Norwich's dismal recent FA Cup record: Yes it really is that bad!

Norwich City fans stand divided over whether we want a good run in the FA Cup this season – fearing it may detract from the excellent league season.
Older fans who recall the glory of the 1959 cup run are probably dismayed that the team don’t seem to take the competition seriously anymore, but such is Norwich’s dismal recent FA Cup record that even victory over League One Leyton Orient tomorrow would be a surprise.
That’s because Norwich have one of the worst records in the competition for a team that has reached the semi-final three times.
I’m a massive FA Cup fan but looking at our recent performances in the competition fills me with memories of duff exits and miserable winter days. I've always fallen for the romance of the cup and make it a priotity to attend the games without question.
But I've seen precious few great FA Cup moments in the last decade and a half. And I’m not alone. If you sit near a City fan under 25 at Carrow Road, they probably won’t actually remember Norwich getting past the fifth round of the FA Cup. That’s how bad it is.
After losing out to Sunderland in the 1992 semi-final, Norwich lost at home in the fourth round in 1993 and 1994 at Carrow Road to Tottenham and Manchester United, both 2-0, both televised games. The following year, when City would end the season relegated, they where whipped 5-0 at Everton.
No real shame in those performances, but 15 years ago, with Norwich playing in the Endsleigh Division One, the dismal cup run started.
Since a 2-1 defeat at home to Brentford in January 1996, Norwich have gone out of the competition at the third round stage an amazing 11 times.
So in 15 years, Norwich have only got past the third round on three occasions (the other occasion was last season when Norwich went out in round two.)
Eight of these third round defeats have come away from Carrow Road which sums up just what poor draws Norwich have received – the two occasions Norwich have lost at home in the third round since that Brentford game are in January 2006 at home to West Ham and in 2009 at home to Charlton after a 1-1 draw at The Valley.
Of those three FA Cup ‘runs’ since 1996, Norwich have gone out in the fourth round once (in 1997 they lost 2-1 at Leicester after a 1-0 win at home to Sheffield United) and twice in 15 years we’ve made it to the fifth round.
In 2003, Norwich defeated Brighton 3-1 at home and then beat non-league Dagenham and Redbridge 1-0 before losing 2-0 at Southampton.
In 2007, Norwich won 4-1 at Tamworth, beat Blackpool 3-2 at Carrow Road after a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield Road and then lost 4-0 at Chelsea. That win at home to Blackpool on February 13, 2007 which featured two goals from Darren Huckerby and a great extra-time winner from 18-year old Chris Marin is arguably Norwich’s greatest FA Cup moment since beating Southampton in the sixth round in March 1992.
So looking back, Norwich fans have had little recent experience of watching The Canaries do anything in the FA Cup. Norwich are usually out by January and perhaps our poor FA Cup history is emphasised by the fact that Norwich didn’t even play a game in the competition in 2000 or 2010 (we lost at home to Coventry in December 1999 when the third round was moved to accommodate Manchester United’s involvement in the FIFA World Club championships and in 2009 we lost 2-1 at Carlisle in the second round in December).
In the last 15 years, going back to the defeat to Brentford, Norwich have played just six FA Cup games at Carrow Road, so tomorrow’s game is something of a rarity – and a win, even if it achieved with a relatively second-string team against Orient, would be something of a collector’s item.