Living A Dream Turned Nightmare Fifty Years Ago

[YankeeCanary 0]

I know some of you youngsters may think this old man is just living in the past but remember,  today''s football experiences for you will be your memories in the decades to come.

This time fifty years ago was an exciting time to be a Norwich City fan. We were in the old Third Division South. I was just a boy coming into my teenage years as the season was drawing to a close. We finished a respectable 7th that season. We were going to be installing floodlights for the following season. Floodlights, can you imagine, we could watch football at night in little old Norwich. This was REALLY exciting in those days. A dream come true.

When the following season got underway our official opening of the floodlights was to be a friendly against top level team, Sunderland. We were going to see the wizardry of Len Shackleton at Carrow Road. When those lights came on it was like magic to the eyes of this young boy. Unfortunately, the season of 1956-57 was a nightmare. The club had over-extended itself financially and could not even afford to pay the wages of playesr and staff without a rally for cash and a bail out. We finished dead last in the division that season. What''s even worse, Ipswich finished first and were promoted to the second division.

What was also horrible was the realization that with the coming of the 1957-58 season, the teams that finsished in the bottom half of the division would merge with those that finished in the bottom half of the Third Division North, and together they would form a new Fourth Division. This was unbearable to think about for me, because I was certain this was where we were bound. I was wrong. We finished eighth the following season and, under new management ( Archie Macauley ) we went on to our magical year of 1958-59, followed the following season by promotion to the old Second Division, finishing fourth in our first season. The club had moved to a higher plateau that I had not even dreamed of four years earlier.

New management does not guarantee a club success. It does, however, offer hope and a chance for everyone in the club and the fans to rejuvenate themselves. A fresh start. I truly hope for all fans that you are about to embark upon a fresh start and a lot of this negativity drops to the wayside. I particularly wish it for you teenagers so that, fifty years from now, your reflections are similar to mine now.

[Rossi 0]

we dont always see post to post yankee, but i actually found that really good to read. thanks. and i''m not being sarcastic either.

 

[Chris Meadows 0]

yeah i always like hearing about our past, hopefully i''ll have some good memories to pass onto my kids and grandkids in 50yrs time

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

What a romantic and poignant post, Septic. I do hope you are not about to curl your toes up.

Were you part of the 1970''s Brain Drain, pray, what caused you to leave these shores for the New World?

A bit more of this memory lane stuff if you please, it is nice to know how life was before I was born.

[Rossi 0]

can we have another chapter sometime please yankee

[sheded 0]

I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !!

[ManchesterCanary 0]

Great post Yankee. I became a supporter just after you and have fond memories in the early 60''s of being passed to the front of the Barclay every game, one of many kids standing at the front on a wooden box while the adults cheered behind us. Often gates were less than 10,000...but for big games could go up to 40,000. I remember Ron Ashman being manager and bringing in two of our best ever players, Ron Davies and Kevin Keelan at £35k and £6.5k respectively (it seems almost surreal now). I do not wish to sound patronising to our younger supporters, after all I was one also once, but it is inevitable every generation has to go through their share of ups and downs, particularly with our great football club. I don''t regret being there during the bad times because it made me appreciate the good times all the more. I do agree with you though that a new manager brings fresh hope...something the new generation of young and frustrated supporters clearly need. 

[Intenso 0]

A very good read Yankee and one I can indentify with having supportered  the club through those dark days of 1956/7. Despite finishing rock bottom with only 31 points we still managed to score 61 goals with Ralph Hunt ( 21 ) and Johnny Gavin ( 16 ) leading the way.

By paying a mate to do my newspaper round I even managed to travel to some away games and one that sticks in the memory was a foggy early December match when I travelled to Watford.  The cheapest journey was by Mascot coaches but at the last moment we were told they had only sold enough seats to fill half a coach, but seeing our disappointment the driver agreed we were mad and the trip went ahead.

By half time we were losing 3-0 and if anybody had told me that one day we would finish third in the Premier division and play in Europe I would have had difficulty in accepting their sanity. Having just lost 4-2 at home to Bedford in the FA cup we then went on to lose 6-3 to Walsall, 5-2 to Reading and 7-1 to Torquay. 

