When Johansson worked graveyard shift

The Evening News has unearthed a startling fact - new City striker Jonatan Johansson used to be a grave-digger! One of the few bright spots to emerge from this weekend's game was Johansson's debut strike as the on-loan Charlton striker lifted that 33rd minute lob over a stranded Lewis Price.

The Evening News has unearthed a startling fact - new City striker Jonatan Johansson used to be a grave-digger!

With the majority of Canary fans now banking on City's play-off prospects being dead and buried following Sunday's derby disaster, one of the few bright spots to emerge from this weekend's game was Johansson's debut strike as the 30-year-old on-loan Charlton striker lifted that 33rd minute lob over a stranded Lewis Price.

Alas, it was not enough to dig Norwich out of their 2006 rut with Nigel Worthington's troops yet to win a game this year. Nevertheless, it is still all a far cry from Johansson's teenage years when, as a student, he used to make ends meet by working in the local churchyard and, having got up at 3.30am every morning, baking fancy Finnish pastries at the local bakers.

His third income arrived courtesy of refereeing local matches. It appears it was a moot point as to which of his part-time professions was more unsavoury - being a grave-digger or an amateur referee.

“I needed money to live on, but my boss at the graveyard knew I loved football and let me go early,” said Johansson. “I would referee kids' football and women's matches to get a bit more money. I was only 14 and did it until I was 16. I didn't enjoy it though. I dreaded every game.”