- Marcelino Nunez sparked modern fury by making ten million pound switch.
- Andy Marshall remains a villain at Carrow Road after joining the rivals.
- Legends like Clive Woods found success rarely follows players between clubs.
The East Anglian Derby has rarely seen players cross the Norfolk/Suffolk border, but several players have represented both clubs. We at ReadNorwich look at five players who caused controversy by swapping from Norwich City and Ipswich Town, and their careers at both clubs.
1. Andy Marshall
A product of Norwich’s academy, Marshall made over 200 appearances for the Canaries before leaving on a free transfer in 2001 after running down his contract. He joined Ipswich Town, where he played 53 matches before departing in 2004. Despite his longevity at Norwich, he won no major honours at either club, though he did earn individual recognition, being named Norwich’s Player of the Season for 2000/01.
2. Clive Woods
Woods spent over a decade at Ipswich after joining in 1969, making 267 appearances and winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the Texaco Cup in 1973. He later moved to Norwich in 1980, where he made 32 appearances before retiring. While he achieved major honours with Ipswich, his spell at Norwich was short-lived and trophyless.
3. John Deehan
Deehan is another prominent crossover player. After being a key striker for Norwich between 1981 and 1986, where he scored 62 goals in 162 games and was also part of the 1985 League Cup-winning side. He transferred to Ipswich in 1986 as part of an exchange deal involving Trevor Putney moving to Norwich. Deehan played 49 games and scored 11 goals, but unlike his time at Norwich, didn’t win any silverware.
4. Trevor Putney
Seeing as he also made the crossover the Norfolk/Suffolk border in that same swap deal involving Deehan, we should move on to Putney himself. Having made 103 appearances for Ipswich, he joined Norwich in 1986 and enjoyed a more successful spell, becoming part of a competitive side in the late 1980s. However, like Deehan at Ipswich, he did not secure major honours in his time at the Canaries.
But the latest player to cross the East Anglian border, perhaps, is the most controversial.
5. Marcelino Nunez
Nunez left the Canaries this summer to move to Ipswich, becoming the first player since Marshall in 2001 to change from yellow and green to blue and white. He signed on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £10m, after rejecting several contract extension offers from Norwich in the final year of his contract. He played 119 times for the Canaries, scoring 12 goals and assisting 10. Since his move to Portman Road, he’s played 29 times, scored three goals and registered seven assists.
It may well be more than you think, but several players have opted to switch their allegiances in the East Anglian Derby. But based on the stories of those we’ve looked at, it’s rare for them to achieve equal success at both clubs. Most, like Woods and Deehan, earned their greatest honours with one team, which may well continue with Nunez, as he looks likely to achieve at Ipswich what he missed out on at Norwich: promotion to the Premier League.
