Stephen Fry on Norwich City FC

[Mister Chops 7]

Not seen this here before.  It was written in August 2011, and I think he makes his points rather well.  Clearly a man who is passionate about the club and understands the financial and geographical context in which the club operates.

"Football. Our national game. The beautiful game. And so on. There’s

so much wrong with it. The corporations and holding companies who own

the clubs. Their obsession with European silverware. The stinkingly vast

sums paid out by broadcasters. The vast gap between the oligarchic

haves and the deprived have-nots. I cannot imagine how distressing it

must be if you are a Manchester United or Arsenal fan – the need to win,

the expectation, the disappointment, the humiliation if you do not.

If you have always found yourself immune to the national obsession

with Association Football, I can quite understand it. But all I would

say is that, for all that is wrong with it, there can be no keener

pleasure than belonging, adhering, following and obsessing with one

club: scrabbling for the latest news, checking with terror the tables to

see how far they are from relegation and despair. The club can

be Chelsea if you have reason for it to be. It can also be Gillingham

or Port Vale, York City or Newcastle. If you already have a club that

you support, then you don’t need read any further. But let’s suppose

that you don’t support any club, or that you have one great allegiance

and are interested in the possibility of having a deuxième cru,

a second house. Well, if you have a spare sense of loyalty going, an

impulse to follow without a special connection, then let me suggest that

you find a delightful underdog to cheer on…

Let me, in short, argue that you simply could not choose a more

loveable and worthy club than Norwich City. They represent a whole

region, one great medieval city lost in the rural vastness of Norfolk.

Once among the two or three greatest towns of England, Norwich has

almost comically lost itself in provincial isolation while the

industrial cities of the North and MIdlands, Manchester, Leeds,

Liverpool, Birmingham, Stoke and Wolverhampton, and the powerful

metropolitan districts, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Queen’s Park and

Fulham have overtaken the game with their colossal financial and media

reach.

Norwich is a pigmy compared to these enormous, illustrious and

opulent institutions. That is what makes being a fan such a pleasure. We

don’t expect to win every match – when we do we jump up and down with

joy and when we lose we smile ruefully as we expected nothing more.

The Canaries have had their moments of glory, what we would

call glory at least, but it is a long time since 1992-93, the

premiership’s inaugural season for the majority of which City led the

table and achieved that unbelievable 1993 victory over Bayern Munich

(“this is fantasy football,” John Motson said) There has never been much

grand silverware on display in the club’s cabinet but what of that?

Jeremy Goss’s immortal goal, Delia Smith and her husband’s extraordinary

financial and personal commitment to the club (and yes, that ‘Let’s Be

Having You’ moment) and last year’s thrilling last minute promotion are

enough if you are a Norwich fan. Should we survive the EPL this season

that will be a triumph. If Arsenal or Chelsea fail to snaffle one of the

great trophies it will be a disaster for them. What a difference.

More than anything else, Norwich represents one of the few local

community clubs left in football: for all that it only rarely has a

chance to dine at the top table this is reason enough to celebrate its

small victories. When Norwich does get elevated, it is managed through

close links with its region and the passion and commitment of its

players and fans. Our achievement of second place in the Championship

last year sparked a grand celebration, bus-top processions, banners,

bunting and civic pride everywhere. There was hardly a shop in Norwich

that didn’t brandish the green and yellow. I happened to visit BBC TV

centre around that time, just a few hundred yards from Loftus Road, the

HQ of the Championship Champions. To take nothing away from QPR fans,

there was nowhere for them to process, no bursting out of pride, no

reason for locals to stop and hug each other as they did in Norwich.

There was no prouder moment for me than when I was asked to join

Norwich’s board of directors. I can bring neither football nor financial

expertise to the table, but I can bring that element of loyalty,

devotion and local passion that I hope and believe is a great part of

what makes football the most popular game on earth.

Should you, I repeat, have a spare shred of unattached allegiance in

you, then why not affix it to the club that has the oldest song in

footballing history?

 

On the ball, City, never mind the danger,

Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

 

Stephen"

[Ketts Rebel 0]

Great post, and very well said Mr.Fry. I especially agree with the Club of a whole region thing. From Diss to Cromer, from Yarmouth to Lynn. Norfolk''s club.. Norwich City FC.

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Ketts Rebel"]Great post, and very well said Mr.Fry. I especially agree with the Club of a whole region thing. From Diss to Cromer, from Yarmouth to Lynn (but not Lowestoft). Norfolk''s club.. Norwich City FC.[/quote][;)] [:D]

[Lord Horn 0]

Well unearthed Mister Chops - what a great piece.  Do you know if he wrote it for any particular publication???

[BarclayWazza 91]

Some might say this perpetuates the little ol Norwich mentality?

[dpit 1]

I thought the same when I read this (and I agree with every word: articulate and rational). Do any of the ''anti-forelock-tugging'' brigade fancy responding?

[BroadstairsR 2,166]

No fool our Stephen. Neither in his choice of football club nor in his choice of words.

[morty 0]

Good stuff, always liked the guy anyway, but I like him just a little bit more now.

[First Wizard 0]

Yeah, packed full of ''little old Norwich'' and ''We''re not worthy''.

 

No wonder no one takes us seriously!

[star_manic 0]

so Mr Negative has had his say. Wiz, you utter pillock, most clubs in the football league would give anything to be in our position. we are not "little old Norwich " and Mr Fry was not implying anything of the sort, he was just stressing the difference between the mega rich, must win trophys, and the rest, of which we happen to be one. what he was saying is that if you have no particular allegiance, then our club is an excellent club to consider following in a more than casual way. but, hey, that is not negative enough for your philosophy.

[Muffles 8]

Stephen Fry has been a legend since forever, well, at least since the time he was interviewed post match on Radio Norfolk and said;

 

''not a bad draw today, but nice to see the filth lost though''

[priceyrice 123]

Sounds like the piece he could have written when the club circulated a letter, written by Fry, to potential celebrity investors, such as Huge Jackman, a couple of years ago

[Ketts Rebel 0]

Speaking of Hugh Jackman, here''s what he thinks of NCFC........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukoOH4NbWo