Norris: I've Never Played in Worse Conditions
Monday, 20th Dec 2010 08:36
Skipper David Norris admitted that he had never experienced snowy conditions similar to those during Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Leicester, even when he was playing for Peterborough pub the Lord Westwood as a teenager.
Norris said: “I played pub football when I was 18 and I think even then that would have been called off! I’ve not played in anything like that. I think for the first five minutes it was OK but I could feel it getting pretty hard underneath.
“I think because there was so much more snow it helped, in that it was soft and it wasn’t dangerously slippery.”
The 29-year-old felt the conditions did deteriorate later on: “I think in the second half we can all agree that it became a bit farcical. I don’t think it was too dangerous, I don’t think there were too many players slipping but it was clumping up with snow.
“It was the same for both teams though and we were 3-0 up, so we were desperate for it not to be called off.”
Norris didn’t expect to return after referee Stuart Attwell took the players off just before the hour mark to allow further work on the pitch: “Once we were going in I thought that was it. I thought that was his chance and if he was going to call it off, he was going to call it off then because if anything it was going to get worse.
“Once we did come back out, I didn’t expect the game to be called off then, he had to see it out. I think after not calling it off before the game, once we’d gone 3-0 up it was a difficult decision for the referee to have to make to call it off. Fair play to him, he stuck by his guns.”
Unsurprisingly the Leicester players made their thoughts on the matter known: “They were chirping at the ref non-stop — ‘It’s a shambles, ‘It’s a joke’, ‘You’re a joke’, ‘ It’s got to be called off’.
“We were in his other ear saying the opposite — ‘There’s only 20 minutes left’, ‘There’s only 10 minutes left’, ‘Don’t get sucked in by what they’re saying’. But I think in their position we would have been doing the same.”
The former Plymouth man says he and the rest of the squad are grateful to Alan Ferguson for making sure the game went ahead and that it continued for its full duration: “We’ll have a whip round for the groundsman, he did a great job!”
Norris, who revealed that negotiations continue regarding his new two-year contract, says it was a vital victory for the Blues after six successive league losses: “It was a massive result for us, despite of the conditions. We needed it. We scored early, it was 3-0 at half-time and we kept a clean sheet.
“I think everyone was under pressure, the lads were feeling it was well. It was a bad run we were on and we were plummeting down the league and we needed to stop it.
“A lot of people wouldn’t have given a chance against an in-form Leicester but we stuck together and got the result.”
The skipper netted his first goal since mid-October and enjoyed playing on the right-side of midfield, a role from where he scored many of his goals for Plymouth: “I think my last goal was at Watford, so I was due one. It was with my swinger, so it was either going to go in row Z or the goal and I was delighted to see it go in.
“I felt like I had a bit more freedom to support the front two. Sometimes in the middle of midfield we sit back but on the right I was told to support the front two and enjoyed it.”
As for manager Roy Keane, Norris believes he has accepted a lot of criticism to take the heat off the players: “He’s said ahead of all the recent games that he doesn’t want us playing with the pressure, which is why he takes a lot of the flak himself. He knows that if players are playing under pressure and not freely, he won’t get the best out of them.”
Norris says the Town boss deserves the opportunity to complete his contract, which is up at the end of June: “He’s got his two-year contract and I think he should be given his chance to see that out.
“It’s out of our hands, the only thing we can do as players is to keep winning to keep him in a job. The decisions will be made and they're out of our hands, we just have to make sure we keep winning and take the pressure off.”
Photo: Action Images
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blueherts added 09:11 - Dec 20
Sign up Chuck and carry on leading !! |  | |
corshamblue added 09:16 - Dec 20
Totally Agree, Sign Up Chuck. Quality Captain and one that can take us forward.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 09:19 - Dec 20
Well done Chuck, a great result, nice that he mentioned the groundstaff what a great job they all did. |  | |
BYRNE_16 added 09:24 - Dec 20
i love chuck....! |  | |
bluechick added 09:34 - Dec 20
There was nothing wrong with the pitch. You should have tried playing on the quagmire pitches in the 60's & 70's. Upton Park and many others used to resemble a ploughed field by January and games were often played with snow on the pitch.
