Norwich City the Eighties

2015 | Sport & Leisure

The 1970s had been a generous decade to the Norfolk club. It had witnessed promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time in their history, relegation, promotion, a first and then second ever visit to Wembley for a major cup final, as well as the appointment of the club's very own star of both the game and celebrity circus, the one and only John Bond. However, with the club beginning to struggle and the obvious talents of the mercurial John Bond constantly attracting the attention of some bigger clubs, the end of the decade looked to be a prelude to the sort of anonymity and struggle that had characterised the club's existence for much of its history. Would the 1980s turn out to be a time when the Canaries briefly flared in the footballing skies for all to see, before falling back into obscurity? Or would they grow and prosper with the game, despite the glamour and celebrity favouring the big clubs and the big games which comes at the expense of everything else? This drive within the game that sees clubs, even to this day, fall on hard times and into administration, and, even in some cases, liquidation.

One thing is for certain - if the club was to continue to prosper in the coming decade, it would be a bigger achievement than anything they had achieved in the previous one.

Edward Couzens-Lake (Author)

Mike Channon (Author)

Alan Bowkett (Author)