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| Football is back at Carrow Road! |
I'd had a long old day of sport watching - rowing at Eton Dorney in the morning and then a knackering drive up to Norwich for the game against Ajax.
Ten years ago this month I'd missed the centenary celebrations and the game against Ajax as I was at a wedding and having once been turned away from the Amsterdam ArenA when I tried to buy a ticket for an Ajax game because I didn't have my passport, this was a case of unfinished business.
My excitement at watching the game was quickly over as the teams came on the pitch. Maybe it's a sign of getting older that it's easy to find things to moan about, but for some reason the fact City wore their black kit really bugged me.
I don't know why, but I just think, first home game, Ajax as the opponents, I just want to see my team in yellow and green.
So what of the game?
Well Christian Eriksen, who had a decent Euro 2012 campaign ran the show in the first half and apart from the two goals - Anthony Pilkington with a seventh minute free-kick for City, we didn't learn too much about Chris Hughton's City.
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| Enter the Snod! |
Grant Holt, making his first home appearance since his summer contract dealings, had a good reception and City's only other new face was Robert Snodgrass who came on with 25 minutes to go and didn't do a lot.
Overall though, this was very much a training exercise - the young Ajax side pinged the ball around nicely, City tried to do the same thing but it didn't really have the same effect.
Despite a decent crowd of 16,000 there wasn't much to get excited about and having witnessed games over the last decade or so against the likes of AZ Alkmaar, Heerenveen, Utrecht and co at Carrow Road, I've come to the conclusion that these kind of pre-season games really are a waste of cash - I don't think I'll bother next time.
Pre season friendlies have over the years been turned into commercial events - another way for clubs to earn the money they need to continue to meet their outrageous running costs. It wouldn't be so bad if admission was only a couple of quid, but in this day and age there are, quite frankly, better ways to spend dosh. I am sure Tuesday nights match was a good piece in the NCFC summer jigsaw.......plenty of running around, little chance of injury, the ironing out of a few creases. But the same could be said had the game been played against a Conference side behind closed doors. High profile friendlies will remain popular with many fans - as long as they don't expect to see much competitive football being played. It is, as you suggest, an age thing. I gave up on these type of games many years ago, when the opposition largely consisted of the likes of Colchester, Cambridge United and Southend ! It's nice to witness a club of the stature of Ajax at Carrow Road, but a wholehearted contest is needed for it to mean anything to me personally. Pilkington's free kick got my pulse racing, but thereafter the game faded fast. I have to say I thought the attendance of 16,000 was pretty impressive, especially given the competition of staying at home and watching wall to wall Olympics. But I suspect many will share your feelings, post match.
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