I don't care

[canarydan23 4,060]

We got relegated. So what? At the end of the day I'm a Norwich fan because I'm a Norfolk boy. I was born in the old N&N barely a mile away from Carrow Road. I grew up in Brundall and went to my first game in 1992 as a 6-year-old. I now live a short walk from the ground and love strolling in via the Jubilee on matchdays. That doesn't change whether we're in League One, the Championship or the Premier League. I support my club because they are my club. Not because they win more than they lose, or because they are in a "top" league, or because they play nice football. I was mocked on Twitter today by a Man Utd fan whose profile boasted that he was born in Bournemouth and had lived their his whole life. And whilst he was banging on about how sh*t we were, what a laughing stock we were, what a fraud Pukki was, I actually pitied him. He'll never know what it's like to properly support a football team. He chose his club and his support for them is conditional on the league they are in.

When I first got a season ticket, I could run up and down the row in the block of the River End I still sit in because there was barely any other b*gger in that block. It's been rare to see an empty seat in there for the past god knows how many years.

Getting relegated used to cut my right up. I watched our 6 nil drubbing in the Blue Bar at the UEA in 2005 and had to disappear to the toilet to have a brief cry. After downing tools at Charlton I couldn't speak to anyone for 48 hours afterwards. But today? I don't care. I'll love and support my team regardless of the league we're in, and as the league we're in this season has been an utter ****estorm or a league that's made me genuinely question whether it's actually a WWF-style, pre-determined, corrupt corporation rather than a sport, part of me is actually pleased we're going back into the Championship. At least there you can blame the bizarre decisions on human error. With VAR, and the ability to review decision from multiple angles multiple times, and they're still getting obvious things wrong, it's hard to deny the stench of corruption about the sport. At least in the Championship big-business has less motivation to get involved.

So despite it being the most embarrassing in terms of overall performance, this relegation has hurt the least out of all the ones I've experienced in my three decades as a fan. We've got a coach who, despite it massive flaws this season, seems to have his heart in the right place, a squad with a handful of players I actually respect and admire, a rare thing in the modern day footballer, and a well-run club that we can all be confident won't disappear from existence any time soon.

So f*ck the Premier League, and f*ck the fans whose love for the club is conditional on the prospect of us somehow becoming an established Premier League club. And f*ck the fans who like the club more when we are in the Premier League than the Championship.

I was livid when the first goal went in today, and the second. But after the third I started looking at the bigger picture and by the fourth I actually chuckled. It really doesn't matter. I've stood up at Carrow Road and invited referees to kill themselves in the rage that defeat would get me in. Hopefully, after today's epiphany, I will be a more relaxed, less-entitled football fan.

To be honest, next season when we're allowed back I'll probably still become that rageful, unpleasant little tw*t when we fall behind in a game. This wave of serenity is probably down to the fact that I've smoked a spliff for the first time in god knows how many years and washed it down with an insensible amount of Birra Moretti.

But I'll enjoy it while it lasts. We're relegated, woop-dee-f*cking-doo. I love the club as much now as I did this morning, as I did that amazing game v Man City this season, as I did during that amazing celebration day after we beat Villa to be confirmed Champions, as I did at Wembley in 2015, or Cardiff in 2002, or after Francis' no-show in the 6-0 Fulham drubbing, or when Simeon Jackson completed his hatrick against Derby, or when Iwan signed off with a brace against Crewe, etc, etc.

Long live Delia, keep Farke in charge and On The F*cking Ball City.

I love this club.

[Uncle Fred 526]

Binner

[JF 694]

Got to admit that I’ve found myself caring very little about this relegation. That’s probably because we’ve never realistically looked likely to stay up so today was confirmation of the inevitable. What I have cared about is the absolute lacklustre displays that the players have put in since the return. They have absolutely stolen their wages from the club today. I can accept not being good enough. But not players going through the motions and not putting in an honest performance 

[Michael Wynless Jones 161]

10 minutes ago, JF said:

Got to admit that I’ve found myself caring very little about this relegation. That’s probably because we’ve never realistically looked likely to stay up so today was confirmation of the inevitable. What I have cared about is the absolute lacklustre displays that the players have put in since the return. They have absolutely stolen their wages from the club today. I can accept not being good enough. But not players going through the motions and not putting in an honest performance 

Agree with this, I think relegation has been easier because it was accepted by all at the club since August, we've accepted it for ages now, and certainly pre-Xmas we were putting in some good performances so the future looked rosey no matter what league we ended up in next season.

However since the restart, it has been the most turgid and uninterested Norwich performances I can ever remember, and I've gone from hoping we can keep the majority together for next season, to quite happily driving them all to wherever they want to ply their trade next. 

