Stick To The Philosophy

A short essay on philosophy.

It’s been said many a time, and that’s because it’s a truth, but it’s never dull being a Norwich fan. It is a rollercoaster of many ups and downs.

In my 29 seasons of following the Canaries we have sunk to League One, and flirted with financial ruin. We have soared to knock Bayern Munich out of Europe and have stormed two second division titles. We’ve even had two contrasting playoff finals of penalty shoot-out despair in Cardiff and joyous Wembley victory.

Sticking to the script, just eight games into our Premier League return the journey has been eventful.

Teemu’s early goal scoring form and an unimaginable win over the reigning champions. Followed bythe unprecedented injury crisis and the destruction by Villa. Can you believe it has only been eight games. Eight!

After three defeats on the bounce, some of the critics who have been waiting for us to fall are
already writing us off. I’ve heard some of my fellow fans share concern that we could be on a
downward slide and out of touch with the chasing pack by Christmas. The constant news of player injuries on social media is enough to wear down the most resilient among us – with even the international break giving us no respite.

If you stare into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you, as that cheery chap Nietzsche once wrote. And it would be easy to focus on the negatives and believe that this season will be an endless struggle, that the fates are against us and that there is little hope of survival now.

Though Nietzsche was a smart cookie, I’m more a fan of his compatriot Herr Farke. His philosophy may be less intellectual, but it gets me right in the feels. A man who is humble when victorious andgracious in defeat. Our head coach has proven in his two year spell at the club that he can build a team that is greater than a sum of his parts. He learns from failure and can lift players who have had the confidence kicked out of them. But most of all he does not panic.

I am not a gambler, and I do not bet on my side. I certainly wouldn’t attempt to predict the future, but I have still have hope. The injury list may currently be longer than the dead sea scrolls, but many of those players will soon return to the squad. There are still 90 points to play for, and you learn just us much from a loss as you do from a win – if not more. Our own great German thinker has proven he adapts quickly and will remain focused on getting the very best performance out of those available.

Yet whatever happens in the upcoming matches, we know we are lucky to have this football club.

Owners that care, a manager who wants beautiful football, players who are grateful and proud to play for the shirt. The noise and colour of home matches, the away allocation sell outs, fans singing ‘On The Ball City’ whether we are two up against Man City or five down at the hands of Villa. Being a football fan isn’t just about the good times, it’s about being part of the drama.

When I first stepped on the Barclay terrace all the years ago I had no idea what awaited me. I found my voice, I picked my team and the journey began. And I will keep singing as loud as I can, I will stay in the stands until the final whistle, I will give the team all the support they need right until the final ball of the season has been kicked.

But we are nowhere near the end yet. This has just been the opening chapter, and if we learnt
anything from last season it’s that you should never rule Norwich out until the very end. That long list of players out is also a wealth of talent who will soon return – many ahead of schedule.

We will continue to play our possession football and entertain, and we will never give up.

Nietzsche also said that which does not kill you, will make you stronger. The players still believe and so should we. To quote Farke from last season, stick to your plan and believe in yourself. Our season is far from deceased and we fight on. There is so much football still to be played, so never mind the danger.

Get back on that rollercoaster and enjoy the ride.