One Game at a Time: You’re Only Here for the Pasties
Tweety Pie Town (H) September 23rd
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.
One song that is guaranteed not to make the pre-match playlist at Home Park this Saturday after Schuey went all rebel rebel on team selection and made seven changes from the team that ran the leaders close at the weekend. Sadly, it was midfield diamond dogs rather than heroes, as City ran out comfortable winners and a superb away turnout vented justifiable frustration at a disjointed and disappointing performance. It was many things, but Hunky Dory was not one of them.
At least the start was better than Saturday, albeit by approximately two and half minutes. The Argyle masses had just about finished discussing the complete disappearance of Mikel and Pleggy when a short corner routine showed what can be achieved by, well having one, and an unfortunate KKH got the final touch to a shot that was on target but not much else.
Things deteriorated as City, set up to exploit the space left by the inverted full backs were presented with a simple tap in from eight yards after a Hazard push out was, simply hazardous.
Things improved slightly when Adam Randell scored a beauty from twenty yards after good pressing, to maintain his record of only scoring away from home. Unfortunately, Argyles next act was to present the freedom of one half of Ashton Gate to Mark Sykes who promptly restored the two goal cushion.
Ben Waine then put a great chance wide, which had he scored would have sent the Greens into the break having barely been at the races but still in touch. But he missed.
The second half cavalry arrived, but City had their pipe and slippers on and exploited Argyles soft centre with a goal that looked as simple as it looked inevitable.
There was still time for Hardie to hit the post and then, just before the referee mercifully decided enough was enough, came the one match incident that if it were up to this fan, would be the one clip that was sent to all Argyle players to review and reflect on.
A mistake by Vyner let Hardie in. Hotdog neatly played around the keeper and ran onto the ball and an open goal. The game was all but over, safely won and yet it was Vyner, determined to make amends for his earlier error, that chased back and won the contest to save a certain goal. It exemplified what was lacking from the players and probably that moment, as much as any of the mistakes, was what gave Schuey cause for consideration of the players selected.
Recency bias, where short term experience becomes a predictor of future events, means that Argyle fans, like most will now be dreading the arrival of our next opponents. It is perhaps worth considering that all the opponents faced so far by Argyle occupied the top half of the table at time of playing (OK, Huddersfield on alphabetical order but they also had the curse of the former manager on their side at the time). Argyle remain the eighth highest scorers in the division and shipped over 50% of their league goals conceded in the last two games (25% in the last one alone).
If scoring goals is not seeming to be a problem for Argyle, you only have to look at the clubs at the top to see how valuable a steady defence is. Preston have only scored one more than Argyle, Leicester, and Ipswich two more, and yet their defensive strength has gained them twelve and eleven points more respectively. Those are the levels needed to succeed in this Division.
Whilst Norwich will arrive on Saturday as the division’s joint top scorers, they have conceded only one less than Argyle so far, and lost at home in midweek, losing the influential, and ex player curse, Ashley Barnes in the process. It is also a trip that in the past has not been that successful, with City sitting just outside the best top ten opponents for Argyle at Home Park, unluckily for them, thirteenth.
Formed in the twentieth century rather than the nineteenth, in 1902, the same year as Real Madrid (famous for playing Argyle in a friendly once), Norwich and Argyle had a regular rivalry in the Southern League, and both joined the fledgeling Football League for its inaugural third division in 1920. Indeed, Argyle were both City’s first ever opponents in their first league fixture, and somewhat strangely given the vagaries if fixture scheduling of the modern era, their first ever home game also, with the fixtures straddling the August bank holiday period, only interrupted by a trip to Crystal Palace, as Argyle drew their first three league fixtures.
Those first couple of seasons would have, to the modern fan, seen City as unrecognisable. Firstly, they played at a ground on Newmarket Road, in a strip of light blue and white halves. Secondly, they were known locally as the Citizens. The club, who were amateurs, fell foul of the FA rules on payment to players and so were reconstituted as a professional club and elected to the Southern League, where they replaced Wellingborough.
It was around this time that the club acquired the Canaries nickname. Canaries were associated with the city, after the arrival of refugee Dutch and Flemish weavers, known as “the Strangers” and who kept canaries to sing beside their looms whilst they worked. An early musical accompaniment without the Performing Rights tariffs of Radio One. As the nickname stuck, the club then adopted a strip to reflect the Norwich canary colours, and then with the addition of a canary badge, the moniker has remained with them.