Hopefully a few weeks off in August, will give all us fans at least the chance to put this one to bed, and get some positivity back about our club going forward.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Michael Wynless Jones

[Indy 3,283]

6 minutes ago, JF said:

Got to admit that I’ve found myself caring very little about this relegation. That’s probably because we’ve never realistically looked likely to stay up so today was confirmation of the inevitable. What I have cared about is the absolute lacklustre displays that the players have put in since the return. They have absolutely stolen their wages from the club today. I can accept not being good enough. But not players going through the motions and not putting in an honest performance 

That just about sums up the season though from one perspective! Lacklustre as everyone including Webber pretty much accepted relegation before a ball was kicked.! So where’s the incentive, pressure to succeed and pride when we all pretty much knew the outcome!

Sad but might be some truth to that!

[cambridgeshire canary 6,672]

What's wrong with wanting to become an established Premier League club? Is that too high of an ambition? Should we become like ipswich are stagnate in the 2nd tier for the next 20 years?

[Aggy 747]

Yep agreed with all above really. Some will point to all of the bottom sides struggling since the restart but they haven’t all been as woeful as we have. The last few games I think have really angered/irritated a lot of people who were probably fairly understanding before. There can be reasons for us going down which most will accept, but the manner of the defeats especially since restart (but at other times as well) has been unacceptable. 

[hogesar 9,611]

1 hour ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

What's wrong with wanting to become an established Premier League club? Is that too high of an ambition? Should we become like ipswich are stagnate in the 2nd tier for the next 20 years?

They're in the third tier. Sorry, but it's an incredibly important fact 

[Hardhouse44 261]

Put a dress on

[Icecream Snow 761]

5 minutes ago, Hardhouse44 said:

Put a dress on

I'm assuming that's your personal solution to everything.

[Surfer 1,547]

4 hours ago, Aggy said:

Yep agreed with all above really. Some will point to all of the bottom sides struggling since the restart but they haven’t all been as woeful as we have. The last few games I think have really angered/irritated a lot of people who were probably fairly understanding before. There can be reasons for us going down which most will accept, but the manner of the defeats especially since restart (but at other times as well) has been unacceptable. 

IMO it’s a function of how we play our game. When we lose our speed of passing we quickly get dominated as we are not a physical side. And I would say that Villa and Bournemouth have been petty poor as well, Villa especially. 

[City 2nd 191]

6 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

What's wrong with wanting to become an established Premier League club? Is that too high of an ambition? Should we become like ipswich are stagnate in the 2nd tier for the next 20 years?

Be very very careful what you wish for!!

[crispeduk 282]

Don’t mind rivals trying to wind us up after we’ve pressed their buttons, it’s fun, after all that’s what we used to do with visiting fans on the terraces before we got separated like cattle. Don’t mind lazy pundits making assumptions about my club, they’re just showing themselves up for what they are. Don’t even mind relegation, though I would’ve been curious about what we might have done with the second season Prem money. But every time we get a setback I really resent people on the street who know more about cup cakes than football making patronising noises implying that it’s only a game, we’ll grow out of it and quoting some random cliché (which one of those lazy pundits dribbled out months ago), as if it’s some kind of profound universal truth which we’re too simple to grasp. That’s when I remember why I needed fencing in. Stuff them. OTBC.

[canarydan23 4,060]

11 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

What's wrong with wanting to become an established Premier League club? Is that too high of an ambition? Should we become like ipswich are stagnate in the 2nd tier for the next 20 years?

Nothing wrong with that, I want us to win trophies and play in Europe at some point before I'm old. 

What's wrong is the reaction when these aims aren't served up instantly on a plate. 

I'd like Norwich to be established in the Premier League but I'm also aware that we have no right to expect that based on the size of the club. It'd be an over achievement and require a creative approach and long term plan to achieve it, and I believe the club has that plan in place.

I'm also aware that how much I like the club is not in the least bit affected by the league they're in. I don't think everyone on here could honestly say the same thing. 

[glory.win or die. 270]

I care, but yes it's the club I love and support, the league they play in is irrelevant.

We will be back. And we will be stronger because we are the most important and special football club in the world 

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

6 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

Nothing wrong with that, I want us to win trophies and play in Europe at some point before I'm old. 

What's wrong is the reaction when these aims aren't served up instantly on a plate. 

I'd like Norwich to be established in the Premier League but I'm also aware that we have no right to expect that based on the size of the club. It'd be an over achievement and require a creative approach and long term plan to achieve it, and I believe the club has that plan in place.

I'm also aware that how much I like the club is not in the least bit affected by the league they're in. I don't think everyone on here could honestly say the same thing. 

You, sir, are f*cking smashing it at the moment.