Will Jennings: Why Norwich City could be singing to a promotion tune?

Eight games to go, three points clear of seventh and a squad visibly growing in confidence - there's no reason why we can't do this and enjoy another magical May day at Wembley to savour.  

Me and 2,000-plus others enjoyed a joyous, old-school away trip to Stoke last weekend, capped by the emergence of a chant that perfectly epitomises the optimism now seeping through our fanbase.  

'David Wagner's taking us to Wembley', sung to the tune of the British-American rock band's 1987 hit 'Everywhere', were the lyrics reverberating around the bet365 Stadium in stoppage-time - and the way things are going, those words look very excitingly accurate.  

Stoke may have been voted the most 'bored' city in the UK but come 4:45pm, that couldn't have been further from the mood and Samba-inspired carnival playing out among all of us of a yellow and green persuasion in Staffordshire.  

Both on and off the pitch, it feels as though things are finally clicking into gear at the perfect time and with a catchy new song to accompany matters, it's difficult not to detect echoes of some of those glorious recent promotion seasons gone by. 

We had both 'Farke's on a Horse' and 'Going Up, Going Down' back in 2018-19, two chants manufactured from a pair of Stone Roses and Beatles classics that still send shivers down the spine to this very day.  

Four years earlier was that memorable play-off winning season at Wembley and despite such an identifiable soundtrack characterising that campaign, 'Who Put the Ball in the Ipswich Net' may well be belted out once again should City get another one over their rivals at Carrow Road in two weeks.  

And then who could forget the stirring Paul Lambert years of 2009-10 and 2010-11, a pair of back-to-back promotions where Grant Holt's song was born - again, still sung to this day - and we serenaded so many League One and Championship grounds with our version of ' Ee-i-ee-i-ee-i-oh'.  

I'm admittedly too young to be fully familiar with the songs we roared our Nigel Worthington-coached 2003-04 title-winners on with, but Leon McKenzie grabbing a brilliant debut goal at Portman Road - and then famously, another one too - plus us all loving Paul McVeigh will remain indelibly etched in our yellow and green consciousness.  

All of these seasons shared a tangible feel-good factor united by songs we all remember and after our dominant pre-international break victory at Stoke, we may well be on the brink of another very fun few weeks ahead.  

The away fans’ buoyant spirits were summed up perfectly by one of this paper's post-match reaction videos put on social media last Saturday night, where me and my brother were Pink Un reporter Samuel Seaman's interviewees and behind us, the party in the Potteries continued to spill into the car park. 

It's been a long-time coming and of course, there remain many twists and turns in store - but fans are finally starting to enjoy following Norwich City once again.  

It was remarkable to see our Easter Monday away game at Leicester City sold out this week, a match moved to a 12:30pm kick off for the Sky television cameras but one that will still see a heroic 2,500-plus fans flock to the King Power Stadium.  And with winnable looking trips to Preston and Sheffield Wednesday to come, followed by a potentially nerve-shredding final day showdown at Birmingham City, you can bank on the rejuvenated Canary nation turning out en masse once again. 

From a chanting innovation perspective, the last couple of seasons have already been roaring successes as both our Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe songs were born. 

But with another catchy number now added to our repertoire, the atmospheric foundations are in place for us to channel jubilant memories from years gone by and haul our heroes over the line. 

We’ll follow you everywhere. On the Ball City.