Last Update:
August 19, 2024
On one side of the ground is the South Stand which was opened in 2004. This is an impressive-looking cantilever, single-tier, all-seated stand, that can house up to 8,000 supporters. It has a large television gantry suspended beneath its large perspex roof. This stand was further extended in 2005 and now surrounds the corner of the ground where it joins the River End, ‘filling in’ that area.
The rest of the ground is also all seated and all stands are covered. Both ends look particularly smart, being large two-tiered affairs, complete with a row of executive boxes and distinctive pairs of large floodlight pylons protruding from their roofs. The first of these to be built was the River End in 1979, with the Barclay End opposite which opened in 1992.
On the remaining side is the Geoffrey Watling City Stand. Named after a former club president and opened in 1986, this single-tiered stand is smaller than both ends and houses amongst other things the Directors Box and Press Area. This stand extends around to meet the ends at both corners, giving the ground an enclosed look on that side. In one corner in-between the Barclay End and South Stand, the stadium is overlooked by a sizeable Holiday Inn Hotel. Also at this corner, the Club have installed the World’s first (for a football ground) revolving LED big screen. That should make your eyes boggle! David Westgate adds; ‘The corner in-fill between the Barclay Stand and the Geoffrey Watling City Stand is affectionately known to Norwich fans as the “Snake Pit!”
Away fans are housed on one side of the South Stand, on one side of the ground. As you would expect from a modern stand the facilities and view of the playing action are good. The normal allocation in this area is 2,500 fans although this can be increased further for cup games.
If you are located at the very back of this stand then you can enjoy some fine views across the city, including Norwich Cathedral. The Club I found to be particularly friendly and relaxed.
- Coach and Horses – 82 Thorpe Rd, Norwich NR1 1BA
- The Fat Cat & Canary – 101 Thorpe Rd, Norwich NR1 1TR
- Adam and Eve – 17 Bishopgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ
Hog roast roll and crackling at Norwich City (@NorwichCityFC)
💷 £6 pic.twitter.com/92XeHNHFpz
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) February 12, 2022
Chilli beef nachos with halloumi at Norwich City (@NorwichCityFC served by @fattedsstfood)
💷 £8.75 pic.twitter.com/TJCzNMmnML
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) January 6, 2022
Garlic chicken loaded fries at Norwich City (@NorwichCityFC)
💷 £7 pic.twitter.com/Z83SnpXyfl
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) November 27, 2021
The main entrance to Carrow Road is outside the South Stand of the ground. Unusually, half of this stand is allocated to the visiting supporters which means home and away fans do typically arrive at the same point when making their way to the stadium.
Away fans are instructed to head straight to the away turnstiles at the South Stand to avoid any confrontation. These are turnstiles 51-57.
Home fans are able to enter the stadium at any turnstile around the rest of the stadium. However, they are urged to use the turnstile closest to their seat. Each stand has the following home turnstiles:
- South Stand: 44-50
- Aviva Community Stand: 40-43
- The Regency Security Stand: 32-28
- Wensum Corner: 25-26
- Thorpe Corner: 12-14
- The Barclay Stand: 4-14
The ground is well signposted from the A11 and A47. From the southern bypass (A47) take the A146 into the city. At the traffic lights turn right towards the city centre on the A1054. At the next roundabout stay in the left-hand lane and continue towards the city centre along the A147. At the next set of traffic lights, turn right into King Street. This street as it bends around to the right and crosses the river becomes Carrow Road, the ground is further down on the right.
Car Parking
The best car park for away fans is Norfolk County Hall, which is well-signposted on the left of the A146, as you follow signs towards the ground from the Southern Bypass. It is currently £8 and can hold about 2000 cars.
After the game has ended some roads are closed to allow the crowd to disperse quickly and safely. For details of precisely which roads are closed, visit the Norwich City Council website.
Post Code for SAT NAV: NR1 1JE
Carrow Road ground is walkable from Norwich Railway Station. If you ignore all those wonderful pubs it should take you no more than 10 minutes to walk to the ground. From the station turn left and head for the Morrisons supermarket and you should see the ground behind that.
Norwich City operates on a grading system with A+ being the highest grade and therefore the most expensive matches with Grade C being the lowest grade which comes with the cheapest tickets.
Grade A+
Adult: £40
Over 65: £30
Under 21: £30
Under 18: £25
Under 12: £15
Grade A
Adult: £36
Over 65: £26
Under 21: £26
Under 18: £21
Under 12: £13
Grade B
Adult: £31
Over 65: £21
Under 21: £21
Under 18: £16
Under 12: £11
Grade C
Adult: £26
Over 65: £16
Under 21: £16
Under 18: £11
Under 12: £6
Norwich have played their home matches three stadia throughout their history. The first was Newmarket Road with a move to ‘The Nest’ following fairly quickly. Even that stay was short lived though such was the demand owing to the relative lack of choice for football in the area. In 1935 Carrow Road became home. It’s remained home since then but has seen a fair few revamps over the years. On first opening, three of the four stands were open air with one being covered.
The stadium could host 38,000 people, which is around 13,000 above the maximum at the Nest. The Norwich City ground remained as it was – with the exception of things like floodlights – all the way through to enforced changes in 1979. Those changes came about off the back of the Ibrox disaster, which had occurred at the start of the decade. Seating became the big push and the capacity at Carrow Road was squeezed rather dramatically with it being cut almost in half. By the mid-eighties further works were needed on Norwich’s stadium with fire destroying a stand; it had to be rebuilt and took several years to complete the safely executed demolition and rebuild.
Following another football stadium disaster – Hillsborough – all seating was to become the norm in English elite football. Carrow Road was no different. A decade passed with no alterations but then two in fairly quick succession followed. 2003 saw a new stand built in the south, which would hold pushing 10,000 fans and in 2010 another 1,000 seats were shoehorned in around existing areas.
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Fair play #NCFC #Norwich fans not stopped singing despite the scoreline.
I suppose if you’ve travelled 6 hours and 350 odd miles … you may as well have a party even if your players haven’t turned up. @AwayDays_ pic.twitter.com/9uVTjPvG8Y— Laurence Mora (@Mora_sport) September 23, 2023
Record Attendance
43,984 v Leicester City
FA Cup 6th Round, 30th March 1963.
Modern All-Seated Attendance Record
27,137 v Newcastle United
Premier League, 2nd April 2016.
Average Attendance
2023-2024: 25,989 (Championship)
2022-2023: 26,537 (Championship)
2021-2022: 22,638 (Premier League)
2020-2021: 304 (Covid) (Championship)
2019-2020: 27,025 (Premier League)
Back in 2019 a couple of strips of land were purchased directly outside of Carrow Road with a figure of £500k muted, however, nothing has kicked into work with these areas. It is not believed that any building will take place on the aforementioned plots of land.
