Give A Little Back, It’s Time

FA Cup 3rd round draw, one of the most magical days of the calendar year. Plucky Minnows pitted against the big boys, hopes and dreams of David taking a shit in Goliath’s mouth live on terrestrial TV. Football, isn’t it? Ronnie Radford, Roy Essandoh, Sutton United, Mickey Thomas. Jumpers for goalposts. Marvellous.

Well, no. Not if you’re a Norwich City supporter this season. Apart from Jake’s smug face fronting Glenda and perma-bore Jenas’ ball fondling, it was Chelsea. Fucking Chelsea. Not only is it monumentally unromantic, but it almost certainly means the end of a cup run before it even got started. Cheers Jermaine.

However. Maybe this serves as an opportunity for Norwich City to do something more. I’m not talking about giant killing escapades, because regardless of which second choice XI the Londoners choose to field, the current Carrow Road crop are currently a meek Julian or Tarquin (soz to Julians and Tarquins of the shire) than they are a young, brave David trying to defeat a Gath based biblical warrior.

The club has a clear choice here. Cash in on demand that will out strip supply or give a something back to a suffering fan base where patience is starting to wear a little thin.

Mistakes were made last time out. City, having drawn Premier League Southampton, decided to plump for lb25 a head. It didn’t go down well with the masses, resulting in an attendance of 12,479 with Norwich earning a creditable and entertaining stalemate. The pricing though, if rumours are to be believed, was a monumentally moronic mess of Moxey’s making, and his alone.

It would be easy to go down the same route with Chelsea. The Premier League champions are rolling into town, and with them comes excitement, something which has been largely anonymous at Carrow Road this term. While there’s every possibility the likes of Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard will be rested, they’ll certainly be replaced by the type of international talent which rarely graces our hallowed turf.

But. We’re on our knees as fans at the moment. This winless run has created division, some of which has its roots more historically based. We don’t need another argument about the cost of admission, who the most loyal fans are or whether a bunch of kids will turn up in blue shirts occupying the home sections.

The pricing issue can be addressed swiftly, and with widespread satisfaction. lb10-lb15 for adults, lb5 for under 16s, in recognition of the unwavering devotion supporters continue to show. It might knock lb200k off the gate receipts, but with 45% going to the visitors the impact isn’t as great anyway.

This might be difficult to suggest to a club who’s finances will be even more precarious come May, but a decision based around the here and could be a little short sighted. Pleas for season ticket renewals start to pop through people’s letter boxes as early as next month and a little goodwill might go a long way, especially when there are early suggestions of fans being asked to partly fund the Academy’s continuing Cat 1 status. As much a social media provides an echo chamber, it often provides an effective barometer for what’s happening. The natives are restless. Time to give a little back.