Norwich City have a superb chance to seal promotion at Carrow Road for just the second time in the club’s history, if Daniel Farke’s team can grasp their opportunity this weekend.
The Championship leaders are closing on the 11th promotion in the club’s professional history but, remarkably, just one of those previous successes were sealed at Carrow Road.
It makes the prospect of needing just a solitary point against Blackburn on Saturday night even more tantalising, which would seal a Premier League return and the first promotion on home turf since 1960.
Ahead of the culmination of a hectic automatic promotion race, here’s a look back at City’s previous promotions...
• 1934 – Norwich 3 Coventry 1
Having been founder members of Division Three South in 1920, it wasn’t until 1934 when the Canaries first moved into national battle, winning the title to move up the second tier as champions.
A point was needed when second-placed Coventry visited The Nest but goals from Sam Bell, Ken Burditt and Jack Vinall were enough to seal the only promotion slot with two games remaining, in front of 16,903 spectators at the club’s old Rosary Road home.
• 1960 – Norwich 4 Southend 3
The only promotion at Carrow Road was witnessed by just short of 35,000 supporters, who knew just one point was needed against the Shrimpers to seal second place and a return to the second tier.
Promotion was all but sealed when 6,000 City fans watched a 0-0 draw at QPR four days earlier but winger Bill Punton inspired a 4-3 win to seal the deal with a game to spare, scoring one and having a hand in the other three, as Errol Crossan scored a brace and Brian Whitehouse scored the other.
• 1972 – Orient 1 Norwich 2
The club’s first promotion to the top flight was secured on a Monday evening in front of 15,530 spectators at Leyton Orient, with Ken Foggo claiming the lead two minutes after the break and Graham Paddon converting a penalty 20 minutes later, before the O’s scored a last-minute consolation.
The Division Two title was also won away from home, when Dave Stringer’s header at already relegated Watford earned a 1-1 draw which was enough to finish top, a point clear of Birmingham.
• 1975 – Portsmouth 0 Norwich 3
After two seasons in the top tier it was back to Division Two for City, with John Bond having succeeded Ron Saunders, and they finished third behind Manchester United and Aston Villa to bounce straight back to the big time.
Goals from Mick McGuire, Martin Peters and Phil Boyer sealed the deal at Fratton Park, with Sunderland finishing their season with 2-0 loss at Villa on the same day. Just short of 36,000 packed into Carrow Road for a dead rubber four days later, as City and Villa celebrated promotion, with the visitors winning 4-1.
• 1982 – Sheff Weds 2 Norwich 1
Some 10,000 Canaries fans witnessed a dramatic day at Hillsborough, when Ken Brown’s team needed just a point to seal promotion to the top flight – and thought they had it after a Keith Bertschin equaliser with four minutes to play.
The Owls reclaimed a late lead though and an anxious wait for news of Leicester’s result began, only for news of the Foxes’ 0-0 draw at home to lowly Shrewsbury to be announced over the loud speakers to spark the celebrations.
• 1986 – Bradford 0 Norwich 2
The dominant leaders sealed promotion to the top tier in front of a crowd of just 7,190 at the Odsal rugby league stadium, due to the fire at Bradford’s stadium a year earlier.
Goals from Kevin Drinkell and Wayne Biggens sealed the deal, once news of Portsmouth’s 2-0 home loss to Sheffield United had filtered through. Just over 17,000 fans then saw the title secured at Carrow Road thanks to a 1-1 draw with Stoke, thanks to a Dale Gordon goal, but the celebration could only begin once news of draws for both Charlton and Wimbledon had arrived.
• 2004 – Palace 3 Sunderland 0
Promotion to the Premier League and the title were both sealed in odd ways 15 years ago, with Sunderland crashing to a 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace on a Thursday night – when thousands had turned up at Carrow Road for a reserve game against Brentford.
Nigel Worthington, Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones were all there to celebrate, five days after a 5-0 home thrashing of Walsall, but there were still four games left. The title was sealed on a Tuesday after a 1-0 loss at Sunderland in the penultimate game, with rivals West Brom beaten 4-1 at Stoke on the same night
• 2010 – Charlton 0 Norwich 1
After slipping down to the third tier for the first time in 49 years, City bounced straight back with a 1-0 win at Charlton in front of 3,000 travelling fans, thanks to a Michael Nelson header, at the same stadium where the club had been relegated 12 months earlier.
Leeds had lost 3-2 at Gillingham so just a point was needed for the League One title, which was earned as Darel Russell and Nelson scored in a 2-0 win over the Gills at a packed out Carrow Road the following weekend.
• 2011 – Portsmouth 0 Norwich 1
An unforgettable Simeon Jackson header sealed another promotion at Fratton Park, with 3,000 City fans partying the night away on the south coast, after rivals Cardiff had slumped to a 3-0 home loss to Middlesbrough earlier in the day.
QPR had already wrapped up the title so a 2-2 home draw with Coventry on the final day was just a promotion party at Carrow Road, as second place in the Championship was safe.
• 2015 – Norwich 2 Middlesbrough 0
It may not have been on home soil, but winning at Wembley went down as one of the greatest days in Canaries history.
Early goals from Cameron Jerome and Nathan Redmond left Boro shell-shocked and around 35,000 City supporters soaked up the sunshine as Alex Neil’s team won the Championship play-off final, after finishing third and beating Ipswich in the semi-finals.
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