It used to be quite common for games to get postponed in the winter months because of frozen pitches and snow.
However, it’s unusual now for Premier League or Championship games to be called off because most clubs have good undersoil heating systems for their pitch.
In recent times, Norwich games have been postponed because of the death of the Queen, the Covid pandemic and a power generator failure a few minutes before kick-off when the crowd was in the stadium and ready to go!
Programmes from matches that are postponed or abandoned are very collectable.
Often this is because only a very small number of printed programmes from these games escaped from the printers and into the public domain making them super rare and hard to find.
What postponed Norwich City programmes exist?
One of the challenges in collecting postponed or abandoned games is to know what programmes actually exist.
With this in mind, I’ve collated the following list based on programmes already within this collection, or missing ones that I’m aware of. Thanks also to fellow collector Paul Burnham and the Norwich City Historical Trust for their help and input into this list.
Definition
By way of a definition, for it to be listed here, the original programme for the postponed game would have been completely re-issued for the rearranged game or an insert/update added.
For example, in the 1991/92 season, the FA Cup 4th round game at home to Millwall was postponed. An original programme was issued on 25th January 1992 for that postponed game. This was then re-issued with an additional cover for the rearranged game on 5th February 1992. The original programme is included within this list but not the one for the rearranged game.
This list does not include programmes that were completely reused for games that were postponed and then played on a different date. For example, the programme for the 85/86 match at Hull City shows a date of 1st Match 1986. This fixture was postponed and the game actually played on 29th April 1986 but still using the original 1st March programme.
Here is the list from the present day back to the end of World War 2 and the 46/47 season.
Each programme is listed by season with the date of the postponed or abandoned match. There is also a note of whether a new programme was issued for the re-arranged date or just an insert added to the original programme.
Cover scans are available here for all the games listed below except for those in bold. I’m missing these but hope to add them to the collection in the future.
Norwich City Postponed or Abandoned Home Programmes:
2019/20: Southampton – 14/3/20 (new programme issued for 19/6/20)
2002/03: Brighton & Hove Albion, FAC 3rd Round – 4/1/03 (new programme issued for 14/1/20)
1992/93: Coventry, FAC – 2/1/93 (original programme with new cover issued for 13/1/93)
1991/92: Millwall, FAC – 25/1/92 (original programme with new cover issued for 5/2/92)
1985/86: King’s Lynn, Friendly – 5/3/86 (new programme issued for 19/3/86)
1979/80: Middlesbrough – 19/1/80 (new programme issued for 27/2/80)
1978/79: Wolverhampton Wanderers – 1/1/79 (new programme issued for 7/3/79)
1976/77: Stoke City – 11/12/76 (new programme issued for 29/1/77)
1973/74: Birmingham City – 1/12/73 (new programme issued for 20/3/74)
1972/73: Chelsea, LC Semi-Final – 20/12/72 (new programme issued for 3/1/73)
1968/69: Blackburn Rovers – 28/12/68 (new programme issued for 23/4/69)
1965/66: Middlesbrough – 15/1/66 (new programme issued for 27/4/66)
1962/63: Blackpool, FAC – 5/1/63 (new programme issued for 4/3/63)
1955/56: Walsall – 18/2/56 (new programme issued for 12/4/56)
Norwich City Postponed or Abandoned Away Programmes:
2022/23: Burnley – 9/9/22 (new programme issued for 25/10/22)
2021/22: Leicester City – 1/1/22 (new programme issued for 11/5/22)
2016/17: Lowestoft Town, Friendly – 12/7/16 (new programme issued for 8/7/17)
2010/11: Crystal Palace – 26/12/10 (new programme issued for 29/1/11)
2006/07: Burnley – 20/1/07 (new programme issued for 17/4/07)
2003/04: Sunderland – 28/2/04 (new programme issued for 4/5/04)
2002/03: Gillingham – 1/1/03 (4 page insert added to original programme, issued for 25/2/03)
2000/01: Burnley – 28/10/00 (new programme issued for 21/11/00)
1998/99: Portsmouth – 31/10/98 (new programme issued for 10/11/98)
1996/97: West Bromwich Albion – 24/11/96 (4 page insert added to original programme, issued for 18/12/97)
1994/95: Queens Park Rangers – 21/1/95 (new programme issued for 15/3/95)
1991/92: Arsenal – 14/12/91 (new programme issued for 11/2/91)
1987/88: Coventry City – 2/1/88 (insert added to original programme, issued for 20/2/88)
1985/86: Crystal Palace – 28/12/85 (insert added to original programme, issued for 25/2/86)
1984/85: Stoke City – 9/2/85 (new programme issued for 24/4/85)
1981/82: Orient – 12/12/81(insert added to original programme, issued for 16/3/82)
1979/80: Nottingham Forest – 2/2/80 (insert added to original programme, issued for 30/4/80)
1978/79: Birmingham City – 20/1/79 (new programme issued for 27/3/79)
1978/79: Portsmouth, Friendly – 27/1/79 (no re-arranged fixture)
1978/79: Manchester United – 2/12/78 (new programme issued for 25/4/79)
1976/77: Manchester City – 3/1/77 (new programme issued for 1/3/77)
1976/77: Ipswich Town – 29/12/76 (new programme issued for 15/2/77)
1976/77: Everton – 4/12/76 (new programme issued for 19/4/77)
1972/73: Everton – 17/2/73 (insert added to original programme, issued for 3/4/73)
1970/71: Queens Park Rangers – 26/12/70 (new programme issued for 23/3/71)
1969/70: Watford – 29/11/69 (new programme issued for 7/4/70)
1968/69: Bolton Wanderers – 9/11/68 (new programme issued for 4/12/68)
1967/68: Bristol City – 28/10/67 (new programme issued for 5/12/67)
1965/66: Charlton Athletic – 19/4/66 (new programme issued for 18/5/66)
1965/66: Cardiff City – 5/2/66 (new programme issued for 10/5/66)
1965/66: Orient – 18/12/65 (new programme issued for 28/3/66)
1965/66: Charlton Athletic – 20/11/65 (new programme issued for 19/4/66)
1965/66: Manchester City – 8/9/65 (new programme issued for 27/10/65)
1962/63: Middlesbrough – 26/12/62 (new programme issued for 21/5/63)
1958/59: Mansfield Town – 29/11/58 (new programme issued for 6/4/59)
1955/56: Millwall – 4/2/56 (new programme issued for 5/5/56)
1954/55: Crystal Palace – 15/1/55 (new programme issued for 4/5/55)
1950/51: Bristol Rovers – 17/2/51 (new programme issued for 30/4/51)
1950/51: Newport County – 23/3/51 (new programme issued for 25/4/51)
Any updates?
If you can update any of the information listed here or help me find any of the missing programmes, please do contact me at hello@ontheballcity.co.uk