All very good points BC and Arganth...

... And I'd add to what Arganth said that the board are far, far more adept at raising funds through various activities than we were under Chase. 20 or 30 years from now, future generations of our fans will look at the attendance at home to Vitesse (actually, the gates throughout 92/3) and think, "What?!?" Moreover, I was at UEA between '97 and '00, and can remember absolutely pathetic attendances during that time (notably 9000 and something for a 3-3 draw with Birmingham which I was at); it's a whole lot different now.

Indeed, as I walked down Carrow Hill before the Blackpool replay, I couldn't help but feel that, off the pitch, this club has been completely transformed, is light years from where it was a decade ago, and really IS geared to being in the Premiership. It's what makes the 'little ole Norwich' stuff not just offensive, but ridiculous: a 'little' club, with the gates and stadium we have, and as the only club in a whole county, and biggest in a whole region? I think not.

And certainly, the current board haven't taken anywhere near as many crazy risks as BC correctly attributes to Chase. Remember 'Radio Canary'? Remember the board hiring a private jet to fly to the UEFA Cup draw? Remember it flying the fans to Oldham? Wonderful gesture, but could we really afford it? And I reckon Chase's jet was in use a great deal of the time, too: there's a section in Gunny's book where he talks about being flown back in it (it might've been after his injury at Forest, but I can't quite remember off hand).

The income of Southend, and expenditure of Real Madrid, as Gordon Bennet said... But there are so many pitfalls in football nowadays: and it looks awfully like that the club has spent far TOO much in transforming itself off the pitch, and is now suffering the horrible on-pitch consequences.

Posted By: thebigfeller, Feb 27, 01:15:35