Why did they bother? Essentially, there are plans to add further tiering to the nearby Cty Stand, however, under building legislation the club wouldn’t be able to develop an ‘overhang’ above ground they don’t own thus explaining the relatively minor investment.
Norwich City’s Executive Director, Zoe Webber, revealed in July 2024 that plans to expand the City Stand were on hold due to financial reasons. Webber hinted that player sales may be necessary to restart the process.
Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Images
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Norwich City v Bournemouth
Premier League
Saturday 18th January 2020, 3pm
Lewis Wright (Bournemouth)
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premier League
Saturday 21st December 2019, 3pm
Martin Breslin (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Carrow Road Ground?
I'd been to Carrow Road in 2012 and thought it's a good ground located close to Norwich City Centre which is nice. Last week I was offered a spare ticket by a relative. I wasn 't going to turn down the chance to go to an away game, especially as it's difficult to get tickets for Wolves away games right now.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Before, I got the train from Nottingham. This time I drove as the train was expensive. Three hours down the A52, A17 and A47, I stopped at Harford Park and Ride. Only £2.70 for the bus into the centre after midday.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I got there around midday and met some relatives in the centre. Went to a couple of pubs, notably The Belgian Monk and then walked to the ground which was about 20 mins. Had a bog-standard burger outside the ground which I thought was expensive at £4.50. I didn't speak to any of the home fans but they kept themselves to themselves. Certainly not intimidating.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Carrow Road?
This was my second trip to Carrow Road and enjoyed my first trip there. The ground looks modern and compact from the outside. Away fans are housed in the South Stand which is modern, has good facilities and the views of the game are good.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The first half was awful where Norwich took the lead through Cantwell. They should've been 3-4 nil up at the break, Wolves had to thank Rui Patricio for his many saves. In the second half, Wolves looked the stronger side and once we equalised through Roman Saiss, I sensed Wolves would get a winner. Norwich looked tired and couldn't handle us, especially Adama Traore. Towards the end, Jimenez scored the winner to send the away fans mental. Wolves won 2-1 and it was a game of 2 halves. Throughout the game and at full time, the Wolves fans were in good voice and the atmosphere was great.
No issues with the stewards. The facilities are good. Toilets were good and clean. Didn't get any food inside as I got a burger outside just before I went in.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It took about 10 mins to get out of the ground and about 15 mins walk to the bus stop to get back to the park and ride. The bus journey to the Park and Ride from the centre took about 15 mins. Once I got back to my car, I left at 17:55 and got home to Nottingham at 20:45.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Carrow Road is one of the better away trips. The ground is in walking distance from the station and the city centre. Norwich is a pleasant city which has many decent looking pubs. It's a long drive from the East Midlands, but easy enough to get there. I would've liked to have got the train there but as it was a last-minute trip for me, it was cheaper to drive. Wolves don't win at Carrow Road that often, so seeing them win there was brilliant!
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premier League
Saturday 21st December 2019, 3pm
Andrew Goddard (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Carrow Road Ground?
Norwich is a lovely city to visit so with our fixture falling on the weekend before Christmas I'd opted for a weekend stay with the wife. Mindful that this meant there was a risk that this, therefore, meant at least a token gesture towards Christmas shopping might be expected, I nevertheless knew that Norwich has more than enough great pubs to negate any fears in that respect!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Came up on the train from London. Decent advanced fares are often available on this line although given the vintage of much of the rolling stock used you might easily end-up thinking you've ended up on a 'heritage' service. The station is 10-15 mins walk from the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Given we were staying overnight there was no immediate need to head into the centre pre-match. So we opted for a first visit to the 'Queen of Iceni' instead….a newish Wetherspoons outlet in the Riverside development between the station and the ground. It was before 12 so despite the 'Home Fans Only' signs there didn't seem to be any spot-checks by door staff, at least not of those not wearing colours. Inside a few familiar Wolves faces were already in situ but the place felt more like a family restaurant than a boozer. We ordered breakfasts and beers on the app once we'd found a table upstairs. Service was slow, breakfast adequate and given the place was rapidly filling up and plastic 'glasses' already in use we moved on. Next stop was the Coach and Horses on Thorpe Road. Good mix of home and away fans, excellent ales and efficient service.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Carrow Road Stadium?
To my eyes, it's very much a 'proper' football ground. A unique design that has evolved over the years, stands close to the pitch and a well-supported club. The Riverside Complex means there are plenty of food and entertainment options for City-supporting families. There were a few grumbles from Wolves fans that had been turned away from various pubs around the ground and had to settle for the 'designated' away bar – reportedly some kind of live music venue with mediocre beer and minimal atmosphere.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Wolves won 2-1 but were perhaps fortunate to do so. Norwich created a whole host of good chances in the first half but poor finishing meant they only went in with a 1-goal advantage. You knew that Wolves would only get better in the second half, and so it transpired. Ruthless finishing put the home-side to the sword and we nicked it 2-1 in the end. Stewards were notably friendly (even a 'Merry Christmas' from one turnstile operator going in) and let Wolves fans stand throughout. It's an atmospheric ground in terms of colour and intimacy but otherwise, the home fans are invariably a gentle bunch here. The 'Goal music' was an unwelcome 90's throwback, but its generally a family atmosphere without any real hint of malice.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We were staying for the weekend so it was a walk into the city centre post-match amongst home fans starting to fear the worst for their survival hopes. Contrarily, we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our stay taking in 2 or 3 pubs (hard to go wrong in the city centre), an excellent Indian and then, in an act of benevolent diplomacy on my part, even a bit of festive shopping on Sunday before leaving town.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
This has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Wolves over the years but that's two successive wins here now. Certainly a ground I would recommend visiting if you haven't been, and a very pleasant city. You tend to fear for teams that are so wasteful in front of goal at this level, so suspect this might only be a one-season stay in the top-flight for Norwich. Nevertheless, I wish them all the best.
Norwich City v Sheffield Wednesday
Championship League
Friday 19th April 2019, 7.45pm
Adrian Hurst (Sheffield Wednesday)
Norwich City v Reading
Championship League
Wednesday 10th April 2019, 7.45pm
William Biss (Reading)
Norwich City v Birmingham City
Championship League
Friday 18th January 2019, 7.45pm
Dave (Birmingham City)
West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City
Championship League
Saturday 12th January 2019, 3pm
John Holland (Norwich City)
Norwich City v Portsmouth
FA Cup 3rd Round
Saturday 5th January 2019, 5:30pm
Paul Woodley (Portsmouth)
Norwich City v Rotherham United
Championship League
Saturday 1st December 2018, 3pm
Thomas Inglis (Neutral – Visiting Dundee United Fan)
Norwich City v Leeds United
Championship League
Saturday 28th April 2018, 3pm
Shaun (Leeds United fan)
Norwich City v Reading
Championship League
Saturday 17th March 2018, 3pm
Richard Symonds (Doing the 92)
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Football Championship League
Tuesday 31st October 2017, 7.45pm
Andrew Goddard (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan)
Norwich City v Sunderland
Football Championship League
Sunday 13th August 2017, 1.30pm
Phil Back (Doing the 92)
Norwich City v Barnsley
Football Championship League
Saturday 18th March 2017, 3pm
Tom Bellamy (Barnsley fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Carrow Road?
