Norwich City: Clive Payne interview on 1972 promotion.

Many Norwich City fans are only familiar with the club bouncing between the top two leagues.

For decades, the Canaries have been known for bouncing between the two leagues, achieving Championship success and failing in the Premier League with a variety of players and coaches. However, they had never reached the first division until 1972, and Ron Saunders’ side’s elevation was what set the club’s 70-year history in motion. Full-back Clive Payne, a frequent starter on that team, has warm memories more than 50 years later.

“It was something special,” he told the Pink Un. “As a team, we played extremely well, and when you look at the squad, I believe we only had 15 players available all season. I mean, they definitely have 25 or 30 players now, so I thought we performed okay. “With a tiny group, we had to continue playing. If you didn’t play and someone took your place and played well, they stayed on the sidelines, so you wanted to participate. “It was a great squad, and we were all close friends. So, to the best of my recall, none of us had any unpleasant feelings! We just got along and worked for each other. We were a hard-working team. We did have stars, but we were all useful players.”

Another nearly unrecognisable element of the time was the style of play, with the bulk of clubs abandoning the concept of short passing in favour of direct tactics and long balls. Payne misses that era when he watches modern football, claiming that the end-to-end entertainment that was once on show is no longer there in the game. “It’s a different game now,” he explained. “To be honest, I don’t enjoy it too much. It’s just tap, tap, tap passing, and I prefer it when the wingers get down and cross the ball. I think I’m old school. “I thought it was more thrilling when someone crossed the ball into the area, the centre-forward went after it, and the ball dropped down. You had a better chance of scoring. At the moment you very often see a winger pass it back to the full-back, who passes it to the centre-half and then it goes back to the goalkeeper.

“The ball and pitches were heavier. Now, look at the pitch; you could play bowls on it. Back then, there was no grass on the middle circle. “It was a different game.” The 74-year-old was speaking after the Norwich City Historical Trust unveiled teammate Duncan Forbes’ match-worn away shirt from 1971-72 season. The occasion allowed him to reconnect with fans who had been a part of that historic season, sharing experiences and trading memorabilia. “When we got promotion to the First Division for the first time, that’s exciting and people will always remember that,” stated Payne further: “As you can tell by the throng, they’re around my age. Children clearly don’t remember now. “I believe that each club should have something like this. When they win something, the crowd loves it, and that is for the supporters, right? Football should be for the fans. “So, it’s unfortunate when a player moves on. In our day, if you played for Norwich, you only played for Norwich. I initially started watching Norwich in 1959, when I rode on the back of my grandfather’s motorbike. Norwich were my team, so for me that was exciting.”

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