Football and Music

So you are sitting there thinking to yourself: ‘Just how far would they go ? I know there’s the unholy trinity of football and Crimbo music, but did anybody actually go one further and take on Easter…?’

Well let me tell you…

No, nobody has. So far at least.

Ah I got you there, early April Fools.

But there could be some singing from Norwich City this Easter weekend. If they grab a win this (Good) Friday night they will bounce straight back up into the Championship.

Yes I know terrible segue. Let’s just gloss over it and carry on reading.

For those of you with a short memory or just haven’t bothered to take any notice of the goings on in the lower divisions… – a quick reminder on what has been a hellovaseason for the Canaries:

In the past few years Norwich were struggling in the Championship and Glenn Roeder, the manager who had previously made sterling efforts at Newcastle, saved them from the drop on the penultimate game of the 2007-2008 season, but the one after that they were struggling again. In January of 2009 Roeder was ‘relieved of his duties’ and the club legend, former shot stopper Brian Gunn was put in charge until the end of the ’09-10 season. But he was unable to save them from the drop.

Despite being relegated Gunn was given the managers job full time and the obvious aim was to achieve immediate promotion back to the Championship.

But in their first game of the new season in League One – let’s just say it didn’t go well… The Norwich City board of directors gave the kiss of death with a full backing of their manager and despite a 4-nil win over Yeovil in the League Cup a few days later, Brian Gunn was sacked.
So who to get as his replacement ? I don’t know who came up with the idea but Paul Lambert, the man who had presided over Colchester United in their 7-1 thrashing was approached and he accepted.

Ever since then Norwich haven’t looked back and now they will be playing in a televised Friday night game away at Tranmere Rovers and by Easter Sunday could be stuffing their faces in celebration.

Of course (to roll out a terrible cliché) Tranmere could spoil their party. They are fighting to just stay in League One and a win would move them out of the relegation places. So let’s not count chickens before the eggs… OK I’m going to just stop right there.

To the music then and to start with a song which their most famous fan (after Delia) mentioned as being: ‘the world’s oldest, and strangest football song‘ .

“On The Ball, City, the Norwich City F.C. song, is regarded as the world’s oldest football song still in use today; the song is in fact older than the club itself having probably been penned for Norwich Teachers or Caley’s FC in the 1890s, and used by clubs such as Swifians and Norwich CEYMS before being adopted by Norwich City. Although the first use of the tune and song is disputed, it had been adopted by 1902 and it remains in use today in part if not the whole.”

I have two flavours, one from 50 years ago and one more recent*
*Which I have to say is a bit of an insult compared to the older one.

Lastly for now a tune which gave the title to this post. It is in celebration of the team gaining promotion to the (old) First Division and mentioned Chrissy Woods, so this is from the early-mid 80’s. I don’t know anything else about this song so if you are a Canaries fan add a comment below.