This would only be the second time I have been to Carrow Road. The first time being in 1981 when both teams were in the old Second Division. On that day Mick McCarthy, the current Ipswich Town manager, was the Barnsley captain, and the game ended 1-1. If Barnsley were to win here today, then it would be the first time in 80 years, the last being in 1937 when the score was 1-0 to the Reds.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
My journey, by car, took just over four hours with a pit stop on my way via the A1/A17/A47 and A146 . I set off from Barnsley at 8.15am and arrived in Norwich at 12.30pm. I parked on Rouen Road which is a Pay and Display car park, and only a 10-15 minute walk over the river to the Carrow Road ground. It cost £5.20 for six hours.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Before the game I went to a Wetherspoons which is situated at the Riverside complex amongst some shops and restaurants, and about a ten minute walk to the ground. Although the pub was packed with Home fans I sat in the beer garden, overlooking the river, amongst some Barnsley fans. Everybody was friendly enough and enjoying themselves.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Carrow Road?
I made my way to the South Stand where all the Away fans were housed and had a coffee inside the ground whilst making my way to my seat. The ground looked very different to the last time I was here, mainly due to it being all seated. There was ample leg room and I had a good view of the pitch which was from one end of the South Stand towards the corner flag.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself didn't go according to plan from the Barnsley point of view. The Canaries were the better team all the way through. Although Barnsley created a few chances their finishing was very poor and I don't think any player had their scoring boots on. Norwich took the lead just before half time with a very good move from defence to attack and ending with Murphy drilling the ball home from just inside the box. Barnsley did have the ball in the net but Hammill was correctly ruled off-side. And so the first half ended 1-0 to Norwich.
If Barnsley were to get anything from the game they had to keep going forward but yet again could not manage to score. Norwich, however, increased their lead with 20 minutes left to play when the Barnsley defender McDonald unfortunately put the ball in his own net after it cannoned off the goalkeeper. At 2-0 the game was beyond Barnsley's reach and although the players didn't lack effort it just wasn't good enough on the day. I must point out that all through the game a minority of Barnsley fans were not on their best behaviour and were causing trouble amongst the Stewards by not sitting down, no doubt the worse for wear due to alcohol. Out of the 26,000 spectators in attendance with 750 Away fans the Stewards did very well in controlling the situation. Finally the referee put us out of our misery by blowing the final whistle. The 80 year span without us beating them on their home soil continues. Barnsley, although still in 11th place in the Championship League, have now only won one game out of the last ten. And so it's back to the drawing board for the Reds. Norwich, however, move up to eighth place just five points adrift off the play-offs.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
After the match I made my way to the Riverside complex and had a Subway meal before making my way to the car park. I left the city about 6pm and joined a long queue of traffic still trying to get away. I do believe some roads near the ground were closed until about 30 minutes after the game finished in order to let all the fans get away first. I cut my homeward journey short by staying in a Bed and Breakfast Hotel near Sleaford in Lincolnshire which is about halfway home from Norwich. I continued my journey home the following morning after a hearty breakfast and arrived home at midday.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Apart from the result I enjoyed the weekend socially and would do the same if and when both teams should meet again. Although history remains against us anything can happen these days.
Norwich City v Ipswich Town
Football League Championship
Sunday 26th February 2017, 12 noon
Kieran B (Ipswich Town fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Carrow Road Ground?
This would be my first visit to Carrow Road to watch the East Anglian Derby. Despite this season being one of the worst for both sets of sides in some time, it was still highly anticipated with local pride at stake. We came into this game in good form but both sides fancied themselves in a match that always throws up surprises.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Huge numbers of us got the train from Suffolk – designated for football fans although you could tell a few people making the trip were not there for the footy – and were regretting their choice of travel. Once we arrived in Norwich we were herded like sheep by the Police around the back of the station and along Carrow Road to the stadium.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We couldn’t do much else as we were all herded to the stand. The home fans gave us a very ‘warm’ welcome as you can probably imagine!
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Carrow Road?
Carrow Road is a nice ground; I’m not here to be biased. It’s been modernised in the past 20 years and apart from the small stand opposite us it’s a good Championship Stadium. The away section is to the far side of the Jarrold Stand on one side of the ground and we had sold out our allocation. I was right on the edge of the stand, but I got a very good view of the pitch.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
This was a scrappy Derby, and like many games this season we had our keeper Bartosz Bialkowski to thank! A combination of numerous saves and awful Norwich finishing kept the score goalless at half time. The second half exploded into life however. Mitchell Dijks thought he’d given the lead for Norwich only for it to be ruled out for hand ball. Some Norwich fan even released a smoke bomb for that, classic. We got slightly better and got more into the game and on 63 minutes, we took a shock lead. Jonas Knudsen heading home unmarked at the back post sending us wild. Could this be a shock win at Carrow Road? No, just five minutes later Jacob Murphy scored for Norwich and it was game on. It stayed that way and after another fantastic save from Bart to deny Tettey the full time whistle went. We felt relieved to get a point considering how dominant Norwich were and they clearly felt annoyed they hadn’t managed to Nick all three points – a bit like how we were feeling in August. The atmosphere was electric as you can imagine, the stewards were fine and they had no real issues with us. The away end concourse wasn’t the biggest but it wasn’t that difficult to get served. The queues moved quickly and it was actually rather painless – just a bit extortionate in price for food and drink though. Surprisingly (although I didn't have one) I was told that the pies weren't great. Carling and Rekorderlig was selling for £4 a pint. Toilets were ‘bog’ standard.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It was a similar sort of routine to how we had arrived, only it took a bit longer as the locals were waiting to give us a bit of abuse as we left. Clearly they weren’t happy with a point as that had put a huge dent in their play-off hopes. We were eventually escorted back to the station where we got on the train back down to Suffolk.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It was a great day out. As far as Derby’s go that wasn’t the most exciting in recent years but considering our recent track record at Carrow Road a point was definitely welcome! The atmosphere was electric and it was absolute carnage when we scored as you can imagine. I’m sure I’ll be here next time we play and I’ll look forward to it!
Final Score: Norwich City 1 Ipswich Town 1
Norwich City v Nottingham Forest
Football League Championship
Saturday 11th February 2017, 3pm
Chris Morley (Nottingham Forest fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Carrow Road Ground?
