I don't think any outsiders 'get' Norwich and how big football is, and what a history it has had locally. I think that most people see Norwich as a quaint provincial city with a nice cathedral, and surrounded by fields and carrot crunching fans. In fact, Norwich has had, until recently, a significant industrial sector, with a big 'working class', where factories opened on Saturday mornings and the workers went en masse to the match after dinner and a couple of beers at the pub. Add to that two big port towns with their own working class, and you have a pretty good 'natural' fan base. Going to the match was an excellent way of letting off steam after a week confined to a production line. In that sense our history isn't that different to Nottm Forest, Derby and yes Leeds. The fact that that industrial base has largely gone, doesn't make much difference as most of us were born in families where the tradition of going to the game was established. NCFC has also done good community based work, so the fan base has extended to take in a broad mix. We are not, and I hope never will be, a 'boutique' club!
SAF understands this probably more than most as he shows in his comparing us with Aberdeen; I suspect its history is similar to ours. Yes, he bordered on the patronising, but as Chippy says, our players may have an answer to that tomorrow. But I've always thought that he does understand the 'meaning' of football and is more intelligent than most managers out there.
Sorry; went on a bit. Can't cope with these postponed games!
.... ILWT
