Derby Day Fan March

Once the dust settles on this season, it is still very much up for debate as to how the campaign will be assessed.

Incremental improvement is probably where I currently reside in terms of opinion; a pervading sense of optimism that accompanies the dual positives of a succession of hard-fought wins and walking away from a ground and it not being completely dark. The first Spring shoots will soon force themselves through the frost, hopefully syncing up nicely with the flourishing of our new attacking recruits.

Off the pitch, for all the squabbling and barely concealed animosity towards the board, there too has been some marked improvements. We at Barclay End Norwich have attempted to maintain the momentum around the atmosphere debate and capitalise on the (largely) shared sense that our efforts in the stands can compliment the efforts of those on the hallowed turf of the Carra.

We don’t always get it right. Sometimes our message might not have been as clearly explained, or perhaps you think we’re elitist. That’s fine, but it also doesn’t mean that we’ll stop trying our utmost to bring along those who share our vision. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. When it does, though, it’s something we can all take pride in.

And so to the Ipswich match in just under two week’s time. If there was ever an occasion to capitalise on positive feeling, this is the game.

We’ve thought hard about what can organise to do our bit, as supporters, on the day and like a band listening to its followers and playing nothing but that one album that garnered widespread critical acclaim, we encourage all Norwich fans to join us in marching to the stadium en masse prior to kick off.

The first iteration of a march to the ground was, in our opinion, an unmitigated success. Few are the occasions on which I can recall a more electric atmosphere outside the stadium on the way to a game, and that was just for the first game of the season. Imagine what we can create ahead of a derby match.

One could write a fairly weighty tome on ways in which Norwich is an all around better club than that lot down the road, but topping the list must surely be that on our day, our fans put theirs to shame in terms of atmosphere. This is our chance to prove that yet again.

Departing the Wetherspoons on Riverside at 11:15, we encourage ALL City fans to join us in creating the best possible atmosphere that we can carry into the stands and make last throughout the game.

We don’t care where you sit in the ground, what your opinion of the owners are or where you stand over our tactics. We all know the derby matches are bigger than that. They transcend everything else. We don’t need to tell you how much it means, but you can help us in showing how deep that meaning runs.

We have within the squad an ever growing group of players for whom the reciprocal relationship between players and supporters is second nature. Some are cynical about it, but one of the best cultural imports the influx of players from Germany have brought is their desire to express gratitude to the fans at the end of a match. This club, our fans, they have meaning for these players. It’s our job to emphasise just how much they, and this game, means to us.

Dig out every old scarf, every flag, every replica shirt you can find. Bring the colour, bring the noise and help the team bring home three more points.

Always in the sunshine, never in their shadow.