Norwich journeymen go on European adventure

While Oxford United, Luton Town and Wimbledon can all point to being denied their chance to play European football because of a ban on English clubs during the 1980s, no team was more hard done by than Norwich City. They did enough to qualify three times, only to be blocked on each occasion.

But when an unlikely third place finish in 1993 made it fourth time lucky, Norwich’s journeymen in their pebbledash green and yellow kit made up for previous disappointments by embarking on a true European adventure.

Given their last four seasons in the Premier Leagues have each ended in increasingly inevitable relegations, it is difficult to imagine Norwich City making an impact at the elite game.

Yet back when big club greed and ambition came together to spawn the Premier League, the idea of Norwich challenging at the right end of the table was not that fanciful. Norwich had, after all, enjoyed their most successful period. They followed their Milk Cup triumph in 1985 – despite relegation that same season – with a fourth place finish two years later and finished fifth in 1989.

However, come the start of the 1992-93 season, the signs were not so good. Indeed, Norwich almost missed the chance to take their place among the elite altogether after an alarming end to the previous season. A run of one win and nine defeats in their last 12 games had seen them finish just two places and three points above the drop.

Walker’s tactical switch pitted Culverhouse and German captain Matthaus as respective sweepers 

That run put paid to Dave Stringer’s time in charge and the appointment of reserve team manager Mike Walker did little to set pulses racing. Walker previously had an 18-month spell in charge of fourth tier Colchester United in 1996-97 – where curiously he was sacked with the club top of the league in November 1987 – and had since been in the Norwich backroom.

They also had to do without top scorer Robert Fleck, after a £2.5 million summer move to Chelsea.

But the appointment of Walker and the addition of one-time Manchester United wonderkid Mark Robins would prove inspirational and set Norwich on the way to an unlikely series of highs.

Norwich’s third place finish in the inaugural Premier League season was all the more impressive given they had a goal difference of -4 – the highest Premier League finish for a team with a negative goal difference. It was some 26 goals worse than fourth placed Blackburn, still pretty incredible even when accounting for Norwich’s 7-1 defeat at Ewood Park.

That hammering came at the start of October with Norwich top of the table after winning seven and losing just one of their first 10 games. While they recovered their poise sufficiently to open up an eight-point gap at the top, their fortunes turned in early December when they lost by one goal at Old Trafford. Norwich went six games without winning, while Manchester United went on to win the title by 10 points.

While Robins and Chris Sutton caught the eye with 26 goals between them, at the heart of this Norwich side was a team of journeymen who produced the form of the lives. The likes of Bryan Gunn, Ian Culverhouse, Ian Butterworth, Mark Bowen, John Polston, Ian Crook and Jeremy Goss were all largely unheralded outside of East Anglia.

That is particularly true of Goss, who the following season starred on the European stage.

Norwich’s third place finish had finally earned them a UEFA Cup spot and the chance to go head-to-head with German giants Bayern Munich in the second round. Despite the obvious mismatch - Walker’s tactical switch pitted Culverhouse and German captain Matthaus as respective sweepers  - a spectacular Goss volley and Bowen’s far post header gave Norwich a 2-1 win in Munich. In doing so, Norwich became the only English club to win in the Olympiastadion.

Goss was then on hand to equalise at Carrow Road to earn the 1-1 draw in the second leg that took Norwich through. Impressively 14% of his career goals came against the German giants.

Norwich were rewarded with the chance to lock horns with Inter Milan in the next round, and were only beaten by late Dennis Bergkamp goals in both legs.

Given their last four seasons in the Premier Leagues have each ended in increasingly inevitable relegations, it is difficult to imagine Norwich City making an impact at the elite game.

While their European heroics grabbed the headlines, Norwich were at this stage holding their own in the league on the fringes of the European places. But their fortunes dived when Walker in January quit to join Everton.

The move did few favours. Walker, with a bit of help from Wimbledon keeper Hans Segers, just about kept Everton up that year. But he was sacked the next season less than 10 months into the job.

Norwich, promoted internally once again, but with less success as under John Deehan. Though they survived that that season, continued player sales - notably Sutton’s move to big-spending Blackburn - took a toll and Norwich were relegated at the end of 1995.   They have only intermittently troubled the Premier League since.

How We Ranked Them

We have five categories of greatness from our five-star All-Time Greats category at the top to our one-star Blinkered Greats category at the bottom. While their swashbuckling style makes you want to put them higher, a high of third place in the Premier League and third round exit in the UEFA Cup drove a more realistic ** Edge of Greatness

Listen To The Podcast

We were joined by Norwich-based Gus Krasonic to look back at East Anglia’s finest football moment.

Crowbarred Oxford Connection

Midfielder David Smith made six of his 18 Norwich City appearances during the 1992-93 season and was unused substitute in the San Siro a year later. Smith moved to Oxford United in 1994, where his general lack of goal threat (three goals in 193 appearances) prompted the “he does things only professionals notice” defence from manager Denis Smith.