I was looking forward to visiting Carrow Road as its a ground I've not visited before and Norwich a team in form I knew would give us a good game.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey from where I live just north of Nottingham wasn't to bad considering the distance, takes longer than you'd think due to a lot of the A17 not being a dual carriage way if you get stuck behind something slow moving then you are limited to their speed! Parking was easy after reading reviews on here. I opted to park in the Norfolk County Hall Car Park which as we were early had plenty of spaces, however the £7 charged was a lot for parking. It was about a 10-15 minute stroll from the car park to Carrow Road.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I took my own lunch and a flask so just had a break for 30 minutes or so before making my way to the ground.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Carrow Road?
Carrow Road is an impressive ground! It is well maintained and you can see that they are a well run football club! The away section seems small not sure how much the away allocation is but it did look like a sell out!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was okay unfortunately not the result I was hoping for, as Forest lost 5-1. The home fans were surprisingly quiet considering the score and a good attendance on the day.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away was easy for me straight out of the car park and onto the ring road, must have only taken five minutes.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Great day out, despite the result! It was easy to park and to fine the Carrow Road Ground. I think £30 for an away ticket though is very steep even for clubs where tickets are in high demand. When you factor in traveling costs and £7 to park this does take the gloss off of it somewhat.
Norwich City v Birmingham City
Football Championship League
Saturday 28th January 2017, 3pm
Rich Swainson (Birmingham City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Carrow Road itself?
I'd always enjoyed Blues v Norwich games at St Andrews over the years and really fancied seeing the game at Carrow Road. I had also heard lots of positive things about the stadium and the general atmosphere, so wanted to experience it for myself.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
As a Blues fan living near Nottingham, I am 126 miles from Norwich. A journey which takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. The drive was fine but, be prepared for getting stuck behind slow-moving lorries on A roads. Allow plenty of time and just trundle along. You do get there … eventually! The Council open their large car park at County Hall. It's a ten minute stroll from there to Carrow Road. It costs £7 which may be a tad steep but parking around the ground seems really limited, so I found it an excellent and very safe option. It was getting busy when I parked at 1pm, so I would advise you to get there early. The other benefit of arriving early as that you can park near the entrance which helps for a quicker getaway after the match.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Before the game I had a good wander around the stadium. I stumbled across a crowd of fans from both teams who were waiting for the team coaches to arrive. So I got to see the Birmingham players and manager arrive which was a nice bonus. I have to say that the home fans were extremely friendly, relaxed and welcoming. The whole atmosphere outside the ground is positive and easygoing. Home and away fans mixed together quite happily. There is a real feeling of it being a family-friendly club.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of aw ay end then other sides of Carrow Road?
I was really impressed with the Carrow Road ground. This was helped by the bright sunshine and mild (for January) weather. The stadium definitely feels like it's had the Midas touch of the Premier League about it. It's an attractive ground inside and out and still looks fresh and very well looked after. Inside, the ground has a really friendly and pleasant feel about it. The view from the away section (in the South Stand) was terrific. The other stands all looked smart and well designed. One thing to note was the (as happens in most grounds) variation in colour of the seats, due to sun-fade. The yellow seats were the most affected. Not a criticism, just something I noticed! That said, during the game, most of the seats were taken by fans (a cracking 25,000 attendance) so faded seats were hidden by supporters!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was pretty enjoyable, especially in the really decent January weather. Birmingham basically lost 2-0, so not the result I would have wanted at all. Cameron Jerome (a former Blues player) scored a nice goal and to his credit, muted his celebrations. The atmosphere during the game was really pretty good and lively from both sets of fans. There was plenty of chanting from the Norwich fans as well as the Blues supporters. The stewards were okay – not too smiley but perfectly pleasant. The facilities were very clean and spacious. As for food and drink, some of the offers were: Soft drink and pie – £4, Hot drink and pie – £4.50 and Beer/cider and pie – £5.50. I had a cheese & onion Pukka pie which was, well, a Pukka pie. It's a shame Delia doesn't do the catering anymore. It was standard fayre.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground was pretty straightforward. As I left the away end, there were a couple of Police Officers laughing and joking with some Blues fans, which was good to see. A ten minute walk back to me car surrounded by thousands of other fans was quite entertaining, listening to all the discussions about the game. Leaving the car park took about 15 minutes, before I was on clear roads, so not bad at all.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Aside from the result, it was a really terrific day out. Norwich is a lovely city, Carrow Road us a cracking stadium and the Norwich fans were welcoming, friendly and de finitely helped make the whole day a thoroughly enjoyable experience. If you get the chance, I would 100% recommend you visit Carrow Road with your team.
Norwich City v Bristol City
Football League Championship
Tuesday 16th August 2016, 7.45pm
Michael Weeks (Bristol City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Carrow Road Ground?
Carrow Road is a new ground for me which is always an attraction. Norwich City is a football club which I have admired from afar, and of course the added bonus a summers' visit to Norfolk. What more can I say….
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I cheated on this one. Traveled from Bristol to London and spent a few days staying with a friend. Then the train to Norwich on the match day but needed to stay in a hotel overnight as no trains back to London that late.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I have been to Norwich before and it is a lovely place to visit. Plenty or good pubs and eateries in the centre of the town. I went to the Tombstone part of town near the cathedral. Plenty of home fans around and all friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Carrow Road Ground?
Carrow Road looks impressive when walking down towards it from the city centre. Very much traffic free. I like the ground. Even though all four stands are quite recent it has the feel of a bit of history about the place.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
With only a few exceptions, I don't think much of away supporters concourses at football grounds. And Carrow Road doesn't seem any different. There was only a handful of us on a Tuesday night and I wouldn't want to be trying to get a pie and a pint along with 2,600 others on a busy away day.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Oh that was easy………..a 30 minute walk up the hill to my hotel.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Excellent. If you are interested in experienced new grounds, or just wish to revisit old places. Carrow Road and Norwich itself are well worth a visit.
Norwich City v Southampton
Premier League
Saturday 2nd January 2016, 3pm
Stephen Geddes (Southampton fan)
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Championship League
Saturday 14th February, 2015, 3pm
Aimee Henry (Wolves fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
It promised to be a good game, as 7th played 8th in the Championship. We'd thumped Huddersfield 4-1 midweek, so were travelling to East Anglia in a decent mood. The reverse fixture at Molineux on the opening day of the season was a tight, close game, decided by a Dave Edwards header. A similar scoreline would be a huge boost to our slim play-off chances. What better way to spend my Valentine’s/Birthday weekend!?