The debt that NCFC owed to Archie Macauley can never be overstated.

Just one thing Yankee, do you recall that before floodlights were installed at Carrow Road it was possible to watch the Norwich B side play at Boundary Road  greyhound track under lights ?

[TheMarshmallowMan 0]

[quote user="sheded"]I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !![/quote]

Honestly, what a ridiculous attempt to attempt to spin a post calling for change into a post supporting the vein whimsys of the KTF club.

[Budgie 0]

Yankee, aah those days of innocence!

It was during that 57 season at the age of 12 that I went to an Ideal Homes Exhibition at St Andrew''s Hall simply because future technology was being advertised in the form of colour television!

While there the football results came on: City had lost 7-0 or 7-3 to someone or other.

Yet in those dreadful days it was not uncommon to see 30,000 gates at Carrow Road - especially when the Tractor Boys visited.

I know that my father and his three brothers from King''s Lynn all gathered together on a Saturday home game and when down Carrow Road whatever the weather. It seemed that everyone loved football in those days, no matter what division or what the results.

I also remember that during the great 1959 Cup run my father saw every home game - he sent me down Carrow Road on Sunday mornings to queue for his ticket!

For my part I had to follow the Canaries by reading the Pink ''Un every Saturday night as I delivered them around West Earlham! 

Happy days!

[sheded 0]

[quote user="Andrew Nickerson"]

[quote user="sheded"]I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !![/quote]

Honestly, what a ridiculous attempt to attempt to spin a post calling for change into a post supporting the vein whimsys of the KTF club.

[/quote]

A vein is a blood vessel  !   and I don`t think I could be described  as belonging to the " KTF  club ! "  anyway , you just took the wrong interpretation of my post  ,  Yankee harked back to a time  when NCFC  were  mere minnows  in the league  , in contrast  to these days  , when , arguably , we  are just a seasons good performance  away from  the big time  ..... please yourself  anyway !

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Another interesting and illuminating post YC, receiving brickbats from the usual sources.  I am most glad to see you do not immediately respond by going into print by retort, too many posters prefer to play ping pong on his site by posting an article and insisting on responding immediately instead of waiting for others to supply their own responses.

You know who you are and its not clever. 

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="sheded"]I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !![/quote]

Its because I WAS there sheded that I''ve become a moaner,.

Great post on Nemises one, fair brought moisture to my eyes, and legs, mate.

[YankeeCanary 0]

Nice to see some youngsters appreciating memories from the "old days". Just a quick response to Intenso, and also a comment to Budgie.

I do not recall ever going to Boundary Road greyhound track Intenso. Your thought did cause me to scratch my head, however, trying to recall what other sporting activity I visited under the lights. One of the obvious ones was speedway at the Firs watching the Norwich Stars. The smell in ones nostrils never to be forgotten, the spraying cinders from the tracks matted in your hair. Riders like Aub Lawson, Billy Bales and, of course, the great Ove Fundin. I could not resist looking at what I could find on the web for the Norwich Stars, and added this shortcut as to how Aub Lawson, the team captain treated and recruited the Swede, Ove Fundin, causing Ove to eventually think of Norfolk as his second home.  http://freespace.virgin.net/norwich.speedway/index.htm    I sure hope our football team members apply a similar attitude towards today''s young footballers.

To Budgie, your father had to be a bit of a task master my friend. I hope he occasionally encouraged you to buy enough tickets so you could go to the football game too. We weren''t too far apart Budgie. I was a "Larkman" boy. I had an aunt living on Wilberforce Road in West Earlham and, of course, it was always fun playing in the woods on the way there looking for sweet chestnuts. Happy days.

[Intenso 0]

It''s great to have someone who remembers Ove Fundin and the Norwich stars, what an era. There was a football pitch inside the race track but games were only played in daylight, including the showbiz all star games.

It''s amazing how this forum brings people together, being a Larkman Lane old boy myself. I well remember Mr Lyons, the headmaster with a false hand, smacking me round the ear with his good hand. Not so happy days.

