RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO –Norwich City aka The Canaries
DATE – Saturday 4 November
KO TIME – 3.00pm
THE GROUND – Carrow Road, Norwich, Norfolk– click here and here for maps of the area – the circle in the middle shows where the ground is.
Carrow Road Stadium is on the south-eastern outskirts of Norwich, close to the river Yare and within easy walking distance of Norwich railway station.
GOING BY CAR?
Travelling from the north east, get yourself onto the A1/A1M southbound – then stay on it for flipping ages – until you’re approaching Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, actually. Just after the road goes over the River Trent, you’ll come to a roundabout which will have signs for (amongst other things) the A46 to Lincoln and the A17. You then stay on the A17 for just under 60 miles, until you get to Kings Lynn. Look for signs for the A47 to Norwich, and you then stay on that road for just over 40 miles. Take the A146 into the city. At the traffic lights turn right and follow the outer ring road: Left at the roundabout. Right at the next lights. Follow the inner ring road round to the right, over the river and the ground is on your right. If in doubt follow signs for the the railway station until you get to the river (where the rail station is off to the left and ground on your right).
There’s no proper car park at the ground itself but there’s one at nearby County Hall (from the ground turn left into King St, left again into Bracondale, right at the roundabout and the car park’s on your right). It holds about 2000 cars but best to try and get in there by lunchtime or you won’t get a space. Or try the Norwich Union car park on Kings Road near Sainsbury’s (down a steep hill called Berstrete), and they’ll only charge you a pound – and it’s only a five minute walk to the ground. Otherwise there are five NCP multi storeys in Norwich, park in one of those then walk or get a cab to Carrow Road.
There are a lot of ‘residents only’ parking zones close to the ground so avoid those unless you want your car clamped or ticketed. The side roads off Rosary Road are therefore now pretty much no-go areas, as are the spaces at the bottom of Rouen Road (now restricted waiting and on meters) – although there’s still unrestricted (and plentiful) parking in the residential streets off the Yarmouth Road (A1042), OR some local charities take over some company car parks on Thorpe Road on matchdays, and only charge a couple of quid.
The traffic in the area immediately around the ground gets fairly gridlocked after a game: either go and kill some time, look round the city or something, or be prepared to spend time sitting in a traffic jam for about half an hour at least.
GOING BY TRAIN?
It’s a long-haul one unfortunately – you might need to set your alarm for a fairly early start.
The 0755 GNER service from Newcastle will get you to Peterborough at 10am, where you change for the 1046 Central Trains service to Norwich, arriving at 1217.
OR…the 0859 GNER from Newcastle gets to Peterborough at 1115, then change for the 1138 Central Trains service which gets to Norwich at 1313.
Or if you’re happy leaving it till the last minute, the 1004 from Newcastle gets to Peterborough at 1216 then change for the 1235 Central Trains service which gets into Norwich at 1413.
Coming back, if you’re quick enough to catch the 1757 Central Trains service back , it gets to Peterborough at 1926 then you catch the 1951 GNER to Newcastle.
For train times for that day, check the National Rail website.
FROM THE STATION TO THE STADIUM
Leave Norwich station by the main entrance/exit, turn left and left again and just follow the road to the ground. It’s only about half a mile or so, and will take you about 10 minutes to walk.
STOPPING OVER?
– Pearl Continental Hotel, Thorpe Road, Norwich (close to Carrow Rd and Norwich Stn)
– Travelodge Norwich, A11/A47 interchange, tel 0870 191 1704
– Stracey House Hotel & Snooker Club, Stracey Rd (close to Carrow Rd and – Norwich stn), tel 01603 628093
– Station Hotel, Riverside Road, tel 01603 611064
– Cavalier Hotel, 244 Thorpe Road (walking distance from Carrow Road), tel 01603 434291.
SCRAN AND BOOZE
There are plenty of pubs in the stretch between the railway station and the ground, and most of them friendly. The Clarence Harbour, the traditional away fans’ pub is no longer in business but the ‘Compleat Angler’, which is by the river opposite the railway station, will serve away supporters. Other pubs which are happy to serve away supporters are The Ferry Boat pub, the English Rose and the Berstrete Gates pubs. Away fans should avoid the dodgily named ‘The Murderers’ pub on Timberhill, though.
