This backs up my theory......

Rewind to the summer of 2000. Delia Smith agreed to let ITV film a fly-on-the-wall documentary about her and her passion for Norwich City and the cameras are to follow her over the course of an entire season. Nice idea.

So, when City drew a blank with Nottingham Forest on a sunny opening day at Carrow Road, she and Michael Wynn Jones were in a relaxed and philosophical mood as they offered their after-match thoughts.

?You can see it's going to happen,? she beamed. ?It didn't happen today.? As we now know, it didn't happen over the forthcoming months either, and to say that the Stowmarket duo must have regretted ever agreeing to such a warts 'n' all portrait would be something of an understatement.

From a supporter's point of view, however, it provided an extremely enlightening insight into how she and her husband deal with crises. 'Played five, lost five - it's Norwich's worst run of results for years,? said the narrator as a clip showed City slumping to a 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth.

In the next shot, with her man Hamilton having just resigned, a stony-faced Delia had this to say: ?I do think there are certain people who are out to destroy the manager, and I think it is actually quite extraordinary. I would never have believed it was possible.?

She then added: ?When similar events occurred at Manchester United, thankfully, you know, Alex Ferguson didn't resign and look where Manchester United are now. But Alex Ferguson went through all that Bryan's been through and I think it's wicked and shameful that he hasn't had the time.?

The message was crystal clear. Nasty people had forced a good manager out, completely against the board's wishes, and it was all desperately unfair. Not appalling results and the threat of relegation, but the media and disgruntled fans.

Let's just make one thing clear here. I am not, for a second, seeking to draw a comparison between Hamilton and his successor. Nigel Worthington has taken a team to a play-off final and achieved promotion to the Premiership as champions.

However, the parallels between the reaction of the directors to the 'Hamilton Out' and 'Worthy Out' episodes are uncanny. The siege mentality that seeped through that documentary like ink on blotting paper is still there. So too is the tendency to see supporters' fury about what is happening on the pitch as a personal attack, not just on a manager they see as a friend, but themselves.

?I'm just disappointed that among what I am absolutely convinced is a minority of supporters - and I may yet be proved wrong - we don't get slightly more respect,? said Barry.

So, just to recap on some of the reasons for the current unrest: a string of signings that haven't worked out; a potential promotion campaign in which we haven't spent a single week in the top six; utterly unacceptable performances (Luton, QPR, Wolves, Derby, Ipswich, Palace, to name a few); the disposal of good players (Malky Mackay, Marc Edworthy, Mathias Svensson, Danny Crow); public criticism of two of our best players; the failure to give young players a chance in the first team, and an abject recent record in cup competitions in which we once had such a proud tradition. And yet still 25,000 at Carrow Road every game and an away following that continues to redefine the word loyalty.



Palace take us all for mugs 27 February 2006
Worthington needs to work on his words 25 February 2006
Lack of noise annoys 20 February 2006
Loyalty at the core of all our concerns 18 February 2006
City in need of a fresh start 13 February 2006
Fans and board set for head-on collision 11 February 2006
Can it really get any worse? 06 February 2006
Town get benefits of youth 04 February 2006
Reading game to set the mood 30 January 2006
We are already looking a class apart 28 January 2006
Money must be well spent 23 January 2006
A sting in the tail . . . 21 January 2006
Tame display easy to forget 16 January 2006
Worthy needs to look on right side 14 January 2006
A bad day all round 09 January 2006
Black mark for City over lost Crow 07 January 2006
Whatever they did seems to be working 02 January 2006
Let the mind games continue 31 December 2005
Service brings out best in Deano 24 December 2005
At last, City have started 19 December 2005
Fairytale endings need right magic 17 December 2005
Victory has a hollow feeling 12 December 2005
Are we past the point of no return? 10 December 2005
Critics on all sides for City 05 December 2005
No real need for contract secrecy 03 December 2005
Nice finish - shame about the start 30 November 2005
Why it's time to call time on Worthy 27 November 2005
Been there, got the t-shirt 21 November 2005
Huckerby needs to lead by example 19 November 2005
Manager's missiles sent via the media 14 November 2005



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Posted By: The Duke of Norfolk, Mar 5, 14:00:41