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Norwich City Football Club is a football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England, founded in 1902. They are known as "The Canaries" and wear a yellow and green strip to reflect this. The club plays in The Championship of the Football League and last played in the Premier League in 2004-05.

The traditional club colours are yellow shirts, green shorts and yellow socks. As of June 2006, the away kit is all white*. The club badge consists of a Canary resting on a football with the City of Norwich arms in the top left corner.

The fans' song On The Ball, City is regarded as being the oldest football song in the world.

History

For a list of players of the year, see Barry Butler Trophy winners.

Early years

The club was formed in 1902 and first played at Newmarket Road. They were ousted from the amateur game in 1905 for being a "professional" organisation and later the same year were elected to play in the Southern League.

Canary breeding was a popular hobby in Norwich and Norfolk at that time, (contrary to some suggestions, the canaries were not bred for use in mining, they were bred purely as a hobby). One of the early managers partook in this hobby and often referred to his players as "his canaries". Originally, the club was nicknamed the Citizens, and played in blue and white halved shirts, but by 1907, the nickname Canaries had come more into vogue, to such an extent that the famous yellow shirts were adopted, to match the nickname.

In 1908, the club moved to a new home, in a converted disused chalk pit in Rosary Road which became known as "The Nest". By the 1930s, the ground capacity was proving insufficient for the growing crowds and in 1935 the club moved to its current home in Carrow Road. The original stadium was terraced on three sides with only one stand (along Carrow Road) having wooden bench seating and a roof.

One of the club's greatest achievements was its run to the semi-final of the 1958–59 FA Cup as a Third Division side, defeating First Division sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on the way. They lost the semi-final only after a replay against another first division side, Luton Town FC.

In 1962 Norwich won their first piece of silverware, defeating Rochdale 4-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final to win the League Cup for the first time.

1970s and 1980s

In 1972, under manager Ron Saunders, Norwich City reached the First Division for the first time in their history. They played at Wembley Stadium for the first time in 1973, losing the League Cup final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. They reached the final again in 1975, losing 1-0 to Aston Villa.The club won the Milk Cup at Wembley Stadium in 1985 - with Ken Brown as manager - defeating Sunderland 1–0 after a semi-final triumph over its near neighbours and fierce rivals, Ipswich Town.

Norwich were relegated shortly after their Milk Cup triumph in March 1985 and were also denied their first foray into Europe with the ban on English clubs after the Heysel Stadium disaster. They bounced back to the top flight immediately by winning the second division championship in the 1985-86 season. High league placings in the First Division in 1987 and 1989 would have been enough for UEFA Cup qualification, but the ban on English clubs remained. They also had good cup runs during his period, reaching the F.A Cup semi finals in 1989 and again in 1992 - on the second occasion they were surprisingly robbed of a first-ever F.A Cup final by unfancied Sunderland.

1990s

In 1992–93, the inaugural season of the English Premier League, Norwich City led the league for most of the season, before faltering in the final weeks to finish third behind the champions, Manchester United, and Aston Villa F.C. The following season Norwich played in the UEFA Cup for the first time, defeating Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands 3-0 at home and drawing 0-0 away, and Bayern Munich of Germany winning 2-1 away (and are the only English team to beat Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium, after Bayern Munich moved to the Allianz Arena at the beginning of the 05/06 season), and drawing 1-1 at home, before going down to Internazionale, 2–0, over two legs (H0-1, A1-0).

Mike Walker quit as Norwich City manager in December 1993, to take charge of Everton where he would be sacked after less than a year. He was replaced by 36-year-old first team coach John Deehan, who in his new role would be assisted by 34-year-old midfielder Gary Megson. Norwich City finished the 1993-94 season 12th in the Premier League and during the 1994 close season sold 21-year-old striker Chris Sutton to Blackburn Rovers for a then British record fee of £5 million.

By Christmas 1994, Norwich City were seventh in the Premiership and looked good bets for a UEFA Cup place. But the club went into freefall and won just one of their final 20 Premiership fixtures, plummeting to 20th place and relegation in the final table. Just before relegation was confirmed, Deehan resigned as manager and his assistant Megson took over until the end of the season.

