Lets be honest...this is crap

[No Quarter 0]

I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.

[Sharp Shooter 0]

idiot

[. 0]

[quote user="No Quarter"]I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.[/quote]

Not morbid...just profound. All that''s left of NCFC these days is a bunch of losers run by another bunch of losers and watched by yet another bunch of losers.

They''ll all get bored and take up knitting again soon......

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="Sharp Shooter"]

idiot

[/quote]It''s you sir that is the idiot. The OP takes time out to write to us about how he REALLY feels about our club and you call him an idiot?

[Sharp Shooter 0]

whatever

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

I know what you mean about the characters of NCFC.

Even a few years back with Malky, Iwan & Greeno.

I forgot the other week we had Lee Camp on loan. The loan players come in for a bit - don''t give a toss - and off they go back to where they came from.

The atmosphere in the crowd has definately changed - and the turning point for me was the start of season after being relegated 3/4 years ago.

The last home game (in prem) against brum was good - and same for most that year. Championship winning season (against Preston) awesome day - one of the best!

[Barclay_Boy 0]

[quote user="No Quarter"]I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.[/quote]

fantastic post, your comments sum up EXACTLY how I have felt for some time. I am 49 and have experienced the same as you at Carrow Rd, and I know that all teams have their ups and downs, but this is nothing like that. The guts, the heart and soul has been removed from our club. One of my colleagues at work, A Man City fan, went last night as he had been given a free ticket. His comments this morning was that he could not believe what he saw, how bad the team were, particularly first half, how quiet the crowd were. Most people have just accepted it, the slow but steady decline of NCFC. A crowd of 24000 last night, 8500 MORE than Birmingham, but it''s like they''re like zombies, they remember Carrow Rd is somewhere they used to go for entertainment and are programmed to go back there, no matter what. Bad, bad times

[Mr Coypu 0]

Iv''e never left a game early.....but these days i cut out the middle man and never go

 

[No Quarter 0]

Ho hum , your avatar of Tony Martin with "sharp shooter" hardly makes you a candidate for MENSA.  I''m just being honest.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

Great post. Understand where your coming from. Football in general has changed alot over the last 30 odd years and not for the better. Feels abit like it''s sold it''s soul for me.

[thumb180 0]

I remember waveing my blow up canarie as a kid with my dad when we played villa in the semis back then and for a while  i thought we could win every game now i fear every team we play sad but true

[ricky knight 0]

I had the same feeling sunday watching the forest game on tv, this was not the City i have followed for 40 years, i know where you are at and i am afraid many more will follow, especially long term fans who remember better than this garbage we are being served up.

[chicken 0]

[quote user="Colchester Canary"]

I know what you mean about the characters of NCFC.

Even a few years back with Malky, Iwan & Greeno.

I forgot the other week we had Lee Camp on loan. The loan players come in for a bit - don''t give a toss - and off they go back to where they came from.

The atmosphere in the crowd has definately changed - and the turning point for me was the start of season after being relegated 3/4 years ago.

The last home game (in prem) against brum was good - and same for most that year. Championship winning season (against Preston) awesome day - one of the best!

[/quote]I totally agree with you CC.Up until we were promoted and perhaps even half way through that premiership season people seemed to keep their feet well and truly on the ground. We had been told at the begining of the promotion season that we didn''t have much cash. We were told upon promotion that it would allow us to "compete" for a few more seasons without too much to worry about. The premiership was going to be a battle faught on a tight budget with a relatively fresh manager. I don''t see that season as being horrific in anyway - we missed staying up by a very very slim margin, one of the slimmest for a while and we did so on less cash than most.However it all changed as you suggest - expectancy seemed to jump through the roof and was for the large part unfounded. And it stayed after relagation.People like Smudger and Cluck seemed to relish in the fact that we have no money - this has been the case since even before Smith and Jones came along - we were never big spenders.I am 26 and rank many of the names origanlly mentioned as heroes of mine back then and also the likes of Iwan Roberts and Nedergaard. But I also remember how easy it was for a player to make an impression on our squad. Nielsen is a good example of this - people seem to look back on him negatively but he was a good player at this level.I too look at the squad now and wonder what "hero" there is to be had. I personally rate Russell but maybe that is because our ages are similar and I remember watching him come through our ranks and he always gives his all.The biggest problem we have had and I have said this time and time again is that we can not even field the same team two weeks in a row. The play-off final season we had a pretty un-convincing team compared to that of the others in the top six but they did it because we had few injuries. That in itself allowed confidence to build within the team. That and we had some good solid pros who had been at the club for some time.Promotion was the same - Fleming, Malky, Iwan, Mulryne, McVeigh - all had been at the club for years and knew what it was all about. You look at our squad and the only players you could consider to have been here long term are Drury and Russell with I suppose Doherty as well now. Its not much to build a team around especially when Drury and Doherty seem to be out of favour, Russell and his disiplin.Not only does that mean we have a very young team out it also means that most of these players have been playing together for less that two seasons. We had to go through some pretty difficult and non-eventful seasons to get to the play-off finals and then promotion - and had to endure some rather strange signings as well - mainly due to lack of funds. But time and a lack of injuries was the greatest builder back then. I wonder if that is the problem now - just that no one is prepared to give it anymore.

