Its all off to the wilds of East Anglia and the delights of Naaarwich City as we head to Carrow Road.
The Ground
Carrow Road is one of those grounds, Molyneaux being another where although it stands on the same spot it always has, has been completely redeveloped over the years so that in effect it could be called a new stadium, certainly its entirely different than the first time I visited in August 1978 to witness Saints return to the top flight.
Now its a compact ground holding 27,220 officially, although in practice a full house would be slightly below that, indeed its record attendance in its current guise was set this season when Man Utd's visit attracted 26,840.
Its been pretty much full every season in the last decade or so, Norwich have managed to do this by offering season tickets at attractive prices with discounts for early payment etc, meaning that they not only have more season ticket holders than us, but that their attendances remain pretty constant, in League One a few years ago they averaged just under 25 k in their promotion season, but that figure was acheived virtually week in week out, whereas our comparitive figure of just over 22k saw some gates as low as 18k but as high as 32k.
All in all though Carrow Road is a decent ground that being relatively small can generate a decent atmosphere. The Club have announced however that if they were to stay in the Premier league for the next two consecutive seasons, then they would build a new 12,000 capacity stand on one side of the ground raising the capacity to around 35,000, the foundations are also in place to build a second tier on the South Stand which could add another 4,000 seats if required, certainly Norwich's policy of building a hard core support that doesnt change week in week out means they are now ready to take a step forward, however they should look at Middlesbrough as proof that adding extra seats to a full ground sometimes has the opposite effect than that you intend.
The Away Section
Situated at one end of the South Stand, the normal allocation is 2,500 and the view is pretty decent from here, the catering is excellent and the club even bakes its own pies which vary from game to game in their fillings, other than that its the normal football stadia fare.
Getting there
I have been informed that Norfolk is one of the few counties that doesnt have a motorway in it and that perhaps tells you that this isnt the easiest of trips by road, however it has improved a lot over the past decades and is a lot easier than it was 20 years ago.
By Road
M3 and then head onto the M25 in the direction of Heathrow , stay on the M25 till junction 27 with the M11 and then take this road North towards cambridge, at junction 9 head towards Newmarket and then follow signs to Norwich staying on the A11 right into Norwich itself.
Parking
There is a retail and leisure complex next to the ground that may allow parking, but you would need to check the details, otherwise its street parking away from the ground.
By Train
Norwich station is no more than a 5-10 minute walk from the ground, basically turn left out of the station and head towards Morrisons, you will see the ground beyond the retail park.
Drinking Eating Etc
The main away pub is the Compleat Angler which is just opposite the railway station and situated on the river bank, other options include a Weatherspoons in the riverside shopping complex which can be pleasant on a sunny day with drinkers spilling outside the pub on to the river bank.
The City centre also offers many pubs but is a 15 minute walk away from the ground.
Norwich City
Carrow Road
Capacity: 27,220 (all seated)
Address:
Carrow Road, Norwich, NR1 1JE
Main Telephone No: 01603 760 760
Ticket Office: 0844 826 1902
Fax No: 01603 613 886
Team Nickname: The Canaries
Year Ground Opened: 1935
Undersoil Heating: Yes
Pitch Size: 114 x 74 yards
Shirt Sponsors: Aviva
Kit Manufacturers: Errea
Home Kit Colours: Yellow & Green
Away Kit Colours: Black With Green & Yellow Trim
Official Web Site: www.canaries.co.uk