didn't know told me to hop up and stand on the crash barrier, he stood behind and kinda beside me with his hand on my back, helping me balance, for the entire second half, as a kid ,being able to see all around me was so exciting.  If that chap is still around he'd be in his eighties now and I owe him a pint.

Yeah, that was me, I’m just a very young looking 84 year old. When can I have my pint?

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26 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

Yeah, that was me, I’m just a very young looking 84 year old. When can I have my pint?

We could meet up Nuffo , say, 30th of February? If we get on ok we could do it every year.

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7 minutes ago, wcorkcanary said:

We could meet up Nuffo , say, 30th of February? If we get on ok we could do it every year.

👍

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Every club’s got moronic moaners. Saw a game with family members at Sid James Park last season, one of the tanked up 110 decibel toilet mouths sitting behind us was still screaming Perez was playing f***ing cr*p and should be f***ing taken off by f***ing Rafa– nearly 10 minutes after he was subbed. It was impossible to know if he was joking – but all the grown-ups were laughing at him so he would’ve had to make out it was a joke anyway! Before all-seater grounds you just moved away from people who’d been drinking on an empty head, as well as from those with severe body odour – can’t be fun sat next to one of those with a season ticket!

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An excellent post Pockthorpe written in a refreshingly honest style. Hits the spot mate. Well done👍

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