[NCFC_Thain 0]

Its not just you older fans. I''m 17 and have been coming since I was 6/7. And I''ve never left a game early, but I really wanted to last night. Their is nothing to keep me there bar that alim hope that we will do something special (which we no doubt will as soon as I do leave early). There is no hero on the pitch, no fans'' favourite, no Iwan, no Malky, no Steeno, no Safri, no Hucks. Just a bunch of run of the mill players who would probably leave given half a chance. Its a sad state of affairs and one that will take us down to league 1 unless something drastic happens, if not this season then next.

[Rupethebear 0]

[quote user="No Quarter"]I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.[/quote]

 

Great post!

Been going to Carrow Road since 1973 and always had heroes like Kevin Keelan and Phil Boyer etc etc. Now there are none, my boy is 7 and his hero is still Hucks cos none of the current team are good enough, let''s face it how often do we see Premier League scouts at Carrow Road? We don''t have the money to buy any heroes any more so we will have to wait until we produce the next one but sadly our conveyor belt has broken and we don''t seem to have any more Bellamy''s or Greens so I guess we will have to be patient......wonder what will happen first, end of the credit crunch or the Norwich revival??

[PhatCanary 0]

[quote user="No Quarter"]I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.[/quote]

Brilliant post,sums up how i feel, i''m 32 and have never felt so miserable about going to the game.

[. 0]

[quote user="chicken"][quote user="Colchester Canary"]

I know what you mean about the characters of NCFC.

Even a few years back with Malky, Iwan & Greeno.

I forgot the other week we had Lee Camp on loan. The loan players come in for a bit - don''t give a toss - and off they go back to where they came from.

The atmosphere in the crowd has definately changed - and the turning point for me was the start of season after being relegated 3/4 years ago.

The last home game (in prem) against brum was good - and same for most that year. Championship winning season (against Preston) awesome day - one of the best!

[/quote]

I totally agree with you CC.

Up until we were promoted and perhaps even half way through that premiership season people seemed to keep their feet well and truly on the ground. We had been told at the begining of the promotion season that we didn''t have much cash. We were told upon promotion that it would allow us to "compete" for a few more seasons without too much to worry about. The premiership was going to be a battle faught on a tight budget with a relatively fresh manager. I don''t see that season as being horrific in anyway - we missed staying up by a very very slim margin, one of the slimmest for a while and we did so on less cash than most.

However it all changed as you suggest - expectancy seemed to jump through the roof and was for the large part unfounded. And it stayed after relagation.

People like Smudger and Cluck seemed to relish in the fact that we have no money - this has been the case since even before Smith and Jones came along - we were never big spenders.

I am 26 and rank many of the names origanlly mentioned as heroes of mine back then and also the likes of Iwan Roberts and Nedergaard. But I also remember how easy it was for a player to make an impression on our squad. Nielsen is a good example of this - people seem to look back on him negatively but he was a good player at this level.

I too look at the squad now and wonder what "hero" there is to be had. I personally rate Russell but maybe that is because our ages are similar and I remember watching him come through our ranks and he always gives his all.

The biggest problem we have had and I have said this time and time again is that we can not even field the same team two weeks in a row. The play-off final season we had a pretty un-convincing team compared to that of the others in the top six but they did it because we had few injuries. That in itself allowed confidence to build within the team. That and we had some good solid pros who had been at the club for some time.

