Will Jennings: How Norwich City must avoid a Cruel Summer

But almost one decade earlier, the iconic American pop star was the unexpected Norfolk warm-up act for one of the great days in Norwich City history and believe it or not, will forever be inextricably intertwined with my memories of that magical Monday back in May 2015.

We all know what happened when that stirring sea of yellow and green descended on Wembley Way.

Cameron Jerome, Nathan Redmond, a ‘blistering start by Norwich City’ and Alex Neil running around cock-a-hoop in the Bank Holiday sunshine.

It’s a day none of us will ever forget and even as I write this now, still sends shivers down the spine.

Just under 24 hours earlier, me and thousands of others had flocked to Earlham Park to watch Swift – and even more famously from a City perspective, Snoop Dog – strut their stuff on the East Anglian stage as part of a star-studded line-up for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

I’m not the biggest music fan in general and with several make-or-break A-Level exams just around the corner – my parents even tried to dissuade me from going to Wembley – it was far from the most raucous affair under the Sunday night lights.

But the sight of Snoop Dog donning a Norwich shirt with ‘DOGG 20’ emblazoned on the back, followed by Swift’s show-stopping performance and subsequent renditions of City songs among fans as we departed the venue, will remain a truly unique memory I continue to associate with the club’s storied play-off triumph.

Of course, there will be many twists and turns in store between now and David Wagner’s current crop hopefully emulating those heroes of 2014/15.

And of course, I’m aware Swift probably couldn’t care less about – or even be aware of – Norwich City’s existence.

But as she hits the headlines ahead of this week’s release of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and upcoming Eras tour in the UK – including several performances at Wembley itself – could it perhaps be something of an omen?

The more I think about it, the more I genuinely believe that City can do this.

The form table from this calendar year says it all, with Wagner’s side sitting second across the last 18 games and clicking into gear at the perfect time.

Josh Sargent is back fit and firing, Gabriel Sara is consistently hitting those magical, match-winning levels that make him such a special Championship player and with Jonathan Rowe – whose 15-minute cameo changed the game at Deepdale last weekend – now also back in the fold, City are a seriously dangerous proposition.

Let’s be clear – none of those top five teams will want to play us in the play-offs.

Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich are making a calamitous collective meal of booking their place in the automatic spots, Southampton have failed to beat us this season and City delivered a dazzling Carrow Road display to blow West Brom away back in January.

Doubts among some of the more negative-minded fans around Wagner may remain – but even the most miserable football supporter must surely be able to acknowledge the remarkable turnaround the admirable German has masterminded since the new year.

Yes, Wagner can maybe be criticised for the way his team threw away leads at Leicester, Blackburn and QPR in recent weeks but having been at Preston on Saturday, his players delivered a professional, composed and resolute away display to outmanoeuvre Ryan Lowe’s men and all-but seal their place in the play-offs.

I think it’s fair to say me and the 1,500 others who made the long trip up to Lancashire saw none of the ‘negative’, ‘passive’ tactics that have sadly – and in my opinion, unfairly – become synonymous with Wagner’s tenure among many on social media.

And let’s not forget, this is a manager who has successfully navigated a team through the heart-thumping play-off lottery in the past, defying the odds to take Huddersfield up back in 2017 and without doubt more than capable of doing the same with this in-form City side.

Carrow Road is rocking, Birmingham away has just sold out and while some lingering criticism persists, it does feel like all of us are genuinely starting to believe.

So as Swift and her new album prepare to return to the UK, we can only hope that City are able to avoid a Cruel Summer outcome, Bad Blood towards Wagner diminishes and his players can cap another famous footballing Love Story at Wembley.

OTBC