ROAD TO 92: CARROW ROAD

This is likely going to be one of the hardest editions of this series I have to write, because I have to try and remain unbiased while I write about the stadium of my team, Norwich City. At least I was able to get a good game out of it.

However, I must apologise for the match being a bit outdated as it happened two weeks ago. I thought I published it the day after the match but apparently not only did it not publish, it got rid of half of the original article. But they say better late than never right.

I came home for the weekend and decided to grab some tickets for myself and my dad for the match against West Brom, somewhere I have already been to this season and written about. I had not seen Norwich win live in nearly three years so my expectations were quite low in all honesty.

After spending far too long waiting for a bus that I am still unsure whether it was delayed or cancelled (thanks Konectbus) we arrived in Norwich and made a quick journey to the stadium. It was about a 10 minute walk to the stadium from the bus station which is lovely to do in the sun.

We were sat in the Lower Barclay stand, which is known amongst Norwich fans for its good atmosphere. I went to the bar that is in the stand called the Lion and Castle and only grabbed a bottle of Coke but I would be back soon enough to get some food.

Boring first half, so let's just get into the food. I was meant to grab a burger at half time but when I was in line I saw a lot of people come away with chips so I thought I would follow the crowd.

Maybe my trip to the MKM stadium has ruined my expectations of football food, but the chips were the most average thing I have had in a while. It does not mean they were bad, but I expected better from a club that used to be owned by Delia Smith of all people.

I also missed the half time marriage proposal which was kindly met with chants of "You don't know what you're doing" by both the home and away fans. It was one of those moments that would never really happen in any other sports, it was brilliant.

The second half was similar to the first, except of course the five minutes of elation at the end thanks to the best striker in the league Josh Sargent. What a way to win it, and for me to finally see the Canaries win in person for the first time since 2023.

The main thing that you are all here for though, how was the experience?

I have always thought of Carrow Road as one of the top stadiums in English football and this trip did not change my mind at all.

Let's start with the bad stuff, the food. The chips were boring and even when salt was added it was a rarity to actually get a grain of salt. Once again, it was not bad by any means but it was so boring it made Vanilla ice cream look exotic.

Now let me move on to the good because there was a lot of good. The atmosphere was great throughout the match even though there was not much for the fans to get behind. I saw what a bad crowd looked like at Bramall Lane under similar circumstances and the Norwich crowd did a lot better.

The layout of the stadium is nice and it has a very old school vibe that has been carried into the modern day. The Lion and Castle was a nice change from the food places that most grounds have and it gave me something to remember, even if the food was not great.

A ticket cost me about £20 with food and drink coming to a total of £6 so in total £26 for a game of Championship football, not bad at all (I didn't pay for the bus my dad did so cheers dad).

If you have not been to Carrow Road before then I urge you to come down at some point even as a neutral because it is a great day out. One of the classic football stadiums that brings a bygone era to the modern age and it fits in both.

RATING:9/10