Promotion was the same - Fleming, Malky, Iwan, Mulryne, McVeigh - all had been at the club for years and knew what it was all about. You look at our squad and the only players you could consider to have been here long term are Drury and Russell with I suppose Doherty as well now. Its not much to build a team around especially when Drury and Doherty seem to be out of favour, Russell and his disiplin.

Not only does that mean we have a very young team out it also means that most of these players have been playing together for less that two seasons. We had to go through some pretty difficult and non-eventful seasons to get to the play-off finals and then promotion - and had to endure some rather strange signings as well - mainly due to lack of funds. But time and a lack of injuries was the greatest builder back then. I wonder if that is the problem now - just that no one is prepared to give it anymore.
[/quote]

Utter billhooks as usual from you. Why is it that you come across as the typical over-loyal party line apologist...not dissimilar to those patronisingly nodding Labour Party front benchers at PMQs when agreeing with anything their great leader Gordon Brown says? The lies of the past decade or so of New Labour run very closely to the tenure of Smith at NCFC...and the outcome is also likely to be identical. Bankruptcy based on ineptitude...carefully hidden by lies and spin.

 

[. 0]

[quote user="Mr Coypu"]

Iv''e never left a game early.....but these days i cut out the middle man and never go

 

[/quote]

Sorry...but this was wonderful. 10/10 [*]

[gazzathegreat 0]

No Quarter

You talk right from the heart and I have been exactly where you are and have posted similar in the past. But have to say your post has made me cry. I am a girl and that''s allowed I suppose. I still go to games and behave to the most part as if I were still in the 70s, yelling my head off with the best of them. Sad but true. I still stand in the Barclay and will remain there until they cart me off to the nursing home.

But I do know how you feel. The passion which was once stronger than anything I have ever experienced is now more of a long slow burn, often going out and taking a bit longer to re light. The big emotion with me now is hope. Game after game brings disappointment with the result, and just once in a while we get a tantalising glimpse of how it could be, only to go back to the mundane, the mediocre - but I just can''t give it up. Carrow Road is now ( as you have so poignantly described) a pale imitation of its former self.

Some will call you fairweather, fine. Let them, you only have to live with yourself and if you can do that then you will be fine.

Last night was a bit of a moment for me too No Quarter. During the match, mainly the second half when the crowd had quietened down after our goal, a group of us were trying to get some singing going. A couple of fans about 6 rows in front suddenly turned around and yelled "Shut up, what''s the point of cheering on those useless players". I have put forward a more sanitised version, but you get the picture. This is the Lower Barclay, not the River End, where the last few remaining singing supporters were asked to be quiet. No one really wanted to sing very much. A few OTBCs after the goal. Not even much about Ipswich.

It''s a strange experience these days. A guy I know very well and have been standing beside for a while said it''s almost as if we (collective fans) are worried before something goes wrong and our expectation is that something will go wrong. (And some City fans have us down as expecting too much). Whatever the cause and I suspect it is different for everyone of us, the ground is, as you say, almost completely without atmosphere.

In truth, NCFC are getting harder and harder to love. Harder and harder to connect to and for each individual golden moment (not so many recently) they are many grey clouds.

Heroes. I know. None of the present team can stand anywhere near your list. Take comfort No Quarter that you were around to see them. That such great players were here and you enjoyed watching them play. I guess one day probably from a totally unexpected quarter a new one will emerge.

As for the Shawshank Redemption, I am still waiting for my parole so I can join Andy. A tip. After particularly bad away games I used to watch that film. It''s getting so I can now quote most of the script.

Once again, a fantastic post No Quarter.

[Buncey 1]

A lot of very good posts particularly the OP, Barclay Boy and Chicken. I feel no buzz when I go to Carrow Road, no excitement. The players have total aparthy for the club, as does Neil Doncaster (as long as he gets his pay-check). The crowd has total apathy for the players, we know they don''t care and they know that we know they don''t care. It''s hardly a surprise that the atmosphere is so low and when we play such poor football time and again it just doesn''t matter, because we knew it was coming. It has always been coming. If we win we''ve got lucky and if we''ve lost we''ve been unlucky, so why do we still rely on chance?

[Buncey 1]

Superb post Gazza.

