Die-hard Norwich City fans are eyeing a Canaries badge of honour and a memorable away day after moving quickly to buy all of the 5,000 tickets on sale for next month’s game at Wigan.
It’s set to be the latest example of the superb support City benefit from, with the Sunday midday kick-off on April 14 seemingly just fuelling desire to drive Daniel Farke’s leaders forward.
It’s set to be the biggest away following for a regular league game in 15 years, since 7,781 fans followed Nigel Worthington’s eventual champions to Crystal Palace in March 2004 – seeing a 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park.
Of course the biggest following of the modern era was at Wembley in May 2015, when almost 39,000 City supporters watched Alex Neil’s team seal promotion with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at the national stadium.
But there was another memorable away day last season, when almost 9,000 snapped up tickets for a League Cup fourth round game away to Premier League giants Arsenal, with the hosts running out 2-1 winners in extra-time at the Emirates Stadium.
Away attendances have not always been recorded but since 2001 the Canaries have listed away figures in their matchday programme, with matches such as at Sheffield Wednesday in March 1982 going down in legend, when around 10,000 City supporters were said to be cheering on that successful promotion push.
It’s not always possible to get totally accurate figures either, such as the fateful 6-0 defeat at Fulham on the final day of the 2004-05 top-flight season, when City’s official allocation was 4,000 but the ‘neutral zone’ at Craven Cottage clearly featured plenty of yellow and green as well.
MORE: Norwich City fixtures and results
During the current campaign Norwich have averaged an away attendance of over 1,600, with 3,240 packing out one stand at Millwall earlier this month.
Ahead of the big away day at the DW Stadium – surpassing the 4,490 who saw the 1-1 Premier League draw at Wigan in 2011 – here are the biggest City away followings since the start of the 2001-02 campaign, with thanks to Canaries fan Steve Gedge for his help.
HIGHEST CITY AWAY FOLLOWINGS (SINCE START OF 2001-02)
8,773 – Arsenal, Oct 2017 – L2-1 AET
7,781 – C Palace, Mar 2004 – L1-0
6,300 – Chelsea (FAC), Feb 2007 – L4-0
5,500 – Everton (FAC), Jan 2004 – L3-1
5,088 – Peterborough (FAC), Jan 2013 – W3-0
4,500 – Watford, April 2004 – W2-1
4,490 – Wigan, Aug 2011 – D1-1
4,443 – Reading, April 2004 – W1-0
4,339 – Barnsley, April 2002 – W2-0
4,227 – West Ham (FAC) Jan 2005 – L1-0
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