Spot A Celeb Chef (Carrow Road (Norwich City FC))

Member Name: sam@manutd

Product:	Carrow Road (Norwich City FC)
Date:	09/05/06 (270 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good facilities, Easy to get to, Good Views, Undergone major redevelopment

Disadvantages: Chances of seeing a dull game are high at the moment

I’ve been a season ticket holder at Carrow Road for three seasons. During that time there have been major developments at the ground and some up and downs on the pitch. The record so far reads promotion, premier league and relegation, incredibly crap and very dull season Championship season.

THE GROUND

Most football grounds are located in areas of a town or city that aren’t exactly upmarket. The same could have been said for Carrow Road. It used to be found at the end of a large area of concrete wasteland. But Norwich has undergone some massive redevelopment in recent times and as a result the pathway to the ground is much changed. Now there is a leisure complex, shops and substantial residential development.

In line with these changes, the ground has changed in recent seasons. In 2003the stadium had one stand known as the South Stand that had seen better days. The club knocked down this structure and invested in a new 8000 seater stand with updated facilities. This stand was fully open for the first time when we faced West Ham. The stand is very modern in design and stands out from the other three. Arguably it offers the best views of the game although I’ve found the legroom a little bit compact when I’ve sat there for a reserve game. If you’re an away fan you’ll be sat in this stand at one end.

The end stands are known as the River End and The Barclay. The majority of crowd noise will come from The Barclay whilst The River tends to be more family and older supporters orientated.

The City Stand is the smallest stand at the ground but plans are afoot to build on top of it once the club has financing in place.

When the club was promoted they invested in filling in the corner between the South Stand and the River end. This corner offers two tiers and a sizeable facility for disabled supporters.

I sit in the Barclay as it has the best atmosphere for games and gives a good view of the action.

If you’re an away supporter then travel to the ground is fairly straightforward. The train station is within a 5-10 minute walk. Parking around the ground is limited but the ground is a close walk from the city centre and car parks are in abundance. You’ll also find a number of pubs close by which are quite accommodating.

PRICES

Getting a ticket for a game isn’t easy. In recent years attendances at Carrow Road have grown to become the best in the division with nearly every game a sell out. Last season saw 20,000+ season ticket holders and that number is close to being reached for the new season in August. There are limited numbers of tickets for every game on regular sale and prices average out at about £25. Is that good value? Well what is these days in football.
FOOTBALL

The standard of football this season gone has left a lot to be desired. After a season in the top flight many supporters expected the team to be challenging once more. But they’ve never troubled the top six and the quality on show has been poor. This has lead to protests outside the ground, angry scenes during games and lame excuses from those at the club. This summer is an important time for the club and anything less than top six probably won’t be accepted.

EXTRAS

Of course if you come to Carrow Road then not only can you see football but you can also see celebrities. Yes the woman who taught regular people how to boil an egg is a director. Glance across to the City Stand and you too can see Delia Smith – for some this may be worth the ticket price alone.

Summary: On The Ball City! The Theatre of Dreams......and some nightmares