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We decided to use the club’s official coaches, as they worked out cheaper than the train. It meant an early start, needing to be in Wolverhampton for 9am. This was made more challenging by my oversleeping. A mad rush meant we made it, in time for the long journey. It was fine until we got to Cambridge, but after that the motorway just stops. In all it took around 4 hours to get there, including a 15 minute toilet break at the services. There seems to be plenty of car parks around, all seemingly charging £6. As well as the official one at the ground, we passed plenty enroute into the city centre.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Having read the football ground guide, we went for the Compleat Angler, a short walk away from where the coaches were parked. It was a very nice pub, away fan friendly, with a wide choice of drinks, and food available. I can imagine it’s a great place to go in summer, overlooking the river, in the middle of February it still has its charm though. After making our way down to Carrow Road, we were spoilt for choice in terms of food, there were your usual burger vans, and at the corner of the Jarrold Stand and the "Norwich and Peterborough Building Society Stand" (just rolls off the tongue doesn't it!?) there was a van selling fish and chips (£6), and next to it one selling hot pork rolls (£4). Although I had neither, it was nice to see a wider range of foods on offer. In the end I went for the classic burger, with onions. Great for my hunger, probably not great for my figure though…
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Having walked down from the coach park, one thing you notice about Carrow Road is that it feels somewhat squashed into its surroundings. You have an enormous hotel run by a well-known chain (not Lenny Henry's favourite, the other one…) in one corner, a retail park behind one end of the stadium, what looked like flats across the road from the main stand, and a car park behind the away end. It makes the ground seem a lot smaller than it probably is. Like a lot of modern football grounds, there are plenty of ‘commercial avenues’ at the ground, meaning the outside of the stands is taken up by swanky, sweeping office windows. It blends in pretty well to its surroundings, but the floodlights are a reassuring presence amongst the immediate skyline. In at least two of the stands there are (presumably) home fan only bars. The away ‘end’ is not an end as such, more a small section running alongside the one side of the pitch. It made for quite a small, crowded concourse, but the fact that you’re all huddled together means you can generate a bit of noise. The biggest drawback is that you don’t get a brilliant view, especially if like me, you’re down in the first few rows. You are reasonably close to the pitch, but being in the far corner makes it difficult to see the other end of the pitch without craning your neck to see past everyone else. All four sides of the ground are of a similar size, with both ‘ends’ being two tiered, and the side stands two tiered, slightly different to a lot of grounds. The main stand, opposite the away stand, is perhaps the smallest, which means from the top of the opposite stands, and presumably from the upper tiers of the others, you get a nice view of Norwich, with its cathedral dominating.
Norwich and Peterborough Stand
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
To be honest, we never got going. Norwich were much the better side over the 90 minutes, and 2-0 to the home side was a very fair reflection of the game. They took the lead after some sleepy defending at a corner allowed Bradley Johnson a free header to score midway through the first half. Midway through the second half, Lewis Grabban scored the second and decisive goal, finishing a smart move emphatically to end any lingering hopes of taking something back to the Midlands with us. Aside from a couple of half chances for Benik Afobe, we created very little all afternoon, and but for some excellent goalkeeping from Tomasz Kuszczak, it could have been worse, the stand-in keeper denying Grabban and Gary Hooper with smart saves. Our main attacking threats, wingers Rajiv Van La Parra and Bakary Sako, were hardly in the game. Norwich midfielder Alex Tettey was superb, and he, alongside Jonny Howson, controlled the game really. I thought the atmosphere crackled all game. Being shoved up one corner of the Jarrold Stand means as away fans you are competing directly with the ‘Barclay End’, a particularly raucous section of which never stopped singing all game. There was plenty of songs flying back and forth, nothing overly malicious though. Wolves fans took the opportunity to remind Norwich of the time a certain Kevin Muscat caused serious injury to their then young protégé Craig Bellamy, whilst Norwich’s fans were keen to reminisce about the time they ended our play-off dreams with a semi-final win in 2002. The ground looked near capacity, and an attendance of over 26,000 confirmed that. The copybook was blotted slightly by the playing of goal music though. Not just any though, the same song they play at the interval in the Darts. It’s relevance to Football, even to Darts, is still beyond me, but there you go. One fantastic thing which happened before the game was the club welcomed a special guest onto the pitch to deliver the match ball. It’s 80 years since Norwich moved to Carrow Road, and the gentleman on the pitch has been a season ticket holder there the entire time. What a phenomenal achievement, and he was rightly given a rapturous ovation from all four sides of the ground, away fans included.
Perhaps Norwich’s most famous fan (with apologies to the wonderful Stephen Fry, Sky’s dashing host Simon Thomas, and incredibly, Hugh Jackman) is Delia Smith, and I was really looking forward to trying one of the pies. I wasn’t disappointed, it was fantastic! I had Steak and Kidney, and it was very filling! Now I know what you’re thinking, “Aimee, that’s a burger AND a pie, think of the calories!” But it’s alright, Saturday’s are my cheat day… Because you only get given a small section of the stand, there are only two kiosks open in the away concourse. Which meant it was rammed from about 2:30 onwards. There was a good selection of stuff on offer though. The stewards were a friendly presence, even engaging in some good natured joshing at times. One grumpy one did try several times to get the entire away section to sit down. He was unsuccessful, suffice to say!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It was a 5 minute walk back to the coaches, or rather a glum trudge amongst the sea of happy Canaries. However, it took a very long time for the coaches to get away from the vicinity of the Stadium, due to the sheer volume of traffic. If you’re planning on using the coaches or driving, be prepared for a 30-40 minute wait before your journey home starts properly. We arrived back at Molineux just after 9pm.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A disappointing result, but hey, Norwich were better than us on the day. It’s a nice, modern ground, and the position of the away fans is slightly different to most grounds, but I quite liked it. You don’t get the greatest view, but you can get a bit of noise going. And with a performance like the one Wolves put on, maybe a poor view is a blessing in disguise…
Norwich City v Watford
Championship League
Saturday August 16th, 2014, 3pm
Ken and Eddie Smith (Watford fans)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
This was probably my 5th or 6th trip to Carrow Road which I enjoy visiting as it usually has a good atmosphere. Plus this shaping up to be a great weekend. A boat out on the Norfolk Broads, a couple of nights in a Riverside hotel in Norwich, just 10 minutes walk from the ground plus some local real ale – and a match to watch with our beloved Watford…..
