Flying Ryan the star of the City show

Manager

John Bond

This was Bond’s fourth full season at Carrow Road. Having engineered a return to the top flight, City had finished 10th and 16th. This time it was 13th - truly mid-table mediocrity … with the occasional twist of course.

Player of the season and top scorer John Ryan (Image: Archant)

Leading scorer/PoTS

John Ryan scored 15 goals and was named Player of the Season. Bond paid Luton £40,000 for Ryan, who was playing as a right back, and moved him into midfield. Ryan, by his own admission, had limitations – but he had a prodigious work-rate and good stamina.

Action from City's 2-1 home win over Wolves in October, 1977 (Image: Archant)

The season

Probably not the easiest of Bond’s career. He waved good bye to Phil Boyer – who headed to Southampton for £135,000 - and although the campaign began with a 3-1 win at West Ham it turned out to be the only success away from Carrow Road all season. The previous season’s leading scorer, Viv Busby, also departed, signing for Stoke for £50,00 in December.

City celebrate their goal against QPR in 1977 (Image: Archant)

City did manage to beat Liverpool that month – the highlight of the campaign in truth.

But two days after Christmas they lost 5-4 at Coventry City – they would have earned a point had Ryan not missed a last-minute penalty... having already scored from the spot earlier in the game.

Then there was the trip to Bristol City where goalkeeper Kevin Keelan played 85 minutes with a broken right hand. Plus they lost Kevin Reeves for the rest of the season.

Derby ups and downs

You win one, you lose one. City were thumped 4-0 at Portman Road in March, having scored a 1-0 home win on Boxing Day – so we’ll stick to the good bit.

John Ryan got the goal, tapping in after his penalty had been saved by Paul Cooper. Neither manager seemed too impressed by it all afterwards – particularly Bobby Robson.

“We were much the better footballing side, but things either go for you or they don’t and at the moment they are going for Norwich," he said. "They were extremely lucky with the penalty - Cooper saved it but it bounced out just right for them to put it in.”

Bond’s version was: “It wasn’t a classic game was it? But then local derbies seldom are. We didn’t play particularly well, because instead of being patient we kept hitting long balls straight at their strength - their defence.”

Norwich City legend Duncan Forbes walks out for his testimonial alongside Martin Peters (Image: Archant Library)

Highlight

Apart from the Liverpool win, it was probably the sight of the legendary Duncan Forbes enjoying his testimonial game in April. The 1971-72 promotion-winning team was reunited – and beat the present side 3-0. Less than three weeks later Forbes was recalled to the first team for a game against West Brom - and scored.

Central defender David Jones (Image: Archant)

Anything else?

The excellent Canary Citizens book reports that after the win at West Ham on the opening day “the City coach was parked next to a hall where a wedding reception was taking place and it was quickly surrounded by guests, bridesmaids and even the bride herself who posed for a photograph with Martin Peters.”