Who's Your Hero? 16h JANUARYY 2010

WHO’S YOUR HERO?

When I was a young boy playing football, like most others I guess, I used to pretend to be my favourite player of the time. Sometimes I’d be Graham Paddon (in the pre-beard days, of course, as I was probably only about 12 at the time!) and I’d then be constantly trying left-footed shots from distance or left-footed through balls, neither of which came off very often as I was pretty right-footed on the whole. Peter Silvester, who was on ‘The Scrimmage’ last week, was another favourite whose imitation would see me taking a more advanced role further up the lawn in my back garden, whilst at other times I’d drift out towards the flower beds in a quest to replicate the darting runs of winger Ken Foggo.

It must be equally difficult for the current set of young Canary fans to choose who to be when they play. A small, almost exclusively left-footed lad who likes a dribble would obviously choose to imitate Wesley Hoolahan, whilst I suppose any ginger-headed lad worth his salt is certain to want to be The Doc, especially now he’s such a free scoring menace in the opposition box! (How times have changed! Let’s be honest, a few months ago the idea of a kid wanting to be The Doc would have been about as likely as braziers- sending heat upwards- thawing out a frozen pitch!) However, after that, things aren’t so straightforward are they?

Who’s going to be Chris Martin? Perhaps a young lad whose been a bit naughty but mended his ways, got into a few scrapes but stopped being so cocky and grown up a bit. Darel Russell might be the choice of a youngster who used to get a little too aggressive sometimes and never really knew what his best position was before settling down in to a role in his team that really suits him. If you’re a bit younger than all the other lads but just as good then maybe you fancy being Korey Smith. If you just play well game after game after game then why not be Adam Drury? Can’t stop scoring? Easy – you’re Grant Holt. Got a bit of Spanish blood in you, son? Then you’d better go on the left-side of the diamond.

Isn’t it brilliant to think that for the first time in ages we have some proper heroes for our young fans to admire? Our current squad is a credit to the club and, it seems, conducts itself appropriately. There have been no tantrums from substituted players, no arrogant interviews, no public sulks – even from the likes of Cody McDonald or Anthony McNamee who might well be frustrated by lack of opportunity. Just that togetherness, that collective purpose and that consistency of performance for which we have waited so long. Added to that, and I suppose it’s because we keep winning, there have been smiles. Everywhere you look, it seems, there are smiles on players’ faces and nothing is guaranteed to enthuse a youngster more than the sight of his favourite player either celebrating a goal or joining in with such a celebration. This season might well see Norwich City winning back a few young fans from the big Premier League teams and so the next generation of season-ticket holders comes along.

But if you’re like me and you’re now a little too old to play any more who’s your current Norwich City hero? It could still be a player, the menacing Holt, perhaps, certainly the nearest thing to a Canary icon since Hucks or Iwan. Fraser Forster, maybe, who has hardly put a glove wrong since Leeds. However, maybe the most likely candidate is St. Paul himself whose miraculous transformation of base metal into gold –true alchemy- perhaps belongs in the annals of City legend. Should we throw in the name of David McNally? It surely hasn’t been easy to drive forward a club whose general situation on and off the field when he arrived was so dire. He has done so, it seems, by implementing a little bit of ruthless business practice when the whole place had previously been a byword for sentimentality, and it must have taken some courage to make your first publicly significant action the sacking of a club legend.

Some might still champion Delia and her husband, and though there will be others who might not entertain their being held in such high esteem after the events of recent years we must surely never forget their massive generosity in funding our club. Whilst it might not be completely true to say that they once saved the club from extinction there can be few Norwich supporters who do not bless the day they became involved. Mistakes have been made but at least we have not been fleeced by some foreign businessman and become a Portsmouth.

Whoever you admire in connection with our football club I hope, like me, you are enjoying the resurgence of pride the current season is giving us. We all need heroes and for those of us who look to football to provide them these are happy days.