View From Norfolk

Us Addicks are of course rightly renowned for our fair and balanced assessments of a game. So having not made the trip last night (there are a few things outside of football which sometimes have to take priority), which is a pity as Norwich away is one of my favourite weekend excursions (easy journey, welcoming pre-match pubs, good atmosphere – in my experience), I thought I’d check with some Canaries acquaintances to see if they are of the same ilk.

Sadly it seems as if these ones at least have problems with perspective and an obvious tendency to get carried away with the emotion of it all. I had inquired by email if there was a general sense of relief in Norwich that they had held us to just the one goal and received the following reply:

“I think it’s more like we’re impressed that the bung you lot gave the ref worked so well (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El4Lj1zekss). How many times did your defender want to handle the ball and the ref not give it? Not to mention your goalie who couldn’t hold the ball and the ref gave that as a foul as well. Other than that, your lot defended really well and were very organised and difficult to break down. You scored at the right time too so we couldn’t get back into it. Probably was the best we’ve played in a while as your lot sat so deep.” To be fair, it was signed off as a ‘bitter rant’.

I did check out the above link for supporting evidence. The first clearly wasn’t a penalty. The second is rather more confusing, but even in slow motion you can’t see a clear handball, so how the officials are supposed to give it in real time is beyond me. I said as much in an email reply, adding that if Peeters feels that the ref got the main decisions correct that’s fine by me, and was later informed that the Norwich guy “has just achieved low earth orbit and will attempt ballistic re-entry soon”.

Ah, there’s none so blind …..