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We drove to Norwich the day before, as we were going to be staying at hotel for the weekend. It is never a quick journey to Norwich, as there is little motorway. However the last of the single carriageway roads on the Norwich are about to be widened, so hopefully this will make it quicker for future trips.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We enjoyed a decent local beer or two in the Compleat Angler pub, the night before the game, The pub is located on the river bank across from the railway station. Both sets of fans were using it on the day of the game but our pre match refreshments were limited to a burger from a van near the ground. Several bars on the riverside were popular with fans and there was a relaxed atmosphere.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground is in an area that has been redeveloped over the last 15 years. This was our second visit to the newer side stand, part of which holds the away fans. Although largely modern, Carrow Road retains the feel of a 'proper' football ground.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
We had sold out our allocation so it was sit in your ticketed seat. We were about 6 rows from the front which is lower than preferred but this was offset by being on the extreme edge of the away section, away from the corner flag. Unfortunately the barrier that segregates the fans gets in the way of the view and these tickets really should be restricted view. £35 is totally unfair for these seats. Things got worse as Watford were down to 10 men after only two minutes, with defender Joel Ekstrand seeing red for a collision with Nathan Redmond. The game was over as a real competitive contest and Norwich went on to win the game comfortably 3-0. Great noise from Watford fans but I suspect a relegation hangover kept the home fans unusually subdued apart from when the 3 goals that went in.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
An easy walk for us back to the hotel, but previous visits have used the City Hall car park which is convenient for getting out of Norwich but can take a while to exit from.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Although we lost three nil, it was still a very enjoyable weekend and recommended for a trip that includes a night or two away. Decent ground, city and wider area.
Norwich City v Leicester City
FA Cup 5th Round
Saturday February 18th, 2012, 3pm
Andrew Daffern (Leicester City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Well it all started one Sunday afternoon in February, when the draw was taking place for the fifth round of the FA Cup. In our minds we wanted an Premiership away trip like Chelsea, Norwich City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool…. & then it came, away to Norwich. I jumped in the air with excitement, Norwich was a ground I always wanted to visit. The nearest I been to the ground was in August 2008 when I had been on holiday in Great Yarmouth and fancied visiting Norwich for the day and had time to visit the Club Shop.
Anyway before the journey we checked online to see how much a train would be. It came to the cost of £80 for me and my Dad (which is extremely dear for a day trip) so after splitting the tickets like Nuneaton to Peterborough, Peterborough To Norwich the price came down to £40! That’s much better!
So on the day we left early, in fact it was still pitch black when we got up as it was 7’o’clock in the morning! Our journey to Norwich seemed to take ages. It took just over an hour to get to Peterborough and then onto Ely. On arrival at Ely we realised we had an half an hour gap until our train, damn! Nothing to do, if you been to Ely railway station you would see what I mean.
Eventually our train arrived and it took over an hour to get Norwich. Never realised Ely was so far from Norwich! It was around 11am when we arrived and with plenty of time on our hands we set off to look around the city and find somewhere for a bite to eat and a meal.
2. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
To be fair there isn’t many pubs near the ground, probably because the city centre is so near. Mainly we had our pre match beer in city centre the Wetherspoons in town was packed with yellow and green shirts.
3. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Having seen the outside of Carrow Road before I knew what to expect. The ground is not as imposing as some, I mean like Villa Park or the Emirates. The club shop is quite small and to be fair there’s isn’t much in there as some others, not even an programme selection.
After that we went towards the away section, on arrival it was still early it was about 2’o’clock something like that and the Norwich players where just arriving, doing usual pre-match of signing autographs and having pictures with the fans what I think is nice, it’s not like some clubs who put metal fencing, where you are distant from the players. The players actually enter via the away gate, which is quite rare.
On entrance to the ground the actually food area is quite small, and you can imagine that getting packed with a big away following (I’ll tell you about that later), after having a drink in the concourse we went to our seats. Are seats were front which is great. Carrow Road is quite closed in, away fans are housed in the corner like many others.
4. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was certainly a classic, a splendid atmosphere from both sets of fans, though to be honest I think Leicester sang the most songs. Leicester took an early lead after a great header from Sean St Ledger! 0-1 to the foxes! Not long after Norwich earn a pen wasn’t sure if it was one, but never mind the ref is the boss, Hoolahan took then pen only for Kasper to save it and then Hoolahan got the rebound to make it 1-1! During the first half it began raining. As we were in the front row we got soaked as the stand cover didn’t cover us.
At half time it was 1-1 the game could go ever way, though to be honest Leicester looked slightly the better side also for the first time this season Leicester had most the possession away from home! Norwich had a strong team out, but the only one who was missing I think was Grant Holt.
During the interval I went to the toilet to found the concourse packed it was incredible tight. There were screens showing highlights of the first half and the Leicester fans weren't impressed on seeing an incident where the ball looked to have crossed the goal line but it wasn't given. I wasn't impressed to find people smoking in the toilets. As I left a steward was going in to investigate.
The stewards and police were friendly and welcoming, I don’t think they had much trouble from us apart from the chant “You stole all our seats” and “We’re High Risk!”
The Second half kicked off Norwich started off brightly having one or two chances, Leicester were having their fair share aswell. After Norwich corner that went straight Kasper, Kasper got the ball forward to find Beckford who cached the Norwich defence at the weakest with just two back, he passed it Nugent who passed one of the defenders that shot passed the Norwich goalie to make it 1-2 Leicester.
It was extremely noisy from the Leicester end after that. For last twenty minutes Norwich didn’t create much, it was the matter of Leicester keeping possession till the final whistle.
5. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Once the final whistle had went, noise of “We’re, We’re Leicester” was the only thing heard around the stadium. The players came up to fans thanking us for our fantastic support. The camera’s were taking pictures of us, on this splendid day. On leaving the ground I bought the match scarf from this memorable day, that I will never forget.
The home fans were disappointed on going out of the cup, but many of them said “that Premier League survival is more important” I don’t think there was any trouble from any sets of fans.
On board a train, who were happy singing out loud, after enjoying a classic football match.
6. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Norwich is probably one of the best away trips I’ve been too, I could possible say it was the best one! Mainly down to a great football match with a great atmosphere. Next day the draw was made we were off too Chelsea in the next round!
P.S all I’ve uploaded a video on you tube with all the pictures from the game:
Away Day @ Carrow Road, Norwich
Norwich City v Chelsea
Premier League
Saturday January 21st, 2012, 12.45pm
Harry Williamson (Chelsea fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
There was always something about Carrow Road which made me want to visit. What it was I am not sure but seeing that Sky tv had changed the fixture to a 12:45 kick off was not enough to put me off visiting the lovely city of Norwich. (Although it did mean getting up at 6:30 on a Saturday and I am not a morning person!)
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
After what seemed like an eternity on a train passing endless East Anglian fields, me and my Canaries supporting friend finally arrived in Norwich. We had travelled on a National Express East Anglia train from London Liverpool Street which still had slam doors and probably should have been scrapped about 10 years ago. As you pull into Norwich station the floodlights and the back of the Jarrold Stand are easily visible on your left. From the station we simply followed the crowds on a 5 minute walk to the ground.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
At Norwich railway station me and my friend met up with some more Norwich City supporters and walked to the ground, discussing Chelsea's poor recent form and Norwich's surge up the Premier League table. All of the Norwich fans seemed very, very friendly. With some time to waste before kick off, the Norwich fans showed me the WAGS and players car park, which is located opposite the Jarrold Stand. When walking back towards the stadium, Les Ferdinand kindly stopped his Range Rover to let me cross the road.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
My first sight of the stadium came as the train was arriving into Norwich. The steel grey, cantilevered Jarrold Stand was an impressive sight from the train, as were the four large floodlight pylons. Behind each goal are two virtually identical two-tiered stands with floodlights extending from their roofs. These are called The Barclay and the River End, with The Barclay being the hub of Norwich's vocal support. Opposite the Jarrold Stand (where the away fans are situated) is the Geoffrey Watling City Stand which houses the directors box complete with Delia Smith and the players tunnel. It is quite a small, single-tiered stand.
