City players pay their own way

Chris Lakey

Norwich City players have dipped into their own pockets to help in the fight against relegation.

The players decided against spending hours on a coach, which is the regular mode of transport nowadays for the cash-strapped Canaries, and instead agreed to stump up around �200 each to fly north - so they can prepare properly for arguably their biggest clash of the season, at fellow strugglers Blackpool this afternoon.

“We want to prepare properly for it,” said Wes Hoolahan, who will be returning to his old club.

“We want to get up there as quickly as possible. We don't want to be on a bus for a few hours so the boys dec-ided to do it and I think it's a good idea.

“It shows great spirit, it shows that we want to win and it shows that we want to be in this division next year.”

The players' gesture comes days after City went to QPR and came home with three points - bringing back a little of the feelgood factor with them and breathing new life into the battle for survival.

It's a decision which got the stamp of approval from manager Bryan Gunn, who is hoping to engineer successive away victories for the first time in more than a year.

“The lads approached us the other evening to see, as part of their preparations, if maybe they could fly up,” he explained.

“The financial side of things at the club dictates our travelling arrangements, but the players are happy to put their hands in their own pockets and make that commitment to the club.

“That shows that there is a commitment from the lads. Flying up on a scheduled flight will obviously take a lot of that travelling time out of it.

“The preparation will be as good as they can have. If it helps get them a result at Blackpool it's a small price to pay.”

City are currently second from bottom of the Championship table - two places and three points behind Blackpool.