From the vault: Opponents in focus - Norwich

Another of Pompey's no power championship opponents will be Norwich, so they are next to come under the microscope as PompeyFrippy has a look at them - we revisit this ahead of the meeting tomorrow...

---

Stadium
Norwich City Football Club were founded in 1902 in Norfolk, and upon their creation they played their home games at Newmarket road until 1908 when they moved to Rosary Road. The football club and it's fan base started to grow so a move to Carrow Road was on the cards, the stadium they still use today. It was modified to an all-seater stadium in 1990 and thanks to some construction this summer, now holds an impressive 27,000.

Trophies
Norwich first experienced success in 1933-34, when they won the Third Division South. In 1971-72 and again in 1985-86 they won what was then called the Second Division, equivalent of todays Championship. They also twice won the League Cup, in 1962 and 1985. Most recently, they won the Division 1 title just 1 year after Pompey did in 2003-04, but a turn in fortunes saw them slide town to the third tier. Last season they won League 1 finishing 9 points above Leeds.

Last 7 Season Finishing Positions
2003-04 - Division 1 - 1st
2004-05 - Premiership - 19th
2005-06 - Championship - 9th
2006-07 - Championship - 16th
2007-08 - Championship - 17th
2008-09 - Championship - 22nd
2009-10 - League 1 - 1st

Previous Meetings
During Norwich's brief stint in the Premiership, both encounters with Portsmouth ended even. The first at Carrow Road in October 2004 finished 2-2, with Yakubu and Berger twice putting Portsmouth in front, but Darren Huckerby and a very rare goal from Simon Charlton earned The Canaries a point. The return fixture at Fratton Park on New Years Day 2005 finished 1-1 after goals from Yakubu and Francis, despite the fact that Norwich played for 85 minutes a man down.

The last time the two sides met in the second tier was one of the most memorable matches of our Promotion winning season. After a dour first half, the game sprung to life with 4 goals in 5 minutes. Yakubu's goal was cancelled out by Easton, and Todorov's by Rivers. It was only when Todorov scored his second 10 minutes later with a great turning volley into the roof of the net that the sides could be separated, with Pompey winning 3-2.

This season
The sides will meet at Carrow Road on the 11th of December, and for the final game at Fratton Park on the 30th of April.

Manager
Paul Lambert is a relatively newbie to management. He retired from playing 5 years ago after a career mainly in Scotland, with the exception of a Season in Germany. He successfully guided Norwich to promotion in his first season at the helm and is looking comfortable with the prospect of a season in the Championship.

One to Watch
An obvious choice, but captain Grant Holt had a great season last year, netting 30 goals along the way and scoring some valuable goals. At 29 years old he is at the peak of his career and looking like he could cause a few problems for a lot of teams next season.

Fun Fact
Oddly enough, Norwich's nickname, The Canaries, didn't come about because of their Yellow shirt, but the other way around. They adopted the nickname in 1907 despite playing in blue and white. The yellow kit came the season after that to accompany the nickname, and ever since, both have stuck.

Written by PompeyFrippy.

The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.

Opponents in focus: Barnsley FC - here.
Opponents in focus: Bristol City - here.
Opponents in focus: Burnley - here.
Opponents in focus: Cardiff - here.
Opponents in focus: Coventry - here.
Opponents in focus: Crystal Palace - here.
Opponents in focus: Derby - here.
Opponents in focus: Doncaster - here.
Opponents in focus: Hull - here.
Opponents in focus: Ipswich - here.
Opponents in focus: Leeds - here.
Opponents in focus: Leicester - here.
Opponents in focus: Middlesbrough - here.
Opponents in focus: Millwall - here.
Opponents in focus: Norwich - here.
Opponents in focus: Nottingham Forest - here.
Opponents in focus: Preston - here.
Opponents in focus: QPR - here.
Opponents in focus: Reading - here.
Opponents in focus: Scunthorpe - here.
Opponents in focus: Sheffield United - here.
Opponents in focus: Swansea - here.
Opponents in focus: Watford - here.

Click here to make your prediction: Norwich v Pompey.

Frippy's Virtual Bookies - latest update and place your bets!

Seconds Out! Vital Boxing is here!

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.