Your First Game

[Warren Hill]

I'm reliably informed that my first game was vs West Ham at home in the early 80s. Started going regularly with my Dad around '84 and my first 'away' day was Wembley in 1985.

More recently I've been taking my own children and their first game was that wonderful 4-0 thumping of Barnsley under Gunn. Clingan scored a late penalty and I think Jamie Lad managed to find the target too, must have had his eyes shut..

 

[Yellow Fever]

For me it was the derby match at CR in 1972, which ended 0-0 in spite of the best efforts of Jimmy bone up front. In spite of that I was hooked, and have been ever since!

 

[Boyerboy]

I moved to Norfolk aged 14 and all my new school friends were City fans who soon took me to Carrow Road. In the 60s and 70s it was common for clubs knocked out of the cup to play friendlies when the later rounds were on. In early 1970, Norwich played Stoke. I went to see Gordon Banks my idol. He made some great saves as I stood right behind the Barclay goal but City won 2-1.

I was hooked. I followed that first promotion, the great Bond era when the footballing reputation of Norwich was formed and established and so very much more. All thanks to some great lads and Gordon Banks.

 

[flashdown]

I think I am considered an outlier in this conversation.  I have never been to a Norwich match.  Seeing as I live in the U.S., I guess that makes sense.  Like most others in America, the sports that get pushed are baseball and football (the American one) and soccer has to take a back seat.  I fell into that, but year by year following the 2006 World Cup I watched more and more matches.  

In 2011, I decided to follow a league and a team.  The EPL was the most familiar to me since over here lots of people are Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc. fans.  However, I didn't want to just jump on the bandwagon of one of the big boys that throw money around like it grows on trees.  So after some looking at the league, I noticed the promotion/relegation piece; which is never heard of in the U.S. I saw Norwich had just been promoted and I called them mine.  Though it wasn't the most typical way of becoming a fan, I am loyal to the cause and will be til the day I die.  OTBC!

 

[Canaryboy]

I think I am considered an outlier in this conversation.  I have never been to a Norwich match.  Seeing as I live in the U.S., I guess that makes sense.  Like most others in America, the sports that get pushed are baseball and football (the American one) and soccer has to take a back seat.  I fell into that, but year by year following the 2006 World Cup I watched more and more matches.  

In 2011, I decided to follow a league and a team.  The EPL was the most familiar to me since over here lots of people are Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc. fans.  However, I didn't want to just jump on the bandwagon of one of the big boys that throw money around like it grows on trees.  So after some looking at the league, I noticed the promotion/relegation piece; which is never heard of in the U.S. I saw Norwich had just been promoted and I called them mine.  Though it wasn't the most typical way of becoming a fan, I am loyal to the cause and will be til the day I die.  OTBC!

Good lad, do you also have a favourite MLS side?

 

[Watling the Gnome]

Had a poor childhood financially and in other ways too. Stepdad used to take me to the old River End corner infill iron gate at half time and get in for free, so first game was Norwich 0 Sunderland 0 (83?) but only saw the 2nd half between people's shoulder blades. Ironic it is now a "family stand" ha ha.

 

[flashdown]

Good lad, do you also have a favourite MLS side?

Colorado Rapids. Lived there for 10 years.  It was where I grew up playing soccer and I was able to go to a few matches while there.

 

[IP14canary]

Norwich v man u sometime around 1973 Ted Macdougall scored for them and of course joined us not long after , can't remember much about the game even the crate didn't make me tall enough to see !

 

[skijumptoes]

In 2011, I decided to follow a league and a team.  The EPL was the most familiar to me since over here lots of people are Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc. fans.  However, I didn't want to just jump on the bandwagon of one of the big boys that throw money around like it grows on trees.  So after some looking at the league, I noticed the promotion/relegation piece; which is never heard of in the U.S. I saw Norwich had just been promoted and I called them mine.  Though it wasn't the most typical way of becoming a fan, I am loyal to the cause and will be til the day I die.  OTBC!

Wow, i read all that in the voice of Gary Busey and it was quite an emotional read for some reason.  I think that's awesome to hear, any plans to come over and watch a match?  If we ended up at the playoff finals that would be one hell of a memory!

 

[morty]

Carrow road 28th March 1994 v Newcastle (Had to google it lol)

I moved to the area in the 1991 (and apart from a brief spell living in Germany have lived here ever since) and my then girlfriend took me to my first Norwich match, we lost 3-nil.

I took my kids as soon as they were interested, and now they get to more games than I do!

