Match 11 - Norwich City

A bottom of the table clash against Norwich, and the return of the Curo. Jamie Cureton can hardly have expected this when he moved to Norwich at the end of last season to seek more fortune. In the corresponding fixture last season we beat the Canaries 3-0 with goals from three players who jumped ship at the end of the season, including Cureton. Forgive me for referring to him by his surname. I might have been more welcoming if it wasn't for his abysmal behaviour when he taunted the home fans throughout the game by 'proudly' showing the home fans his yellow shirt. The banter between the ex-player and some home fans was nearly one of the highlights of the match. I didn't detect a whole lot of exchanges between opposing fans today either. Much like last season the atmosphere between the fans and the players alike was generally too friendly. The game didn't have the bite that we have come to expect from a local derby. Perhaps it's because we share a common bond - a dislike of the team that resides in between us on the map, the Tractor Boys.

Anyway a dull match that deserved to be a goal-less draw actually ended 1-1 and kept us both languishing down below. I'm pleased to say however that some players, most notably Kem Izzet seem to have taken heed of the comments in my last posting and there was a distinct sign of some extra effort.

Sadly the half-time entertainment continues to be a joke and the safety announcement is beginning to show signs of ageing with a lot of crackles preceding the main message. Perhaps it's time to record a clean version and play that instead. Perhaps it's also time to re-think the half-time entertainment big time. Please don't think we are entertained by people who can't kick a ball properly, or lift it over a wall of wooden players, or drop it into a shed with no roof. Sky TV viewers deserved more than this.

Actually they did get more - half time was extended by a further couple of minutes while the British Army (OK, a marching band) took their time leaving the pitch at the furthest point away from where they needed to be. No one was going to argue with them.