Another early adoption for the club was that of the supporter’s song “On the Ball, City” believed to be the oldest such affiliation of song and club in football history. This is despite the claims of Nazareth Town for “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (original arrangement) which was adapted by Monty Python for the Life of Brian biopic. The song which was written in the 1890’s predates the club and was probably used by their forerunners Norwich CEYMS. The attributed writer, Albert Smith, became a City Director in 1905, and the song remains largely unchanged despite the evolution in tactics and techniques, so it is somewhat strange to hear a load of modern fans singing about a scrimmage!
After Newmarket Road, the club moved to a striking ground, built in a redundant chalk pit, and fittingly known as “The Nest”. Eventually the club were ordered to find a new ground by the FA, due to concerns re spectator safety, as many watched the games from the surrounding precipitous chalk cliffs.
The club therefore started the 1935/6 season in their new, and current stadium, Carrow Road, which was built from scratch in eighty-two days, and which was referred to locally with no sense of hyperbole or irony as “the eighth wonder of the world”. Their opening fixture was a one all draw with West Ham United.
Much of Norwich’s early life was spent, similarly to Argyle, in the lower divisions. Their first burst to any form of prominence was in 1958/9, when, as well as running Argyle close for the inaugural Division three title (unlucky lads) they also staged an unlikely tilt at FA Cup glory when they became the fourth third tier side to reach a Cup semi-final, defeating Manchester United three nil at home, and Spurs after a replay on the way.
Silverware finally came their way in 1962, when they won the second running of the League Cup, beating Rochdale over two legs. In 1972 the club finally made it to the promised land of Division One, under the stewardship of the dour Ron Saunders. A second League Cup final followed against Spurs in 1973, where defeat was accompanied by relegation the following season. City spent the seventies and eighties leading a yo-yo like existence, firstly under John Bond, and then, after he departed for Manchester City, his ex-Hammers and Bournemouth colleague Ken Brown, later to manage Argyle. Both Bond and Brown were followed around their clubs (initially at least) by their right back sons Kevin and Kenny. This was something Argyle fans have got used to over the years with the same familial loyalty shown by Tony Pulis (Anthony), Peter Shilton (Sam), Paul Sturrock (Blair), and to a lesser extent Kevin Hodges (Harry). Luckily Derek Adams (Wednesday) bucked the trend.
The 1984/5 season was a traumatic one for City. A major fire destroyed a stand, they then won the League Cup final one nil against Sunderland, although most City fans were happier with the defeat of semi-final opponents Ipswich Town, but then suffered the ignominy of relegation, alongside their Milk cup final opponents. To cap it all the qualification for the UEFA Cup that the League Cup victory gave them was snatched away by the tragic events at Heysel and the subsequent ban on English teams competing in Europe.
Norwich were a founder member of the day football truly began, with the 92/3 season and the launch of the Premier League. Favourites for relegation, City confounded their critics by leading the table for the early part of the season, and finished high enough to qualify, finally, for Europe.
The following season, in a performance ranked by many as their pinnacle, they became the first English side to win at Bayern Munich, before completing the two-legged tie triumph by winning the home leg also. It was the high-water mark for the club, as within two seasons, having lost manager Mike Walker to Everton (in those days seen as a step up from Norwich) things got so bad they appointed Gary Megson not once, but twice, as temporary manager.
Chairman Robert Chase, having lost the fans support due to the sales of many of their star players on the way to relegation (and Chris Sutton), eventually sold out to TV personality and egg chef Delia Smith and her husband. They remain significant shareholders to this day, although their majority shareholding has been equalled by Marc Attanasio, owner of the US pro rounders team the Milwaukee Brewers. Other City directors include polymath Stephen Fry and not that good at math (or dancing), ex shadow chancellor Ed Balls.
The Delia years have followed similar pathway, with much changing of divisions, including a brief trip all the way back to the third tier. Most recently they have been on the EPL travelator of parachute payments as they try to re-establish their Premier League credentials.
One other strong Argyle link is the much mourned and departed, and superbly named, Gordon Bennett, who was a key figure in the youth development in the Holloway years at Argyle, and as a former CEO at Norwich responsible for steering them through some choppy financial waters, was one of the inaugural members of the Norwich City Hall of Fame. A true gentleman of football he is still sadly missed by those that knew him. If you want a measure of the man, in 1969 he won a competition as Football fan of the year, answering questions on his beloved Bristol Rovers. The prize was a trip to the World Cup in Mexico (he gave the ticket to the runner up) and a cheque for £1000, which he donated to his club.
Norwich will have travelled the width of the country to reach us. The Argyle players are fortunate in that they only had the 120 miles back from Bristol to avoid eye contact with their manager.
Argyle fans will be looking for a reaction. Seven changes were considered too much by most on Tuesday. They might be the minimum required for Saturday.
In any event a sold-out Home Park will want to be on the handing out side of the stuffing this time. Or Schuey will be really spitting feathers.
