Chris Goreham: Why I missed Norwich City's clash at Swansea

There was particular reason to be grateful for the development of lateral flow tests. In the middle of last week I began to feel very felt tired and my voice was getting quite scratchy. It was pretty clear that 90 minutes of radio commentary on the Canaries was going to be a struggle. This meant pulling out of the coverage of Norwich City’s trip to Swansea. 

Yes, withdrawing from one of the longest trips of the season that just happened to coincide with the coldest weekend of the year and England v France in a World Cup quarter final on TV. 

It’s not a great look, is it? Like phoning in sick the morning after the work Christmas party or on the day that Peter Kay announces tickets are on sale for a new stand-up show. Pre-2020 no-one would have believed me. What makes matters worse is that in more than 15 years of covering the Canaries I had only ever pulled out of one match through sickness. That was also Swansea away back in 2011. 

Two little red lines would save me from being the subject of the great canary commentary conspiracy. Having successfully avoided catching Covid-19 since the music stopped in March 2020 I had begun to tell people with some confidence that I must be immune. My lateral flow test laughed in the face of such self-importance. Until last week I had something in common with most people on Canary Call. I had never been positive. 

Fortunately, my experience was a mild one. Other than a hoarse voice, a bit of tiredness and some brain fog were my only symptoms. Normal service for a father who has now entered his 40s and suffers from at least ‘brain mist’ if not the full thick fog most days. 

Craig Shakespeare tries to spot a face in the crowd (Image: Focus Images)

So I followed the action in Wales from the comfort of my own front room. The quarter final between Morocco and Portugal was on the TV, with Norwich City on the radio and the scores coming in from around the grounds on my laptop. It was quite good fun in the end. I felt like a pound shop Jeff Stelling. Although my four-year old son was a bit slow to react when I shouted through from the kitchen “It sounds like there’s been a goal at Swansea, but which way has it gone?” 

This was my main complaint about Norwich City’s winning return. Teemu Pukki got the only goal of the game far too early. Those of us bedding in for a full winter’s day of football action were still getting our set-up organised at 3pm. That coffee machine and the snack bowl were not going to refill themselves. 

Finding something to complain about after a City win? Perhaps I should have phoned Canary Call after all. 

The three points certainly proved to be a tonic. Any away victory in the Championship must be gobbled up quicker than the top layer of the festive biscuits. It may not have been the most convincing performance but Dean Smith knows he has work to do if he’s to win over those who are fearful that Norwich’s promotion challenge will come down at the same time as the Christmas decorations. 

They did get a win though and that deserves credit. I would have accepted a similarly stodgy display from England later that evening if it had meant hanging on to win 1-0. 

It was always going to be a dramatic day with both Norwich City and England to worry about. One of them emerged with plenty of credit for the way they played but lost. The other won but failed to inspire with the nature of their performance. So which one had the better weekend? I can feel that brain fog rolling in again. 

Duncan’s Club 

Football means a lot to its supporters and the connection goes much deeper than results and 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. 

A couple of weeks ago I spent an hour or so at The Nest, the shiny new headquarters of The Community Sports Foundation. On Thursday mornings they host ‘Duncan’s Club’ a support programme for people with dementia and their carers. Named after Canary hero Duncan Forbes the club uses football and music as the basis for reminisce and activities. 

It’s long been known that people who have conditions such as Alzheimer’s can respond well to familiar music. In recent years sporting nostalgia has become a recognised tool for connecting with them too. It has often been difficult to get men in particular to engage with support groups. 

I have attended sessions run by Age UK in Norwich in the past too. Their ‘Still on the Ball’ group meets once a month, often at Carrow Road. The best advert for these groups is that, once the memories start flowing, it’s often not clear to the casual observer who has dementia and who doesn’t. These football memories appear to be such a great leveller in the way they are so thoughtfully presented. 

The subject of the Duncan’s Club session that I attended was the 1966 World Cup. There was even a story that was new to me. Jack Charlton was apparently awarded the hastily created ‘Jimmy Riddle Trophy’ by his fellow squad members at the end of the tournament. He was picked out to give a urine sample after four of the six games that England played. So, there’s a new line for Baddiel and Skinner to include in their next Three Lions rewrite. 

What I hadn’t prepared for was the singing and dancing at Duncan’s Club. Until you have spent a Thursday morning swaying along to ‘Agadoo’ and trying to recall the actions you really haven’t lived. 

Like most of these sessions, Duncan’s Club relies on donations and sponsorship to keep thriving. 

If you have a Norwich City fan in your life who is impacted by dementia it’s definitely worth a look.