How much do you earn a week Chucky? Man up and stop whinging you big fairy. |  | |
bluelady added 10:11 - Dec 20
good to say a natural leader and by all accounts seems to be a decent bloke. He seemed to have a smile on his face the entire game on saturday so im not sure where all your agression towards him is coming from Bluechick, whatever he says above you could see he was really enjoying himself! |  | |
Upbeat~ added 10:30 - Dec 20
Chuck = Legend! Favourite player for many years. |  | |
nitroblue1970 added 10:34 - Dec 20
Nice one Chuck!....I was in the Brittania lower covered in snow!..the huge smile on Chucks face when they came back out after the ten minute delay was brilliant and gave the whole crown a huge lift...... |  | |
katemoss added 10:34 - Dec 20
No wonder we have lost 9 out of 12 games with a no hoper like Norris. What a feeble little story he has to tell of the day he played footie and it snowed. Let ime go and play somewhere in League 1 or 2 because no decent club would waste any money on him. He should have cost less han a million, we were robbed by Plymouth. Clogger. |  | |
Marcus added 10:44 - Dec 20
Where's the criticism coming from? Chuck said the conditions were really bad but he also put his head down, kept his focus and put in one of his best 90 mins as a Town player.
Can we buy Keane a snow machine for Christmas? |  | |
MAVERICK added 11:27 - Dec 20
God ! some people got out of bed the wrong side this morning, well played Norris and the boys ! |  | |
blueherts added 11:31 - Dec 20
Bluechick and Katemoss - Respect your opinion BUT Norris - when played in right position by RK is a key player for us . We missed him last year big time . Him and Mac are key for us moving forward | | |
Blueknight85 added 11:33 - Dec 20
Iv been wanting Norris on the right for ages!!! | | |
Mark added 12:34 - Dec 20
If Leicester players called the referee a joke, shouldn't that be a yellow card?
Indeed a massive result Saturday, well done lads.
I don't agree with the manager "seeing out" his contract, as we need to plan for the future. Players signing in January need to know where they stand and the club needs to present a vision to them. Season ticket renewal forms will go out before too long and we simply cannot affods for a massive drop in numbers. I bet not many feel like renewing at the moment! I will renew and continue to go to every home match, cheering on the players, but I admit I don't feel much like going these days like in the past. The club feels like it is withering and it is time for a change at the top. We have players good enough to do better than 17th in the league, so let's give them confidence and manage them properly. |  | |
ooaahpennyfather added 13:31 - Dec 20
I don't have a problem with Chuck as captain..... leads by example and always gives 110% every match. Great result on Saturday an one that we desperately needed to stop the rot. Perhaps that little piece of luck (match wasn't abandoned) is what we needed to turn our season back to something we can all be a little bit proud of!! |  | |
TractorBeezer added 14:21 - Dec 20
What a great weekend! It's amazing what a win can do for the spirit especially when there was such real effort and desire from ALL players ably led by Norris coupled with the magnificent work by Alan Ferguson and crew. The football was pretty good too under the circumstances. On top of that, the sheer suspense about whether the game would finish.
More snow for Boxing Day? |  | |
Ryorry added 14:46 - Dec 20
well I don't respect BlueChick or KateMoss's opinions at all because they are ludicrous.
Well done Chuck, good stuff |  | |
bluelady added 16:05 - Dec 20
here here Ryorry!!! | | |
h32 added 17:41 - Dec 20
No doubt players ARE getting softer - I've known the time when players just could not wait to get out there in those conditions.
I know some people totally resent any reference to 'how the game was' in the past - but it is fact - too much money for too little is what today's game is all about.
Full marks to the Referee, many would rather have been on there way home themselves than go back out again. A MAN WITH BALLS - as it should be. | | |
aejb added 18:49 - Dec 20
If we get anyone it will be gareth southgate | | |
singingtheblues added 23:31 - Dec 20
playing for a pub side at 18 ... and still playing for a pub side at 29! |  | |
Calmingwind added 23:38 - Dec 20
on the subject of bad conditions...nothing will ever compare to the baseball ground, or the villa park sandpit |  | |
Back_The_Boss added 07:41 - Dec 21
It's vital that Norris is given a new contract, he had a very good game against Leicester and was rewarded with a goal. COYB! |  | |
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