COYG!!!!!!!
Tweety Pie Town (H) September 23rd
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.
One song that is guaranteed not to make the pre-match playlist at Home Park this Saturday after Schuey went all rebel rebel on team selection and made seven changes from the team that ran the leaders close at the weekend. Sadly, it was midfield diamond dogs rather than heroes, as City ran out comfortable winners and a superb away turnout vented justifiable frustration at a disjointed and disappointing performance. It was many things, but Hunky Dory was not one of them.
At least the start was better than Saturday, albeit by approximately two and half minutes. The Argyle masses had just about finished discussing the complete disappearance of Mikel and Pleggy when a short corner routine showed what can be achieved by, well having one, and an unfortunate KKH got the final touch to a shot that was on target but not much else.
Things deteriorated as City, set up to exploit the space left by the inverted full backs were presented with a simple tap in from eight yards after a Hazard push out was, simply hazardous.
Things improved slightly when Adam Randell scored a beauty from twenty yards after good pressing, to maintain his record of only scoring away from home. Unfortunately, Argyles next act was to present the freedom of one half of Ashton Gate to Mark Sykes who promptly restored the two goal cushion.
Ben Waine then put a great chance wide, which had he scored would have sent the Greens into the break having barely been at the races but still in touch. But he missed.
The second half cavalry arrived, but City had their pipe and slippers on and exploited Argyles soft centre with a goal that looked as simple as it looked inevitable.
There was still time for Hardie to hit the post and then, just before the referee mercifully decided enough was enough, came the one match incident that if it were up to this fan, would be the one clip that was sent to all Argyle players to review and reflect on.
A mistake by Vyner let Hardie in. Hotdog neatly played around the keeper and ran onto the ball and an open goal. The game was all but over, safely won and yet it was Vyner, determined to make amends for his earlier error, that chased back and won the contest to save a certain goal. It exemplified what was lacking from the players and probably that moment, as much as any of the mistakes, was what gave Schuey cause for consideration of the players selected.
Recency bias, where short term experience becomes a predictor of future events, means that Argyle fans, like most will now be dreading the arrival of our next opponents. It is perhaps worth considering that all the opponents faced so far by Argyle occupied the top half of the table at time of playing (OK, Huddersfield on alphabetical order but they also had the curse of the former manager on their side at the time). Argyle remain the eighth highest scorers in the division and shipped over 50% of their league goals conceded in the last two games (25% in the last one alone).
If scoring goals is not seeming to be a problem for Argyle, you only have to look at the clubs at the top to see how valuable a steady defence is. Preston have only scored one more than Argyle, Leicester, and Ipswich two more, and yet their defensive strength has gained them twelve and eleven points more respectively. Those are the levels needed to succeed in this Division.
Whilst Norwich will arrive on Saturday as the division’s joint top scorers, they have conceded only one less than Argyle so far, and lost at home in midweek, losing the influential, and ex player curse, Ashley Barnes in the process. It is also a trip that in the past has not been that successful, with City sitting just outside the best top ten opponents for Argyle at Home Park, unluckily for them, thirteenth.
Formed in the twentieth century rather than the nineteenth, in 1902, the same year as Real Madrid (famous for playing Argyle in a friendly once), Norwich and Argyle had a regular rivalry in the Southern League, and both joined the fledgeling Football League for its inaugural third division in 1920. Indeed, Argyle were both City’s first ever opponents in their first league fixture, and somewhat strangely given the vagaries if fixture scheduling of the modern era, their first ever home game also, with the fixtures straddling the August bank holiday period, only interrupted by a trip to Crystal Palace, as Argyle drew their first three league fixtures.
Those first couple of seasons would have, to the modern fan, seen City as unrecognisable. Firstly, they played at a ground on Newmarket Road, in a strip of light blue and white halves. Secondly, they were known locally as the Citizens. The club, who were amateurs, fell foul of the FA rules on payment to players and so were reconstituted as a professional club and elected to the Southern League, where they replaced Wellingborough.
It was around this time that the club acquired the Canaries nickname. Canaries were associated with the city, after the arrival of refugee Dutch and Flemish weavers, known as “the Strangers” and who kept canaries to sing beside their looms whilst they worked. An early musical accompaniment without the Performing Rights tariffs of Radio One. As the nickname stuck, the club then adopted a strip to reflect the Norwich canary colours, and then with the addition of a canary badge, the moniker has remained with them.
Another early adoption for the club was that of the supporter’s song “On the Ball, City” believed to be the oldest such affiliation of song and club in football history. This is despite the claims of Nazareth Town for “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (original arrangement) which was adapted by Monty Python for the Life of Brian biopic. The song which was written in the 1890’s predates the club and was probably used by their forerunners Norwich CEYMS. The attributed writer, Albert Smith, became a City Director in 1905, and the song remains largely unchanged despite the evolution in tactics and techniques, so it is somewhat strange to hear a load of modern fans singing about a scrimmage!