As I mentioned, the away fans are housed in the Jarrold Stand which is a very impressive facility. The roof is translucent and there is adequate leg room between seats. The gradient of the seating is also more or less perfect. I was seated in Row I and had an excellent view of the pitch. The away area is shared with the family enclosure. The two are separated by a narrow piece of netting which covers about 4 seats. With Carrow Road having such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to it, then there were no problems with that.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was very dull. It ended 0-0 and there were not too many chances. The best chance fell to Fernando Torres who as you would expect, failed to hit the target. Norwich also had their chances and Anthony Pilkington demonstrated some wonderful skill to beat Ashley Cole and John Terry early in the second half. In terms of atmosphere, it was pretty good but livened up a lot more when Norwich fans felt that they should have been awarded a penalty. All of the noise came from The Barclay and the 'snake pit' as it is called in the wrap around section of the Geoffrey Watling City stand. There was a fair bit of friendly banter between the Chelsea fans and the Norwich fans in The Barclay. The stewards were fine and did not have much to do really.
The only problem I had was forgetting a raincoat and getting a bit wet in the first half. My seat may have been in row I but it was a very windy day. Before the match I used the toilets which were quite large. The concourse was clean and modern as you would expect from a newish stand and it looked like it would be able to accommodate the half time pie rush. Half time was probably the highlight of the game. Two Norwich fans were selected to play crossbar challenge. Despite shooting from the edge of the penalty area, their attempts were miserable and it took 16 attempts before one of them at last grazed the crossbar. This resulted in a lot of taunting from the away fans. There were also half time announcements although I must say I find announcing deaths at half time rather strange.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
After the game it was a quick trip to a nearby Morrisons to stock up on food for the journey home. Then it was back on the train to London Liverpool Street. The ground was easy to get away from.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Apart from the boring game I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Carrow Road. It is a very nice stadium with a relaxed atmosphere. I have no real complaints to make about Carrow Road at all and with Norwich looking in a good position to stay in the Premier League it looks like another trip to Carrow Road could well be on the cards for 2012/13.
Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Tuesday December 27th, 2011, 7.45pm
Leigh Evans (Tottenham Hotspur fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Quite simply, i've never been to Carrow Road before. When the fixtures are announced I always look out for grounds I have not been to and when Norwich away was scheduled for Boxing Day I was happy enough. The game was later moved to the following evening for TV coverage.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Living in Wolverhampton, the journey to Norwich was always going to be a hassle but myself, my Dad and a friend set off at 2.30pm and made great time to Cambridge. But once we hit the A11 we pretty much ground to a halt through no reason other than traffic. I would definitely avoid it if you can. We parked in a multi-storey car park in the city centre and we were left then with a ten minute walk to the ground.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We went for a drink in a Wetherspoons which over looked the river on Wherry Road. The pub was packed but the staff were selling bottles from cool boxes at the front door so we were able to get a drink quicker then anyone heading to the bar. Fans of both teams were in there, plenty of singing but no troubl.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground was pretty much as I expected having seen plenty of ground photos before. The away fans are allocated northern end of the Jarrold Stand which has plenty of turnstiles so there were no queues and plenty of leg room once at your seat. Our seats were on the second row in line with the penalty spot, and with both goals being scored at the other end of the ground my view of both wasn't good. I only knew who scored the first when it was shown on the scoreboard above the Barclay End.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The atmosphere inside the ground was excellent as the teams took the field. Norwich had made a good start to their return to the top flight and Spurs were in 3rd place heading into the fixture. There was plenty of banter flying between ourselves and the fans in the Barclay End. The game itself was a bit of a let down with Spurs controlling the game but not creating too much in the first half. At half time it was goalless. In the second half, Spurs finally took the lead through Gareth Bale who later added a second to make it in the end a comfortable win.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
No problems. The Norwich fans seemed more disappointed with there own performance to worry about a few Spurs fans walking by. Back in the car and on the road in good time and back in my bed by 2:00am.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Not a bad night out and worth the effort when you win. I wouldn't want to pay another £45 for that view and as a result I doubt I'll be heading back except for an important end of season game.
Norwich City v Ipswich Town
Championship League
Sunday November 28th, 2010, 1.30pm
Will Harris (Ipswich Town fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
The 'old farm' derby is always a classic and this was to be my first trip to Carrow Road.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
My friends and I travelled up via the club coach. Smooth journey in to the car park near to the ground and then we had a police escort right down to the away section.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Didn't have a chance to go exploring as we escorted straight into the ground.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The first views of the ground were from the coach and whilst walking down to the ground. It somehow didn't look like a football ground from the outside. We went straight into the concourse and had a couple of drinks and a pie. The atmosphere was great amongst the Ipswich fans on the concourse. It was spacious but there were so many town fans there it was a job to move. Slowly, we made our way to our seats. the view from the away end was good but it was difficult to see the action in the half to our left.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
The match started off well with the teams matched but when Norwich went 2-1 ahead, it all fell apart from there. Great noise from the Town fans and fairly vocal support from the home side. Ipswich and Norwich fans were kept apart only by a few stewards but more came out in force for the second half when the atmosphere turned a bit nasty. A few Ipswich fans had foolishly managed to get into the Norwich section but the police were on hand to sort the problems out.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We were kept behind afterwards but then made our way back to the coach and got away quickly and were soon back in Ipswich.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
The first half hour was good but the match itself was a huge disappointment. Great noise from the Ipswich fans, even being 4-1 down. Average ground, smart but nothing special. Would definitely return next year.
Norwich City v Leeds United
Championship League
Saturday November 20th, 2010,3pm
Craig Stevens (Leeds United fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Living and domestic arrangements, plus being an expat Aussie whose mates support big London clubs (or dismiss football altogether) mean that I’m not able to get to as many games as I would like to, which means that for away games I have to rely on a little bit of luck to get a ticket from the small allocations of tickets for non-season ticket holders. This was to be one of my few matches for the year and I’d never been to Norwich, so thought I’d take in the city as well as the match.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
As I was going to check out Norwich, I arrived some 4 hours before kick-off. I found the County Hall car park easily (and was only charged £3 instead of the advertised £4)
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
I just wandered aimlessly around for a few hours. Being on my own, and driving, heading to the pub wasn’t a good idea. The city itself had some very vibrant areas, there were lots of people out and about shopping etc. There was, as is usual, a large police presence especially around the pubs near the train station, including a few members of West Yorkshire’s finest. I overhead a local constable remark to a West Yorkshire counterpart that he was trying to listen to the accents. He may have been a bit confused if I’d opened my mouth!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The away section of the ground was very good, much better than some of the horrors that were endured during the stint in League One. The viewing was excellent, although it may have helped that I was in row E, and Rows C & D were netted off to create a buffer for the disabled fans at the front.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
Three kiosks open for food, a special match pie (steak and a local ale) was on, so minimal queuing whilst the other earlyish arrivals watched the lunchtime Premiership match. They could though invest in some larger, flat screen TVs.
