Today is for my Dad.

Nasie Snr passed away this last December. He was a lovely, genuine and kind person... a proper 'Gentleman' in every sense of the word.

He was also a fanatical Norwich City supporter, like his mother and father before him (my grandfather had also been a club director back in the 1940's). My Dad took me to Carra for the very first time in 1973/74 season, where we beat Burnley 1-0. From that moment on I was hooked. When my grandmother fell too ill to go to games anymore I took over her season ticket and sat next to Dad in the old Main Stand. Benches and red cushions! When the stand burnt down and the City Stand was built, Dad insisted we have the same seats J66 and J67 in the Cathedral section.

Dad and I saw many memorable games and players in our years of going to football together, the highlight for me, and probably him, was going to Wembley in 1985 to watch out League Cup win over Sunderland.

In more recent years, my Dad became too ill to go to games, but would always follow them keenly in every other way he could... he religiously always had the EDP and Pink'un delivered to his home in Bury St Edmunds... even back in the day when the Pink'un was pink and a completely separate edition. He loved his statistics and would always make notes on City's form and progress in the match day programmes I used to take him back.

One of the last things he asked me about before he died was this Lansbury chap we've got on loon from Arsenal, and whether he was any good. Early days I told him, but it looked promising. We had just beaten the scum 4-1 at home, and although the last game City played before his death was the 2-1 away win at Derby, by then he wasn't really aware of what was going on. He was in a lot of pain during his last few days, but greeted the victory over Ipswich with his customary retort, "Jolly Good". He was forever the master of understatement. Cool and composed on the outside, his heart leaping with joy on the inside.

And so, in the season that I lost my Dad, what a fitting tribute that we have achieved promotion again, and are back where we were, playing top flight football when he first took me all those years ago.

This one's for you today Dad. Love you, miss you. x

Posted By: Jim Nasium on May 7th 2011 at 08:10:38

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