Martin O'Neill, who had taken Wycombe Wanderers from the Conference to Division Two with successive promotions, was appointed as Norwich City manager in the summer of 1995. He lasted just six months in the job before resigning to take charge of and bring great success to Leicester City, following a dispute with unpopular chairman Robert Chase over money to strengthen the squad. Gary Megson was appointed Norwich manager for the second time in eight months, on a temporary basis. Megson remained in charge until the end of the season before leaving the club, while chairman Robert Chase also stepped down after protests from supporters who complained that he kept selling the club's best players and was to blame for their relegation. Indeed, between 1992 and 1996 Norwich offloaded key players including Robert Fleck, Jeremy Goss, Chris Sutton, Tim Sherwood, Efan Ekoku, Ruel Fox, Mark Robins, and Mark Bowen. Just four seasons after finishing third in the Premiership and beating Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup, Norwich had finished 16th in Division One.

The New Millennium

TV cook Delia Smith and husband Michael Wynn-Jones took over the majority of Norwich City's shares, and Mike Walker was re-appointed as the club's manager. But he was unable to repeat the success achieved during his first spell, and quit two seasons later with Norwich languishing around the middle of Division One. His successor Bruce Rioch lasted two seasons and departed in the summer of 2000, with promotion still yet to be achieved. Rioch's successor Bryan Hamilton lasted in the job for six months before making way for assistant manager Nigel Worthington. When Worthington took over as Norwich City manager in December 2000, the club was 20th in Division One and in real danger of sliding into the bottom half of the Football League for the first time since the 1960s. Worthington avoided the threat of relegation and, the following season, led City to a remarkable playoff final at the Millennium Stadium, which Norwich lost on penalties.

The 2001-02 season started with Norwich investing heavily in players such as Mark Rivers, Marc Libra and Adam Drury however the season started poorly when they lost 4-0 away at on the first day of the season. Norwich had finished 15th in the previous season and this result suggested that the coming season would not be any different. Norwich then went on to play 5 games after this without conceeding a goal and by the end of the year were in contention for an automatic promotion place. Norwich were very poor in the first months of 2001 and looked to have dropped out of the playoff race entirely. However a good run at the end of the season meant that Norwich needed to achieve a better result at home to already relegated Stockport than Burnley did at home to Coventry to get into the playoffs.

Norwich made the playoffs following a 2-0 win over Stockport and played Wolverhampton Wanderers in the First Division playoff semi final. Following a 3-2 aggregate win Norwich reached the playoff final in Cardiff against . Norwich eventually lost on penalties to Birmingham following a 1-1 draw with Daryl Sutch and Phil Mulryne missing their penalties.

The 2003-04 campaign was a successful one for all those associated with Norwich City, as the club won The Championship title, finishing 8 points clear of second placed West Brom F.C. and the club celebrated regaining its status in the promised land for the first time since 1995.

For much of the 2004-05 season, the club seemed doomed to relegation. However, a frenetic relegation battle erupted, as Nigel Worthington's Norwich City made a remarkable comeback in the final games of the season, beating Manchester United 2-0 and Newcastle United 2-1. On the last day of the season, a win would have kept Norwich in top flight football, but it was not to be. A 6-0 away defeat to Fulham consigned them to relegation.

The club was widely tipped for a quick return to the Premiership in the 2005/2006 season, but a terrible first four months to the campaign saw City fall as low as 18th in The Championship and cries of 'Worthy out!!' bellowing from Carrow Road stadium. The club soon stablised towards a comfortable mid table finish. The sale of Dean Ashton was a controversial one; though it brought the club a generous return on investment: £7 million plus bonuses, for a player they'd bought for roughly half that amount just one year earlier; though some saw it as indicating a lack of ambition.

Around £3 million of the Ashton money was reinvested on the prolific Welsh striker Robert Earnshaw. With 8 goals in 15 appearances, Earnie helped the Canaries to a ninth place finish. His impact led many City fans to wonder what could have been achieved had he joined earlier in the season. Norwich fans will be expecting their team to be among the promotion contenders in 2006-07. First Team Coach Steve Foley was the sacrificial lamb for the poor season; he was sacked in early May 2006, after 10 years of service to the club.

Honours

Official Honours

Unofficial Honours

Unofficially, a number of clubs located in East Anglia vie for being the Pride of Anglia.

