WHAT'S IT FOR?

Big football matches can change things, and England's World Cup victory over West Germany in 1966 certainly did that, for football in general and particularly for the old Second Division. Afterwards, entertainment levels in the Division were dire for at least a couple of seasons. Following Ramsey's success, everyone but everyone had to play 4-3-3. The problem was that most clubs still had players from earlier tactical ages who were simply not suited to this new, physically draining, back-tracking and running game. In the end, of course, pragmatism won, as most sides 'played for the point' at home and away, and 0-0 and 1-1 draws ruled the roost.
I can remember facing the wrath of one Norwich City manager who thought the latest goalless home draw had been greeted with insufficient enthusiasm by the fans and by my written newspaper account. It was boring, I said. We got a bloody point, exclaimed he.
More recently, when contemplating the aftermath of the Canaries' relegation, it produced the thought that perhaps club and fans would be happier in the Championship, anyway, because they would most probably win more games. And it prompted the larger question: what is football for?
Is it for prestige: is Premiership status really the only status worth having? Is it for entertainment? After all, a 4-5 defeat can produce a terrific match. Or is it a results-based business only?
Going back to Norwich City, they were relegated from the Premiership last season, a fact which provoked much frustration and hard words among the fans and months of misery and disappointment during the season. It's a disaster, they said. But in the Championship, I thought, City will almost certainly win more matches, and everyone will be a good deal happier.
So, what is football for? Honours and high status, meaning the Premiership? Thrilling, entertaining matches, in whatever division? Or points, plain and simple. It is important, because it is rare for all three to come together at the same time.

TRIPLE DERBY

Norwich City's recent victory over Ipswich Town was greeted as usual by whoops of enthusiasm in my neck of the woods. Indeed, thoughts of battles between Town and City have kept local football juices running for many decades, and clashes between the two have always been among the most eagerly awaited of fixtures. It is important to have local bragging rights even if it is, quite often, only on a temporary basis.
The fact is, however, that Norwich/Ipswich clashes are the sole survivors of what was once a cluster of 'derby' matches. Nearly 60 years' ago, when I first came to Norfolk, Norwich City sometimes had six - not two - recognised and fairly regular 'derby' clashes on their fixture lists. I can remember reporting on one of them. Aside from Ipswich, the other two teams perceived as derbies were Leicester City and Northampton Town, and it was a match at Northampton I watched.
Why Leicester and Northampton? Well, the boot and shoe industry was behind it. So many people from the Norwich footwear industry had taken similar jobs in these other two centres, and raised their families there, that any Northampton/Norwich or Leicester/Norwich clash was automatically important, not only as an excuse to refresh old acquaintances but also, again, for the bragging rights.
It was fun, I seem to remember, though by about 1959 these particular links were beginning to come to an end. Along with the heyday of the local boot and shoe industry, of course.