Dominic Bareham YOUNG Bloaters fans have slammed their treatment by Norwich City after their big day out watching the non-leaguers take on the Championship club ended when they were kicked out of the ground.

Dominic Bareham

YOUNG Bloaters fans have slammed their treatment by Norwich City after their big day out watching the non-leaguers take on the Championship club ended when they were kicked out of the ground.

The teenagers, aged 15 and 16, had gone to the Canaries' Carrow Road ground to watch Yarmouth Town play against a Norwich reserve team in what for them was the equivalent of visiting Wembley.

But just 35 minutes after kick-off and with the score at 0-0, their match came to an end after stewards showed them the red card for refusing to sit down during the game and for shouting abusive language.

However, the group of friends, who all live in Great Yarmouth, denied they had been standing up throughout the game and said the “abusive language” consisted of them chanting their team was the “Pride of East Anglia,” which they did not believe was offensive.

The eight, part of the “Barmy Army,” who follow the Bloaters home and away, said their behaviour was no worse than fans at most of the Canaries' home Championship games, which often goes unpunished by stewards.

Jake Jones said: “We were treated like rubbish. We feel disgusted, it seems it is one rule for other people, then when we come along they change the rules.”

One member of the eight, who did not wish to be named, admitted he had climbed over seats to unfurl a Never Surrender Ulster flag at the back of the Barclay stand, where the group were seated among the 20 Yarmouth fans who had made the trip.

But he then sat down with the rest of his friends.

The eight had caught the 6.16pm train from Yarmouth to Norwich to attend the game on Monday last week.

Jake added that although they stood up to sing during the game, there was nobody behind them so they were not blocking anyone's view. He felt the stewards were particularly heavy-handed when they threw them out, and claimed a 12-year-old supporter had been dragged out across seats.

They returned to Yarmouth on the 9.20pm train, having missed most of the Bloaters' 3-0 defeat.

Jake added: “We have travelled to many grounds, including all-seaters, but we have never had any problems with the stewards. There is never any bad behaviour or fights.”

The Mercury approached Norwich City for a comment, but we had not received one at the time of going to press.