In 2004, Norwich were promoted to the premier league for the first time in absolutely ages. The scenes, as they say, were emotional, especially coming soon after play off heart break in Cardiff a couple years before. 1/x

We had a decent team, but after the season started well, we splashed out and brought in loan stars Darren Huckerby and Peter Crouch (!). Hucks stayed and powered us to the title. The party at city hall was epic. 2/x

We are a big Norwich family, especially me and my brother. In the delirium of the moment we decided, despite the cost, to get away season tickets for the premier league. This is a big commitment - you’re on the hook for away games every fortnight but it would be worth it. 3/x

You have to understand that being a Norwich fan means away days are a big old poke, as we say. But to see Norwich at Anfield, Old Trafford and umm, Selhurst Park, made it all worth it. After all the grim away days Jon and I had had over the years, this would make it worth it.

Anyway, the season started well. Well, it started ok. St James Park in the sun, a bore draw at the Hawthorns, missed the Anfield game because of a T&G conference. Then Jon called with some news.
5/x

“I know we’ve got away season tickets. But.... I’ve been offered the chance to go the Antarctic on an expedition by the writers guild [or some organisation like that]. So I can’t go to anymore games this season.” 6/x

To say I was aggrieved by being left to go, on my own, to away games would be to underplay the white hot fury of mood at the time. It was a betrayal then, and it remains so. 7/x

Norwich won no away games in the 2004/5 season. I had two tickets to every game, while Jon was on a boat to the Antarctic. 8/x

All of this is to say, I paid a high price for trip he undertook, and now, a mere 16 years later, he has used that trip to inspire a new novel. Please buy that book so that what I went through didn’t happen in vain. Thank you for reading. 9/9 https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/24/disaster-in-antarctica-jon-mcgregor-on-his-suspenseful-new-novel?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other