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

At least you guys have had the great times [:(]. I can only recall the promotion season in 2003-4 as the last time we experienced glory[:(]

[gazzathegreat 0]

CT, never mind, I am starting to worry about what sort of football my new grand daughter has got to look forward to :-(

[Buncey 1]

[quote user="CT "]At least you guys have had the great times [:(]. I can only recall the promotion season in 2003-4 as the last time we experienced glory[:(][/quote]Could be worse, my first game was after we were relegated from the prem in the 90''s.... [:|]

[gazzathegreat 0]

So you missed the great day out at Elland Road and watched our players go off that pitch into Division Two?

I won''t ever forget that afternoon in a hurry. No more of them please.

[No Quarter 0]

Thanks gazzathegreat, excellent post yourself.  You hit the nail on the head, and I am very thankful that I was able to see those legends play for our club.  I was also just thinking about the season we got relegated from the Prem under John Deehan/Gary Megson.  Yes, we got relegated, but I went to Newcastle away at the very end of that season (John Deehans last in charge) and I''ll never forget the Norwich fans singing "we love you Norwich" towards the end of that game (we were 3-0 down), and Ian Crook walking over to the Norwich fans, applauding them, and wiping away a tear before taking a throw in late on.  Thats the difference.  It''s a shame more people on this board cant be honest instead of  just resorting to goading and name calling.  And as for Shawshank - there are so many elements that reflect real life.  "Getting busy living, or get busy dying" being the most poignant for me.

[Rupethebear 0]

Don''t think Chase will forget that afternoon either, that was in the Chase Out hayday!!!

Should never have lost, dodgy penalty at their Kop end the rest is history.

It was my first visit to Elland Road since 1981 when I got set upon by a load of Leeds yobs so I have fond memories of that place!!!

[still holding out for new heroes 0]

[quote user="No Quarter"]I had one of those "moments" at the game last night. An epiphany if you will.  It got to about 60 mins and we had just scored, and I looked around me, saw everyone leaping about because we scored, and it suddenly occured to me.  This is crap.  I surveyd the area of the Barclay where I once stood with my mates, where I saw us beat Southampton in the FA cup quarter final, where I witnessed Flecky demolish Liverpool, where we had a crowd so loud my ears would ring and then where I''ve then sat and seen us see off Bayern Munich, win League One and countless other landmark moments in my life.  I then done the unthinkable and simply walked out.  For the first time in my life I left a game with 30 mins to go, and after we had just scored.  And it really hurt.  However, I suddenly realised that I don''t recognise Carrow Road, the players in the yellow and green or the supporters around me anymore.  I''m 33 and have been a season ticket holder since I was 4.    At that moment, all I could hear was "sit down please" from an over zealous steward, and the latest "terrace comedian" behind me.  I know people may brand me "fairweather", but that really isn''t the case.  I just feel that I have almost grown out of going to Carrow Road now.  I can''t relate to anybody around me, as a lot of them have only been going 4 or 5 years.  Fine.  For me though I remember my heroes (Fleck, Gunn, Ruel, Disco,Crook, Goss, Bruce, Watson, Newsome , Eadie etc etc etc), and it was these players I loved going to see, and the general atmosphere generated by the crowd.  Now there is no atmosphere or heroes.  I almost felt like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption when he is released from prison, and see''s the state of the modern world.  Sorry to be a bit morbid, but thats just how I feel.[/quote]

Im much the same as you 36 and have had a season ticket since I was 6, when we use to lose it would cut me up for days, now watching these mercenaries I can''t relate to I just don''t care anymore, I can''t see me renewing next season.

[pennywise 0]

[quote user="Neil Cluckcaster"][quote user="Mr Coypu"]

Iv''e never left a game early.....but these days i cut out the middle man and never go

 

[/quote]

Sorry...but this was wonderful. 10/10 [*]

[/quote]

if  you ever went to a game you`d probably leave early to be first to post your  bile on here

[. 0]

[quote user="wayne kerr"][quote user="Neil Cluckcaster"][quote user="Mr Coypu"]

Iv''e never left a game early.....but these days i cut out the middle man and never go

 

[/quote]

Sorry...but this was wonderful. 10/10 [*]

[/quote]

if  you ever went to a game you`d probably leave early to be first to post your  bile on here

[/quote]

Oooooooooooh....and what a brilliant username. Been on a Club 18-30s holiday then?

Knob.