After Newmarket Road, the club moved to a striking ground, built in a redundant chalk pit, and fittingly known as “The Nest”. Eventually the club were ordered to find a new ground by the FA, due to concerns re spectator safety, as many watched the games from the surrounding precipitous chalk cliffs.
The club therefore started the 1935/6 season in their new, and current stadium, Carrow Road, which was built from scratch in eighty-two days, and which was referred to locally with no sense of hyperbole or irony as “the eighth wonder of the world”. Their opening fixture was a one all draw with West Ham United.
Much of Norwich’s early life was spent, similarly to Argyle, in the lower divisions. Their first burst to any form of prominence was in 1958/9, when, as well as running Argyle close for the inaugural Division three title (unlucky lads) they also staged an unlikely tilt at FA Cup glory when they became the fourth third tier side to reach a Cup semi-final, defeating Manchester United three nil at home, and Spurs after a replay on the way.
Silverware finally came their way in 1962, when they won the second running of the League Cup, beating Rochdale over two legs. In 1972 the club finally made it to the promised land of Division One, under the stewardship of the dour Ron Saunders. A second League Cup final followed against Spurs in 1973, where defeat was accompanied by relegation the following season. City spent the seventies and eighties leading a yo-yo like existence, firstly under John Bond, and then, after he departed for Manchester City, his ex-Hammers and Bournemouth colleague Ken Brown, later to manage Argyle. Both Bond and Brown were followed around their clubs (initially at least) by their right back sons Kevin and Kenny. This was something Argyle fans have got used to over the years with the same familial loyalty shown by Tony Pulis (Anthony), Peter Shilton (Sam), Paul Sturrock (Blair), and to a lesser extent Kevin Hodges (Harry). Luckily Derek Adams (Wednesday) bucked the trend.
The 1984/5 season was a traumatic one for City. A major fire destroyed a stand, they then won the League Cup final one nil against Sunderland, although most City fans were happier with the defeat of semi-final opponents Ipswich Town, but then suffered the ignominy of relegation, alongside their Milk cup final opponents. To cap it all the qualification for the UEFA Cup that the League Cup victory gave them was snatched away by the tragic events at Heysel and the subsequent ban on English teams competing in Europe.
Norwich were a founder member of the day football truly began, with the 92/3 season and the launch of the Premier League. Favourites for relegation, City confounded their critics by leading the table for the early part of the season, and finished high enough to qualify, finally, for Europe.
The following season, in a performance ranked by many as their pinnacle, they became the first English side to win at Bayern Munich, before completing the two-legged tie triumph by winning the home leg also. It was the high-water mark for the club, as within two seasons, having lost manager Mike Walker to Everton (in those days seen as a step up from Norwich) things got so bad they appointed Gary Megson not once, but twice, as temporary manager.
Chairman Robert Chase, having lost the fans support due to the sales of many of their star players on the way to relegation (and Chris Sutton), eventually sold out to TV personality and egg chef Delia Smith and her husband. They remain significant shareholders to this day, although their majority shareholding has been equalled by Marc Attanasio, owner of the US pro rounders team the Milwaukee Brewers. Other City directors include polymath Stephen Fry and not that good at math (or dancing), ex shadow chancellor Ed Balls.
The Delia years have followed similar pathway, with much changing of divisions, including a brief trip all the way back to the third tier. Most recently they have been on the EPL travelator of parachute payments as they try to re-establish their Premier League credentials.
One other strong Argyle link is the much mourned and departed, and superbly named, Gordon Bennett, who was a key figure in the youth development in the Holloway years at Argyle, and as a former CEO at Norwich responsible for steering them through some choppy financial waters, was one of the inaugural members of the Norwich City Hall of Fame. A true gentleman of football he is still sadly missed by those that knew him. If you want a measure of the man, in 1969 he won a competition as Football fan of the year, answering questions on his beloved Bristol Rovers. The prize was a trip to the World Cup in Mexico (he gave the ticket to the runner up) and a cheque for £1000, which he donated to his club.
Norwich will have travelled the width of the country to reach us. The Argyle players are fortunate in that they only had the 120 miles back from Bristol to avoid eye contact with their manager.
Argyle fans will be looking for a reaction. Seven changes were considered too much by most on Tuesday. They might be the minimum required for Saturday.
In any event a sold-out Home Park will want to be on the handing out side of the stuffing this time. Or Schuey will be really spitting feathers.
COYG!!!!!!!
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