I’ve lived up north for the last 40 years and, to this day, still get a lot of weird looks when they discover I’m a Norwich City supporter.

Some locals say my accent is of the West Country and why would I support a club from Norfolk, so I have to educate them and tell them I’m Norfolk-born and bred and a Bloater to boot.

So, anyway, it’s Preston North End up next for City, a club with a great history and the first team to ever win the League/FA Cup double, back in 1888-89. They were front and centre of all things FA-related for many years, with the FA’s headquarters being in Lytham St Annes for over a hundred years.

Great players like Tom Finney, Bill Shankly and Tommy Docherty all played for the club in their prime, and the club still plays its games at its original home, Deepdale, which until 2012 was home to the National Football Museum.
Huge rivalries with Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton and Burnley make derby days very lively in these parts given their close proximity and at present only two of those are not in the Championship, albeit Blackpool and Bolton still get to have their derbies in League One. Let’s not forget that Fleetwood and Accrington are also very close nearby and they currently get to have their derbies in League Two.

PNE, Blackburn, Bolton and Burnley are all founding members of the original Football Association – the others were Everton, Accrington, Aston Villa, Stoke, Notts County, Derby, Wolves a...