[Budgie 0]

Yankee,

A ''Larkman Boy'' hey? Well every Saturday me and me mates used to go to the Ritz before running back up the Lane for a game in the woods.

My first wife lived on Wilberforce Road - I lived on Enfield Road.

My paper rounds (morning, evening, Pink ''Un, Sunday, collecting) used to take in all the Larkman area, right through to Bowthorpe Road one way and down Beecheno Road the other, plus all around the Marlpit and up to the Roundwell.

And I''ll tell you something, there were several top footy players came from the area.

No, pop, never got more than one ticket! He could not afford it! But when I started work in 1960 I would very often go down to Carra Rud to take in a game (when I was not playing somewhere, especially).

That is until sometime in the 1970s, I believe, when I watched City play Luton. Luton had four ''giants'' strung across the back and the game deteriorated into ping-pong. A long punt from the ''keeper, a headed clearance from the defence, a lob from midfield, a headed clearance, another lob from midfield.....blow it I left at half-time and never bothered much after that.

Sounds rather familiar, doesn''t it? 

[ca 1]

You''re showing your age Yankee [:)] but on a serious note interesting post.

[YankeeCanary 0]

Age, while a fact cityangel, is also a state of mind. I run five miles a day except when I''m playing golf and, on those days, I like walking the course carrying my clubs. That''s the reason for this thread. When I look back on the history of NCFC 50 years from now    I want those memories to be filled with lots of Premiership years.

Budgie, I grew up living on Beecheno Road. First house next to the doctor''s office close to Larkman Lane. That was some paper round you had. I think you''re going to live longer than I do, and I''m going for a record. Can you remember any of the football kickabouts in the middle of the oval on Gilbard Road or the games on Earlham Park?

 

 

[Budgie 0]

Yankee, I remember watching one or two kick-abouts on Gibard Road - while I was delivering - but our main pitch was the green on Enfield Road.

That was until my father was spotted cycling up the road from work, then it was all run in different directions. If he caught us playing there we would get a clip round the lug.

Earlham Park? Yep, had many happy hours footying on there.

Our favourite trick, however, was to go through the woods to the golf course, hide alongside the course where there was a dip. It was a blind tee-off. The balls used to land opposite us; out we would go and nick the balls; then at lunchtime go along to the clubhouse and sell them back to the players!

Eaton Park was another favourite haunt. They had a short-tempered parkie there and we would have some fun taunting him and running away. Well, we were only young kids.

My first footie team was St John''s - a team that include Armstrong from Marlpit Lane (500 games 600 goals!); Roger and Stuart McMahon from the same estate. Heaven knows why we all played for the team representing the Catholic Cathedral!

Anyway the home pitch was Eaton Park - and the old parkie often used to give me a glaring stare as if to say: ''Don''t I know you from somewhere?''

Then in 1966 I moved to Weston-super-Mare and played for a team that wore the very same colours as St John''s - and they were named Weston St John''s (nothing to do with the church, however). I did that for about a year before moving into a semi-professional league - that is when I really enjoyed me soccer.

Also had the great pleasure of watching City beat Bristol City 2-0 when I believe the centre-forward was Manning.

But the lure of Norwich was too great and I returned in 1969 - with a wife and child!

Memories, ay?

[arrdee 2]

yankee, i remember the season of  56/57 i was 6 / 7 the thing i remember most about it was the c road staff coming round at half time with a blanket begging for money to be thrown into it .yes and this little boy threw all the money he had in his pocked,(a threepeny joe) i think ,going home and getting his lug smacked for being so soft,but this little boy had a dream he thought one day we would go to leeds and put 4 past them and cut them to ribbens , go to everton put 5 past them , arsenal score 4 and 3 at chelsea ,lead the top div by 12 points at xmas, but what that little boy did''nt know was we would have a idiot as a chairman when it came to pass .yankee however bad that season was we had hope , at this moment i am afraid we have no hope,just dire play with nothing to look forward to.

 

 

 

 

REMEMBER A DAY SPENT OUT OF NORFOLK IS A DAY WASTED

[chicken 0]

[quote user="sheded"][quote user="Andrew Nickerson"]

[quote user="sheded"]I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !![/quote]

Honestly, what a ridiculous attempt to attempt to spin a post calling for change into a post supporting the vein whimsys of the KTF club.

