Robert ONeill, NCISA What a strange and bizarre start to the season - We certainly hit the headlines from the very first game, but not in a way that anyone would have guessed or wanted! With Norwich dropping out of the top two divisions for the first time in 50 years I was thinking that the national column inches would be few and far between this season, an overwhelming defeat against Colchester shot us right to the top story! When we then sacked our manager, and appointed Colchester's man, we were guaranteed to stay there.

Robert ONeill, NCISA

What a strange and bizarre start to the season - We certainly hit the headlines from the very first game, but not in a way that anyone would have guessed or wanted!

With Norwich dropping out of the top two divisions for the first time in 50 years I was thinking that the national column inches would be few and far between this season, an overwhelming defeat against Colchester shot us right to the top story! When we then sacked our manager, and appointed Colchester's man, we were guaranteed to stay there. As I said: NCFC was the top story for all the wrong reasons but we had to change, and change quickly, and the new board have made their mark on this club - hopefully one that will get us headlines for the right reasons: winning and success in this league!

The 7-1 result still is leaving many fans with a sour taste in the mouth and a ringing in the ears. I agree with the club decision that it had to move quickly, and while we all loved Gunn as a man for his work both in and out of football, even he would have to admit that, as a football manager, it is results on the pitch that count.

At the end of the day, Gunny did not seem to be getting the luck or the results that we needed. So how long do you give him? It's not normally until clubs look back at the end of a season that they realise they gave their manager too long.

I have made it clear to the people that know me that Lambert would not have been my first choice as manager, nor would I be happy if the allegation about the way we went after him turned out to be true, but with early results going our way and the play looking so much better I, for one, would love to be proved wrong, but only time will tell on that.

With the new board still busy making their mark, and knowing that they have yet more stones to be looked under if not overturned, we might just be at the start of the many big changes that we will see this season.

When attending the midweek cup game I was looking and hoping for a moment or two of inspiration on what to write in this week NCISA pinkun column.

t Point 1

When I heard the teamsheet for the first time, I saw that the captain's armband had been given to Simon Lappin - a player who, in only a few months, has gone from being frozen out of the first team and told to go and train with the youth team, to being captain for this game! When he was so unceremoniously dropped, did he sit down and cry or walk away? No! He showed what he is made of by not only accepting it, but going on to build on it and show what he is made of. At the same time, some so call 'big stars' have come gone because, despite being the players that were not good enough to keep Norwich in the Championship, they left us because they presumably felt that they were too good to wear the shirt in League One.

t Point 2

The turnout was good again, and the club did well to offer low cost tickets, but apart from the goal, the biggest cheer of the night from the stands was awarded to a Barclay End steward that many people seem to think looks like a certain Mr Jerry Springer! Hopefully this club will never be the subject of one of his shows though.

We have certainly picked up from our opening game, and with such a loyal crowd supporting, my hope is that the board, the manager and the players pull it all together - time will tell, and I (plus over 20,000 others) can't wait!