Football fans being fans, and the honour being entirely imaginary, the title is regularly claimed for a variety of more or less logical reasons, including recent victories, current league position, club history, or no reason in particular.

Fans of Norwich City, Ipswich Town and Southend United are the most likely to be heard chanting "Who's the Pride of Anglia?" (and the corrollary, which is scatological.) although other professional clubs in the region include Colchester United, Peterborough United, Northampton Town and Cambridge United.

2006/07 Squad

Notable Former Players

(International players shown with country flag)

Players with unusual names

During the early 1990s, the Canaries were mocked by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner for the unusual names of so many players. Some former Norwich City players with unusual names are:

  • Ian Butterworth (his career also ended unusually - he was injured in a water skiing accident)
  • Ian Culverhouse (former defender)
  • Robert Ullathorne ("sounds Victorian" said Skinner)
  • Colin Woodthorpe (another "Victorian", apparently)

Managers

  • Ron Saunders
  • John Bond
  • Dave Stringer - Took Norwich to two F.A Cup semi finals as well as a top-five league finish in 1989
  • Mike Walker (1st stint) - Took City to a club record third place finish in the league and brought European football to the club for the first time
  • John Deehan - Spent just over a year in charge before quitting
  • Gary Megson - Had two spells as temporary manager in the mid 1990s
  • Martin O'Neill - Moved to Leicester City after just six months at Carrow Road
  • Mike Walker (2nd stint) - Was unable to return Norwich to the Premiership
  • Bruce Rioch - Quit after two unsuccessful seasons
  • Bryan Hamilton - Sacked after six months in charge
  • Nigel Worthington - Manager since the 2000-01 season, achieved promotion to Premiership in 2004 but they went down again the following year

Famous Fans

Fan clubs

Norwich City Football Club's fans can be found all over the world. A number of supporters groups have arisen around the globe, providing support for the Club and giving like-minded people the opportunity to meet.

Europe:

Australasia:

Americas:

Asia:

Other Supporter Groups:

Norwich City Songs

Although the first use of the tune and song is disputed, by 1905 On the Ball, City was the fans song and it remains in use today in part if not the whole. It has claims to be the oldest football song anywhere in the World still in use today.

On the days to call, which we have left behind,
Our boyhood’s glorious game,
And our youthful vigour has declined
With its mirth and its lonesome end;
You will think of the time, the happy time,
Its memories fond recall
When in the bloom of your youthful prime
We’ve kept upon the ball

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,
Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

Let all tonight then drink with me
To the football game we love,
And wish it may successful be
And in one grand united toast
Join player, game and song
And fondly pledge your pride and toast
Success to the City club.

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,
Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

By comparison this simple chant has been popular at the grounds:

City (clap, clap, clap)
City (clap, clap, clap)

There are also other popular chants to be heard on coming from the Barclay End, such as:

Follow, follow, follow,
Follow the boys in yellow,
We're the yellow and green and the world's best team, and its off to the Premier we go

As well as:

E I E I E I O
Up the football league we go, when we win the title
This is what we'll sing
We are Norwich super Norwich, Worthy is our king!

There are also chants for particular players, such as this, based on the song 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' by Frankie Valli:

We love you Paul McVeigh, and if its quite alright,
We love you Paul McVeigh, despite your lack of height,
We love you Paul McVeigh
Cross the ball and then score...

Another chant for a particular player which was used until the late 1990's was:

And this, for Youssef Safri, based on Status Quo's 'Rockin' All Over The World'

Here we go, here we go, here we go,
Youssef's better than Ronaldinho-o,
Here we go-oooo,
Morrocan All Over The World

The club also issued a single entitledThe Canaries.

References

  • Canary Citizens by Mark Davage, John Eastwood, Kevin Platt, published by Jarrold Publishing, (2001), ISBN 0711720207
  • Norfolk 'n' Good by Kevin Baldwin, published by Goldstone Books, (1993), ISBN 0952207400

External links

English football clubs | Norwich City F.C. | Sport in Norfolk | FA Premier League clubs

Norwich City | Norwich City Football Club | Norwich City Football Club | נוריץ' סיטי | Norwich City FC | ノーウィッチ・シティ | Norwich City FC | Norwich City | Norwich City FC | Norwich City F.C. | Norwich City FC | Norwich City FC | 诺维奇城足球俱乐部

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Norwich City F.C.".

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