Next Game – Norwich City (away)

Adam Drury

We know all about their chase at the end of last season and it will at least be some consolation if we can put a stop to them tomorrow as well as picking up another three points for ourselves to try and move up the table just a bit more.

They came as close as it is possible to get to the Premiership last season, losing out in the play off final on penalties, and will be doubly determined to get there.

When we met in November they were riding high in 3^rd place in the league and in fact were in the top six from the start of the season until February when they slipped into 7^th place. They dropped to 8^th in mid-March and have been there since.

Everything was fine until Boxing Day and a shock 1-0 home defeat to Brighton. That started a disastrous run of just one win in eleven games that brought them just seven points. Those results included draws against the other three teams in the bottom four – Stoke, Grimsby and Sheffield Wednesday with the Stoke game at home.

The only league win during those games was perhaps a surprise victory when they beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane 1-0 with a second half goal from Paul McVeigh.

Things have picked up since and they have won four of their last six Division One games with the three at home against Coventry, Franchise and Bradford all won.

There has been some squad strengthening during 2003 but the only permanent signing is Keith Briggs from Stockport and he is yet to start a game.

Two players from other First Division clubs have been with them on loan recently. Preston’s David Healy is having his second spell there whilst Leigh Bromby has just returned to Sheffield Wednesday. Healy has scored two goals in ten appearances and Bromby played five times for them.

Norwich had taken an early lead through Paul McVeigh only for Derby to equalise via their new manager’s nephew Craig Burley. In fact Norwich had been fortunate to be in front and for most of the game were under pressure from Derby.

A late onslaught failed to bring about an equaliser with much of the credit going to former Burnley keeper Andy Oakes who had a somewhat better day than Green.

Norwich lined up: Robert Green, Steen Nedegaard (Neil Emblen 64), Malky Mackay, Darren Kenton, Jason Shackell, Mark Rivers (David Healy 67), Gary Holt, Darel Russell, Clint Easton, Zema Abbey (Iwan Roberts 67), Paul McVeigh. Subs not used: Paul Crichton, Dean Sinclair.

Paul McVeigh, scorer at Derby, has the most goals with thirteen although he has netted just three times since mid November. Iwan Roberts and Malky Mackay both have seven.

It’s just two years since the Clarets won at Norwich for the first time since 1934. There was a Green howler that day too as he let a long range effort from Bally sneak in.

Click HERE to see the preview from the home game and HERE to see Norwich’s results this season.

He played for both

Sheffield born ‘Bertie’ Biggins was actually working on a building site when he got the call from Burnley’s big cigar smoking disaster. He was brought in as a replacement for the injured Kevin Reeves and was soon in the first team and soon scoring goals.

It took him just two games to score his first goal and another two to collect his first hat-trick against former club Lincoln and he scored 8 goals in 20 appearances in the rest of that season.

Despite relegation the following season Biggins did well and scored 18 goals having been an ever present in the side. For a time it looked as though he might become the first Burnley player since Willie Irvine to score 20 league goals in a season but he disappointingly fell short.

He was always going to be a vital player after relegation but his third Burnley manager Martin Buchan didn’t seem to rate him and a week after Buchan disappeared into thin air Biggins was sold to Norwich by the new boss Tommy Cavanagh and replaced by Derrick Parker. In 78 league games for Burnley he had scored 30 goals.

He enjoyed a great period at Stoke where he hit the 20 goal barrier and was then also top scorer at Barnsley and his departure from Oakwell had a Clarets link to it. He was involved in a part-exchange deal that saw Andy Payton move in the opposite direction.

In just under two years at the Turf he was always popular with the fans and the decision to replace him with Parker is one that should haunt Buchan and Cavanagh.

Click HERE to see all Burnley’s league results against Norwich Last Time in the League since our first meeting in 1934.

Last time in the League

Norwich City 2 (Holt 4 Roberts 56) Burnley 1 (Armstrong 58) – Nationwide League Division 1, Saturday 22^nd September 2001

We arrived at Norwich with Wolves having won at Walsall the previous night to knock take 2^nd place with the Canaries down to 3^rd. It didn’t bother us though, we were top, well clear, had won our last four games and seven out of eight in the season.

Norwich were in sparkling form at home with four wins out of four, Burnley were in sparkling form away with four wins out of four. Something had to give.

We had been warned before hand over a pint with Norwich fans that Gary Holt was the key player, an aggressive player in midfield that usually saw Norwich on top in the middle of the field. They didn’t tell us he hit rockets in from outside the box.

But that’s precisely what he did with just four minutes gone after a poor clearance out by the Clarets. We could have been back in it when Glen Little was brought down for a penalty but referee Paul Alcock (or the apology for a referee) chose to give it outside despite his assistant having signalled the spot kick. But Alcock, never within 50 yards of the ball, knows best.

The rest of the half was an even affair but disaster struck just before half time when Alan Moore went down injured. Moore, along with Glen Little, had been the star of the show in the early season wins and was our best player on the day but he was down with a serious groin injury that was to keep him out for over two months.

But we were back in it two minutes later when Gordon Armstrong hit home after a right wing corner. Following that we played out best football of the match and pressed for an equaliser but with ten minutes to go came another bad injury this time for Glen Little.

As he worked his way into the Norwich box he went down in a challenge but in fact had torn his hamstring again. Both Little and Moore out was to lead to a run of only one win in eight games so vital were they to the way we played.

Sub Tony Ellis, a hero earlier in the month at Bradford should have found an equaliser but it was to end in our second defeat of the season and our first away from home.

The teams were:

Norwich City: Robert Green, Darren Kenton (Brian McGovern 61), Malky Mackay, Craig Fleming, Adam Drury, Steen Nedegaard, Darel Russell, Gary Holt, Paul McVeigh (Alex Notman 84), Iwan Roberts, Marc Libbra (Neil Emblen 71). Subs not used: Paul Crichton, Mark Rivers.

Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Dean West, Steve Davis, Gordon Armstrong, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little (Tony Ellis 80), Kevin Ball, Paul Cook, Alan Moore (Paul Weller 45), Ian Moore (Andy Payton 66), Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Luigi Cennamo, Mitchell Thomas.

Referee: Paul Alcock.