There’s a pub at the ground itself called Scores which welcomes both home and away supporters, and you can eat there too, or there’s the usual array of burger and chip vans outside the ground.
If you’re desperate for a bite to eat there’s a KFC close to the rail station. Failing that it’s only a 15 minute walk into central Norwich where you’ll be absolutely spoilt for choice for finding food and drink.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
No problems here – nip along to the nearby Morrisons supermarket close to the ground, and there are ATMs for several banks.
LAST SEASON
Finished 9th out of 24 with 62 points.
THIS SEASON
Currently 16th of 24:
P15 W5 D4 L6 F21 A27 Pts 19 GD -6
Home form: P7 W4 D1 L2, scored 13, conceded 9
HEAD TO HEAD
We’ve played Norwich 36 times in the League; we’ve won 10, they’ve won 16, and there have been 10 draws.
LAST 8 MEETINGS
04/05/04 Sunderland 1 Norwich 0 (Robinson 44)
25/10/03 Norwich 1 Sunderland 0
06/03/99 Sunderland 1 Norwich 0 (Phillips 7)
29/09/98 Norwich 2 Sunderland 2 (Quinn 2, Marshall 47 og)
28/01/98 Norwich 2, Sunderland 1 (Clark 84)
30/08/97 Sunderland 0 Norwich 1
14/01/96 Sunderland 0 Norwich 1
19/08/95 Norwich 0 Sunderland 0
TRIVIA
Many football supporters would struggle to name any of their club’s directors, but Norwich have an extremely famous one – Delia Smith, the TV cook (she of the now infamous, slightly slurred “oooo are ya? Lets be avin yer!” rabble rousing a couple of years ago). Her husband Michael Wynn-Jones (another NCFC director) took her to her first match in 1969 and that started her passion for the club. In the 1990s they took up places on the board and since then she has taken over running of the club’s catering, including the introduction of an upmarket restaurant. She joined the board of Norwich in 1997 and such is her love for the club that at one point she cut short a family holiday in Provence so she could attend a Norwich v Sunderland match. Delia was also responsible for improving the pies at Carrow Road – a lifelong Norwich supporter told her the pies at Carrow Road were awful, that the Northern clubs all use a firm called Holland’s and that the best pies on offer were at Huddersfield Town – and now Carrow Road have Hollands’ pies too, so remember Delia when you’re stuffing your face at the Norwich match.
A bit like Sunderland, Norwich City FC has a school connection to the club’s formation – it was formed by two local teachers in 1902 who were fed up that there was no senior team playing competitive footy in Norwich.
They got their nickname ‘The Canaries’ from Norwich’s trade in breeding and exporting canaries.
Famous ex-Canary managers/coaches – Martin O’Neill, Gary Megson, Bruce Rioch, Mick Wadsworth.
Famous ex-Canary players – Jussi Jaaskelainen, Craig Bellamy, Steve Bruce, Chris Sutton, Asa Hartford, Ruel Fox, Tim Sherwood, David Rocastle, Jan Molby, John Fashanu,Justin Fashanu, Dion Dublin, Tony Cottee, Ade Akinbiyi, Mick Channon, Bobby Zamora, Joe Royle.
Players who’ve spent time with both Sunderland and Norwich: Shaun Elliott, Lord Gary of Rowell, Craig Russell, Keith Bertschin, Paul Heckingbottom, David Hodgson. They currently have a certain Carl Robinson playing for them.
Rio Ferdinand (yes, THAT Rio Ferdinand) had a trial with Norwich as a youngster, before signing YTS forms with West Ham.
Credits: Norwich City FC, Fans FC, Norwich Council, Link, Rough Guide to English Football, Soccerbase, Multimap.co.uk, Local Life, National Rail. Special thanks to Nick Potter for sense-checking and invaluable additions!