[/quote]

A vein is a blood vessel  !   and I don`t think I could be described  as belonging to the " KTF  club ! "  anyway , you just took the wrong interpretation of my post  ,  Yankee harked back to a time  when NCFC  were  mere minnows  in the league  , in contrast  to these days  , when , arguably , we  are just a seasons good performance  away from  the big time  ..... please yourself  anyway !

[/quote]Ok I am kicking myself here! Sorry Sheded but you do realise that that is a very Keegan-esque comment? "Just a seasons good performance away from the big time."Arnt all the teams in this division just a "seasons good performance from the big time"? Sorry just found it to be amusing in a non-micky taking way.

[sheded 0]

[quote user="chicken"][quote user="sheded"][quote user="Andrew Nickerson"]

[quote user="sheded"]I rather liked  that  hark back  Yankee !   I hadn`t realised the humble  status of NCFC  in that period  ,  the moaners of our " plight "  today   should take note of our progress  !![/quote]

Honestly, what a ridiculous attempt to attempt to spin a post calling for change into a post supporting the vein whimsys of the KTF club.

[/quote]

A vein is a blood vessel  !   and I don`t think I could be described  as belonging to the " KTF  club ! "  anyway , you just took the wrong interpretation of my post  ,  Yankee harked back to a time  when NCFC  were  mere minnows  in the league  , in contrast  to these days  , when , arguably , we  are just a seasons good performance  away from  the big time  ..... please yourself  anyway !

[/quote]

Ok I am kicking myself here! Sorry Sheded but you do realise that that is a very Keegan-esque comment?

"Just a seasons good performance away from the big time."

Arnt all the teams in this division just a "seasons good performance from the big time"? Sorry just found it to be amusing in a non-micky taking way.
[/quote]

No problem  !    and I realise that the  " just a seasons good performance away from the big time "  bit  is a tad trite ,  and I bet Keegan wasn`t the only manager to say it either !  [ thats if you could call Keegan a manager ? ]     what you can`t get away from though , is its true ! [6]

[fleggy 0]

Just a couple of points :- I was at that Sunderland game.  I stood on the terracing where the south stand used to be - open air of course.  It was pretty usual for the gate to exceed 30,000 and quite often 35,000.  Think we had the highest gates in the 3rd (s) then.   The football was better - you had people who could actually kill a ball and run with it at their feet.  Mind you they had a pint and a fag after. As far as Speedway is concerned I used to go to Yarmouth and Norwich.  Don''t forget Bert Spencer and Paddy Mills, Ted Bravery and Reg Morgan. All a bit larger than life but not as remote from the fans as the current crop of superstars.

[Brum Uni Canary 0]

A question for the older posters....what happened pre-floodlights? It sounds stupid, but what time did matches start, especially in the winter months?

[Intenso 0]

[quote user="BUC in Padova"]A question for the older posters....what happened pre-floodlights? It sounds stupid, but what time did matches start, especially in the winter months?
[/quote]

The kick off for pre-floodlight days was 2.00 pm, remembering half time was only ten minutes. I was then able to deliver the evening newspapers which had the half time scores shown in the late news.

[YankeeCanary 0]

Intenso, can you recall what the admission price to the ground was for us youngsters in 1956-57. Something in the back of my head tells me it was no more than half a crown ( less than 15p ). Is my memory faulty?

[Intenso 0]

[quote user="YankeeCanary"]Intenso, can you recall what the admission price to the ground was for us youngsters in 1956-57. Something in the back of my head tells me it was no more than half a crown ( less than 15p ). Is my memory faulty?[/quote]

I seem to recall Yankee that there was little difference between the cheaper seats at the cinema and a packet of Woodbines ( not that I ever smoked ) which would have made it about one shilling and ninepence ( 9p ? ).

I left school in August 1957 and moved into the big time when you could take a girl to the best seats at the Haymarket ( remember the double seats ? ) have an ice cream and then a bag of chips afterwards and still have change out of ten shillings ( 50p ). Didn''t I know how to give a girl a good time !