Scuffles among Norwich City fans after drab draw at Coventry

City are seventh after 11 games but have won just one of their last five in the league, with a drab display in a 1-1 draw at Coventry on Saturday seemingly prompting anger from some supporters - but not all.

Tensions are said to have escalated as some fans applauded the players at full-time and were told forcefully not to, as some who had booed even got into arguments with David Wagner's squad.

There was a tense atmosphere in the away end after Norwich City's 1-1 draw at Coventry (Image: Paul Chesterton)Canaries keeper Angus Gunn took issue with the angry reaction of some City fans after the draw at Coventry (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images)

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Pink Un columnist Will Jennings was at the game and said: "I saw certain pockets of angry fans who were shouting abuse at the players when they came over to applaud fans and also taking issue with other supporters who were applauding the players off. 

"There was also arguing between some fans heading down the stairs leading down into the concourse at full-time and police had to intervene near the exit."

Will Jennings was at the game and said there was arguing between some fans heading down the stairs towards the concourse (Image: Will Jennings)

Alan Gee, who lives in Ketts Hill, saw the incident unfold and tried to calm matters down. He said: "Before the game there already seemed to be a lot of tension.

"After the game, there was some pushing and shoving in the concourse area and all of a sudden things got out of hand.

"I was trying to get people away and to calm things down and in the process got my shirt ripped off."

Some Canaries made their feelings clear after Norwich conceded a late goal to draw at Coventry (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images)The Norwich players looked disappointed to see the strength of booing from some fans after their draw at Coventry (Image: Paul Chesterton)

A Norwich City spokesman said no incidents had been reported to the club.

Robin Sainty, chairman of the Canaries Trust, added: "The atmosphere was pretty intense throughout the game and there was a growing sense of frustration.

"I saw the incident at the end of the game while leaving, where police and stewards were trying to calm things down."

Canaries Trust chairman Robin Sainty, front, standing with arms folded, was in the away end at Coventry (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images)

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Mr Gee believes that the club's recent run of results is causing tempers to flare, but thinks supporters should be "sticking together".

He added: "Some criticism is warranted but it's now spilling over into the stands and between Norwich fans, which isn't good.

"There are some younger fans who don't want to go because they're worried about their safety - the supporters need to stick together."

ANALYSIS

It is quite ridiculous to hear reports of angry scuffles among City fans after Saturday’s game at Coventry.

From the very start, there should never really be a reason for supporters of the same club to be getting into rows, as everyone just wants to see their team win. Unless you’re one of the super-rich big boys, that doesn’t happen every week.

Yet passions do run high and people do care passionately about seeing the Canaries succeed.
Had City slumped to a 6-0 defeat to be relegated on the final day of the season - as they did in the Premier League at Fulham back in 2005 - then we all know that tempers could flare.

The 1-1 draw at Coventry was far from those depressing realms though, leaving David Wagner’s team seventh in the Championship table after 11 matches following a strong start to the campaign.

Yes, it was frustrating after Ben Gibson inexplicably headed in a late own goal, and yes, one win in the last five league games has been frustrating, but screaming and shouting about such a situation is lacking perspective.

Take a look at crisis clubs such as Reading and Southend United, battling for their futures, or Scunthorpe United, who were a league above Norwich in 2009-10 but are now in the sixth tier of English football and desperately hoping their latest owner will save them.

The Canaries are in nothing like that kind of peril, with seventh in the table being roughly where many supporters were predicting the team would finish this season before a ball had been kicked.

Add into the mix the loss of first-choice strikers Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes to injury, as well as summer signing Borja Sainz, and a downturn in form is even less surprising.

Wagner and his players will be expected to turn things around swiftly but fans turning on each other as emotions run high really is unnecessary in the circumstances.