The first in our series of summer Merit Awards for the 2020/21 season is today issued to Norwich City for the best programme in the Championship. The Canaries issue, which took our Gold Award for the 2019/20 Premier League Programme of the Season award, finished just ahead of the programmes produced by Preston North End, Brentford, and Coventry City. Read our full review below and take a look at the other Merit Awards we have issued here.

Each issue of OTBC (On The Ball City) runs to 116 perfect-bound A5 pages, and is packed full of content. ‘Seasons In The Sun’ recounts the story of a memorable campaign for the Canaries, also making reference to the fortunes of the opponents each matchday. ‘Memory Match’ is an interview with one past or present player, who talks about a notable match from their time at the club, while ‘Splendid Rushes’ highlights famous moments in Norwich’s history.

There are also articles on the men who have taken charge of the Canaries down the year in ‘Norwich City Managers’, recalling their time at Carrow Road, and remembering their best season and star player, and profiles of ex-City players who have spent time playing abroad, in ‘Overseas Canaries’. ‘My Canary Debut’ meanwhile sees a former player reminiscing about their first appearance in the club’s colours, and ‘On This Day’ features a famous game from this day in history.

There are also plenty of contemporary features, including a player interview over six pages, a column from former player Darren Eadie, and ‘Fan Talk’ – covering issues of interest to supporters. ‘Global Canaries’ looks at overseas supporters’ groups, focusing on a different country in each issue, and speaking to members of the respective groups, while ‘Euro Zone’ previews the European Championships tournament with reference to Norwich connections for the participating nations. Each issue also includes a three page junior section for younger Canary fans.

One of the many impressive aspects of Norwich’s programme is the coverage given to the visiting team, with in-depth analysis running to 11 pages. These include a ‘Scouting Report’ looking at the tactics the team employs and their recent form; ‘The Manager’, which profiles the club’s boss, their background, and overall record; and ‘Away From Home’, which takes a look at one player from abroad. In addition to profiles of each squad member there are extended notes on ‘One to Watch’ and ‘One of Their Own’, as well as three players who are key ‘When They Play Well’. The section is capped off with ‘Ask The Expert’ – a two-page interview with a media figure with experience of covering the visiting club.

The programme takes a similarly comprehensive approach to covering many different aspects of Norwich themselves. As well as a page on the Canaries Trust and two on the club’s Community Sports Foundation, there are three pages on Norwich’s women’s team, including match updates and league tables, while coverage of the club’s academy teams runs to seven pages, with detailed reports and stats. ‘Loan Report’ also provides updates on those players currently out on loan to other clubs. The first-team stats section includes the usual season spread, league table, and appearance records.

All in all, another classy issue from Norwich. Given the number of clubs that chose to produce a more limited programme for their behind closed doors games, as well as a few that opted not to publish at all, Norwich’s commitment to issuing their usual full-size programme is worthy of praise. We’re looking forward to seeing the issue they produce on their return to the Premier League, as they go for a hat-trick of awards in successive seasons!

 

Norwich City