The Norwich fans were quite loud, usually the Leeds fans dominate but I’d probably score it a draw on the day.
The stewards were effective, but in no way overbearing. A young bloke happened to step over the fence to go see his mates before kick off. He was taken out, but let back in after a short talking to.
It’s a cliché, but it really was a game of two halves. We were all over them in the first half, could have got more than the solitary goal, but the second half they came back. Whilst the goal they did score should never have stood after our goalie got a smack in the mouth in the lead up and as such was lying on the ground when it went in, on balance they deserved a goal. 1-1 was a fair result
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
This was (apart from the way their goal was scored) the only sour note of the day. We were let out of the stadium to be confronted by a wall of the Norfolk Constabulary, not letting us go anywhere. There were no announcements that we would be held back until we got out, and then they were from an ineffective megaphone from a mounted officer. There was no real tension during the match, unless you include the vitriol directed at the match officials, but penning us in raised the temperature of a few, especially those that had advance tickets booked on the train and looked like they would miss it.
The walk back to the car was uneventful, and having a spot close to the front of the car park meant I was quickly on the road home.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It was a record all-seater crowd at Carrow Road, so of course the “You’re only here, to watch the Leeds” and “We filled your ground for you” chants got a good run, but in reality it would have been a decent crowd had any other club been the visitors.
Norwich City v Swansea City
Championship League
Saturday August 6th, 2010, 3pm
Lee Jones (Swansea City fan)
As a Swansea fan one of the longest trips for us is Norwich away, the thought of literally crossing the UK for a football match is daunting. Having done Portman Road last year and already attended the KC stadium I decided to bite the bullet and add Carrow Road to my list of grounds visited.
I have for the last year used the Swansea City travel club to make most of my away journeys, having previously driven to most games in my own car but the cost of fuel has made this way too expensive. So I presented myself for collection at my normal pick up spot at the god awful time of 6am. Whilst waiting for the bus it started to rain the bus eventually arrived at 6.45am. I was wet and fed up and we hadn’t even left South Wales.
The day was to get even better, the toilet on the bus was not working correctly and a god awful smell was filling the bus, joy of joys, my seat was broken so my back was in half when we caught up with the other bus’s at Reading services, a short break of 10 mins then on with the journey to East Anglia.
We were promised a pub stop at 12 which had been used on numerous times and a nice lunch was promised, something to look forward to at least…… M25 was a nightmare then we had to take a detour to avoid something or another time was getting on and we were no nearer Norwich. Eventually it was decided we could not make the pub stop as we were so delayed.
We arrived outside Carrow Road at 2.15pm. Parking seemed plentiful in the area and we were parked next to a car park between the railway lines and the Royal Mail sorting office. With time against us, It didn’t seem sensible to make for the designated pub the Compleat Angler so we just went into the ground. There was quite a fair crowd of Norwich fans as we made our way to the ground but the atmosphere was very friendly and no hassle.
Once in the ground we made straight for the bar area. They had an offer on of 4 pints for £12.00 and the famous Delia pies were on display I tried the chicken leek and something pie which was about £2.50 but very tasty. The bar area was not very big but quite well organised. A word of warning for those not quite 18 they will require ID and refused to serve quite a few “students”.
The ground looked quite impressive as you arrive and drive around three of the four sides in a nice looking rather than a blooming huge carbuncle stuck in the middle of nowhere. As we had arrived quite late the ground was filling up when we arrived and by the time we got into the away stand the ground was virtually full with a crowd of about 22 thousand. The away end was a partitioned section of a stand running parallel to the field the detached Barclay end stand behind the goal to our right seemed to hold the “singing” section. We had a clear view of the pitch and the leg room was ok but nothing great. It was a good ground and there was a fair old atmosphere brewing. The ground felt like a proper ground and was designed to watch the game rather than maximising profit.
The game got underway and immediately the Norwich fans in the Barclay end began making a good noise and it seemed to spur on Norwich who were putting in lots of crosses with Chris Martin in particular causing our makeshift fullbacks lots of problems.
We had beaten Preston 4 -0 at the Liberty in our last game and I was sure we could get some goals but the loss of Rangel Angel to injury and Fede Bessonne to Leeds during the summer left our defence looking a bit dodgy with 4 centre halves across the back. After about 20 minutes we began to take control with some neat passing and a few shots on target but all to no avail.
The home fans had gone deathly quiet and the home stewards were ensuring that we didn’t make too much noise by being very strict with no standing whatsoever. This was starting to rankle some of the Swans supporters who pointed out to the stewards that virtually everyone in the Barclay end stand were on their feet.
The majority of the stewards were ok however one or two seemed to be relishing the confrontation and raising the temperature a few degrees. There was one “official” a bald guy in a green coloured suit jacket who was particularly obnoxious and was mouthing obscenities to Swans fans from the safety of the pitch side and giving the “come on” to a few of our hot heads. It was a poor image and spoiled the atmosphere as well as the reputation of a “family” club.
The second half started as the first had finished with the Swans dominating and Norwich having to hold on to keep the game at 0-0. Then all the pressure seemed to break Norwich, when on 81 mins Scott Sinclair was put through one on one on the Norwich goalie John Rudd, and as he went past, the goalie brought Sinclair down.
Penalty given, but the ref gives only a yellow card. The Swans fans all thought a red card would be shown.
Still we were all confident as David Cotterril walked up to take the pen, he had scored on every occasion he had taken them for us, however he had not played well and I was a little nervous. He shoots he saves!
As is always the case with this type of game they come down to our end having been defending for the best part of an hour we fail to clear our lines they put a speculative cross into the box and Ash Williams one of our best players knocks it past Devries for an own goal. The home crowd came alive and started making some noise but they could not believe their luck. We pressed forward throwing the kitchen sink at Norwich and they then scored on the break with a well taken goal. Talk about Dirk Turpin. I was gutted.
We left the ground and as you can imagine we were pretty down and to be fair to Norwich fans they agreed they were lucky and most would have been happy with a point. The atmosphere was ok leaving the ground with no hassle or fans rubbing it in.
So overall a bit of a day but would recommend Norwich if it was minus the stewards.