Every football fan has their own collection of favourites, especially Norwich City ones like me and you.
In “Freddie’s Favourite Five,” I take a personal look at my five standouts on a particular topic on the Canaries – today’s focus – my five favourite moments in the East Anglian Derby.
1. 9-2 on aggregate
What better place to start than probably the best two East Anglian Derbies that Norwich have ever had? We made a mockery of Ipswich Town, beating them 5-1 at Portman Road, then rubbing even more salt in the wound with a 4-1 win at Carrow Road, courtesy of a Grant Holt hat-trick. No derby game since then has ever come close, and we’re yet to be on the receiving end of anything like that in the 15 years that have followed. What made it even better is that we ended up promoted to the Premier League and made those wins count.
2. Rowe’s double at Portman Road
His departure from Norwich City may well have left a sour taste in the mouths of Norwich fans, but Jonathan Rowe gave them a moment to remember by scoring both goals for the Canaries in a 2-2 draw with Ipswich in December of 2023. With Norwich struggling in the Championship under David Wagner, and Ipswich in the playoff places, it looked highly likely the unbeaten run would come to an end. But up stepped Rowe, scoring twice and helping Norwich secure a point, celebrated like it was all three.
3. Pukki cements his legendary status
A 3-0 win at Carrow Road with Norwich City ending the day at the top of the table, with Ipswich right at the bottom of it. An East Anglian sandwich, as it was branded by City fans in that wonderful 2018/19 season. But the game in NR1 was extra special. Onel Hernandez made it 1-0 within the first 80 seconds, and calmed any nerves in the place right from the get-go, before Teemu Pukki bagged a brace in front of the Barclay end, making sure that if he wasn’t already a Norwich City icon, he certainly was after that. Cue chants of “City’s going up..” and a wonderful afternoon.
4. Derby Day playoff at Carrow Road
Beating your rivals at home is certainly a great feeling. But beating them 3-1 in a playoff semi-final second leg to go to Wembley and be 90 minutes away from the Premier League? That’s almost indescribable. After a tense 1-1 draw in the first leg, people thought this game was going to be of the same ilk, especially after a goalless first half. But a red card for Christophe Berra, followed by goals from Wesley Hoolahan, Nathan Redmond, and Cameron Jerome, had the place bouncing and helped them on their way back to the Premier League.
5. “Oh no, how awful!”
Timm Klose. 95th minute. A goal that broke blue and white and hearts. Enough said.