 

[David Evans]

I can just vaguely remember my first game, my Dad took me and I remember us meeting with a friend of his in Sheffield before the game, that we scored two goals and it was still a terraced stadium. Thinking back I am amazed my mum allowed my Dad to take me given what had happened only months before.

19th August 1989

Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 2 Norwich City

I had to google to get some of the details of the game, I was only about 5 years old at the time!

 

[ZLF]

Cant recall my actual first game - taken by now deceased grandfather to first reserve matches and then games proper.  Recall standing on a milk crate in the riverend to see - early 70s.    One I can first recall is the infamous man 70s  game. 

 

[Crowey66]

V Orient in an FACup 3rd replay 1978.We lost 0-1 but i was hooked.

 

[Surgeryman]

Norwich 2-0 Man Utd 1978, their first defeat for 15 games ( then the riot ensued!)

 

[skijumptoes]

It's hard to think what a bunch of animals united supporters used to be, effectively now the biggest prawn sandwich brigade in this country!   Was it a scary occasion when they broke through? and which part of the ground were you?

'78 was when they 'took' the barclay, right?  When i started to catch the bus with mates and go on my own around '87-'88 people would still be talking about that day in the Barclay, and singing about the Barclay boot boys (I can barely remember the song now!) there was a real sense that it would not be allowed to happen again by anyone.  The excitement of that used to fascinate me, as i was early teens and felt invincible, the thought that a battle could break out and we had to defend our patch was unlike anything i'd felt before.  I remember a couple of skinheads used to take these little anvils into the game, they were small enough to fit in there hand, and would hold so that the point breaking through their fingers just 'incase' lol.

In reality the whole thing was just fuelled by the story of United and people talking a load of old balls whipping themselves up into frenzy, either to wind us youngsters up, or they truly believed it themselves.  I had heard so much about that day, i finally saw it myself on youtube just a few years ago and it was truly unlike anything i've witnessed at Carrow Road.

Some of the older guys in the pubs before and after would tell us about Handlebars the copper who was a bit of a nutter by all accounts lol.  Would love to have experienced a match in the 70's, what with the fashion, culture and music at the time too.

 

[CanaryOnTheWire]

Norwich 0-0 Wolves 14th November 1998

I was four years old

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Norwich 4 QPR 2 in October 1994. John Deehan was manager. Remember being amazed to see Rob Newman walking down the road and all the players turning up individually. Remember thinking how vulnerable they were to a deadleg from some crazed opposition fan. John Deehan waited to see if I wanted him to sign my programme, but I didnt have a pen. Went and bought one from the club shop just in time for Mark Robins' to sign it for me. Drab first half, remember feeling very depressed at half time as it looked like we were going to lose. Then 4 goals in 16 minutes. Happy days. Wrote to John Deehan who wrote back, and also wrote a letter of thanks to the club shop for being so patient with me when I bought my goalkeeper top (I was obsessing about the print and wanted it to be just like Gunny's) - They wrote back and sent me a complimentary poster. The whole experience made me a very happy little boy

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/premier-league/norwich-city-vs-qpr_game_18211.html

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

I know fans give you stick for not going to Carrow Road regularly if you dont live local, but I perhaps get something regular fans dont get - in that whenever I am able to go for a match, its a special experience

 

[Highland Canary]

August 72 against Stoke although my dad had taken me to reserve matches the previous season. On a box in the River End.

 

[Lake District Canary]

Norwich 4 QPR 2 in October 1994. John Deehan was manager. Remember being amazed to see Rob Newman walking down the road and all the players turning up individually. Remember thinking how vulnerable they were to a deadleg from some crazed opposition fan. John Deehan waited to see if I wanted him to sign my programme, but I didnt have a pen. Went and bought one from the club shop just in time for Mark Robins' to sign it for me. Drab first half, remember feeling very depressed at half time as it looked like we were going to lose. Then 4 goals in 16 minutes. Happy days. Wrote to John Deehan who wrote back, and also wrote a letter of thanks to the club shop for being so patient with me when I bought my goalkeeper top (I was obsessing about the print and wanted it to be just like Gunny's) - They wrote back and sent me a complimentary poster. The whole experience made me a very happy little boy

Was at this match too.  Living in Cornwall at the time and this was one of the few matches I went to when I lived down there.  A good match to go to with all the lows and highs there.  Agree with your next post too - that  when you are an exile every game you get to is special.    Especially when we win! Over the years I can only recall losing one match at CR that I have been to - the recent 2-5 against Liverpool.   Normally we win or draw when I've been to CR - but it looked a long way to have come to see us lose to QPR, but we turned it round, making the trip home much better!