Back to business as usual

Tim Allman, Capital Canaries

It's been three weeks since my last City game due to holidays and international breaks and already it feels like the start of a new season. A family international break in the Canaries (where else could we possibly have gone?) meant that I missed the cup match at Blackburn and also the league match at Nottingham Forest.

In common with most of the population of Blackburn I wasn't too fussed about the cup match, but missing the Forest game was disappointing. I was hoping for the fixture computer to give City an away game at some bleak northern outpost, perhaps in the vicinity of Blackburn, which I wouldn't be too fussed about avoiding, but no chance. Out comes one of the better away days of the season.

So whilst the Capital Canaries were enjoying a fun day out at the football I was on a beach in Corralejo, with a bucket and spade and a mobile phone waiting for goal updates from the City Ground. My thanks to all who kept me informed.

International breaks are the one bad thing about being back in the Championship. Missing a City game and a Saturday afternoon out on behalf of a bunch of teams that I am increasingly losing interest in isn't something I particularly enthusiastic about, especially if one of our players were to come back injured.

The one positive thing to come of the international break was Non-League Day, and a chance to catch up with my local team Wealdstone who were playing Bury Town. It was only a fiver to get in with my City season ticket, and the crowd was over 500; a respectable attendance for a Ryman League game. Although the game was goal-less it was one of the more entertaining no-score draws I've seen with some decent play by both sides. The biggest plus point from the game was seeing a man of the match performance from Kieron Forbes, who is ex-canary Adrian's younger brother. And with every plus point, there's also a minus; this was seeing Jamie Scowcroft coming on a as sub for Bury Town. As I didn't want to catch anything untoward I didn't get close to him to give him my best wishes, but I was near enough to see him appear to be sporting a scar on his cheek where he used to have that huge mole.

There's always been something particularly annoying about Scowcroft that I've never been able to put my finger on. It goes far deeper than him playing for them down the A140. Even Alan Lee, who was never one of my favourites was accepted after the way he put himself around in his debut at Birmingham and forgiven for the team he used to play for. When Scowcroft was linked with City a few years ago I was in a real quandary as I was unsure how I could ever accept that he might play for City. From memory the only time I have had any sympathy for him was when he sustained a nasty looking neck injury in our local derby Friday night 3-1 victory back in 1996. He lay motionless on the pitch for a few minutes and it looked as if he might have been very seriously hurt.

And back to business as usual, this Saturday the Capital Canaries will be travelling in force from Liverpool Street on the 11.00am to Norwich. Thanks to our favourite train operator National Express East Anglia we only pay three-quarters of the lowest possible adult fare for a return trip from London, and with some creative rounding on the price in favour of FONCY it will only cost �13 return this season for our weekend games. The deal is a real bargain for London-based City fans and we also raise some much needed cash raised for FONCY. Last season the Capital Canaries raised around �325; this season, hopefully the final total will be even more.

Our website has also had a makeover and we have moved from dot com to dot co uk. As with these projects, it has taken a great deal of hard work and late nights to completion and launch so well done and congratulations to all concerned. The results can be seen at www.capitalcanaries.co.uk.