New Delhi: Norwich City fans might be used to seeing the Canaries fly high, but lately, it’s been pigeons that are stealing the show at Carrow Road—and not in a good way. What’s more distracting than a last-minute penalty? A well-aimed pigeon dropping from above. Fans are fed up with this unwelcome aerial bombardment, and one supporter has had enough, calling on the club to clean up its act. Season ticket holder Paul Hobbs, a regular at the stadium, has voiced his concerns to BBC, calling on the club to sort out the mess once and for all.
For Hobbs and many others in the Upper Barclay stand, watching a football match has become more about dodging bird droppings than enjoying the game. He described the situation to BBC as “a very big issue” that’s only getting worse. The nuisance of pigeons flying overhead and leaving droppings on fans has led to widespread complaints, with some supporters even resorting to wearing hoods or covering themselves to avoid being hit.
The problem first caught Hobbs’ attention two seasons ago when he noticed a wall in the stand becoming increasingly covered in pigeon droppings. The situation escalated during one match when a fellow fan sitting in front of him was splattered with bird mess. “He got absolutely covered in it,” Hobbs recalled. “We just wiped it off, but it was a sign of things to come.” Since then, the problem has only grown, with more fans experiencing similar unpleasant incidents.
Pigeon in Norwich City stadium. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During a recent match, Hobbs’ wife and daughter were among those affected. They had to wear their hoods throughout the game to protect themselves from potential pigeon droppings, highlighting how the issue has become a significant distraction for fans trying to enjoy the match. “It’s not nice when you’re trying to watch a football game and all you’re concerned about is pigeons,” Hobbs said. “Enough is enough.”
The club, known as the Canaries, is aware of the problem and has taken some steps to address it. In previous seasons, Norwich City installed nets on the underside of the South Stand roof to deter the pigeons from nesting. However, these measures have not been enough to resolve the issue across the entire stadium.
A spokesperson for Norwich City acknowledged the fans’ frustrations and confirmed that the club is exploring further options to tackle the problem. “We have purchased various equipment to deter wild birds and are conducting further investigations to install additional netting on the underside of our other three stands,” the spokesperson said to BBC. However, due to the nature of the work, any significant improvements will need to be made during the close season when the stadium is not in use.
For many Norwich fans, though, this can’t come soon enough. With the pigeon problem now a regular annoyance on matchdays, the hope is that the club will finally take decisive action to ensure Carrow Road remains a place where supporters can focus on the football without the constant worry of a bird-related mishap. Until then, Hobbs and others will likely continue to watch the skies as much as they watch the pitch.
Norwich City fans are fed up with pigeon droppings disrupting their matchday experience, demanding the club finally tackle the problem. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
